The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1911-04-26
REBELS LEAVE
They BAD to Evacuate Auga Priea for
Want of Ammunition to
CONTINUE The BATTLE

VVAS ANVIL 2k1G NIS NA
The Insurrectos Left Quietly at
Night and the City Was Occupied
by the Federals the Next Morn
ing.-They Were Much Tystifed
by the Rebels Leaving.
a dispatch from Aqua Prieta, Mex
leo, says the rebel army, after almost
eighteen hours of incessant fighting
Monday in defense of Aqua Prieta,
quietly evacuated the town during
the night. 1t moved silently and at
daylight was nowhere to be seen.
The Mexican National troops entered
the city at dawn, encountering no
resistance.
The federals approached the towL
from the south and east during tne
early hours, coming in slowly and
cautiously, lest they encounter al
ambush. Great was the surprise Of
troops on finding, when they reached
the outer works of the rebel en-
trenchments, that the trenches nao
been abandoned and no insurrectos
were in sight. The federals contln-
ued to come in, still more slowly, pre-
sumably expecting to encounter sur
prise at every moment, but they
found no rebels anywhere. The lat
ter had vanished as completely as the
night. There was no indication even
of the direction they had taken.
The reason for their evacuation OF
the city after their all-day defense
of it was not at first apparent.
Later developments showed the
rebel army to be badly disrupted.
It's leaders gave up the fight and the
men in the ranks appear to nave
fed in directions of their own indi-
vidual choosing.
Col. Medina, who had assumed the
command of the rebels in Aqua Prize
ia Sunday night, made his way to
the American line just before dawn
and surrendered to the United States
troops. He was the mayor OF the
town and was Immediately placed un-
der guard and held at the headquar-
ters of the American cavalry at the
ball park.
The victorious federal force which
occupied the town number about
1900 men. Lieut. Col. Reynaldo
Diaz was in supreme command. OK
der him were Major Luis Hedina Bar
ron of the rurales and Commandante
Francisco Chiapa, formerly prefect OF
the town of MocteZuma.
The government losses in Mondays
fighting may never be known. The
federals declined the assistance OF
the Red Cross, stating that the army
would care for its wounded.
The Associated Press correspon-
dent passing in the streets OF Aqua
Prieta saw. a few dead bodies of reb-
els lying in the streets. At the bull
ring there were everywhere evidences
of the fighting and ample signs that
the federals has possessed accurate
information Of the strongholds occu-
pied by the rebel forces. The main
towers at the bull ring were shot into
sieves.
In the west of the bull ring there
were two bodies. One was that Of an
American Sitting against the wall
of the ring and heavily guarded by
Mexican troops sat lone American
who had not escaped with the retreat
| ing rebel army. His hands were tlee
with ropes which passed over his
shoulders.
sThey are not going to shoot me,
are they?" he asked in a terrified
voice.
He said that his name was Thomas
Sullivan: that he was born in Con-
necticut. that he had crossed tne
Mexican line the day before; had
been arrested by the rebels, robbed
of a hundred dollars, forced to dis
play the scarlet ribbon on his arm
and had been driven into the fighting
line. He still wore the scarlet rib
bon Tuesday.
The rebels evacuated Aqua Prieta
because they had exhausted theli am
munition. This was apparent from
the stories related by the one or two
who did flee, and by the federals who
entered the town.
AS the rebels passed out Of Aqua
Prieta to the westward one or two
members of the army called across
the line to the American troops: I'VE
are going into the mountains and
! will return when we get some more
| cartridges"