The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-01-12
Nearly 5000 Mexicans Flock
To Preside
FLEEING FROM GEN. VILLA
Huerta's Army Of the North Now In
Custody Of United States
Troopo

eight hundred Mexican federal sol
diers, six Mexican generals, 100000
rounds OF ammunition, two cannon,
four large field pieces and 1900 civil
ian refugees we're in the custody of
the United States army border patrol
here yesterday as the result OF the
federal armys evacuation OF Ojinaga,
Mex, it's flight to American territory
and the occupation OF the Mexican
village by Gen Francisco Villas reb-
81 forces. The distress of the refu-
gees is intense. They have scant
food and no shelter. Men, women,
children, dogs, chickens and cattle
are packed together in space cover
ing several acres. About them are
scattered all their goods and bag
gage.
Urgent requests for the immediate
removal of the soldiers and refugees
to some other place were sent by Maj
MeNamee TO the war department
through Brig.Gen Bliss. Other re.
SHtlN vi llit lBUNl TAAANpntR "'''Nt'
place Gen Villas army in undisputed
control OF vast section of northern
Mexico are; Federal generals, Mer-
cado, Castro, Orpinal. Romero, Aduno
and I.anda are in custody of the
United States troops awaiting their
disposition by the war department
Gen. Pascual Orozco and Gen fnez
Salazar, federal volunteer command.
ers, escaped along the border to some
point remote from Preside. Salazar
was wounded. They were accompan
led by Gen Caraveo and Gen. Rojas
and 800 cavalrymen. Salazar and
Orozco are being watched for in the
United States on indictment charg-
ing them with violating the neutrali-
~ laws.
Gen. Landa said he was certain all
the federal generals escaped the reb-
els. Charges of cowardice were
made against Orozco. Salazar and Ro
jas. Gen Mercado said these gener-
ais abandoned their troops at the be-
ginning of the battle and thus weak
ened the federal defense. The only
generals who quit the battlefield with
honor, Gen Mercado said, were those
who accompanied the federal army
across the Rio Grande Gen Mercado
reiterated that the federals were com
PEELED to evacuate because of lack OF
ammunition. He said that when the
retreat was ordered his soldiers had
an average of only rs cartridges.
Camped in Ojinaga, for the posses.
sion of which he had been fighting
less than "a hours previously. Gen.
Villa started the work of establishing
rebel government. lie telegraphed TO
Gen. Carranza: u have proved my
ability TO capture Ojinaga." After
the confusion incident TO the evacua-
ton of Oiinaga by one army and its
occupation by another, the battlefield
opposite Preside at daylight revealed
a scene of desolation.
The whole sweep of land leading to
the nights of Ojinaga appeared TO
have been plowed up by the frantic
rout of the federal army and the Gag
er scramble into the village by Gen.
Villas rebels. A cannon, toppled
muzzle downward, blood-stained
saber sticking in the muddy river
bank. rifles thrown in heaps. the
crumpled forms among the cactus
and mesquite were among the mute
suggestions of what had gone before.
Yet there we're many living remind
ers OF the battle. Those who went
across in behalf Of the Red Cross
found many wounded who had lain
neglected for hours The American
army physicians believed that many
soldiers died because neither federals
nor rebels had hospital corps.