Pershing's Punitive Expedition Report

[Jedburgh]

10 October 1916: Punitive Expedition Report

This expedition was organized and its operations conducted under instructions contained in the following telegrams and letters:

1st.

Fort Sam Houston, Texas,
March 11, 1916

General Pershing,
Fort Bliss, Texas.

Secretary of War has designated you to command expedition into Mexico to capture Villa and his bandits. There will be two columns, one to enter from Columbus and one from Hachita, via Culberson's. Rachita column will consist of Seventh Cavalry, Tenth Cavalry (less two troops) and one battery horse artillery. Columbus column will consist of Thirteenth Cavelry (less one troop) a regiment of cavalry from the east, one battery of horse artillery, one company of engineers and First Aero Squadron with eight aeroplenes. Reinforced brigade of Sixth Infantry, Sixteenth Infantry, First Battalion Fourth Field Artillery and auxiliary troops will follow Columbus column. Two companies of engineers will be ordered to Fort Bliss awaiting further orders. Necessary signal corps will be ordered from here. Will furnish you War Department instructions later. Have you any recommendations to make?....

Complete 113-page report at the link.

[Pete]

That's interesting and very relevant to small wars. Thanks for posting it.

[John T. Fishel]

on or near the borders of Afghanistan's neighbors as well as Iraq's. Other places come to mind as well. Pershing was operating in a semi-permissive/non-permissive environment. Lots of good lessons here from nearly 100 years ago.

Cheers

JohnT

I am always amazed by how much military scholarship knew about small wars in the past and actually recorded it as did British Colonel C. E. Calwell and the Marines who wrote the SWM.