Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-02-11

Bluef1elds, Nicaragua, Feb. 11.-De-
tails Of the recent battle at Santa
4 Clara, in which the revolutionists were
defeated and General Blandon was kill
ed, indicate that the disaster was due
to misinterpretation Of orders.
Mena's plan was for Blandon to keep
the government forces engaged until he
could send reinforcements from Acoy-
apa to meet . division of gov
srnment troops. Blandon sustained
heavy. raking fire and lost many Of
his men. Mena's Instructions to hold
The hill were received about this time.
Mena had In the meantime engaged the
enemy and pursued him as far as Santa
Clara. Here the error In reading the
Instructions caused Blandon to place
himself in an exposed position and he
was raked by battery of Maxim guns.
Blandon was shot in the head, the ef-
fects of his death causing the revolu-
tionists to waver and eventually to re-
treat.
Campaign Well Planned.
A review Of the details shows the
campaign was well planned and ener-
getically furthered. While General
Chamorro was operating in the pro-
vince OF Matagalpa, where he has since
occupied the capital, Mena with only
$50 men and no field guns attacked the
enemy, 900 strong and entrenched, at a
hill commanding Las Garintas. De-
ceived regarding the strength of the
PROFESSIONALS. the enemy fell back, TAX
ing stand at Santa Clara. Mena
pursued. The fighting continued Feb.
at long range and with no great dam
age done.
At 9 o'clock the following morning
the PROFESSIONALS made a desperate at
tack upon the fortified position of the
enemy, being reinforced by the timely
arrival of General Blandon with 200
men and one maxim gun. The enemy's
position was in the form of semi cir
Gle.
chamorro Gets Reinforceme ents.
The government troops had been re-
inforced over night by 200 men and
two maxim and two Hotchkiss guns.
These guns were well placed and, u.s.
ing smokeless powder, could not be
located definitely by Mena Mena's
right wing, including Gordon's Ameri-
can sharp shooters, took an exposed
position within the enemy's semi-cir-
the rear of the enemy at the right of a
steep hill. During the forenoon the
fighting was chiefly between Mena's
left an the enemys right, the latter
repulsing every attack. General Con-
rad, Of the PROFESSIONALS, commanded
the maxim gun, which was posted in
an exposed position 500 yards from one
of the enemy's maxims and 200 yards
from the other. Back Of the insurgents
guns was group composed Of Rlan-
don, members of his staff and a half
dozen men Of Conrad's gun crew. The
enemy's nearest maxim and Of
Hotchkiss guns had a perfect range.
on the little party and moved down the
heavy vegetation by which the pro-
visiona1s were partially concealed. 1t is
considered marvellous that Conrad es-
capped injury so long as he did. Two
Of his men were wounded early in the
fight. Blandon constantly exposed him
self as he searched the position of the
enemy with his binoculars in an effort
to locate their guns. At 2 o'clock in
the afternoon he received bullet thru
the brain.
Hlandon's Death Great Misfortune.
The faiiii ali of off Biaadon was d grea. mis-
fortune to the PROFESSIONALS He had just
received and read the orders from
Mena instructing him to hold the hills,
when the enemy's nearest maxim, hav-
ing been moved farther to the left,
began raking the hitherto half shell
tered spot. Blandon's body was accom-
panied to the rear by Colonel Roche,
who declared that Mena had ordered |
Blandon to abandon the right wing and |
re-inforce the left, which had been un-
able to make any progress against the |
governments position Conrad dis
mounted the gun and Colonel Umm be-
gan TO move for the new position in |
plain sight Of the enemy, which quickly
took advantage Of the situation Mena
saw the mistake and galloping to the
front OF the moving column ordered it |
back to its original position, which it
was instructed to hold at any cost
Time Lost Was Fatal.
But the time lost was fatal. Those
who reached their former position
found the enemy with two maxim guns
at distances of fifty and hundred
yards, under cover and pouring MUIR
derous FIRE upon the position which the
proviSionals were attempting to re-
assume.
Conrad directed his maxim upon the
osarest enemy. meanwhile receiving q