El Paso, Texas
Oct. 7, 1916
Dear Mother: -
I ate the last of the cake and fudge this evening, it sure was a great treat. I was telling the fellows at 7 Fire Station about the box of eats, and they said that they would get anything I wanted if I would cook it. There are five men including the Capt. I think all five are single.
The weather is just right here, the days are not as hot as at first and we are getting used to the cool nights.
I suppose you read that the 15 day hike of the troops from Ohio, Penn, Mass, Mich & Rhode Is. had been stopped owing to the new Mexican crisis. Villa is reported as being within 30 miles of Juarez, and the report is accepted here by everyone, but the real reason (as told by a couple of Mounted scouts who returned with reports said was that 6 or seven had died as a results of hemorrhages owing to the high altitude here. I think it is 3715 ft above sea level. I am glad that we stand good chances for not having to take one owing to the unfitness of our mules.
As the U.S. gov. does not issue any more cotton clothing those wishing for some must buy it themselves, so, as I wanted to have some that were cooler, I bought a complete uniform out of my pay. Yes, we got one month's pay at last. I also got a very neat & servicable case for my Kodak.
Wait 'till you see a picture of me with my new cotton uniform with a white military collar on and a pr. of leather leggins. I sure look like some dude.
I expect to go to church in the morning if nothing interferes. I still have a dollar and 36 cents left so can put in a 25 cent and take out a half-dollar - like the rube from the country.
I rec. a card from Mr. Tiffany, will send his wife my thanks for candy as soon as I get an opportunity.
I hope my clothes have arrived by this time. My Q.D. pin is pinned to the inside of the upper left outside coat pocket, tell Marion she can may wear it until I return. I think the stick pin was in the tie.
I am feeling fine and everyone tells me I am looking fat, I have gained several pounds since coming here. We have had pretty good eats ever since we were in the lockup.
They took our finger prints in several different positions our scars and imperfections etc the other day for identification dept.
Eight large trainloads of Guardsmen arrived yesterday and today. Each train was about 25 to 35 cars long & about 3/4 of them were pullmans, the rest were box cars for supplies.
The 2nd Ohio Ambulance Co. have been ordered to turn in their mules by the 26th. That looks like a step homeward for them. They only were here nine days ahead of us.
Remember me to everyone
Love to All
Howard
I'm unsure if the above photo is the same as the hike Howard refers to, but I found an interesting reference to a 15-day hike of 13,000 troops in the El Paso newspaper a week after Howard wrote about it to his mother. The newspaper article never mentioned any deaths and generally touted it as a great success, with just a few cases of dehydration and turned ankles. Some food for thought...
Speaking of mules, I also found a book (The Great Call-Up: The Guard, the Border, and the Mexican Revolution by Charles H. Harris, Louis R. Sadler) that said that Ohio's troop problems were not having to do with health of the men, but with their animals. "Over 100 men have been disabled by kicks since the state troops first began coming to El Paso." Those damn asses!
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