The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1907-05-19


erican shows in the desperate
battle of Fred Mills In the
battle of Amiscgir in the recent
war between Honduras and Mica
rsgus.
John P. Poe, who once kicked
field goal for Princeton, winning the
most sensational football game on
record, has Just returned to Nevada
from Honduras, where he served as
captain in the Honduran army. About
his own service he has little to say,
but while IN San Francisco on his
way to Nevada he told the story of
Mills, an American advcnturer, re-
Gently OF Goldheld, New, who with
his back 10 an adobe wall held the
whole Hicaraguan army of invasion
az bay and killed p of President Ze-
laya's men before he was finally borne
down by overwhelming numbers.
The story comes from an officer
in the Nicaragusn forces who came
in on the close OF Mills great fight.
Mills belonged to that class of men
who pioneer before the pioneers. His
FIRST great ancestor was Ulysses and
his forbears hzrried the Spanish main.
Z The spirit that lived in him and kept
shinn up against that adobe wall when
almost cut 10 pieces was. what made
a soldier Of fortune of him. He
drifted-along the frontier of America
from Nome 10 Panama, and no one
ever cared TO ask where he came
from originally AS man he WAS all
there, and he was known for having
heavy hand when trouble arose.
And that was enough. He passed all
through the Alaska mining excite
inents and came from there to Ne
vada. but he did not have il in him
to keep money, and he would not
make the sacrifices necessary TO ac-
cumulate it. At thirty he had some
heavy seams IN his face from hard
living in hard parts of the world, but
he had all the ease and grace of
youth IN his long thin figure. His
strength lay chiefly IN his arms and
shoulders He was thin in the hips
and lank in the legs and hated to walk
worse than cowboy. From cold and
tropic sun his face was bronzed per-
SnanentIy With his black hair and
very dark eyes he looked the part
. he played in the world Above all
things he was obviously an American
and one who cut his way clean when
he had anything TO do.
When there was rufnor of war IN
Central America. Mills, who was at
that time in Goldfeld, came TO San
francisco and shipped on the first
boat. He readily obtained cap
faincy IN the Hondurap army, and in
the upset state OF affairs just before
the war broke out helped get the
army into shape
Then came the rurnor that the
Nicaraguan troops ~rcre preparing to
cross the Honduran frontier in the
interior. Mills was detailed with a
company OF native soldiers TO 20 out
into the mountains where the Mica
rseuans were expected to cross. and
avoiding the main body of troops TO
pick up any skirmishing parties he
could find and learn the number of
the Nicaraguans.
At Amisegir, a mountain town
which the Nicaraguans were ad-
vsncing upon and were forced 10 oc-
-cupy as key TO the position. Mills
found himself the only man in the
Honduran forces who realized what
was at stake. He prepared to hold
the place against all corners.
The town lies high up on the hills.
with nothing but zigzag mountain
trails leading TO it. They arc the
highways reales-of Hon,
durss, though in any civilized country