Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-12-28
ALL zELAYA'S FORCE
CRUSHED, REBELS To
MARCH ON MANACUA
President, in Full Flight,
Leaves on Board Mexican
Gunboat for SaIina, Mexico,
to Escape Foes

forces of General Zelaya were captured
at o'clock last night by the army un-
Ger the command of the insurgent lead
err. General Estrada. Pressing it's poitns
of vantage, the victorious army today will
march on Managua.
The details of the battle of Rama are
now known. The victory of the insurgents
was as complete as has been compiled
by them.
After two days of fighting the 6ercest
fight that Central America has ever seen.
General Estrada on Tuesday wiped out
the enemy. OF Zelayas army of 5000 men,
only 200 escaped. The killed and wound
ed on both sides, as before reported. mum.
bered eco and 1900 of the government
troops surrendered after a desperate re
sistance. Three Hotchkiss and 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 unop
posed.
BLUEFIELDS is JOYOUS.
Blueields and the, neighboring country
are delirious 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 sue
cession to Zelaya.
| Gen. Louis 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 insurg-
ents.
| At the request of United States Consul
Moffat, Commander Shipley.- of the Unit
| ed States cruiser Des Moines, sent his
hospital squad ashore establishing an in
dependent hospital. where 40 of the
wounded are receiving care.
| The American medical men have been
able to give their service to all who
were in need of them. Six Americans
participated in the battle operating rapid
fire guns They escaped injury with the
exception of one, named Bashford, who
received three bullets in one of his legs.
The prisoners included General Con-
zales and General Castrillo. General Vas
quez. who was returning to Rama from
Managua when hostilities began. did not
reach the scene during the fighting. He
! WAC a few miles distant when the gov
lernment troops were routed, and 1t Is
! posnible that some 500 men escaped with
him. ,.t
| WOMEN IN TRENCHES
After Zelaya's trenches had been. she'll
ed they were taken by assault. In the
trenches were several women, VINO pre-
ferred risking their lives in the conflict
TO starvation in camp. These women were
armel with rifles and fought courageous
Nv One Of them was wounded and later
brought to the hospital here. A large pro-
nortioo of the prisoners were found 10
be borg. under 16 years of age. They &C
cepted Aefeat as though 1t was very well
come.
| General Gonzales, the vanquished leader
lof the government troops. today shares
the quarters of General Estrada, and Is
eating the latter's rations with great rel
iish and smoking insurgent tobacco. Ho
said he enjoyed it,
THE second days fighting began at
o'clock in the morning. The first day
conflict had driven the enemy back 10
the main fortifications at the village OF
Recreo, where for three weeks they nao
been stringing wires and digging
trenches The country in that VICINITY
has been partially cleared of underbrush,
hut If remained more like a jungle than
otherwise The position of the govern
ment troops behind their embellishments
and barbed wire proved Unexpectedly
strong.
However, the PROFESSIONALS, who believ-
ed that they faced the oppressive rule
of Madriz or, as the only alternative IN
the event of defeat the humiliation OF
intervention by the United States, bore
themselves with a show OF valor that
should ever relieve them from the charge
of being comic opera soldiers. Indeed
there was nOlIluB GOlAlAS III
and the 100 dead and the $50 wounded
gave the surviving insurgents something
to think about Today widows and or
phans may be seen wandering about the
streets weeping. Yet no expression or
regret is heard. The PROFESSIONALS admit
their heavy losses, and estimate those OF
the army at about an equal number.
TUGS SHELL VILLAGE.
General Chamorro, General Diaz and
General Matuty first faced the. enemy.
The tugs Pioneer and Blanca, upon which
were mounted Hotchkiss, guns half bur-
led in sand, steamed up creek tribu-
tary to the Mico river, upon which the
village of Recreo is situated. For hours
they sheIled the village, the gunners
maintaining great accuracy. Zelaya's
troops frequently left the trenches and
advancing through the jungles, met the
insurgents in hand-to-hand conflicts.
These dashes were followed in each in
stance by a retreat to the trenches. and
forward movement by the PROFESSIONALS,
who cut the wire arrangements with
their machetes. In these brushes, many
were killed or wounded.
General Chamorro, who looks like typ
ical North American regular trooper,
fought with frenzied vigor. personally
using a pistol and invariably killing his
man outright General Diaz disdained,
as did Chamorro. to take to cover. Diaz
walked erect amid a hail of bullets, di-
recting the fire of his men, who, how
ever he insisted. should keep under COW
err whenever possible. When one soldier,
enthused by the example of his comman-
der 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
constantly exposed to the enemy's fire
There was no farce about the Skin
mishes and the conduct OF both leaders
and men, who knew for what they were
fighting and that death for many was
imminent, was worthy of the greatest
admiration.
General Chamorro, who has been fight
ing for 20 years. is idolized by his men.
He swore cheerfuly when his troopers
exposed themselves and good naturally
pushed them behind the cover of stumps
and tangled underbrush. Chamorro was in
active command of the battle, Estrada
having merely laid out the general plan.
AS the evening approached and the enc
my still resisted after repeated assault,
the insurgents wavered from physical ex-
haustion but their courage Meier failed
MENA SAVES THE DAY.
But for the timely arrival of General
Mena. it is quite possible that the out
come of the battle would have been who'll
ly different. Indeed. at one time. the po-