US Units in the Punitive Expedition

[Moonraker]

Soemone asked about the units deployed. FWIW here is the most complete listing I have been able to compile. Amendments, corrections and additions welcomed please:

Punitive Expedition US Army OOB
The Punitive Expedition was organized in accordance with the following order:
‘Headquarters Punitive Expedition, U. S. Army,
Columbus, N. M., March 14, 1916.
General orders
No. 1.
1. The forces of this command are organized into a provisional division to be called Punitive Expedition, U. S. Army.

2. The following staff is announced:
Chief of Staff: Lieut. Colonel DeR. C. Cabell, 10th Cavalry; Asst. to Chief of Staff: Capt. Wilson B. Burtt, 20th Infantry; Adjutant: Major John L. Hines, Adjutant General’s Department; Intelligence Officer: Major James A. Ryan, 13th Cavalry; Inspector: Colonel Lucien G. Berry, 4th Field Artillery; Judge Advocate: Captain Alien J. Greer, 16th Infantry; Quartermaster: Major John F. Madden, Quartermaster Corps; Surgeon: Major Jere B. Clayton, Medical Corps; Engineer Officer: Major Lytle Brown, Corps of Engineers; Signal Officer: Captain Hanson B. Black, Signal Corps; Commander of the Base: Major William R. Sample, 20th Infantry;
Aides: 1st Lieut. James L. Collins, 11th Cavalry; 2nd Lieut. Martin C. Shallenberger, 16th Infantry.

3. The Provisional Division will consist of:
(a) First Provisional Cavalry Brigade, Colonel James Lockett, Commanding.
Troops: 11th Cavalry, 13th Cavalry, Battery ‘C’, 6th Field Artillery (attached)

( Second Cavalry Brigade, Colonel George A. Dodd, Commanding.
Troops: 7th Cavalry, 10th Cavalry, Battery ‘B’, 6th Field Artillery (attached)

© First Provisional Infantry Brigade, Colonel John H. Beacon, Commanding.
Troops: 6th Infantry, 18th Infantry, Cos. ‘E’ & ‘H’, 2nd Battalion Engineers (attached)

(d) Ambulance Company No. 7, Field Hospital No. 7.

(e) Signal Corps Detachments, First Aero Squadron. Detachment Signal Corps

(f) Wagon Companies, Numbers 1 and 2.

(f) Lieutenant Colonel Euclid B. Frick, Medical Corps, will report to the Commanding Officer (Major Sample) as surgeon in charge, Medical Base Group.

The force was split into two columns for travelling, to reunite in Mexico and then operate as required. Circumstances led to a number of smaller commands being organised and sent on missions at various times throughout the Expedition’s operations in Mexico. I can provide details for many of them. The initial two columns were organised:

Eastern Column (4,000 men)
-11th Cavalry; Col James Lockett, 32 officers, 905 men
-13th US Cavalry, less one troop; Col Herbert J Slocum
-6th Infantry; Col John H Beacom
-16th Infantry; Col William H Allaire
-Battery C, 6th Field Artillery
-1st Aero Squadron, 8 planes; Maj Benjamin D Foulois
-1st Battalion 4th Artillery
-Ambulances & Field Hospital
-Signal Corps Detachment
-Wagon Cos

Western Column (2,000 men)
-7th US Cavalry; Col James B Erwin
-10th US Cavalry, less L & M troops; Col William C Brown
-Battery B, 6th Field Artillery

Other units added to this initial force were:
2 Truck Train Companies
5th Cavalry (Col Wilbur E Wilder)
6th Cavalry (Col Joseph A Gaston)
12th Cavalry
HQ & Batteries A & B, 4th Field Artillery (Col Lucien G Berry)
Battery C 6th Field Artillery
Cos E, G, & H, 2nd Battalion of Engineers
7th Infantry (Col Charles R Noyes)
24th Infantry (Col Charles W Penrose)
20th Infantry (Maj William R Sample)
Detachment, QM Corps (Lt Col T H Slavens)
Ordnance Dept (Capt J L Walsh)
Field Hospital No 3 (Maj F C Baker, Medical Corps)
Ambulance Co No 3
Cantonment Hospital (Lt Cols E B Frick, E R Schreiner)

 

[dpast32]

'YES', I am fully aware that this is an quite old Post, but it did assist me in compiling an brief, concise OOB overview of the relative Units involved, which fortunately was exactly what I was looking for ! THANK YOU to its Author.

 

            Best regards,    Dom P.

[Moonraker]

Wow - it was a long wait for a response! Great to hear that it helped - I should check my notes to see if I added/deleted/changed it in any way over the course of time. I did end up writing a book on the armed forces of the MR and the Expedition was included in a fairly brief coverage because of space constraints. I did plan to do a companion volume just on it but had to finish a 3 volume work on the armed forces of the Boxer Uprising ifrst. Thats been done now, but I celebrate my 80th this week so don't hold your breath!

 

Dom P  - did you manage to make any changes to my attempt and if so would you share them please?

[Salvage Sailor]

1 hour ago, Moonraker said:

Wow - it was a long wait for a response! Great to hear that it helped - I should check my notes to see if I added/deleted/changed it in any way over the course of time. I did end up writing a book on the armed forces of the MR and the Expedition was included in a fairly brief coverage because of space constraints. I did plan to do a companion volume just on it but had to finish a 3 volume work on the armed forces of the Boxer Uprising ifrst. Thats been done now, but I celebrate my 80th this week so don't hold your breath!

 

Dom P  - did you manage to make any changes to my attempt and if so would you share them please?

 

Aloha Moonraker,

 

I rescued this fine compilation from the lower depths of the forum and moved it to the Mexican Border section (Pre-WWII Section) for more exposure.  I've also been using this as a reference and it's quite complete.

 

You are missing (1) unit that I'm aware of, this being the follow on 17th US Infantry Regiment (Carey Blake, an Infantry Soldier...see post No. 6)

 

Thanks again for posting this OOB, we need more coverage of the Mexican Punitive Expedition on the forum boards in my opinion.

 

Carry On...

 

 

[dpast32]

As for myself, I truly did appreciate your efforts here, as it surely made my research somewhat easier by having the respective unit all on one Post !! My interest this time is related to the Mexican Campaign Medal, No. 1108 which I just obtained here on thebUSMF the other day,. ‘My’ Guy served along with the 7th Hospital Company throughout the affair, & based upon your Posted List, there appears to have been only 2 such Units involved with the Expedition ? You may rest assured that I for one was quite pleased to happen across your information during my search !! THANK YOU MUCH, & Take care, 

 

      Best regards,  Dom Pastore Jr.

( dpast32 )

[dpast32]

Ooops, Here's an Addendum to the above Post, which is the correction of the named Medical Corps unit I just mentioned. It was AMBULANCE COMPANY No. 7, not as I initially stated above. THANKS

 

       Best,     Dom P.