Cavalry: Rio Grande Patrol 1914/1916 ~ #'s 8-30

zipperzap

Because of email response, I decided to make some time to post these here, as well as elsewhere.

For those of you who aren't familiar with these photos, they were taken in 1914/1915 by a calvary Sgt. who was my wife's grandfather, Earl 'Swanny' Swan. They were taken down in the Rio Grande, Big Bend, country.

There were a number of small outlying cavalry posts there north of the river that were pretty much the only permanent law enforcement in that desolate area. For small problems the Texas Rangers were called upon - for patrol and other larger problems the cavalry was always not more than a few days away.

This was also during the still violent days of the Mexican Revolution of 1911 - just across the Rio Grande River.

As you look these photos over,I think you will be struck with the small every day kinds of things that young soldiers today find interesting.i

These photos depict strict discipline, horsing around (in this case a literal definition of 'horsing around'), curiosity, a little gamboling - probably occurring more frequently than the one photograph here depicts.

The term 'Spick(s)' is used quite liberally on the back of each photo depicting Mexicans and I decided to retain the word - in deference to using the word Mexican - to keep as close to the authenticity to the descriptive comments Swanny used on the back of each photo. No racism intended. Anyone wanting to call me a */paddy/mick is welcomed to ... I'll get over it.

The other comments I'll interject were told to me by Gale's dad - Ron Swan.

One of the interesting things that Ron told me - before his death in 1996 - was that his father (Swanny) always made it a point to stress how much the average cavalry trooper despised the big heavy Packard trucks, Heavy Army trucks were new back in 1915 ... especially in these inaccessible areas. Many of the early truck photos that you see were of 'stuck in the mud' trucks or 'resting trucks' - which kinda affirms his devilish delight in seeing the big lumbering Packard beasts helplessly disabled in the mud, or 'tired' (over heated). The troopers, on the spot, would never tire of constantly reminding the dejected drivers that horses/mules rarely ever got 'stuck in the mud' (although the horse drawn wagons did)! Little did these guys know that in about five years they would begin to be replaced by the small and large cold steel 'contraptions.'

So, that's about it - you my make/share any other inferences that you like. That's all I know about these photos ... and again, that's second hand, from his son, Ron.

Incidentally, as an aside, Ron, Swanny's son, and Gale's dad, lasted only three months (in 1947) as Swanny's 'apprentice' prop man at MGM before he left for greener pastures. He was bored to tears, between setting up scenes for shoots. When those scenes were being shot the prop men would sit around playing cards drinking - sometimes for days on end. Young 'Ronnie' was too energetic for that!

Ron went to work for the City of Los Angeles ... at the lowest paying job offered in the Street Construction Department as a surveyors's assistant. He held the stick for the surveyors. From there Ron worked his way up to Head of Los Angeles Public Works (never spent another day in school after graduating from high school) and retired in 1986, after being responsible for overseeing the construction of Century City and the complete renovation of LAX. Although, having his office in City Hall (the Daily Planet building in the old TV Superman series) Ron prided himself in rarely ever being there. He was a 'can do/hands on kinda guy' tearing around in his 1969 yellow Bug. Ron also refused to use the city plates, unless forced - then he'd remove them as soon as possible. May I also add, that he read 10 books a week - no kidding. He'd pick up 10 unread books every Saturday morning from the Santa Monica Library, replacing them with the ten he'd read the week before. The guy was absolutely amazing.

I digress - but - from what I've heard, he was a chip off the old (Swanny) block!

We are going to offer these digitized photos to the Big Bend Museum if they are
interested in displaying them.

http://www.sulross.edu/~museum/

I have placed a http link under each photo if the viewer wishes to see a larger and
more detailed version of the photo.

Put the link ie. http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7379193 into your browser's address field and activate it - it will take you to that link photo.

I will be posting about 100 photos of this series.

Enjoy!

8. ES_7f15 Clowning Around in Ruidosa, Texas



http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7379193

9. ES_8f15 Watering Horses in The Rio Grande River



http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7379428

10. ES_9f15 Truck In Ditch

http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7379220



11. ES_10f15 Guard Detail Inspection



http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7379191

ES_12f15 First Sgt. Cook



http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7382459

ES_13f15 Frist Lieut. and Two Pvts.



http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7382460

ES_14f15 The Cook Ahorse



http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7382461

ES_15f15 Troopers Rolling Craps



http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7382462

ES_16f15 Dopey Garrett and Spicks



http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7382463

ES_17f15 Spick's Adobe House



http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7382464

ES_18f15 Outfit Mounted



http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7382465

ES_19f15 Troopers In Ditches Ruidosa, TX



http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7382466

ES_20f15 Bobcat At Marfa, TX



http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7382467

ES_21f15 Advance Guard On The Border



http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7382468

ES_22f15 Trucks Rest On The Road



http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7382469

ES_23f15 Burro In Tent



http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7382470

ES_24f15 Pup Tent Inspection



http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7382471

ES_25f15 Spic's House On Fire, Marfa, Tex.



http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7382473

ES_26f15 Marfa,TX Brothal



http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7382473

ES_27f15 Night Guard Inspection



http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7382474

ES_28f15 Pvt. Jim Brown Ahorse



http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7382475

ES_29f15 Patrol Resting



http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7382476

ES_30f15 Show Down Inspection



http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7382478


Man! You can almost hear the sounds and smell the smells!
:-B-:

River Rat

ZZ: thanks for the treat! I love old photos -- they tell volumes. Interesting to see how much the supply train was mechanized at that early date.

Have you looked into sharing these with any historical groups? Not GIVING them away, mind you, which is unnecessary in this modern age. Library of Congress or Smithsonian might also be interested, not to mention the U.S. Army itself.

Happy New Year!

elkoholic

Great post Zip.

ljwrench

Gen. George S. Patton was stationed at Ft. Bliss in 1915. Look close, he might be in one of your pics.

allen griggs

Great story and photos! Thanks for posting.

zipperzap

quote:River Rat:

Have you looked into sharing these with any historical groups? Not GIVING them away, mind you, which is unnecessary in this modern age. Library of Congress or Smithsonian might also be interested, not to mention the U.S. Army itself.


Yes, actually, a Texan friend of mine is going to approach the Museum of the Big Bend, in Alpine, Texas. I hope to provide them with all of the photos ... sans the c marks.

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=big+bend+museum&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

... as for my current lack of time forumwise ... refer to the update, below. The studio is finally beginning to really move forward in a big way. It's fun, but time consuming. Plus ... the wife's off for Christmas Vacation and we're going to be doing some traveling later this week.
[:D]

Studio Update: Yesterday/San Diego Union newspaper

http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7386039

scrumpyjack

Great read! Thanks for sharing.

TooBig

I enjoyed them thanks for sharing[:D]

GaBob

I had an old friend named A.D. Barber who was in the cavalry stationed in TX in that time period. He gave me pictures of him and his horse "King" taken there. I put them up to save and cannot find them. He was in the raid that chased Pancho Villa into Mexico. Later served in WW1 and fired one shot at a plane strafing a train he was guarding. Always liked to talk to the old fellow and hear his tales of the cavalry and WW1.

Horse Plains Drifter

Cool, thanks again!!

Prescott Pete

My Father, Marion F. Gemberling was in the Cavalry there at that time.Hopefully there may be a picture of him.

CHEVELLE427

THANKS