The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1911-04-21
Big BATTLE
REBELS SUCCEED IN HOLDING
CITY AGAINST ATTACKS
OF FEDERAL FORCES.
ATTACKING aqua PRIETA
American is Wounded; insurrecto
Leader Places Federal Loss at
200 Killed and Rebels
Loss Al 20.

Douglas, Arizona. - The much
heralded battle of Aqua Prieta, expect
ed to be the most decisive of the pres
ent Mexican rebellion, has been
fought across the international bonn
Diary from this city. Nearly 1000 fede-
raj troops under Colonel Reynaldo
Diaz, cousin of the Mexican president,
were engaged on the one side whilo
over 500 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 first attack and with
drew to reform for another attack.
The action began at $50 q. m. when
Colonel Diaz, who established q camp
five miles from the city, sent q ma
chine gun to within a half mile OF
Aqua Prieta and opened fire on .
group of adobe houses on the south
west edge of the town. Needing his
II it 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 volleys from their trenches.
simultaneously General Basalaria Gar
cha, the rebel commander sent six
sharpshooters to silence the gun. They
crept through the Mesquite to within
400 yards Of the machine CUR 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 unners and
the machine gun was silenced. An
the same way.
During the contest the bullets flew
thick and fast over Douglas. Mem
bers of the family Of Robert Day and
A.. w. 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 o
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 noon 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 zone killed up to
that time. He declared he saw at
least fifty federals wounded on the
battlefield and he believes the federal
losses 20 far are about fifty killed and
100 wounded. The federal loss will
probably exceed that of the insurgents.
because Diaz' troops have been com.
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
places of safety. Some attempted to
gain vantage points to view the field
Of battle. Notwithstanding the strict
orders OF the American troops, many
rushed 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 Dol 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 the Arizona national
guard was also ordered out and took
up a position to await further orders.
There were four troops Of cavalry and
n OF militia in Douglas. This was
considered an ample force to protect
the American line.
The battle lasted until shutdown. At
nightfall, two federal machine guns
were in possession of the rebels and
the federals had sustained a loss esti
mated by the rebels as at least zoe
killed and wounded. The rebels gave
their W loss at 20.
Rebel Leader ~Surrenders.
BalasariO Garcia, commander Of the
rebels at Aqua Prieta. surrendered
himself to Captain Gaujot Of the Frs,
United States cavalry at tho close OF
the battle. He came to the line and
explained that he was giving himself
into the custody OF the United States
authorities as an individual and not a,
commander of the rebels.