Chasing Villa: The Last Campaign of the U.S. Cavalry

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Summary: Still the definitive history of this campaign.
Review: I have to welcome with great glee this reprint. Now I will no longer have to wear out my original. This book is the best available on the Punitive Expedition of 1916-1917. It was written by the hero of Columbus, Maj. Frank Tompkins, U. S. Cavalry in the 1930s. It also includes as one of the appendices, the report of Capt. Benjamin Foulois, U.S. Signal Corps, who commanded the 1st Aero Squadron. (At this time, aviation was considered an adjunct function for scouting, patrolling, and communications and was still part of the Signal Corps. Foulois went on to a distinguished career as one of the founders of the U.S. Air Service.) Tompkins, a major at the time of the raid, went on to higher command in France. During the Columbus Raid, he organized the pursuit of Villa's forces and chased them well into Mexico until turning back only because his men had exhausted their ammunition and did not have complete field equipment, having hastily fallen in with only their saddles and weapons while under attack. I have done extensive research in the National Archives on this period and have analyzed the raid itself in detail. I recognized that many of the passages in the book were lifted directly from the files of the Southern Department, the immediate higher headquarters, and those of the Punitive Expedition. Whether Tompkins deliberately omitted his sources or the publisher did, or it just was that the historical writing conventions of the time did not place the emphasis on sourcing that we do now (footnoting to excess at times) makes no difference in the validity or usefulness of the book. After all he did give complete sourcing for the appendices which were copied verbatim. Where he expresses opinions they are clearly recognizable. As Tompkins had almost twenty years to think about and work up his book and having the advantages of complete access to the official documents, of having been there, and knowing all the other officers who were then serving, no one today could do what he did. Thus the work qualifi! es for a triple--personal narrative, reporting, and well-considered history. A really useful memorial to a gallant group of professionals whose like we shall hardly see again. Carter Rila

Rating:
Summary: great book for novice and expert alike
Review: This is great history from the pen of someone who helped make it.A definite must for cavalry research,especially those interested in last campaigning.The author lets us become dusty troopers,hungry,cold and exhausted.The 1912 experimental saddle gets a pretty poor review by the author ,and it is interesting to see his comments on local population.My personal interest is ww2 cav but this book beats any other