Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1909-12-24
WOMEN F|ERCEST
IN FIGHT AGAINST
ESTRADkS ARMY
Full Details OF Big Battle Re-
veal Splendid Courage of
RevOlutiOnists.
REBELS WERE ABOUT TO
FLEE WHEN AID ARRIVED
Terrible Execution Done by Ma
chine Guns Handled by
American Volunteers.

BLUEFIELDs, Nicaragua, Dec. "a
The details OF the battle OF Rama are
now known. The victory OF the insur-
gents was as complete as has been
claimed by them.
After two days Of fighting. the
fiercest that Central America has seen.
General Estrada on Tuesday wiped out
the enemy. OF Zelaya's army, of 5000
men, but 500 escaped. The killed and
wounded on both sides, as before re-
ported, numbered 600 and 1000 of the
government troops surrendered after a
desperate resistance. Three Hotchkiss
and four Maxim guns. 1000 rifles and
a million rounds Of ammunition were
included in the booty.
General Estrada processes to believe
that his march to Managua will be un-
opposed.
Biuefelds and the neighboring
try are d~elirious with joy. The victory
is said to have been won on the very
day scheduled. for the inauguration OF
DR.. Madriz as President of Nicaragua
in succession to Zelaya.
General Luis Mena is again here. His
troops arrived on the scene of battle
when victory was in the balance and
turned the tide in favor of the insur-
gents.
At the request of United States Con-
sui Moffat, Commander Shipley, of the
United States cruiser Des Moines, sent
his hospital squad ashore, establishing
an independent hospital, where forty of
the wounded are receiving care. The
American medical men have been able
to give their services to all who were
in need of them.
Six Americans participated in the
battle. operating rapid-ire guns. They
escaped injury, with the exception of
one named Bashford, who received
three bullets in his leg.
The prisoners include General Con-
zales and General Castrillo. General
vasquez, who was returning to Rama
from Managua when hostilities began,
did not reach the scene during the fight
ing. He was a few miles distant when
The. government troops were routed, and
Il is possible that some 500 men escaped
with him.
After Zelaya's trenches had been
shelled they were taken by assault.
2 In the trenches were several
women who preferred riskfng their
lives I'm the conflict to starvation
In camp. These women were armed
with rides and fought courageous
~. One Of them was and
later brought to the hospital here.
A large proportion of the prisoners
were found to be boys under 16 years OF
age. They accepted defeat. as though
il were very welcome.
General Gonzales, the vanquislled
leader of the government troops. today
shares the quarters of General Estrada
and is eating the latter's rations with
great relish ard smoking insurgent
tobacco as though he enjoyed it.
General Chamorro, General Diaz and
General Matuty first faced the enemy.
The tugs Pioneer and Blanca, upon
which were mounted Hotchkiss guns,
half buried in sand, steamed up a creek
tributary to the Mico river. upon which
the village of Recreo is situated. For
hours they shened the village, h gun
ners maintaining great accuracy. Ze-
laya's troops frequently left h trenches
and, advancing through the jungles,
met the insurgents in h~and-to-hand
conflict. These dashes were followed in
each instance by a retreat to the
trenches and a forward movement by
the PROFESSIONALS. who cut the wire en-
t~anElements with their machetes- In
these brushes many were killed or
wounded.
General Chamorro, who looks a typi-
cal North American regular trooper,
fought with frenzied vigor personally.
using a pistol and invariably killing his
man outright. General Diaz disdained,
as did ChamorTo, to take to cover. Diaz
walked erect amid a hail of bullets, d.
recting the fire of his men, who, how
ever. he insisted should keep under
cover whenever possible. When one
soldier, enthused by the example of his
commander, fought on his feet, Diaz
turned his pistol upon the man and
commanded him to get behind a stump.
The soldier was ~momentarily perplexed,
as he saw Diaz himself constantly ex.
posed to the enemy's fire.