Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1913-06-04

Ht ldSl upSpcfdte StdHu Dh INC uccl-
mated garrison of regulars and volun-
teers entrenched around the main plaza
in MatamOroS was made ut three o'clock
this morning. At this time, the men who
had been in the trenches since before
ten d clock the day before. or seventeen
hours without moment for rest or eat
ing having burned up the last cartridg-
cs III their valiant fight to hold the city
against Blanco's men. had To quit. They
did not surrender, they merely ran cut
Of powder and ball and the fight came
to an end automatically.
Notwithstanding this. Biancos men
did not attempt to force the center of
the city until five o'clock this morning
market plaza which they had occupied
at three o'clock Tuesday.
They advanced firing as they came fear
ing that some Of the federalS m chit be
and dirt. They hoped thus to draw the
fire of any lurking enemy. They failed TO
find single man To oppose them. and
at six o'clock took charge of the city in
entirety, although il had virtually been
theirs since the fighting Of the early
night.
The most remarkable part of the fight
put up by the federal garrison and the
volunteers within the city limits is the
fact tina for the most part Of the days
fighting and during all that Of the long
night Of incesSant vigilance and contin-
uOus firing. they were practically with
cut superior officers.
Inquiry in MatamoroS today elected
the information that DR.. Barragan. may
or of the city. who was reported in last
night dispatches to have been killed.
because of the fact that he could not
be found in Matamaros made h;S escape
to the American side early in the after
noon. Up to last reports he has not been
located.
Early in the afternoon also Command
erS EchaZarrctte and the two Cuella
fled under fire and got safely To c4ycr.
They have not been located As stated
by one Of the captains in Blanco's ranks
they flew like BIRDS
Left without commanders. the soldiers
knew nothing to do except keep OH firing
as long as they had anything to fire at.
This they literally did.
Blanco had only five hundred men en-
gagged in the taking Of the city. the other
a. b.II
placed the forces almost on an equal.
Major Ramos was slightly wounded
while on horseback and fled to the Am
crican side. The other officers fled before
Il bullet could Get to them. 1t il evident'
10 Ill who watched the fight from the
Businesses Of the brick houses, that the
taking of the city would have proven a
decidedly more hazardous and difficult
thing. had the officers remained to en-
courage their soldiers.
Consul Johnson and several others
who were in the consulate the long day
never saw Il better display or a better
and night Of fighting said. They
fight put up anywhere by both armies
siblc such remarkable courage and
nonchalance under fire" The trench un-
der the windows of the IT, :. Consulate
was the next to the last to he evacuated.
Vice Consul PUG stated. No, they did
not give up, they never surrendered.
They Just ran out of ammunition. Even
they they did not stop. They went 70 the
next trench block away and picked up
ammunition that had been left by their
comrades who could not stand the fire
and went to firing again. They were not
purturbcd single time during the en-
4 tire fight / never thought ii possible for
/ anybody to put up so brave fight even
after they had no officers to command
them.
At six fifteen this morning BlancO s
men to the number of one hundred rode
down to the ferry and, lifted the embar-
90. the crowd from Brownsville ut once
began to take advantage of this oppor.
tunitv to visit Matamoros. Soon after
the International bridge was opeIIed and
the crowds Streamed over it for the most
part of the day.
Your correspondent covered the city
entirely in an automobile in search fol
the list Of casualties and eXiStant con
ditions. Blanco'S men on the Mexican
end of the bridge met the party with
WAS smiles and bows and every cour