Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-01-02
FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 1914.
FIGHTING ON THE BORDER
FederaIists About Whipped
by Constitutionalists.

Preside, Texas, January 1.-The
northern division of the Mexican fed
eral army at Ojinaga, Mexico, with It's
eleven generals, other officers and
about 1000 soldiers, after merciless
three days attack by General Ortega'
5000 rebels, tonight appeared ready
to flee in disorder across the river into
the United States.
With a line, struggling and wound
ed at the border to indicate the ex-
tent of the carnage, and deserters al
. ready appearing in numbers, Major M
~ McNamee commanding the border
patrol. made every plan in anticipa-
ton of the flight.
from the Fifteenth cavalry, form the
border patrol here. To this small body
of American soldiers would fall the
task of surrounding and disarm1ng
perhaps 1000 foreign soldiers, or 5000
Of them if 1000 have been disabled or
killed. The ability of the American
soldiers to handle the refugees was
based on the assumption that the reo-
els would pursue the federals merely
to the river.
An estimate, as carefully as could
be made. of the wounded on both SIDES
was 1000. Most of the wounded were
left on the battlefield. The less dis
abled reached the river and were
side. Scores of uninjured Federal de-
serters in defiance Of the American
patrol, crossed the river. All were
disarmed and forced back to the Mex
lean side. More than 200 rifles otner
arms and ammunition were taken.
II was impossible to learn accurate
ly the number of dead. Many were
believed to have died through lack OF
medical attention, as Red Cross OF
ffcials were not permitted to foro the
river, even under the Red cross mas
Those who ventured to help the
Wtsanded from the river risked the
ranger of being shot. A few shots
fell close to or on the American side
north of Preside. but no one on TINS
side was injured. Major McNamee
sent General Ortega word that any
further firing across the river mlBht
entail grave consequences.
So far Major McNamee has adhered
to a policy of sending back all or tne
unwounded combatants. Should all oI
the federals come across they Woulo
be disarmed, but they might be per
mitted to remain on this side unaer
temporary arrest on grounds or nu-
manity.
mile back from the river, 1t proceeded
uninterruptedly, with the federals con-
fined in and fighting from the ADOBE
huts in the village, with the reoels,
always drawing closer, firing artillery
and small guns from the hills ana ap-
proaches.
soon after daylight the federals
made a desperate attempt to rally.
They even extended their line or nre
outward, but this brought heavier mr.
ing by the rebels that sent the oe-
tenders back to their inner defenses.
Thereafter the relative position Oh tne
opposing forces remained much tne W
same with General Ortega driving In
shot and shell from three sides while
General Francisco Castro's federals
fired from what vantage points tney
had within the horse corral, the GUS
, toms house and trenches.
Never in border history had there
been a scene equal to the 1eueTai
wounded and deserters VINO scrambled
To reach the United States, while from
their rear there still poured partlns
shower Of shells and bullets.
The rivers edge was a ragged fringe
of ke-begrimmed, manned ana
half naked soldiers, some rusnins
pelI nell into the river, some crying
from the pain of their wounds, others
crawling, because of shattered limbs,
over rocks and cactus. some greedily
stopping to drink the muddy water ana
all begging the Americans on the op-
posite side for shelter from the tur-
moil from which they had fled:
The river bed is soft mud with wa
ter in the middle about waist deep. Al
one point 200 Federals, all carrying
arms. waded across. They were sur
rounded by handful Of United States
troops disarmed and forced back The
wounded were picked UP as soon as
they reached this shore.
The protest of the unwounded FED
erals against being forced back into
Mexico was pitiable. Deserters went
back but wailing as they went that
they would surely be killed without
their arms.