Chasing Villa: The Story Behind the Story of Pershing’s Expedition into Mexico

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Pickle Partners Publishing, 05.12.2018 - 388 Seiten
Chasing Villa is a record of events in Western history, military history, the Mexican Revolution, and the last of the horse cavalry. Following its first publication in 1934, U.S. Army Colonel Frank Tompkins’ account of the Punitive Expedition by a participant became widely considered to be one of the most comprehensive.

The book tells the story of the Columbus Raid and Pershing’s Expedition into Mexico. On March 9, 1916 the border town of Columbus, New Mexico was attacked by forces under the command of the Mexican revolutionary, Pancho Villa. Eighteen Americans were killed and a number of buildings were burned to the ground before the U.S. Cavalry, inflicting heavy losses, drove Villa and his mounted band back into Mexico. Frank Tompkins, a Major in the U.S. Cavalry at the time, led the counterattack against Villa’s mounted men on March 9th, and was with General John “Black Jack” Pershing during the subsequent year-long “Punitive Expedition” that sought to capture the elusive Villa in Mexico. The Columbus Raid and Punitive Expedition proved to be the last major campaign of the U.S. Cavalry. At the same time it presaged the more modern military techniques that would soon be employed by American forces in World War I. First published in 1934 and long out of print, “Chasing Villa” is a sound and literate record of milestone events in Western history, military history, the Mexican revolution, and the last of the horse cavalry.

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Inhalt

CHAPTER XVICampaign of the Three Columns
CHAPTER XVIICampaign of the Three Columns
CHAPTER XIXOperations of the Second Squadron
CHAPTER XXOperations of the Provisional Squadron
CHAPTER XXIThe Situation After the Fight
CHAPTER XXIVOperations of the Provisional
CHAPTER XXVOperations of the 10th Cavalry March
CHAPTER XXVIOperations of the Provisional

CHAPTER VCarranza Becomes President 44
CHAPTER VICarranza and Villa 50
CHAPTER VIIEvents Preceding the Columbus Raid 56
CHAPTER VIIIVillas Raid on Columbus New Mexico
CHAPTER IXThe Pursuit from Columbus 72
CHAPTER XIncidents of the Fight at Columbus 76
CHAPTER XIColonel Slocum U S Commander at Columbus Attacked and Vindicated 78
CHAPTER XIIDiplomatic Exchanges Following the Raid 84
From Colonia Dublan Operations of the 7th Cavalry
CHAPTER XXVIIRendezvous at Santa Cruz
CHAPTER XXVIIIOperations of the 7th Cavalry Near
CHAPTER XXIXThe Cavalry Withdraws to the North
CHAPTER XXXThe New Plan The Country Divided
CHAPTER XXXIBehind the Scenes With the Politicians
Inglorious Ending 250
CHAPTER XXXVThe National Guard on the Mexican
APPENDIX ASOME CAVALRY LESSONS OF
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Colonel Frank Tompkins (1868-1954) was an officer in the U.S. Army. Tompkins served in numerous conflicts, including the Spanish-American War in Cuba, the Philippine-American War, the Mexican Border War, and World War I. Recommended by Gen. John J. Pershing for the Medal of Honor, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his leadership during the 1916 Battle of Columbus, New Mexico. The award was upgraded in 1934 to the Distinguished Service Cross, a decoration second only to the Medal of Honor. Col. Tompkins was born on September 28, 1868 in Washington, D.C., one of three surviving sons of Brevet Brig.-Gen. Charles Henry Tompkins, an officer in the U.S. Army, and Augusta Root (Hobbie) Tompkins. Educated at private schools in St. Paul Minnesota and Chicago, Illinois, Tompkins graduated from Shattuck Military Academy and Braden’s (West Point) Preparatory School at Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York. In 1890 he was awarded the Silver Lifesaving Medal for rescuing a sailor from drowning in the Narrows off Governors Island in New York City in 1889. Tompkins entered the Army directly from civilian life and was promoted to first lieutenant in the 2nd Cavalry in 1898. He subsequently served in the Philippines between 1901-1904 and Cuba from 1906-1909. In September 1910 Tompkins became a professor of military science in tactics at Norwich University, Vermont. He served, and rose through the ranks to become Colonel, on three tours as its commandant of cadets, from 1910-1913, 1916-1917, and 1919-1923. Tompkins returned to the United States in December 1918, stationed at Fort Myer, Virginia, until March 1919, when he again became a professor and commandant of cadets at Norwich. He retired in 1920, but was immediately recalled to duty until 1923 to finish his tour at Norwich. He then retired again but remained affiliated with Norwich as a trustee until his death on December 21, 1954 at the age of 86.

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