Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1914-05-01


ors and marines have again proved
their valor in the face Of foreign foe,
and have, at the same time, given the
natives of this town a new idea ct
the courtesy of American troops.
While the battle that resulted in the
taking of Vera Cruz was not severe
one as battles of the past have been
counted it was of a character to test
the courage of men who were called
upon to face the steel -jacketed bullets
Of foemen hidden behind walls and on
housetops, and before 1t was over IL
American sailors had paid for the vic
tory with their lives and another 80
were seriously wounded
While the Mexicans suffered more
severely, the number of their casual
ties has not been ascertained, but the
best estimates obtained by Capt. Will
liam r. Rush of the battleship Florida
indicate that in the engagements of
Tuesday and Wednesday their dead
amounted to about $50. No person
knows how many Mexicans fell
wounded, as large part of them were
taken away and hidden BY friends.
Dead Lay In Streets.
In the streets about the plaza Thurs
day lay fifteen or twenty bodies, a
majority of them attired in citizens
clothing. Some of the men evidently
had been dead since the engagement
of Tuesday, and the tropical heat
made their immediate disposal i'm
perative One of the first orders given
after the town had been captured was
to bury the Mexican dead in a trench
at the sea end of the streets leading
from the plaza.
When the city was taken the order
was given to advance carefully and
search every building for men bearing
arms Scores of prisoners were taken,
most of them protesting volubly, many
Historically, that they were not guilty
of any unfriendliness whatsoever
toward the Americans.
Expected to Be Executed.
Accustomed as the Mexicans are to
their own contending forces shooting
Immediately all prisoners taken, the
captured men could not but believe
that they would receive no less dras
tic treatment at the hands of the
Americans.
The guns found in houses were
thrown by the marines and bluejack
cts from the upper balconies of the
houses to the pavement below.
The most spirited action of Wednes
| day was the taking of the naval acad
emy Aside from that fight there was
no definite organized opposition en-
countered by the Americans.
Americans Under Hot Fire.
A hot fire was poured into the ad
vancing Americans from the naval col
lege, which for a time held them back
but few well-directed shots from the
cruisers Chester, San Francisco an(
Prairie tore gaping holes in the stone
walls and silenced the rifle fire of tht
Mexicans inside. The bluejacket:
then were enabled to proceed with tn,
| TASK Lney naQ III nan0.
A squad of soldiers, despite tbs
shelling it had received Tuesday, con
tinued to give considerable trouble tt
the Americans from the Benito Juare;
tower. After they had been silences
and removed from the tower it wal
discovered that the soldiers had con
tinued fighting for lack of ability tt
do anything else. The shells from tn,
| warships Tuesday had tcga away th'
stairway in the tower and the mel
had been compelled to remain in it.
Mexicans Evacuate Hotel.
1t was not until late Tuesday tina
of the hotel received written orders
from outside the city to evacuate thei
position The order was obeyed by
portion of the 100 men who were oc
cupying the roof and vantage points
in the interior, but a small portion 70
1 the band determined to disobey tn,
orders of their superiors and fight t.
the last These men, however, surren
dered Wednesday morning. A lieu
tenant who was In command of tht
Mexicans was led out a prisoner, ant
although he had fought desperately
he trembled and turned pale in tn,
belief that he would be summaril.
executed.
4 None of the American women wer,
mistreated by the Mexicans during
their occupation of the building. 4
few of the women assisted the Mexi
cans in caring for their wounded
Old Tower Held.
In the fighting in the center of thu
inner harbor, San Juan de Ulua, al
ancient stone fortress, few the Mexi
can flag throughout the attack. Tht
commandant and 60 armed Een ant
300 wo-kmen in the navy yard peeret
from the embrasures at the Prairie
lying 500 yards away, and the othel
ships shelling the naval academy. II
the dungeons remained 500 prisoners
the echoes of the guns on the ships
| ~-ntrnay Hpa7 IhfIII IfnT n