The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-01-21
CONE ACROSS RIVER
FEDERALS AT OJINAGA FLEE IN.
TO UNITED STATES.
REBEL ARMY VICTORIOUS

Border Patrol Disarms the Mexican
Host, Taking Into Custody $500
Soldiers and Six Generals, and
Gives Succor to 1900 Civilians
Who Fled From Rebel Approach.
Twenty-eight hundred Mexican
Federal soldiers, six generals, 200,-
900 rounds Of ammunition, two can
non, four large field pieces and 1900
civilian refugees were in the custody
of the United States army border
patrol Sunday as the result of the
Federal evacuation Of Ojinaga, Mex
leo, and the occupation of the Mex
lean village by Gen. Francisco Villas
rebel forces.
The distress Of the refugees is in
tense. They have scant food and no
shelter. Men, women, children, dogs
chickens and cattle are packed to-
gether in a space covering several
acres. About them are scattered all
the goods and belongings and bag
gage brought in the fight from
Ojinaga.
Other results Of the rebel successes
that place Gen. Villas army in un-
disputed control Of a vast section Of
Northern Mexico are: Federal Gems.
Mercado, Castro. Orpinal, Romero,
Aduno and Landa are in custody Of
the United States troops awaiting dis
position by the wra department.
Gen. Pascual Orozco and Gen. Ynez
Salazar. Federal volunteer comman-
ders, escaped along the border to
some point remote from Preside.
Salazar was wounded. They were
accompanied by Gen. Caraveo and
Gen. Rojas and three hundred cav
alrymen. Salazar and Orozco are
being watched for in the United
States for indictments. charging them
with violating neutrality laws.
Gen. Landa said he was certain all
the Federal troops escaped. Charges
Of cowardice were made against
Orozco, Salazar and Rojas. Gen.
Mercado said these generals aban-
doned their troops at the beginning
Of the battle and thus weakened the
Federal defence.
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 we're compelled to
evacuate because Of lack Of ammuni-
ton. He said his soldiers only had
an average of 7S cartridges each.
After the confusion incidental to
evacuation the battlefield opposite
Preside at daylight revealed a scene
Of desolation. The whole sweep Of
land leading to the heights Of O1in-
aga had been ploughed by the frantic
rout Of the Federal army and the
eager scramble into the village by
Gen. Villas rebels.
A cannon toppled muzzle down.
ward. q blood-stained sabre sticking
In the muddy river bank. rifles
thrown in heaps. the crumpled forms
among the cactus and mesquite, and
the eyes that pe>red here and there
from among the glaxed rocks were
among the mute suggestions Of what
had gone before. Those who went
across In behalf Of the Red Cross
found many wounded who for hours
had remained urcared for. Many
were traced in the trenches by their
groans. It was the belief Of the
American army physicians that many
soldiers died because neither Fed
erals nor rebels had hospital CORPS.
The 1900 civilian refugees who
rushed across the river when Gen.
Mercado went through the streets Of
Otinaga. telling the people to fee.
suffered as much distress as the SOL
diers. Scores Of women camp fol-
lowers had lost their children in the
scramble and were crying piteously
in the corr provided for them on
the American side. Others were
without sufficient clothing and all
were drenched from wading through
the river.
The scene OF disorder on the
American side was almost as bad as
on the Mexican. Scores Of Federal
guns had been thrown into the river
and were protruding from the mud.
Federal and rebel wounded. who had
crawled to the river bank side bv
side, were wading across. aided by
American soldiers. Mexican women
and children. who escaped from the
corral were trudging up the mountain
road toward Maria and had to be
brought back.
Suddenly made guardians Of an
entire foreign garrison, generals and
all. the American border patrol con-
sidered what was to be done with the
Mexican soldiers. From military
standpoint. the situation was regard
ed as being without precedent. since
In time Of peace the United States
army never has had to surround, dis
arm. hold in custody and care for so
large a body Of aliens. Less than
500 cavSlrymen handled the panic
stricken mob Of almost ten times
their number. Though many Fed
eral soldiers had loaded rifles and
we'll filed cartridge belts, the round
ing up and disarming was done with
out any untoward incident.
Both Villa. the victorious rebel
leader. and Mercado, the defeated
Federal commander. standing on oD-
posite banks Of the Rio Grande. dis
cussed the incidents in Mexican his
tory in which they had Just taken a