River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-01-15
1890 MEXICANS ARE
PRISONERS IN i. s.
$500 CIVILIANS ALSO HELD AT
PRESIDE, TEXAs-coWARD-
ICE LOST STRUGGLE.
NOT ENOUGH AMMUNITION
This Given as Cause of Evacuation of
Town to Rebeis-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 for the removal OF
these troops as well as Of 1900 civil
ian refugees who accompanied the
soldiers in their flight from the Next
can town, have been sent to the war
department through Brigadier General
Bliss.
Distress Is intense.
Hungry, cold, without shelter, these
1900 soldiers and civilians, men, Wom-
en- and children, are packed in a cor
raj 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
undisputed control Of vast section
of northern Mexico are Federal Gen
erals Mercado, Castro, Orpinal, Rem
gro, 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
Ynez SalaZar, federal volunteer COM
manders, escaped along the border to
some point remote from Preside. Sal
aZar was wounded. They were ac-
companied by General Caraveo and
General Rojas and 300 cayalrymen.
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 made
against OrozcO, Salazar and Rojas.
General Mercado said these generals
abandoned their troops at the begin
ming of tho battle and thus weakened
the federal defense.
Lack of Ammunition.
General Mercado reiterated that the
f2Gerals were compelled to evacuate
because OF lack Of ammunition. lie
said at the retreat his soldiers had an
average of only IS cartridges.
Camped in Oiinaga, for the posses
sion of which he had been fighting
less than "a hours previously, General
Villa started the work of establishing
rebel government. He telegraphed to
General Carranza
Il have proved my ability to capture
Ojinaga."
After the confusion incident to the
md its occupation by another, the
battlefield opposite Preside revealed
81 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 Those who went across
in behalf of the Red Cross found many
wounded who had remained for hours
nncared 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 hospital corps.
The scene of disorder was almost as
bad on the American side as on the
Mexican.