Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1912-10-05

American marines were killed AM
six were wounded yesterday when tn,
American forces took the town 0
Coyotepe from the Nicaraguan reb
els, according to a cablegram received
early today by Minister Castrille from
Chamorre, minister of foreign affair:
in Nicaragua. ....-
Early today neither the state de
partment nor the navy department
had received any word of the figh
at Mayasa and Coyotope, or Of the
death of the American marines.
Officials were shocked at the news
contained in Minister Castrilles' cable
gram.
The cable to Minister Castrille dated
Managua, October 4, was as follows
"Masaya taken today by assault
We had 100 dead, two hundred wound
ed Americans early took Coyotepe
with four dead and six wounded. Cor
rea simultaneously took Barranca
Zeledon fled with followers and was
captured eight leagues from Masaya,
"ouIluSu anu uIVu ldtNls oAas
visited the American legation to ex-
press deepest sympathy for marines
death. Granada municipality request
ed marines bodies for burial at that
city. l beg your express department
of state my deep sympathy.-Minister
of Affairs, Chamo-ro.
Zeledon spoken of in the cablegram,
is a rebel general, Honduran in the
employ of Mena, the fallen dictator,
recently captured and taken to Pan
anna for exile.
Though the lives of American ma
rines have been lost and others have
been wounded in what appears to
have ended one of the most sanguinary
battles fought in Central America in
many years, yet technically the United
States is not engaged in war. AS
defined by the state department the
status of the relations between the
United States and Nicaragua is one of
friendship. What Rear Admiral South
araguan rebels is declared to have
been purely in pursuance of a duty
imposed upon the navy many times
in the stormy history of Central Am
erica-that of forcibly protecting Am
erican lives and property as well as
of the citizens of the European ma
tions.
The Admiral has strictly refrained
from intervening in any way between
the warning factions in Nicaragua and
has confined himself entirely to open
ing up railway communication and
it free from interruption,
that the large foreign element scat
tered through the Nicaraguan towns
might be able to receive food
For nearly week after the Ameri-
can naval forces managed to open the
way from Managa to Granada, where
the conditions of the foreigners was
pitiful, General Zeledon's rebel forces,
on two hills at Barranca
actually commanded the line Of COM
by rail and interfered with
The free movement of supplies and
prevented the unfortunate sufferers
rom famine from making their es-
cape.
Admiral Southerland had several in
erviews with the rebel chieftain
lfter the surrender and deportation OF
General Mena, the principal figure in
he revolution, but he found that
,eledon was not only determined to
efuse any offer of amnesty held out
~ President Diaz, but was determined
o retain the position he occupied
the railroad.
The admiral was finally obliged to
eliver an ultimatum, warning Zeledon
hat after "a hours notice, the Ameri-
an naval force wound undertake to
rive him from Barranca hills.
This time expired at s O'Clock yes
erday morning and as the official
ablegram received by Minister Cas-
rillo today indicates, the Americans
i'd as they had undertaken to do, at ,
he cost of a few lives. State and
aval officers are anxious to have it
ppear that what has been done by
he American naval forces was in re-
ponse to formal request from the |
itular government of Nicaragua.
'hough keenly appreciative of the SEN
iment inspiring the Nicaraguan gov
in its offer to bury the dead
1arines in the city of Granada, it is
elieved that the bodies of the men
ill be brought home to the United
tates and buried according to the |
fishes of their surviving relatives.
The regiment of marines was on
9th sides of Barranca hills in COM
1and of Colonel John H. Pendleton.
he first and second battalions were
etween Managua and Masaya, and I
carer Masaya. The third battalion (
'as between Masaya and Granada and
lso nearer Masaya. So it is impos-
ible to Judge which battalion the /
atalities occurred as all were close
0 the fighting.
The first battalion was under COM |
nand of Major William N. McKelby /
nd was composed of companies A, B,