Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-03-07
THAT SKIRMlSH
LAST DECEMBER BETWEEN
GARZA'S REVOLUTIONISTS
And Handful of Troops Related by Ono
of the Participants, Who was
Recently Captured.
Special to the Gazette.

OPVN4SA " b4iS doECbbS.
Rio GRANDE CITY, TEX, March g.
Deputy United States Marshal John Jodon,
after several days hard riding, got in with
an attached witness whose evidence to-day
fully cleared up the Retamal skirmish be-
tween the United States forces and
Garza's men on the 21st and ed of
last December, in which Corp. Ed
strom lost his life and the revolutionist
SeXtO Longoria, his leg. This witness was
never at the Retamal springs or vicinity
until these dates. He is intelligent and
better than all, he has been fully sustained
in many minute details that prove his truth
fuluess. On the 25th of last November the
Cara men took him prisoner, as a supposed
agent of President Diaz, and he was held as
such until the 30th of Deem
Der, when he made his escape
The band that encountered the United
States troops were part of
that organized by Catarino Cara at the
Seco Prieto woods in Encinal county,
about thirty in number, who were sent
down TO cross at Gruelto and take Ca
MARCO. The tiger, Eustorgio Ramon, was
with them. They reached the Retamal
springs at 10 o'clock at night, the 21st of
December, where they left one man to no.
tify several of the band who had gone
ahead to secure skitfs to cross the river to
take Camargo, where they could be
found on the river bank. From the
Retamal they sought concealmenJ and
slept in the dense chapparal on the river
bank. The revolutionists in the little cor
raj at the Retamal at midnight saw those
coming whom he first thought were his
comrades, the Roskiff hunters, but their mum
bers and stealthy appearance caused him to
call out 'quien Vivi' twice, and got no an
swer except balls. He fed, leaving
saddle, bride, sack of cartridges and hat
with the revolutionary badge on it. Librez
ic Nrhifa He hp1.ca hpnlya lnnca
from his stake-rope and was lost in the
cactus. At daybreak the man who had
met his Waterloo at the Retamal, bare
headed, came painting into the Cara camp
and the men who were sent for the floJilla
to invade Mexico came back unsuccessful.
One man held the fort at the corral.
That night at 10 O'Clock they
concluded to return to the Retamal
water their horses, strike for the river
again and swim it. When they struck the
retamal they were totally surprised to find
the blue-coats, Corporal Edstrom and
United States Marshal Rafael Percy, in
clumD of trees. The corporal opened fire
before they saw him. Sixto Longoria, a
comrade at the head of the column, chal-
lenged ''Quen Vive." which the corporal
by shot. Again his comrade,
the coughty Perez. ran like a scared wolf
for the chapparal, as tho witeess expressed,
without firing shot The rear guard of
the revolutionists wheeled to retreat. but
as they did so one of their leaders cursed
them and told them to stand their ground,
which they did, returning the corpora'S
fire, who soon fell with bullet in his leg
and brain, but bravely fghtinn
as long as he had strength
to pull trigger. The revolutionists
rushed up to secure his arms, one dis
for that purpose, but Eustorgio
Ramon, seeing the dying mans lips moving
,1,fr-
saying, sect out of the way, let me finish
him. stopped down in his saddle, pistol in
hand, and sent a bah through his chin,
powder marking and scorching it. |
The bullet passed out of the spine.
There was no ATTEMPT made at stand by
the Cara men during the few minutes |
fight, as has been asserted. No drawing up
in line by dozen of them in a protecting |
gulley, but 1t was all confusion, devil-take- |
for the protecting hills |
When they reached the hills and summed |
up there was found to be Il ball in six to |
Longoria's ankle. Not another scratch on |
man or beast They captured Lieutenant !
Hays horse, which had run under limb
and brushed his rider off, transferring his |
equipments to man who lost his at the |
corral the night before. On trot they |
took their trail. They came down and |
halted eight miles away to give the
Longoria a fresh horse,
pushed on that night within eight |
niles of the Sauz ranch on the Pana
stage road, where they halted for rest,
oathed their comrades crushed ankle with |
warm water and bandaged it. The next
lay and night were bitter cod. The
wounded revolutionist suffered intensely
rom pain and cold and could go no further;
vas left at the Colorado ranch, where he
vas captured on the way down to the re-
ANAL On the river TO cross. twenty miles
way, they ran across Duke deer hunting
lear the Junco ranch, who had played
railer TO Catarine Cars. When he crossed
asst September at the Retamal skirmish he
vas present an a bare-backed horse, I'M
masked, and as his name has not appeared
N any of the frontier hotel registers since
hat time it is presumed he is where No
'oard bills are presented nor overcoats
leeded.
The man who was arrested in Hidalge
ounty recently with the dead corporalis
listol was fully identified yesterday in Jail
IS having been ia in the Retamal fight.
Marshal and Deputy Van Ripper reached
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