Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1909-12-24
It WAS A
GLORIOUS VICTORY
Details of the Battle of Rama
Received in This
Country
1T WAS A BLOODY CONFLICT
Zelaya's Army Was Practically
Annihilated Only 500
Escaping.

Bluefields, Dec. 24.-The details OF
the battle of Rama are now known
The victory Of the insurgents was
complete as had been claimed by
them. After two days fighting, the
fiercest Central America has ever
seen. General Estrada on Tuesday
wiped out Zelaya's army of three
thousand men, but five hundred es-
capped. The killed and wounded on
both sides number 600 and 1900 gov
ernment troops surrendered after
desperate resistance. Three Hotch-
kiss and four Maxim guns, two thou
sand rifles and million rounds of
ammunition were included in the
booty. General Luis Mena and his
troops arrived on the scene Of the
battle when the victory was in the
balance and turned the tide in favor
of the insurgents. Six Americans
participated in the battle, operating
the rapid fire guns. Only one of
Bashford, received three bullets in
the leg.
After Zelaya's trencnes had been
shelled, they were taken by assault
In the trenches were several women
who preferred risking their lives in
the conflict to starvation in the camp.
These women were armed with rifles
and fought couargeously. One of
them was wounded and later brought
to the hospital here. A large proper
ton OF prisoners were found to be
boys under sixteen years of age.
They accepted defeat as though it
was very welcome The second days
fighting began at o'clock in the
morning. The first days conflict had
driven the enemy back tc the main
Notifications, in the village of Re
cree, where for three weeks they had
been stringing wires and digging
trenches Their position was very
strong. but the PROFESSIONALS who be-
lieved they faced the oppressive rule
of Madriz, or as the only other alter
native in event of defeat, the humilia-
tion of Intervention by the United
States, bore themselves with valor
that should forever relieve them from
the charge of being comic opera SOL
diers. Zelaya's soldiers frequently
left the trenches and advancing
through the jungles met the insurg-
ents in hand to hand conflicts. These
clashes were followed by retreat to
the trenches and advance by the pro-
visionals, who cut the wire entangle-
ments with their matchetes.
General Chamorro who looks like
typical North American regular
trooper, and General Diaz expressed
| themselves with reckless bravery
walking erect amid a hail of bullets
directing the fire of their men, but
! insisting that the men keep covered
whenever possible. AS evening ap,
preached and the enemy still resisted
after repeated assaults, the insurgents
! wavered from physical exhaustion
| though their courage never failet
But for the timely arrival of Genera
Mena it is quite possible that the
outcome of the battle would have
| been wholly different. Indeed, at one
time the position of the insurgents
was desperate. How Mena and his
six hundred men covered the last
two miles through the brush, the
general himself was unable to ex
plain. The clothing of the men was
almost torn from them in the des
rate rush, but without hesitation
~.ey charged when he arrived on the
scene of battle, and yelling at the tor
| of their voices and in the face of &
furious fire plunged over the trench
es. In ten minutes. it was all over
but it was a bloody ten MINUTES
Scores were killed outright and the
wounded covered the hill. Hundreds
of the enemy threw down their arms
| begged for quarter, and General Con
! zales to save the needless slaughter
signaled that he had surrendered.
Uncle Sam as Angel of Mercy.
WdSuluSIUI, DeC. Gf-lO ISlSNe
| the starvation of the captured soldiers
of the Zelayan army at Rama and
| furnish much needed aid to the sol
diers of both the Nicaraguan govern
ment forces and the insurgents who
were wounded in battle near Rama
| the United States government today
| ordered the cruiser Prairie now al
] Colon to take on board $4,000 worth
of staple supplies secured by funds
of the American Red Cross Society
and to proceed in all possible haste
| to Bluefields.
This action was taken at the urgent
request of Captain Shipley of the
cruiser Des Moines now at Bluefields
who reports that the captured Zelayan
army is starving. He also said that
there is danger of an epidemic. Cap