Colorado State University Fort Collins - Silver Spruce Yearbook (Fort Collins, CO)

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War .Department, Washington, D. C, May 8, 1916. Special Order No. 000: By direction of the president, First Battalion of the First Infantry and the First Battalion of the Red Cross Hospital Corps of the Colorado Agricultural College, Fort Collins, Colorado, is detailed as a flying column to move into Mex- ico and will proceed to Columbus, New Mexico, Friday, May 12th, reporting to Major General Leonard Wood Hale for duty accordingly. The travel directed is necessary in the military service. By order of the Secretary of War. Brig. Gen. Linnie Klemmedson, Major Gen. Tom Leiper Major Gen. Carl Doehling Major Gen. Bernard Flanagan. Official : Minnie Koppe, Helen Hale. Adjutant Generals. The above order was received with the usual martial frenzy. The First Battalion was mobilized at the Colorado Southern depot on Friday at 7 :45. Five minutes later the Hospital Corps appeared on the scene. At 8 :00 the troop train pulled out for Villa ' s stamping ground. A frenzied populace bade good-bye to the troops. Some even ran along side of the train half way to the battlefield. Get Villa, Get the bandit, Dead or alive, were the shouts of the civil- ians. The troop announced grimly that they would fetch him back if they lost a dinner doing it. Page Two hundred twenty-four

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CAST Dr. Lory Dean Johnson ; Dean Corbett H. L. Seamans Lieutenant Rogers Mr. Coen Dr. Glover Prof. House Prof. Marshall Prof. Emslie. . Xyal Adams Myron Griffin Mary Collopy Guy Wherren Ralph Freed Eddie Myers Ed. Alkire Oley Johnson Tiny Taylor . . V. T. Scott. Page Two hundred twenty-three

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? The train arrived at its destination in record time. Reconnaisance and out- posts were sent out while the main body of troops were detraining. But Villa proved too shrewd for the outposts and suddenly burst from a clump of trees upon the unsuspecting troops. The U. S. soldiers were demoralized for an instant. By the time they had recovered, the mighty bandit had slapped the dean on the wrist and escaped. The booty from the raid consisted of a can of pork and beans and a bottle of cream. Shortly afterward the chase started. The bandits were regular iron men, but they were not a match for the fighting rookies wearing the wrist watches. Uphill and down valley went Villa and his band and ditto the Americans. Finally the dusky warrior was cornered and it was a case of escaping by swimming a creek or surrendering. The bandit was afraid of the water and surrendered him- self and his band. He was brought to camp and tried and found guilty. His sentence was death. A Red Cross nurse swore she recognized Villa as her old schoolmate. Floyd Ball, and that she recognized his band as Nye, Swink and Sweitzer. Just before the execution the men escaped and the troops returned to Fort Collins empty handed. Page Ttco hundred ttcentf-fve