12 AUTHOR’S COLLECTION AUTHOR’S NewYorkers on the SOUTHERN BORDER

BY W i l l i a M F. h O W a r D

15,000 National Guardsmen went to the Mexican border in 1916 to defend America against Pancho Villa and his rebels. What they encountered was a harsh desert landscape, assorted vermin, punishing heat––and preparedness for the

Above: The mess tent of New York’s war that lay ahead. “Fighting 69th” on the Mexican border at Pharr, Texas, 1916. ISTOCKPHOTO.COM

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n March 9, 1916, Just fifteen days after In his book, The Story of the more than 400 Congress approved the 27th Division, O’Ryan stated The excitement Mexican rebels under National Defense Act on that within twenty-four hours, Othe command of Francisco June 3, 1916, National Guard more than 15,000 men had associated with the “Pancho” Villa raided the units from all over the nation assembled and were ready town of Columbus, New were called into federal service for duty. activation of the Mexico. The Mexicans engaged for duty along the border. This To assist in the training of Guard reached a mixed force of soldiers and call-up marked the first nation- such large numbers of troops, armed civilians, and the result- wide mobilization of the the 69th Infantry and two to every corner of ing melee ended with eight National Guard in American companies of Engineers were American soldiers killed, six history. Because of their sent on June 20 to Green the state. wounded, and another ten proximity, militia units from Haven in Dutchess County to civilians killed. The town was Texas, Arizona, and New clear the land and install water ransacked and left in ruins. Mexico were the first Guard and septic facilities. At the As newspapers stirred the call units to be called, but by the same time, General O’Ryan for retribution, the American end of August nearly 112,000 moved his headquarters to military mobilized in response guardsmen were deployed the Municipal Building in New to the attack. on the southern border. The York City. The excitement Between March 16, 1916 soldiers were sent to four main associated with the activation and February 14, 1917, a staging areas, at Douglas, of the Guard reached to every force of about 14,000 Army Arizona and San Antonio, corner of the state. Parks and troops under the command Brownsville, and El Paso, Texas. schoolyards became military of Brigadier General John J. drill grounds and tented Pershing operated in northern New York responds encampments; regimental CONGRESS OF LIBRARY Mexico under orders to disrupt On June 18 in New York State, chaplains reached out to

Villa and put an end to these Major General John F. O’Ryan, employers to ensure that border raids. In addition, more the commanding general of the soldiers’ families would than 100,000 National Guard the New York National Guard, be supported during the troops were activated to patrol was at Camp Smith in deployment. Brigadier General John J. Pershing the American side of the Peekskill when he received a In his History of the Seventh believed that the Mexican Punitive border in support of the oper- phone call from Governor Regiment, Dewitt Clinton Falls Expedition had a positive organiza- ation. This little-remembered Charles Whitman, who advised recalled the exhilaration that tional impact on the American chapter in American military the general that the president surrounded the famous Park military. history became known as the was calling up the National Avenue Armory as the New Mexican Punitive Expedition, Guard for duty. O’Ryan then York troops gathered to leave the first large-scale American issued orders requiring all units for the border: “The Armory The men of Company H of the 3rd military exercise since the to assemble at their respective was besieged all day by large New York Infantry at Pharr, Texas, Spanish-American War in 1898. armories the following evening. crowds of friends of the August 15, 1916.

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food and merchandise and destroyed what they could not carry away. The soldiers were eventually driven back to the trains by an armed detachment of twenty men. Once New York’s troops arrived at the border in early AUTHOR’S COLLECTION

AUTHOR’S COLLECTION AUTHOR’S July, they assembled at three campsites at Mission, McAllen

(known to soldiers as “Muck Allen”), and Pharr, Texas, all located about sixty miles from Brownsville near the mouth “Our water supply comes out of a Regiment and many ex-mem- preceded New York troops of the Rio Grande River. Soon ditch and you have to close your bers who desired to re-enlist… to the border. O’Ryan, a after their arrival, the men eyes when you drink it. I am some Rations were provided for the prominent attorney in civil life, discovered that the inadequate dirty for there is no water to wash Regiment in the Armory but was aghast at the bumbling water supply would only and I look like a regular greaser,” many of the visitors brought inefficiency of the govern- serve about half of the men complained one soldier. all kinds of supplies with them, ment, and he was equally assigned to the camps. To and all kinds of appliances critical of the decision made solve this problem, the were rigged up to hoist the by federal authorities not to New Yorkers turned to the various articles through the disrupt commercial rail traffic accomplished citizen-soldiers Soon after their windows… .” in deference to military trans- within their ranks. arrival, the men Before leaving New York port needs. Thus transport of In civil life, Lieutenant City, Colonel Willard C. Fisk the New York Guardsmen Colonel Merritt H. Smith of discovered that the was presented with $5,000 in (and more than 3,000 horses the 1st Field Artillery was the cash by the Seventh Regiment and mules) to the border was chief engineer for the New inadequate water Veterans Association to much delayed by this policy. York City water supply, and supply would only support the needs of the two other men were hydro- regiment in the field. But “all these Bugs and logical engineers. They went serve about half of private donations could not reptiles” to work on the problem, and procure everything. Almost The eventual trip south was a new and efficient water the men assigned to immediately, New York military memorable. Wherever the system was soon serving the the camps. officials recognized a severe train stopped, the public needs of the New York troops. shortage of uniforms and gathered to make the soldiers A strict standard at the equipment within their assem- feel at home. In Buffalo, the command level was also set. bled units. General O’Ryan had American Red Cross delivered One of the first actions taken anticipated such a situation sandwiches to the men, while by General O’Ryan in the field years before, and to his the officers were driven to a was an order that banned credit had arranged for the nearby club for steam baths, the use of alcoholic beverages Arsenal to store showers, and swimming. The and prohibited any New and reserve equipment in case trip was not without contro- Yorker from entering a house New York’s military forces versy, however. In , of prostitution. As a result, were ever activated for federal the New York Guardsmen left the New York division had service. But the War Depart- the train and were part of a one of the lowest disease ment released New York’s rowdy contingent of some rates in the expedition force. equipment reserves to the 700 soldiers who raided the The soldiers were univer- units from other states that city’s grocery stores for sally struck by the landscape

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For most of the New York troops, however, service on Heat and disease the border involved drilling, digging, and constructing proved a more shelters, with long patrols and rifle training thrown in formidable enemy for good measure. Most of than the Mexicans; the men didn’t encounter The only person identified in this photo is Corporal Andrew J. Klinko (last the Mexican rebels and never of the twenty-four soldier in front row, right), who served in Company B of the 6th Infantry and sent this photo to Julia Mucsicsko in Staten Island. fired their weapons in either self-defense or anger. New York soldiers they encountered. One soldier enemy than the Mexicans; of who died in service described the unit’s head- the twenty-four New York Futility…or Preparedness? quarters at McAllen, Texas: soldiers who died in service In early September 1916, four during the border “The ground was flat and during the border expedition, New York regiments were ankle deep in dust, with… sixteen died of disease and withdrawn from border service expedition, sixteen scattered clump[s] of small eight died of injury. On long and sent to by died of disease and cactus and misquite [sic] bushes. marches, the heat could rail to deal with an impending When the work of clearing the break an otherwise healthy labor strike. It was boldly eight died of injury. ground began it was found man. Private Arthur Van reported that the mere news that what vegetation there Rensselaer was heir to one of the impending return of was contained all kinds of of the great Hudson Valley the National Guard troops animal life, small prairie dogs, fortunes, but his service on diffused the labor strife in the horned toads and snakes, the border with the Seventh city. 1916 was also a presi- scorpions, tarantulas and Regiment left him shattered, dential election year, and a One soldier wrote: “We ate our meals sitting on the ground… centipedes…sixteen rattle- a victim of severe sunstroke special commission was sent to The mess tin…was placed on the snakes alone were killed—to and total paralysis from which Texas from Albany to register ground in front of the eater. One say nothing of other vermin. he never recovered. Six years the remaining New York hand managed to spoon or fork Every bit of growth that might later, he invented the electric Guardsmen and collect the and the other waved gently back harbor animal life was finally wheelchair to help him ballots. Dewitt Clinton Falls and forth over the food to keep the cleared and the camp pitched.” compensate for his disability. dismissed the effort as little flies from completely hiding it.” Another soldier, C. Harold Floyd, recalled: “As to taran- tulas, scorpions, centipedes and rattlesnakes, we considered all these bugs and reptiles deadly and for the first few days lived in constant dread of them. In time, however, while we looked before sitting down and were careful to shake a shoe before putting it on, we gave little thought to any of these pests.”

But the hard work of clear- COLLECTION AUTHOR’S ing the land, and the rigors of camp life in the hostile climate, took a toll. Heat and disease proved a more formidable

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t h e a r C h i V e S CONNeCtiON

he New York State TMilitary Museum and Veterans Research Center in Saratoga Springs has AUTHOR’S COLLECTION AUTHOR’S numerous archival and material records available on the Guard’s Mexican Border service, including scrapbooks, photographs, letter collections, and unit- Five National Guard troopers more than a “political job” rifle marksmanship, firing specific resources in the pose with a pack mule near the and noted that despite the bullets across the river at museum’s Armory/Unit Mexican border. public expense of printing cactus plants and sagebrush. Collection. These archives the ballots and transporting As it turned out, the only also contain card file commission members, the punitive action for the records for commissioned freight cars containing the Seventh was killing rattlesnakes personnel who served in ballot boxes remained in Texas and scorpions.” But such the Guard from 1916–1955, long after the results had been criticism ignores the impact as well as company and tallied and Woodrow Wilson that the operation had on the regimental letter books. was declared the victor over Guard in terms of bringing a The New York State Prior to the former New York governor more professional military Archives preserves card file Charles Evans Hughes. bearing to the organization, Mexican Punitive records for soldiers who After the election, Governor more efficiently preparing served in the National Expedition, the Charles Whitman arrived in and equipping the soldiers, Guard prior to World War II, Texas on November 16 to establishing logistical lines of and regimental muster rolls review the troops. Just one supply, and better organizing for the units mustered into week later, the Seventh government and political military had existed federal service. Regiment completed its service support for troops in the in a sleepy and began its return trip field. Prior to the Mexican home. The regiment had left Punitive Expedition, the peacetime stasis–– New York with 1,267 officers United States military had but the expedition and men. According to existed in a sleepy peacetime records, 1,070 of these men stasis––but the expedition changed that. completed the tour of duty, changed that. In total, about and three regiment soldiers two-fifths of the National died on the border. Their Guard troops called up in the names are inscribed on a summer of 1916 were still on tablet on the main staircase in active duty when the U.S. the elegant Seventh Regiment declared war on Germany in Armory in New York City. April 1917; the mobilization A modern historian of the and modernization of the New York National Guard Army during the expedition described the border service would prove invaluable in as “an exercise in futility… preparing the military and its The soldiers marched a lot, officers for the grim experi- rode horses and practiced their ence of World War I. n

NEW YORK archives • WINTER 2010