The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1911-04-21
Fight BIG BATTLE
REBELS SUCCEED IN HOLDING
CITY AGAINST ATTACKS
OF FEDERAL FORCES.
ATTACKING Aqua PRIETA
American is Wounded; lnsurrecto
Leader Places Federal Loss at
200 Killed and Rebels
Loss At 20.

Douglas, Arizona. - The much.
heralded battle Of Aqua Prieta, expect
ent Mexican rebellion, has been
fought across the international boun,
Diary from this city. Nearly 1000 fede-
raj troops under Colonel Reynaldo
Diaz, cousin of the Mexican president,
were engaged on the one side while
over 1900 insurgents are on the other.
After fighting of a desperate char
acter, mainly around the insurgents
cavalry corral, the federal troops were
repulsed in their rrst attack and with.
drew to reform for another attack.
The action began at $50 a. m, when
Colonel Diaz, who established a camp
five miles from the city, sent a ma
chine gun TO within a half mile of
Aqua Prieta and opened fire on a
group Of adobe houses on the south
west edge Of the town. Needing his
promise not to fire across the border
If 1t could be avoided, Diaz, advancing
with his main body, deployed his
troops to the west of the town.
When the Diaz machine gun opened
and his main body approached on the
double quick, the rebels poured sew
eral y0lleys from their trenches.
simultaneously General B~asalaria Gar
cha, the rebel commander sent six
sharpshooters to silence the gun. They
crept through the Mesquite to within
400 yards of the machine gun and for
an hour attempted to pick of the gun
ners. After a good deal of firing of
a deadly character, they succeeded In
picking off most of the gunners and
the machine gun was silenced. An
hour later a second one was silenced
the same way.
During the contest the bullets few
thick and fast over Douglas. Mem
bers of the family Of Robert Day and
A. ". War;, whose homes were struck
by the flying bullets, fed out of their
houses in terror and asked protection
from Colonel Skunk. He declined, say.
ing his orders were not to intefere un-
til Americans were killed or seriously
wounded.
Jack Hamilton, aged IA, was struck
by a bullet on a street in Douglas. A
spent Mauser bullet pierced his coat
and imbedded itself in his breast. The
boy was rushed to the Red Cross hos
pital, where physicians said his wound
was not serious. Six others received
minor wounds.
Shortly before loon after the battle
had been raging almost continuously
for five hours, Red Lopez" the in
surgent chieftain, made a tour of his
trenches and reported fourteen insur-
gents wounded and none killed up to
that time. He declared he saw at
least fifty federals wounded on the
battlefield and he believes the federal
losses SO far are about fifty killed and
100 wounded. The federal loss will
probably exceed that of the insurgents,
because Diaz' troops have been CON-.
PEELED to fight in the open, while the
rebels have fought from rifle pits.
Many Americans Watch Battle.
Most OF the residents of Douglas re-
NAMED within doors or sought other
of safety. Some attempted to
gain vantage points to view the field
OF battle. Notwithstanding the strict
orders Of the American troops, many
to the international lines to get
a view of the fighting. They were
here exposed to great danger. With
the first shot, Colonel Skunk ordered
out all the American cavalry able in
Douglas. They were rushed to the
border and took up positions along the
line. Many of these men were ex-
posed to the fire OF the Mexican troops,
although there were no casualties
among them during the early part of
the battle.
Company G of Che Arizona national
guard was also ordered out and took
up a position to await further orders.
There were four troops Of cavalry and
one OF militia in Douglas. This was
considered an ample force 60 protect
the American line.
The battle lasted until shutdown. At
nightfall, two federal machine guns
were in possession of the rebels ard
the federals had sustained a loss esti-
mated by the rebels as at least 200
killed and wounded. The rebels gave
their own loss at 20.
Rebel Leader ~surrenders.
Balasario Garcia, commander of the
rebels at Aqua Prieta, SURRENDERED
himself to Captain Gaujot of the First
United States cavalry at the close OF
the battle. He came TO the line and
explained that he was giving himself
into the custody or the United States
authorities as an Individual and not as
Of the rebels.