U.S.–Mexico Border War Military Photography: Ben Wakefield Ohio Field Artillery Photo Archive at Fort Bliss, El Paso, 1917

National Guard

Archive

Wakefield, Ben. U.S. field artillery soldier, photograph archive documenting National Guard mobilization and artillery training at the United States–Mexico border during the Border War, created in El Paso, Texas and surrounding areas in 1917. The photographs record the service of Ben Wakefield of Toledo, Ohio, a member of Battery C, 1st Battalion, Ohio Field Artillery, stationed at Fort Bliss during the period of heightened border militarization following the 1916 raid on Columbus, New Mexico led by Francisco “Pancho” Villa and the subsequent U.S. Punitive Expedition under General John J. Pershing. The images provide visual documentation of field artillery operations, mounted logistics, and daily camp life among National Guard troops deployed to reinforce the border during a moment when the United States was simultaneously confronting instability in northern Mexico and preparing for entry into the First World War. Through portraits, training scenes, and encampment views, the archive records the mobilization of state militia forces into federal service during one of the most significant domestic military deployments of the early twentieth century.

Photo archive consisting of 31 silver gelatin photographs produced in El Paso, Texas and nearby encampments in 1917. Approximately half bear pencil inscriptions on the verso identifying Wakefield or the location, including captions reading “Wakefield,” “Ben Center Wakefield,” “Wakefield Horse,” and “El Paso.” One photograph bears a developing stamp from Bohne’s Studio of Toledo, Ohio. The photographs depict Wakefield and fellow artillerymen posed in regulation campaign hats, breeches, and puttees, along with multiple images of horse-drawn artillery equipment including the standard U.S. Army M1902 3-inch field gun. In one photograph Wakefield and three soldiers pose beside the artillery piece, with Wakefield seated before the gun wearing a slouch cap. Additional images show artillery teams maneuvering guns across open desert terrain using horses and mules, soldiers marching in formation against the mountainous landscape of the Chihuahuan Desert, and a photograph captioned “game Football El Paso” depicting soldiers playing football on a dusty parade ground with rows of canvas tents behind them. Another image shows the field gun positioned behind a brush screen during nighttime operations, suggesting artillery drills or simulated combat exercises conducted during the border deployment.

Archive of 31 photographs. Silver gelatin prints ranging approximately from 2 x 1 inches to 5 x 3 inches. The photographs collectively document the material culture and operational structure of U.S. National Guard artillery units stationed along the border during the 1916–1917 mobilization period, when Fort Bliss served as a major staging ground for forces supporting the Punitive Expedition and guarding against further cross-border conflict. The images illustrate horse-drawn artillery transport, tent encampments arranged in orderly rows, and the social life of soldiers during extended deployments in the Southwest. Light edge wear and minor silvering visible on several prints with occasional handling marks consistent with age. Images remain clear with strong contrast. Overall very good condition. A cohesive visual record of National Guard field artillery service on the U.S.–Mexico border during the final phase of the Border War and the broader military mobilization preceding American entry into the First World War.

Item #22305

Price: $1,850.00