Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-11
HUERTA'S CHIEF GENERAL
SURRENDERS TO THE US.
Pascual 0rozco, Fearing Death at
Rebels Hands, Escapes Into
Interior With Salazar
LAST STAND IS IN VAIN
Other Regular and Volunteer Gen.
erals and Troops of Mexico
City Government Dis
persed in Desert.

PRESlDIO, Tex, January 10.
The Mexican federal army. with
its nine generals, evacuated Dim
aga, Mexico, at 10 O'Clock tonight.
The triumphant rebel forces,
under Gen. Francisco Villa. im-
mediately occupied the village.
Gen. Salvador Mercado. who
was Huertas chief military COM
mander. crossed the river and sur
rendered to Maj. McNamee of the
United States Army.
1t was impossible for Mai. Nc
Nance to learn what had become
OF the federals, whether the bulk
OF them had taken refuge on this
side or whether they scattered to
points in Mexico. The country
about Ojinaga is mostly desert
with little in it to sustain life.
Tried to Save Guns.
Gen. Mercade of the federal garrison
first sent note to Maj. McNamee of the
10th United States Cavalry. asking il
the federals might send across the border
some guns for which they had no am
| nunit!on.
Maj. McNamee replied that any guns
sent across would be seized and held in
| this country and that the men bringing
them would be disarned and forced back
! IA sir
j Later Gen. Mercade sent over seven
wagon loads of government documents
under the escort of a wounded lieuteu-
ant. The wagons were pulled out of the
river and taken into the United States
army camp.
The defeat of the federal army followed
| only few hours lighting in which the
| rebels. beginning at sunuown. started to
/ c.oSe IN on the besieged garrison with q
! cannon and rifie fire.
Looked Like Massacre.
| Gen. Castro and Gen. Mercado of the
federal regulars. saw that the assault
| was to be nothing less than massacre.
| The federals had left only fifty rounds of
ammunition for each man. Gems. Castro
| and Mercado therefore gave the order to
evacuate.
| All the federal soldiers and their Off
| GERS who could scramble to the American
| side did SO. The others ran in all di-
| rections.
Gen. Pascual Orozco. commander of
| federal volunteers. threatened with sum-
| mary execution by Villa. was the first
| to cross 1t was believed he had escaped
| into the mountains in Texas.
May Be With Salazar.
| Despite the report that Gen. Orozco
crossed to this side at remote point and
escaped to the Texas mountains near here,
Maj. McNamee also was informed that
| Orozco and Gen. YneZ Salazar had re-
NAMED with their cavalry, and possibly
had not crossed. OroZco and Salazar
are under federal indictment in this coun-
| try for violation of the neutrality laws
OroZco was prominent in the Madero
revolution, but later started revolution
against Madero, when the latter became
president.
With the exception of those wounded
or killed. the federal garrison was COM
posed of 1909 soldiers.
In the little adobe village on the Mexi-
can side at midnight there reigned
among the victorious forces a scene or
merriment Fires were built. such music
as could be improvised was heard and
crowds of the rebel soldiers, still griIny
with the smoke of battle, surrounded
Gen. Villa.
This man, who, six months ago. entered
the revolution in obscurity and with moth
ing more than borrowed revolver, but
who later captured JuareZ opposite Ell
PaSo, and then occupied Chihuahua, a
city of 5000 population was hailed
leader destined to depose Huerta. 1t
is understood that as soon as he clears
from the border any possible remaining
fugitiyes from Ojinaga, Gen. Villa will
return to Chihuahua and there resume
his plans for carrying the fight south
ward into the heart of the republic.
Last Desperate Stand.
On this little hilltop of Ojinaga, in AN
obscure border village, sixty-seven miles
from any railroad and that in the United
States, Mercado elected to make a last
desperate stand
He said he would never give I'D unless
his men ran short of ammunition. He
kept his word. For six days. ending last
Sunday. he had fought plucSily against
odds. The rebels fired more than 1.000,-
600 rounds into the federal trenches with
out avail. 1t was not until Villa. now
the military head of the revolution. but
one a bandit. appeared on the scene
that the reverse came for the federais.
Gen Villa arrived In the vicinity of
Oiinaga only a few days ago. His pres
ence. together with the coincidence that
the federals had only fifty rounds of am
munition left for each man. seemed TO
take from the federal generals their last
vestige of hope.
Greatest Of Rebel Victories.
Among the federals at Ojinaga were
nine generals, Castro, Mercado. Orozco,
Manuel Landa, Ynz Salazar, Antonio
Roias, Bias Orpinal, Lozaro Alavis and
Rogue Gomez.
Some of them were men upon whom
Huerta depended to maintain his military
power in the north. Defeat of the federal
army at this point marks the most i'm
portant rebel victory of the present revo-
luton. 1t leaves the rebels in possess
sion practically Of all the north of Mex