The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-04-17
American Forces Com.
PEELED to Seek Shell
ter From Flying
Bullets
Mexican Rebels Ap-
pear to Have Re-
pulsed FederaIs In
Vicious Engage
ment Early Today
Especial from United Press.) )

DOuSldS. <aIlz., Ap11l If-lue IuuCIl
heralded battle of Aqua Priesta ex-
pected to be the most decisive of, the
present Mexican rebellion. is now in
progress around this city.
Shortly before noon, after the battle
had been raging almost continuously
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 so Federals wounded on the bat
tlefield and he believes the Federal
loses SO far are about so 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.
One thousand Federal troops under
Colonel. Reynaldo Diaz. nephew of the
Mexican President. are engaged on the
one side, with upwards of 1.500 in
surgents ON the other. Despite the
apparent efforts of both armies to pre-
vent bullets from crossing the border,
Oscar K. Coll, Of Tombstone, AriZ.,
was struck in the head by a flying
bullet while STANDING. on Mexican
side Of border. The wound, while slight
caused the fear that greater casualties
on the American side will occur dur
ing the heat of the engagement es-
pecially as bullets have also struck
a number of residences here.
After fighting of a desperate char
acter mainly around the insurgents
cavalry corral the Federal troops
were repulsed in their first attack and
withdrew to reform for another attack.
The action began at $50 A NJ, when
Colonel Diaz sent machine gun to
within half mile of Aqua Prieta
houses on the southwest edge of the
town. Needing his promise not to FIRE
across the border if it could be aovid-
ed, Diaz advanced with his main body,
deployed his troops to the west of the
town. Federals ignored the cover fur
nisE1ed by a series of rolling hills to
the south and advanced in the open.
The rebel outposts offered little op-
position to the Federal advance and
were called into Aqua Prieta after fir
ing a few long range shots
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
an American adventu1er. and five
Taramerfia Indian sharpshooters out
to silence the gun. They crept through
the mesquite to within 400 yards of
the machine gun and for an hour at
tempted to pick off the gunners. After
a good deal of firing Willis succeeded
in picking off most of the gunnerS and
the machine gun was silenced.
While Edwards was picking off the
gunners a detachment of 200 Federals
crept up a gully and suddenly ap-
peared east of Aqua Prieta yelling
wildly. They charged a cluster Of
adobe and brush barns used as a cor
raj by the insurgents cavalry. They
had almost gained the houses when
the insurgents uncovered a machine
gun mounted on the roof of a nearby
building and raked the Federal ranks
with a CALLING fire. The Federal
ranks broke and fled under a terrific
fire from the machine gun, leaving a
dozen men on the field.
During this charge the bullets flew
thick and fast over Douglas. Mem
bers of the families Of Robert Day
and A. w. War;, whose homes were
struck by flying bullets, fled out of
their houses and asked protection from
Colonel Skunk. He declined, saying
his orders were not to interfere un-
less Americans We're killed or serious
ly wounded.
At O'Clock the firing fell off when
the Federals had attacked the corral
of the main body of Diaz' troops.
Five ambulances, manned with vol
unteer Red Cross nurses, Immediately
rushed upon the field to bring. the
wounded into Douglas. At this stage
it was apparent that the F'ederals
had failed IN their opening attack but
at $780, having reformed his troops,
Colonel Dixz brought his entire force
into action. One wing of the ad-
vancing Federals was thrown out in
a wide semi-circle to a point south of
Aqua Prieta. making it certain that
when this wing was engaged rain
of bullets would sweep Douglas. By
Q O'Clock firing was in progress along
the entire Federal line.
AS soon as the formation of Diaz'
gents, they formed line to meet the
Federal plans General Garcia spread
out his force in a semi circle the
center of which was opposite Doug
las Six hundred Insurgents were or
dered into the newly-dus rifle pits not
more than 500 yards from the Federal
line Only struggling shots We're fired
until nine o'clock when the word to
fire was passed down the insurgent
lines Under a murderous fire the
Federal right wing swung off towards
the west attempting a flank attack
simultaneously two more Federal ma
chine guns We're brought into action
but the rebel riflemen picked off their
operators quickly and silenced them
AS the codnbatants moved to the south
of Aqua Prieta they were brought di-
rectly south of Douglas and bullets
flew thick and fast over this city
fir,nNj ,.r Do