The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1914-04-10
FEoERALs LEFT ToRREoN BE-
CAUSE OF EXHAUSTION, SAYS
THE AMERICAN CONSUL.
SPANIARDS ORDERED FROM CITY
Villa Follows Up Retreating FederaIs'
and San Pedro Will Probably Be
Scene of the Next Battle
Burning the Dead.

partment, who has been through the
Torreon engagement with General
Villa. returned to Juarez Tuesday 70
assist in negotiations looking to the
welfare of the 600 Spaniards ordered
out of Torreon by the rebels. He
brought with him the first nonpar-'
tisan eyewitness account Of the battle.
Mr. Carothers kept brief diary OF
events which he witnessed.
"The rebel loss" said Mr. Caroth-
ers, was 500 killed and 1,4OO wound
ed. We don't know the federal loss
accurately except that Villa found in
the hospital 800 of their wounded
Asked why Velasco, the federal
commander, evacuated the city, Mr..
Carothers said the federal leaders
one excuse was that he had run out
of small arm ammunition.
However" the state department
agent smiled, 81 think he was mis-
taken about that, for when he started
burning his ammunition we could
hear the rifle cartridges popping, and
it seemed to me as if there must
have been 100000 of them, more or
less.
~ am convinced that the real rea-
son was that Villas tireless hammer
ing wore down his men until they
could no longer fight. They were on
the scantiest of rations of both food
and water and were all in, as the
phrase has it.
"The evacuation was accomplished
in an orderly manner with soldiers
and Huertista refugees loaded on
trains.
villa has 5000 men pursuing them,
and while they are supposed to be
making for Saltillo, their exact where
abouts was not known when ! left
Torreon.
cat San Pedro there is federal
garrison and battle is expected there
at any moment.
"There can be no doubt that Villas
grievance against many OF the Span
iards was we'll founded. He was very
angry at first, but with success he
has grown more lenient and the limo
cent doubtless will be restored tc
their properties and home in due time
after an investigation.
"They all have money and will no
be charge upon the community here
"Torreon fell on the night of Thurs
day, April 2, as reported by Genera
Villa to General Carranza. Up to tina
time there was not the faintest bash
for reports that the town had fallen
The evacuation began at Z o'clock o.
the morning of Thursday, and at tina
time, and indeed, until the evacuation
was complete, the federals held ever
position in the city of Torreon whic
they originally possessed.
ct was not until after the evacut
ton Thursday that rebels permanent
held any position in the city. Viii
attacked repeatedly from the outside
His men would rush into the toWl
making desperate assaults with the
handgrenades, but they never retail
ed a position until after the flight {
the federal troops Fighting col
tinued almost to the last minute"
General Velasco left placards on h
hospitals saying he left the wounde
to the kindness of the foreign consu
and to the mercy of General Villa.
San Pedro twenty-six miles mort
east of Torreon, it is said, in all pro
ability will be the scene of the ne
battle.
San Pedro, hillgirt city, who
natural defenses must be approach
over a flat country, held fedey
garrison all the time Torreon was
sieged, but this force was prevent
by rebel column from assisting CT
eral Velasco.
Recently a comparatively SIN
force of rebels attempted to take
town, having underestimate
strength of the garrison, whose RI
numbers were developed by the
tack.
General Villa has been building
his force in the last few days to rem
the assault. The defeat of the FEEDER
at San Pedro would, it is said, reno
the last federal force from this
trict
The whereabouts of the troC
driven from the city last week is
known, although it is believed Vela'
is headed for Saltillo.
The rebel loss in this campaign
said to be more than 1900 in xii
and wounded,
The prisoners captured are belize
to have been the defenders of the
racks while the troops in the cany
which forms an egress from the b
girdled city, were able to escape.
The campaign against the fede
stronghold of Torreon, the main