On 21 March Colonel Dodd was ordered to join the 7th Cavalry Regiment and take command of the overall operations while Colonel Erwin retained immediate command of the 7th Cavalry Regiment. On 22 March, the regiment proceeded southward where they met Colonel Salas, the local Mexican federal commander. Colonel Salas confided that Villa was at Namiquipa with a large command. Villa had beaten Colonel Salas three days earlier and had driven him back through Cruces to El Valle. 

Colonel Dodd intended to remain concealed about 12 to 13 miles from Namiquipa then proceed to surround the place, but before it was possible to act upon this plan, information was received from scouts that Villa was no longer at Namiquipa. On 20 March, Colonel Cano, a Carranzista commander, had attacked Villa and driven him from Namiquipa. They were not sure which direction villa had gone. Colonel Dodd had decided to go to Babicora to camp and to secure supplies and stay there until the 26th. Before moving on to Santa Ana he decided to leave two troops of the 7th Cavalry Regiment to guard the Jaral and Aramillo passes. 

From 25 to 28 March, Colonel Dodd had assessed information received from the other regimental commanders, Carranzista commanders, the local Mexican populace, and by his own reconnaissance of the area. He learned that Villa was wounded from a fight in Guerrero on the 27th and had a large command of 500 to 600 men. He concluded that the immediate objective of Villa was Guerrero, the military center of the Guerrero district. By this time, the command was practically without supplies, suffering from the intense cold, and were exhausted. From 13 March to 28 March the troops had marched 14 out of 15 days for a distance of approximately 400 miles. 

Guerrero, military center of the district is located in the lower plain of the Guerrero Valley, and is not directly visible from the east until one is on top of it. Dodd’s plan of attack was to detach one squadron and order it across the river the west side. Major Winan’s mission was to block the western escape routes leading out of Guerrero. Captain Samuel F. Dallam, the commander of Troop E, was designated as the rear guard. Once he attained his position no bandits escaped to the west. Captain Dallam’s troop killed the Villista commander General Hernandez. 

While 2nd Squadron was securing the western side, the bandits had been alarmed and were escaping through the north end of town. Lieutenant Colonel S.R.H. Tompkins, at the time with Troop C, was sent to intercept the escaping party. He was reinforced by Major A.L. Dade with troops 

I,K, and L. As the Villistas moved toward the hills, Troop B, under Captain William B. Corwin, and the Machine Gun Troop under Lieutenant Albert C. Wimberly were sent as further reinforcements. The pursuit of the bandits was pressed vigorously, despite the exhausted conditions of the horses. A mounted pistol charge was planned but was impossible because of the condition of the horses. The running fight continued until the Villistas entered the mountains. Here they broke into small detachments and scattered. The engagement had started from 8 am on 29 March until 11:30 am. The command that participated in the action were 25 officers and 345 enlisted men, all off the 7th Cavalry Regiment except Colonel Dodd and his staff. Villa’s command numbered about 500 to 600 men. The Villistas losses are not known, but Colonel Dodd reported 30 killed and a large number of wounded. The captured property was two machine guns, 44 rifles, 13 horses, and 23 mules.