Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-06-07
MATAMOROS GARRISON
''''''' BRAVElY DEFENDS CITY
500 repeRALs HOLD OUT 7, Against "%dN
'OJ 600 REBELS UNDER eINNCo.
=, ,.,r.rate Battle Lasting All Day,
:" zoo 90 ~ 400 We're Killed and 300
TO 500 Wounded

,,..,,,.iIle TeX.-AIier "l'ii"
,,.,tnn from 10 o'clock Tuesday NOM
inr into the night, with only silent in.
t.rmission. the federal garrison at
,,a,auoros comprising about 500 men.
wirhstood the advance ol ''"''ai
pI,rco of the constitutiohatfst forces
o,,,n ahout 900 men until the firing
ceased at 10 o'clock at "'sh'' "'''F
the taking of the federal eiec''l' P''n'
vhioh furnished power used to charg"
IT ,.,,t wire defenses around the
CITY and the wouDding OF MAJOR
u,o,os in charge of the Matamoros
c,rr;sor If was thought the i"d'ra's
would canitulate. but they continued
fighting and twice drove Tue ''"'''
from the center Of the town.
In the afternoon. just AFTER IA" tan
ing of the international bridge ana me
1fcvica, end of the ferry Santa cruz,
the rebels advanced TO the mann plaza
in the center of the town, pul We're
mot with stubborn resistance at the
trenches surrounding the plaza and
,,,r, forced 70 retire under Il fierce
fire
Tho cave ground for about i've
blocks and then made Stahu near
the Plaza de Touras, where they,lW"d
sov,r,I buildings. and at night Malta
moros was illuminated by TWO large
a.
fires. ON account of the fact ttdt the
houses of the town are mostly OF brick.
the fire did not spread, despite the
stiff wind blowing all day
Tho attack was made along q lln"
more than two miles long, anu II is
evident that Blanco's entire forces
we're ON the firing line during most or
the afternoon.
The rebels blew up the buildings
between them and the main plaza
with dynamite bombs.
Captain Walker of Cavalry Troop
NJ has had his entire company pa
trollng the river during the day along
siX-mile stretch four miles above
Brownsville. One-third of the men
were ON demOunted duty.
One of the federal prisoners being
held at Brownsville said that 200 con
stiiuiionalsts were killed when an at
tack was made on bull ring occupied
by federals The federals were run
out. however, and the ring was after
ward fired
The attack to the south of the city,
on what is known as the San Fer
nando road was led by General Lucio
BlancO, while the attack from the
west was led by Colonel Cesario Cas-
tro Castro was in command of a
small squad that capturedIthe Mexican
custom house on the Mexican end of
the International bridge shortly after
3 o'clock.
Reports that are as authentic as can
be gotten from physicians and others
who have come from the scene of bat
tie, state that the rebels had twenty
five killed and forty wounded.
After that the battle ragged fiercely
in the streets of the city And the last
federals coming over stated that the
dead would number 200 or more and
the wounded about 400, with the rebels
sustaining the major loss.
DR.. N. o. Works, who spent the day
in the hospital Of the rebel camp, re-
ports that the number of men actually
engaged on the rebel siIe was never
more than 1000, though reports had it
that 300 reinforcements were expected
Ninety-three federals, including u
officers. crossed the bridge during the
afternoon ard surrendered to the Unit
ed States soldiers. They were dis
armed and taken to the old barracks of
Fort Brown and kept under guard.