Numbers

Major Dundee tells another officer that he plans to take 6 men from the garrison of Fort Benlin and use civilian and prisoner volunteers for the rest of his men. It is uncertain whether Dundee plans to order six soldiers to go or will take six volunteers from the garrison.

In one scene it is said that Dundee has recruited 12 volunteers - I don't know if that includes Bugler Tim Ryan - and then the reverend volunteers, making it 13 or possibly 14. Later the black sergeants volunteers to go with with six of his men, making the total 20 or 21 more or less "Unionist" volunteers so far. Other men may volunteer off screen later.

Then Dundee and Tyreen agree that Captain Tyreen and 20 of his Rebel prisoners will go on the expedition.

Omitting any possible off screen additions, the force should total 20 or 21 men, Dundee and Lt. Graham, Scout Potts and two Apache scouts, for a total of 25 or 26 more or less Unionist men, plus Tyreen and 20 men for a total of 21 Rebel volunteers. The grand total should be 46 or 47 men.

Careful counting of the expedition as they ride out of Fort Benlin may change the total number.

On Christmas Eve 1964, Sierra Charriba sends the 3 Rostes boys to Dundee's camp. Dundee decides to send Sergeant Gomez and 2 Rebels back to New Mexico with the Roses boys. Captain Tyreen says that the Rebs will still outnumber Union soldiers.

What! That would mean that the 21 Rebels minus 2 would be more than the Union soldiers minus 1, or that 19 rebels would be at least equal to the Union men including Gomez, thus making 19 the largest possible number of Union men instead of 25 or 26.

Maybe Tyreen didn't count Potts the civilian scout or the 2 Apache scouts, but that would still leave the Union men outnumbering the Rebels.

So maybe Tyreen meant that the 19 Rebel soldiers would outnumber the 18 or fewer Union soldiers in the command, not counting civilian prisoners who volunteered among the Union men whose loyalty Dundee could count on. The only ones in the expedition that I know were Union soldiers were Dundee, Lt. Graham, Sergeant Gomez, Bugler Ryan, and the seven black soldiers, or 11 in all. So Tyreen may have meant that 19 rebel soldiers outnumbered 11 to 18 Union soldiers.

I didn't notice any wounded members of the expedition being left under medical care in Mexico or being escorted back to the United States, nor did I notice any members of the expedition successfully deserting. Thus the group that fought the French Lancers at the Rio Grande on April 19, 1865, should have been the only survivors of the expedition.

And when the survivors of the battle with the French assembled on the north bank of the Rio Grande, I saw Dundee, Graham, Ryan, and Potts, and a few others. It looked like there were only about 10 or 12 survivors. No doubt a careful count in that scene should give a precise number.

So 10 to 12 survivors out of an expedition of 46 or 47 men gives a 73.91 to 78.72 percent fatality rate for the expedition. Thus General Carlton would be likely to have Dundee arrested when he returns, unless Carlton thinks that returning the Rostes boys, killing Sierra Charriba, and defeating Sierra Charriba's band was worth the casualties.

Note that the lyrics of the Major Dundee march say:

Fall in and I will wager
That the Major brings all of us back.

and:

‘Twon’t be long till we’ll be bhome

and:

Fall in behind the Major
And we’ll all get home again!