The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1914-01-16

PRISONERS IN |. s.
t,SOO CIVILIANS ALSO HELD At 1
PRESIDE, TExAs-coWARD. y
ICE LOST STRUGGLE. Z
NOT ENOUGH AMMUNITION
This Given az Cause Of Evacuation %
Town to Rebels-Scencs Of Dis
order on Both Sides Of
Border.

Preside, Texas, Jan. 13.-Six Mexi-
| can federal generals and $500 SOL
diers are prisoners on United States
soil here following the disastrous rout
of the Federal forces at Ojinaga, and
urgent request tor the removal OF
these troops as we'll as of 1900 civil.
ian refugees who accompanied the
soldiers in their fight from the Next
can town, have been emf to the war
department through Brigadier General
Bliss.
Distress Is Intense.
Hungry, cold, without shelter, these
1900 soldiers and civilians, men, wom-
eli and children, are packed in a cor
Pal covering several acres, together
with dogs, chickens and cattle. Their
distress is intense.
Two cannon, four large field pieces.
and 100000 rounds of ammunition
which were brought to the American
side by the Mexican soldiers when
they abandoned the town across the
border to General Francisco Villas
rebel forces, are also in the custody
of the United States troops under
Major McNamee.
Other results OF the rebel successes,
which placed General Villas army in
u%ndisputed control OF a vast section
of northern Mexico are: Federal Gen.
erals Mercado, Castro, Orpinal, Rem
erO, Aduno and Landa are in custody
of the United States troops awaiting
their disposition by the. war depart.
ment.
Escape Along Border.
General Pascual OrozcO and General
ioez Salazar, federal volunteer com.
manders, escaped along the border 10
some point remote from Presidio. SAL
AGAR was wounded. They were &C.
companied by General Caraveo and
General Rojas and 800 cavalrymen.
SalaZar and Orozco are being watched
for in the Un..ed States on indict-
ments charging them with violating
the neutrality laws.
General Landa said he was certain
all the federal generals escaped the
rebels.
Charges Of cowardice were mado
against Orozco, Salazar and Rojas.
General Mercado said these generals
abandoned their troops at the begin.
ming of the battle and thus weakened
the federal defense.
Lack Of Ammunition.
General Mercado reiterated that the
fc3erals We're compelled to evacuats
because of lack of ammunition. He
said at the retreat his soldiers had an
average Of only 70 cartridges.
Camped in Ojinaga. for the posses
sion of which he had been fighting
less than "a hours previously, General
Villa started the work of establishing
government. lie telegraphed to
General Carranza:
Il have proved my ability to capture
Ojinaga."
After the confusion incident to the
evacuation OF Ojinaga by one army
and it's occupation by another, the
battlefield opposite Preside revealed
q scene of desolation.
The whole sweep Of LAND leading to
the heights OF Ojinaga appeared to
have been ploughed up by the frantic
rout Of the federal army and the eager
scramble into the village of General
Villas rebels.
Reminders Of Battle.
There were many living reminders
OF the battle. These who went across
In behalf Of the Red Cross found many
wounded who had remained for hours
uncared for. They were sometimes
traced in the trenches by their groans.
1t was the belief Of the American
army physicians that many soldiers
died because neither federals nor reb- ,
els had a hospital corps.
The scene of disorder was almost as
bad on the American side rs on the
Mexican.