The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1914-01-07
HEAVY LOSSES IN OJINAGA FIGHT
REBELS SLOWLY FORCING De
TENDERS TO INNER WORKS..
mutinous Soldiers Desert Ranks; No
Avenue Of Retreat Open
TO F~ederais.

Preside. Texas.-The battle between
5000 rebels under General Toribio
Ortega and the northern division OF
the Mexican federal army, entrenched
around Ojinaga. Mexico. across the
border from this place. IL still In prog.
ress. No bullets cane across the
border. The forces had been en-.
gagged for several days and many had
been killed and wounded.
General Ortega. executing n series
OF fiank movements, steadily kept on
the offensive, gaining foot by foot the
approaches to the federal stronghold.
The federal forces, crippled and-djs
organized by the first rebel-aS,s1ough,
olung TO lAa~htiisfde trenches where
their leaders had decided to make q
last stand. They rallied somewhat
from the panic that seized many OF
them with the first yolleys of the
rebels and put up n piucky fight
against heavy odds although their
losses were heavy from wounds and
assertions. Many wounded and dc.
serters waded waist deep through the
Nv w w - " Nt''s
II was impossible to ever approx.
mate the number OF dead and wound.
ed. Fifteen federal wounded. who
waded the river were allowed TO re.
main and were cared for by United
States army physicians. but several
score %unwounded federal deserters
were disarmed by the United States
hnrInr natrnl pnIns MuinV NnNapan
and sent back across the border.
Army officers were convinced casual.
ties had been heavy and Red Cross
representatives sent requests for more
help and hospital supplies. They also
requested permission TO cross the Dor.
der to attend the wounded on the
battlefield.
Although 5000 rebels were engaged,
much OF their fire was ineffective In
the early hours OF the battle because
of the position they occupied below
the village.
Ojinaga. a cluster of adobe build.
ings, stands "A mile from the border at
the top OF high hills which line tn"
valley through which the rebels ad.
vanced. When day dawncd Ortega's
men had gained the foot OF a hill three
miles from the village. where the fed.
erals had planted n fort to command
approaches To the town. They spread
along the hillsides and opened a fire
which was maintained all day and
which was supported by ten machine
guns they had dragged across the DIES.
ert from chihuahua.
Foot By foot the rebels approached
the federals' trenches, the government
troops retiring until as darkness fell,
all federals who had not fed were
huddled In the shelter Of the town Il.
self.
Although the rebels appeared TO
have much advantage, the outcome OF
the struggle was not clearly defined.
That the federals will surrender is i'm.
probable because General Ortega has
explicit orders to execute the so.called
volunteers and their commanders,
Generals Pascual Orozco. Ynez Saal
gar, Bias or Pinal and RouQue Gomez.
Eighteen hundred volunteers also
come under the sentence OF death i'm.
posed by order OF General Villa. That
the federals with all their generals ex.
cept perhaps General Castro, General
Jone Mancilla and General Manuel
Landa OF the regulars, will be forced
over TO the United States In case OF
defeat val thought on the American
| side 10 be most likely.