The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-03-23
VILLA, ADVANCING
!. ON T0RRE0N, ROUTs
FEDERAL 0OTP0STS
Advance Guard Of Rebel Army
Occupies Suburbs of The
Mexican Stronghold.
STUBBORN FIGHTING
RETARDING PROGRESS
Federals Make Stiff Resistance
and Gen. Villa Proceeds
Cautiously -Rebels Close In
On City.

I'll PASO. March 22.-Fancho villa
and his soldiers drove the federal de-
tenders Of Torreon further back
towards their hnai base today, and at
dusk this evening ms advance guard
was in Birmingham. manufacturing
town, only six miles from Gomez
PalacIo. another manufacturing town,
and suburb of TorrtCu This is the
location of the advance guard OF the
main army commanded By Villa niin-
self The advance guard of the east
wing according to tonight's advices.
is very close to the eastern suburb OF
Torreon. and has had hot lighting ali
day.
All Villas troops advanced some
today, but the advance was slow and
cautious. Villa was none TO anxious
to take his entire command forward
any faster than he could repair the
railroad to supply them with water
and food. ana the federals put up
more stubborn resistance today. Tho
nearer Torreon The rebels got the bet
ter they find the federal fortifcations.
and the harder il is to drive out the
defenders.
Cutting OFF Retreat.
General Benav!deS. lately commands
err of the garrison at Juarez, who
commanded the advance AidFu Ut tA1
rebels that entered Bermejillo, where
villa made headquarters last night,
after moving forward and helping 10
clear the railroad, took a southeasteriy
course today 10 join MacloVio Her
rera s command east Of Torreon. and
almost cut the railroad between Tor
reon and Saltillo and Monciova. They
hope by this TO prevent "a retreat Of
the federals To either of these towns
in the even OF rebel success at Tor
reon, meantime isoiating Saltiilo and
Monciova, TO give the rebel bands in
that section chance to make another
effort to capture the two places.
The rebels all but took MonciovA
a week ago, but were driven out by
the arrival of federal reinforcementa
from Torreon.
After driving out the rebels. the
federals fastened back to Torreon and
the Monclova and Saitllo garrisons Of
federals are now comparatively small.
General Jrbina Wounded.
villa was advised today that Thomas
Irbina, his commando to whom he
had entrusted the attack on Torreon
from the direction of Mapimi IS i'll
in that town, either from fever OF
wounds the nature of his. affliction is
not known, but IL is reported that he
was wounded in the fight with fed
erals at Rosario on Tuesday last.
Al an early nour TO-DAY the rGDelS IN
JuareZ had received no advices from
Villa relative to the lighting. The only
thing that came through during the
day tn the rebel officials was a tel
egram from Chihuahua confirming adj
vices from Villa last night. that Ber-
mejiilo has been captured.
The message from Chihuahua said
ninety-one of ninety-two federals We're
killed at Bermejillo yesterday, instead
OF I06, as wired by Villa last night.
villa boosted of this in messages
to his subordinates, in declaring tilae
at pays to waste a little powder and
few pills for practice before a bat
tie" one subordinate explained to-
day that villa had kept his army busy
shooting at targets for several weeks
prior TO the attack. and that his mes
sage last night, on the effective
craftsmanship of his men, was his
reply to the criticism of some OF his
associates that he was wasting too
much costly powder and lead.
Much Ammunition.
That his resources for securing
plenty of these necessary war COM
modities are good. however, became
known today, when an Ell Paso agent
of a cartridge manufacturing COM
pany declared that hundred million
rounds of ammunition would be pour