Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 248, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 October 1916 — Writes From Bank of Rio Grande River [ARTICLE]

Writes From Bank of Rio Grande River

Maj. Healey Tell# of Trip Third Regiment Made Under Very Trying Conditions.

SOLDIER BOYS GAME. March Under Tropical Sun Through Miles of Gumbo Mud and Show What Training Has Accomplished; Art Tuteur Some Rider; Capt. Tuteur Helps Treat Aged Mexican Who Has Long Been Sick; Boys Don’t Know When They Will Get Home. Donna Pump, Tex., Oct. 11, 1916. The Republican - ; This is the morning after the day and night before and I am writing from a tent pitched very near the bank of the Rio Grande river. Just across and occasionally peering through the trees that border the river are Carranza soldiers, while our side of the river is outposted and patrolled by soldiers. Last night for the first time in our border experience we had an outpost protecting our camp. The four companies of my battalion w’ere used in this outpost and they were under instructions to report any suspicious or unusual

U. S. Mexicans. Some purchased hogs, some bought tortillos bread and dther things the Mexicans hurriedly prepared.' Other supplies are to join us at the Donna cane mill. The trading which was previously conducted between the U. S. and Mexican soldiers has been stopped and no more hair hat cords or mescale, the wildly intoxicating drink made from the juice of the cactus, are allowed brought over to this side. The river on this side is more carefully patrolled than it was a month ago and it is reported that A more Mexican soldiers are on the other side. They were aware of our appearance here and the large number of reinforcements aroused their curiosity and we were watched all the time. It is understood that within a week or two we are to join as a division with a division from Brownsville and take another big hike, remaining out for a week. It should prove very interesting and if it does I shall try to describe it.

I wish I could give a more vtvid description of the Rio Grande than seems possible. The stream is constantly muddy and that destroys its beauty. The banks are mainly of sand or sandy clay and keep washing 1 all the time. Here at Donna pump. the bank on this side is protected bv I piling and brush, while just across is a grove of large trees. It is through these trees that Mexican soldiers peered with consternation when we arrived Tuesday afternoon. To all appearances they fear an attack by us. Every precaution is taken to prevent firing and even our fishermen are under the direction of an officer to prevent any occurrence that might precipitate trouble

circumstances from the Mexican side.' We are here only for a day and by Thursday noon will be back in! Llano Grande after a march of 40, miles under as bad conditions as ever| existed. Monday we left Llano Grande for Progresso, a marching distance of 12 miles. We started shortly after 9 o’clock, thus making! the march in the heat of the day. It was an oppressive march and the humidity was intense. Many faltered under the heavy weight of rifle belt filled with ammunition and their heavy packs, containing shelter half, poncho, blankets, canteens, tincups, meat can, knife, fork and spoon. But with a gameness and pluck, characteristic uf L the' American soldier, they went oh and on untikwe had-reached our camp ground. Capt. Tuteur left but two men out of 54 in camp. John Eigelsbach is one of the division bakers and Jay Nowels was left to guard the quarters. Capt. Cray, of Monticello, left two men to guard quarters, one of them having been injured a few days before. We camped the first night about a half mile from the. river and many soldiers fished in the Rio Grande, but their pleasure was short as it began to rain soon after we arrived. It was raining the next morning when we broke camp and started on our second day’s march of 14 miles. Fortunately the second day the packs were carried in the wagons but the men carried their rifles and belts and 100 rounds of ammunition. The march was along the military road and all the distance was through gumbo mpd and water. It was not an uncommon thing to march for 100 to 300 yard 3 through muddy water over the shoe tops and occasionally knee deep. A quite slow rate was maintained and the men came through the long hike in a remarkable manner. It proved again the marvelous endurance and the. patriotic fervor of the men and young men who compose the nutionai guard and I believe: frbm that we are equal to any emergency. Today our march has been postponed until 1 :L'» this afternoon and now..at 9:3othe tropical sun is boiling down as hot as it gets in the hottest days in Indiana. Fortunately our hike for today is only 6% miles long and we will camp tonight at a great cane mill within two miles of the town of Donna. Tomorrow moaning we will make the final eight miles of our hike, thus completing 40% miles. This is the same trip I made on horseback several weeks ago. Since that time it had been quite dry until the enormous rain of Monday night and Tuesday morning. We learn that the rain flooded our camp at Llano Grande, doing some damage. As frequently occurs in such cases, the commissary supplies did not reach us and Lieut. Healey spent a good ' part of Tuesday night getting a 41 mule team through with some canned beef and hard tack. There was no 1 great suffering, however. The companies had bacon and beans and were able to buy some other things from

Lieut. Jerry Garland and Lieut. Floyd Tharp left Monday for Jacksonville. Fla., to represent Indiana in the national rifle and pistol matches. The team is composed of 12 principals, 3 alternates and three others as captain, coach and spotter. Lieut. Art Tuteur is acting regimental adjutant during the absence of Capt. Lester Boggs. His old friends would scarcely recognize him if they saw him go dashing by on a steed with the speed of a race horse. There isn’t an officer in the division who rides better and his orderly said he found it a hard job to keep up. Within a stone’s throw of my tent is a Mexican hut. It has a roof of grass and no floor. It is occupied by four families .with a total of 24 children. An ola man lies in the hut near death from pneumonia, and Capt. Tuteur just returned from there with one of our medical officers. It was the first treatment he has had, although he has been sick for a month. They raised him up, provided for ventilation and administered some medicine.

Yesterday while on the hike I had my picture taken in front of one of the Mexican hovels. I held the hand of a little Mexican girl and she wrote her name in good American in my dispatch case. This was at the village of Relampago. The only really habitable house in the village is a school, provided over by a brave little white woman, who teaches the ignorant, dirty and indigent children the , first lessons in clean 1 iness and —in civilization. The adult Mexicans speak only their own language, al-” though they are mostly American bom. Many of them are very good people but quite simple minded and they generally “bear watching.” We have about given up hope of getting home for election and there is now talk that we may be here all winter. But we may get returning orders any day. Those at home should not forget how happy soldiers are to get mail, especially letters, and if they will write they will help to relieve the monotony of border soldiering. MAJ. GEORGE H. HEALEY.

We still have 30 barrels of those fancy sweet potatoes and will sell th? balance of this lot at 3c a pound ar $1.50 a bushel, w r hile they last. JOHN EGER.