Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-04-18
rlERcEsr sATrLE VET.
Continued from Page One.)

tHeTe we're lofceu 10 seek SneIltE.
When the battle began Colonel VIM
\. Skunk, commanding the United
States force. rushed his four troops of
cavalry to the line and took every pos
sible precaution for the safety of the
citizens of Douglas. He kept them out
of that portion of the city which was
most exposed. but this did not save
Americans from injury.
Every indication points to a re-
sumption of fighting by tomorrow. il
the Federals should prove successful
1t means that the battle will be carried
to the streets of Aqua Prieta with in
creasing menace to the citizens of
Douglas.
There is a movement tonight among
the leading citizens of Douglas to send
q large number Of teleErams To Presi-
dent TAFT asking him to safeguard At
any cost the lives of United States
citizens.
Just before night fell on thu plain
a daring piece of work was done by
the FHederals. All this afternoon the
Federal cavalry was under fire from
the "ebcl trenches to the east Of the
town. The main body of the Federal
troops was in the rear of a long grassy
draw opening lengthWse into Il right
an@led ravine at the north and within
4af yards of Aqua Prieta. The FEEDER
al commander mounted two and three
men on each Of the cavalry horses
and then under fire sent from the
trenches by the rebels. facing the
mouth of the grassy draw, the riders
dashed to the ravine. Here the extra
soldiers dismounted and the riders and
horses returned to the rear tn repeat
the performance. In this way the gen
eral placed several hundred instantly
under cover of the raVine and en-
lankments. shortly after nieat fan
this force in the raXine crept up To the
crest Of the embankmcnts and opened
Il hot fire on Aqua Prieta, shooting
proniscuously into every building
within range
Persons stood at the telephone in
Aqua Prieta and reported to Douglas
the passage of bullets through the
adobe walls of their houses as we'll
as through windows, doors and splint-
cred roofs.
We are ready for them" was the
1aconic message from the rebel forces
waiting the onslaught at the bull pen
and behind every cover.
One of the sensational features of
the late afternoon was the passage
of an American. David Crockett of
Naco, through the Federal and rebel
fighting lines. Crockett did not know
that the battle was in progress un-
til he found himself in the Federal
ranks
The Federals took his morse and
saddle and turned him loose. He went
toward the rebel forces. The rebels
hailed him and then passed him
through their lines to the United
States border.
Douglas. AriZ., April 1.-THE long
expt "ted attack of the Federal troops
on Aqua Prieta opened in deadly
earnest at $50 today. The firing was
fast and furious on both sides. The
rattle of musketry was continuous.
The hail of bullets from the Federal
machine guns fell far within the con-
fines of the city of Douglas
It was evident from the outset that
the battle was to be decisive. Both
sides exhibited desperate courage.
The Federals began by massing
themselves to the southeast of the
town and moved slowly within rifle
range of the rebel position.
The Insurrectos, facing in three di-
reetions. lay low in the trenches or
fat on the open ground. The Federas
fire raked over them and into both
Aqua Prieta and Douglas.
1t was evident from the heavy FIR
ing that the casualties on both sides
were destined to be heavy.
The steel and leaden missiles from
the Federal guns carried far over on
the international line and plowed their
way into the buildings facing along
Second and Third streets and dug up
the ground here and there over the
entire southern end of this city
The Federals in moving in had ad-
vanced from the camp which they es-
tablished yesterday at Sulphur Springs.
a water hole five miles south of Aqua
Prieta. They marched slowly to Il
point southeast of Aqua Prieta, with
an evident intention of gaining the
border in order to attack the rebel po-
sition along the international line, but
before they We're able to gain this COW
eted position they encountered the
rebel cavalry, which had galloped out
TO intercept them, and there was
rattle from the repeating rifles as the
TWO advancing forces came into firing
range. The cavalry dropped back
slowly and the Federals next came
within range of the deep entrench-
ments thrown up by the rebels during
sunday and last night. which were
filed with sharpshooters.
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
"f battle. Notwithstanding strict or
ders of the American troops, many
rushed to the international line in or
der to get view of the fighting They
We're here exposed to most imminent
danger.
With the firing Of the first shot Coll
onel skunk ordered out all the Amer
lean cavalry available in Douglas
They We're rushed quickly to the bor-
der and took up positions along the
lire. Many OF these men We're exposed
10 the fire of the Mexican troops,
though there We're no casualties among
them during the early part of the bat