Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1914-04-03
VILLA CAPTURES
COk|Ez PALAC|0
Takes Federal Stronghold After
-Four Days. Fighting,
DELIVERED THREE ASSAULTS
Struggle Was Carried Into Streets
Leading Into Torreon at Times, ana
City Is Said to Be In Flames.

CITY Is Said to Be In Flames.
Confirmation Of the report that Gen.
eral Francisco Villa and his reDel
army had captured Gomez Palacio, the
strategic point several miles north OF
the city of Torreon, Mexico, and that
the severe fighting Of the last four or
five days against the Federal garrl-
son of General Velasco had been car
ried at times into the very streets
leading into Torreon, came in a dis
match from a correspondent with Gen.
eral Villas army.
official rebel advices from Gomez
Palacio say that three Federal gener-
ala, all of them prominent command
ers in General Velasco's army at TOT
reon. have been killed in the fighting
there. They are Generals Pena, Reyna
and Anaya. General Ocaranza, an
other prominent commander OF the
Federals, Is reported to have been des-
perately wounded.
The dispatch said the Federals were
In the western part OF Torreon, max
ing what was regarded as last STAND.
General Herrera, with his own repel
command and a part of General Bena-
vides' force, had entered Torreon from
the east and had captured the bull
ring after fighting his way through
portion of the city and driving the
Federals into the western part OF the
city.
Another dispatch from Ell Verjel, ten
miles north of Torreon, said:
"Torreon is on fire in many places.
Shells from the rebel guns have start
ed flames in the eastern part Of the
city. The Federal loss In the battle OF
Gomez Palacio on Thursday was enor-
nous. Fully 800 dead are lying on
the field. AS many more were wound
ed. The rebels lost about 200 killel
and 200 wounded.
"'We shall kill or capture the Fed
eral troops in Tcrreon, said General
Villa. There is no chance Of their
escaping Reports that the Federals
have been reinforced from Saltillo
were deniel by Villa"
The dispatch, the first authentic
press dispatch in three days, follows:
General Villa and his rebel army,
after four days of almost incessant
fighting, during which victory seemed
first with one side and then with the
other, occupied Gomez Palacio. Losses
on both sides have been heavy.
"The rebels delivered three assaults
before a permanent success was made
sure, and at times the battle extended
into the streets leading into Torreon
proper.
"a pitiable incident Of the battle
was the disabled wounded crying for
water, the lack of which was as deadly
as bullets. The meager hospital corps,
consisting of half dozen wagons, did
heroic work, but was unable to cope
with the situation. 1t was the first
time in recent Mexican revolutions
that the flag of the Red Cross has
been seen in rebel army.
CARRIED in a dusty, torn suit,
slouch hat and a red handkerchief
about his neck, as In his bandit days,
General Villa was a conspicuous figure
among the ragged. thirsty, half-fam-
ished soldiers, who have fought day
and night for the capture of Torreon.
"The rebels fought amid scenes OF
intense suffering. Water was scarce
and was supplied only from tanks
hauled ON freight cars at the rear. Ra-
tions had become unavailable after the
first days fighting, for the battle was
too continuous to permit the men to
retire for food.
with nothing behind them but
desert and before them only the en-
emy, the rebels fought unaffected by
the scattered heaps Of their dead and
wounded.
General Villa, during pauses In the
firing, talked confidently Of the fall
of Torreon. He did not place himself,
however, among those who believe
the capture of Torreon would spell the
collapse of the Hureta regime, but in
timated rather that he expected Huer-
ia to fight on until possibly the rebel
forces surrounded Mexico City,"
Villas telegram renewed his &C.
knowled gment of Carranza as chief Of
the revolution. 1t added that the bri-
gades of Generals Benavides, Herrera,
Ortega and Urbina were concentrating
for an assault on Torreon proper.