Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-11
HEROIC UNDER FIRE
Nicaraguan insurgents Faced
a Superior Force.
HOW GEN. BLANO0N DIED
Misinterpretation of Orders Respon.
sible for Retreat.
COULD NOT RECOVER GROUND
Calling Fire Of Two Maxims Made
Former Position Untenable.
Claim an Advantage.
HOW GEN. BLANDON DIED
COULD NOT RECOVER GROUND

BLUEFIELD, Nicaragua, February IL.
Gen. Blandon died as he held In his
hand Gen. Luis Mena's order to stand
and fight. A misinterp-etation of this
order by another Is he'd by the provi-
SIGNALS to be responsible for the re-
treat of their troops. following their re
pulse by the government foces at Santa
Cara.
The insurgents do not admit defeat and
declare that the way to Managua is open
to them. 1t is explained that Gen. Mena
had not expected to defeat the enemy
with his small force, but planned to keep
the government forces engaged with the
idea that the enemy would drive the re
Inducements from Acoya pa, only te-
miles distant, and SO be able to send an
augmented army against Gen. Cahmor-
70 In the province. of Matagaipa- This
purpose was effected. but the plan die
not work out exactly as had been hoped
There was considerable C INFUSION am Ne
the inSurgent officers and the advantage
CT the subsequent situation was in doup.
1t is plain, however, that the prov .sional
took the heavier fire of the enemy with
courage and acquitted themselves wei. s.
far as personal bravery was concerned.
A review of the details shows that the
campaign was we'll planned and energet-
ically furthered. While Gen. Chamorro
was operating in the province of Mata-
galpa, where he has since occupied the
capital. Gen. Mena, with only $50 men and
no field guns, attacked the enemy 600
strong and ent-enched at hill command
ing Las Gan.as. Deceived regarding the
strength of the PROFESSIONALS. the enemy
fell back. taking stand at Santa Clara.
Gen. Mena reported fighting February
at long range and with no eat dam
age done. At D O'Clock the following
morning the provis onais made a desper-
ate attack upon the fortified position Of
the enemy. being reinforced by the timely
arrival of Gen. Blandon and 200 men. ane
one Maxim gun. The enemy's position
was in the form of semi-circle. The
government oops had been reinforced
and two Hotchkiss guns. These guns
were well placed. and. using smok eless
powder. could not be located definitely by
Gen. Mena.
don's American sharpshooters. took an ex-
posed position within the enemys semi
CT Gle, while his left wing was sent to the
rear of the enemy at the right of the
steep hill.
Every Attack Repulsed.
During the forenoon the fighting was
chiefly between Mena's left and the enc
my's right, the latter repulsing every at
tack. Gen. Conrad OF the PROFESSIONALS
commanded the Maxim gun, which was
posted In an exposed position 500 yards
from one OF the enemy's Maxims and
600 yards from the other: Back of the
insurgents guns was little group COM
posed OF Gen. Blandon, the members of
his staff. and the half dozen men Of
Conrad's gun c ew. The enemy's nearest
Maxim and one OF the Hotchkiss guns
had q perfect range on this little party.
which the PROFESSIONALS were partially con-
cealed.
1t is considered marvellous that Col.
Gabriel Conrad escaped injury SO long as
he did. Two Of his men were wounded
early in the fight. one being shot in the
leg and the other in the arm. Gen. Blan-
don constantly exposed himself as he
searched the position of the enemy with
his binoculars In an effort to locate their
guns.
At o'clock in the afternoon he re-
ceived a bullet through the brain. The
fall of Blandon was q great misfortune
to the PROFESSIONALS. He had just received
and read orders from Gen Mena instruct
mys nearest Maxim, having been moved
farther to the left, began raking the
hitherto half-sheltered spot.
Gen. Blandon's body was accompanied
to the rear by Col. Roche. who declared
that Mena had ordered BlandOn to aban-
don the right wing and reinforce the
left wing. which had been unable to make
any progress against the governments
position.
Time Lost Was Fatal.
COL Conrad dismounted and the col
umn began to move for position in
plain sight Of the enemy, which quickly
took advantage of the situation. Gen.
Mena saw the mistake and galloping to
the front Of the moving column ordered
it back to it's original position, which it
was instructed to hold at any cost.
But the time lost was fatal Those
who reached their former position found
the enemy with two Maxim guns at dis
tances OF 30 and 100 yards, under cover
aneiA pourinfg a murderous fire upon the
position which the PROFESSIONALS were at
tempting to reassume. Col. Conrad d.
rected his Maxim upon the nearest en-
envy. meanwhile receiving the cross fire
of the governments three Maxim guns.
Conrad's chief assistant was shot
through the arm and his ammunition
tenders were wounded. Conrad was COM
PEELED himself to place cooling water upon
the gunjacket and to adjust the ammu-
milton belts unaided.
The Nicaraguans behaved themselves.
but were simply unable to reach the gun
position in the face of bullets. Conrad's
chief assistant. though wounded, did not
move from the side of his chief and only
showed his injury when Conrad angrily
demanded his assistance. A moment
later bullet tore through Conrad's alb
domen, but pursued a downward course,
cutting the flesh only. Gen. Mena, rec
ognizing the cost Of his mistaken order,
ordered a retreat. Four Nicaraguan in
surgents performed a brilliant exploit in
saving Conrads gun after their COM
mander had staggered to the rear.
Americans Lost on Field.
The retreat to Moogan, ten miles dis
tant, was conducted in perfect order, the
enemy pursuing.
The loss to the government troops is
not known here, but it cannot be denied
that it was considerable. Four of Cor
don's Americans were the last to leave
the position of attack. Had Gen. Zele-
don, with his four guns and 200 men,
arrived. Mena undoubtedly would have
taken the aggressive. but Zeledon being
a day late. Mena attempted only to hold
the enemy's attention deceiving them as
long as possible as to the size Of his