The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-12-25

Il go q - =.
dsfbrush. Chamorro was In active
command OF the battle. Estrada hav-
ing merely laid out the general plan.
A. the evening approached and the
enemy still resisted after repeatd as
saults. the insurgents wavered from
physical exhaustion. but their courage
never failed.
But Tor the timely arrival of Gem
sral Mena. IL 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. Chamorro and Dlax
had moved on the main fortifications
at Recreo and Tatumbla Hill. and
Mena was under orders to cover the
lines Of retreat from Recreo.
Mena had moved up the Rama Riv-
or. but his 500 men were weak from
the subsequent march and failed to ef-
feet the expected junction with the
other armies of the insurgents when
the assault began. They encountered
roads knee deep with red clay and
overgrown with tropical plants,
through which they cut q way with
their machetes but their progress was
slow.
Chamorro became uneasy and des-
patched messenger with this urgent
command:
come quickly or the day goes
against us!'
And the day was going against the
PROFESSIONALS.
The enemy fell on every side. but
Chamorro discerned that at best he
was but holding his own. After des-
patching the messenger to Mena ne
adopted the plan of repuising the enc
my when they left their trenches ana
assaulted but without attempting
further advance General Mena real
ICED the situation and instead~of sat
isfying himself by cutting on possible
retreat OF the government troops
pushed forward for an assault. HOW
he and his 600 men got through the
intervening two miles OF brush the
general has been unable since to ex-
plain. They seem to have scrambled
80 desperately that they failed 10
realize the obstacles before them.
breaks News To Estrada.
General Chomorro had been fougnt
to a standstilI. and his men were Wen
nigh exhausted. over the neld teie-
phone Commander-tn-Chief Estraua
was informed that the situation was
! desperate and that while MS army
was not defeated. victory was not In
sight. ~.
Insurgents, cheers were heard In the
distance and presently General Mena
and his scratched and bleeding men
emerged from the jungle into the naif
cleared plantation where the battle
was being waged
without stopping for orders ana
yelling at the top of their voices. the
reinforcing troops swept across the
clearing to the rear of the enemy spd
CHARGED the hill at q point where no
machine guns had been placed.
The movement OF Mena served as
signal for a general advance by the
three armies of the insurgents. At a
critical moment the insurgents swept
\ up the hill In the face OF q furious
flre. Mena was the frst to reach the
summit. At his heels were MS ae-
termined soldiers. The defenders, de-
pending on their rides only, were UNI
able to repulse the attackers.
suddenly abandoning their trenches
the government troops fell back be-
fore Mena's advancing men and charg-
ed the advancing armies under Cna-
MORO and Diaz.
Mena pushed his attack on Gonzales
rear. In ten minutes Il was all over,
hut In that ten minutes frightful exec
oution was done. Scores were killed
eatrixht ana the wounded covered the
sunmit OF the hill. Hundreds OF the
enemy threw down their arms and
beared Tor quarter. General Gonzales
saw he was whipped. and, to save
needless slaughter. signalled that he
surrendered. Nineteen hundred pris-
epcrs were taken. lA
Relief for Captured.
washington. Dec. 24--To relieve the
staryatiori OF the captured soldiers of
the zelayan armv at Rama. and furn-
Ish much needed aid to soldiers both
81 the Nicaraguan government forces
and the insurgents who were injured
In the battle near Rama. the United
states Government today ordered the
cruiser Prairie. now at Colon, to take
on board $4,000 worth Of staple sup
plies secured by funds OF the Ameri-
can Red Cross Society and proceed