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Autographs/P: Exceptional Content "John J. Pershing" Letter

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Autographs/P: Exceptional Content  John J. Pershing  Letter
JOHN J. PERSHING, American Army Commander, Nicknamed "Black Jack." Typed Letter Signed, "John J. Pershing," as commander of the expedition sent into Mexico in pursuit of Pancho Villa, January 9, 1917, "HEADQUARTERS PUNITIVE EXPEDITION, U.S. ARMY, In the Field, Mexico," 1-1/3 pages, 10.5" x 8", Extremely Fine. Pershing writes to Major General William H. Carter in Washington, D.C., on several important subjects. The letter has exceptional content and is boldly signed by Pershing. In part: "We have just completed some experiments here with the pistol, mounted, which will no doubt be of interest to you as a cavalryman. I have always held that men and horses both could be trained without difficulty in the use of the pistol....I selected five active officers....the results have been rather remarkable. They began...by training their men to become very efficient in handling the pistol, dismounted. Then...they started in to train horses. In a short time it was found that they could take any horse, even a remount, and, by putting him alongside of other horses, could fire off him in any direction without at all frightening him. With the main object of developing a system which would enable a whole troop to charge to the front and fire directly over their horses' heads at an enemy, a course of training was developed which we all consider a good one for the purpose....To my mind it is going to give the cavalry a new outlook as to mounted action. I presume you are helping the Senate Committee with the problem of universal service....This is undoubtedly the only solution to the problem....The National Guard might be enlisted in the cause if some plan could be devised by which the services of the best officers and men of the guard could be utilized. They are just a little sore at present on account of the hard jolts they have recently received from regular officers who appeared before the Senate Committee to testify regarding the efficiency of the National Guard on the border. Carranza [the provisional president of Mexico] seems again to have proved true to his character, and it must be conceded that he is a shrewd one. I have predicted all along that he would not agree to the entry of our troops into Mexico in pursuit of bandits...I do not think Carranza wants the Expedition withdrawn...because we are holding the State of Chihuahua for him, and this is the main reason he is not willing to make any sort of an agreement....Many of his officers...agree that it would be disastrous to them to have us withdraw now...."