The Ordway new era., 1914-05-01

tn0lr vAlOf IN tne lace Vi o A0AeAoN
and have, at the same time, given the
natives Of this town = new idea OF
the courtesy of American troops.
While the battle that resulted In the
taking of Vera Cruz was not q severe
one as battles Of the past have been
counted 1t was of q character 70 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 ~
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. VIII
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.
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 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
hysterically, that they were not guilty
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. a.s
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 light there was
no definite organised opposition en-
h,r Aha fA~erlnana
Americans Under Hot Fire.
A hot IRE was poured into the ad-
vancing Americans from the naval col
lege, which for time held them back,
but few well.directed shots from the
cruisers Chester. San Francisco and
Prairie tore gaping holes in the stone
walls and silenced the rife fire of the
Mexicans inside. The bluejackets
then were enabled to proceed with the
task they had in hand.
A squad of soldiers. despite the
shelling It had received Tuesday. con-
tinued to give considerable trouble to
the Americans from the Benito Juarez
tower. After they had been silenced
and removed from the tower 1t was
OlBCOV0I6V lubk buo BOlul6EB A6u COus
tinued fighting for lack Of ability to
do anything else. The shells from the
warships Tuesday had torn away the
stairway in the tower and the men
had been compelled to remain in It
Msxlesns Evaeuats Hotel.
It was not until late Tuesday that
the last of General Mas men on top
of the hotel received written orders
from outside the city to evacuate their
position. The order was obeyed by .
portion Of the 100 men who were oc-
cupying the roof and vantage points
In the interior, but small portion Of
the band determined to disobey the
orders of their superiors and night to
the last. These men, however, surren-
dered Wednesday morning. A leu
tenant who was in command Of the
Mexicans was led out prisoner. and
although he had fought desperately.
he trembled and turned pale In the
belief that he would be summarily
executed.
None Of the American women were
mistreated by the Mexicans during
their occupation Of the building. A
few of the women assisted the Mexi-
cans in caring for their wounded.
Old Tower Held.
In the fighting In the eenter Of the
inner hafbor, San Juan de Ulua, an
ancient stone fortress. new the Mexi-
can nag throughout the attack. The
commandant and 60 armed men and
300 workmen in the navy yard peered
from the embrasures at the Prairie,
lying 500 yards away, and the other
ships shelling the naval academy. In
the dungeons remained 500 prisoners.
the echoes Of the guns on the ships
~~>~~~>~~~~~
GENERAL DIAz WILL NOT RE