The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1911-04-21
REBELS SUCCEED IN HOLDING
CITY AGAINST ATTACKS
OF FEDERAL FORCES.
ATTACKING aqua PRIETA
American 10 Wounded; Insurreeto
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 boun-
dairy 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 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 6: 80 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
group of adobe houses on the south
west edge of the town. Needing his
| promise not TO fire across the border
/ If IL 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
cia, the rebel commander sent six
sharpshooteTs 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 flew
thick and fast over Douglas. Mem
bers of the family of Robert Day and
A. w. War;. whose homes we're struck
by the flying bullets. fled out of their
houses in terror and asked protection
from Colonel Skunk. lie declined. say.
ing his orders were not TO intefere I'M
til Americans were killed or seriously
wounded.
Jack Hamilton, aged IA, was struck
by bullet on 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 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 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 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-
manned 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 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 the 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 to protect
the American line.
The battle lasted until shutdown. At
nightfall, two federal machine guns
] We're in possession of the rebels and
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 Surrendsrs
BalasaTio 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 OF the United States
authorities as an individual and not as
commander of the rebels.