The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-15

M commander. began his march on
w Ciudad Chihuahua, the federais
under Gen. Mercado evacuated the city,
going to Ojinaga, just across the Rio
Grande from Preside, Tex. From Chi
huahua to Falomir was made by train,
and from Falomir to Ojinaga the cara
van marched overland. The distance is
about 165 miles over one of the worst des-
erts on the American continent The
march was necessarily slow on account
of the great number of women and chill
dren among the refugees.
Arriving at Ojinaga the federals at once
/ fortified the town. which was an easy
job. as the town is situated on the top of
a high hill and overleoks all the sur
rounding country.
4 Soon after Villa occupied chihuahua he
sent part of his army to besiege DINA
ga. The fight lasted 10 days, when Villa
himself arrived with reinforcements, and
/ after resting his men for a couple of
2 days, stormed and captured the place.
The federals, together with their women
4 and children, who always go with the
Mexican army, retreated across the Rio
Grande and surrendered to the American
soldiers. All told there were over 5000
soldiers and refugees and the entire outfit
was handled by 500 United States cavalry
men under Major McNamee. As fast as
the federals arrived on the American side
they were disarmed and placed under
guard. few of the irregulars escaped to
the hills on the Mexican side. General
Orozco was among those who got away.
The United States authorities decided to
take the prisoners and refugees to Fort
Bliss Gel Paso) and hold them there until
finally disposed of.
The problem that confronted Major Nc
Nance at Preside was one that caused
! him quite bit of worry. To move an
! /, l4.1f
women and children. from Presidio to
Maria, where they could entrain for Fort
Bliss, was small job. The country
from Preside to Maria Is all desert and
mountains The distance is so miles and
over some of the roughest roads in the
! country, making the march a difficult
1 one. After days of hiking across the
desert the guests of Uncle Sam reached
Marfa footsore and weary.
In an interview with one of the officers
that accompanied the caravan I asked
him If they had any trouble with them
while on the march. He replied: mo,
the task was much easier than we ex-
pected. A squad of American soldiers led
the head of the column, and about half
mile back another squad, and so on
throughout the column. The common SOL
I diers and refugees did not appear to want
to escape. but it was necessary to keep
close watch over the officers as they did
\ not appear to like Uncle Sans hospitali-
ty. The only trouble we had was in get
ting them started every morning. The
MeXicans not used to the hurry up
\ tactics of the American army and was
quite job to get the men to move after
breaking camp. Tt was a novel sight to
us to see the women and children in the
line of march. In Mexico the women and
children of the soldiers follow them wher-
ever they 60 This reminds me that the
population was increased several more be-
fore the hike was complete
Some of the children were too small to
\ walk. They put them in packs, or tow
sacks, and tying two of them together
swing them across the back of a burro
and the patient little animal took his
place in the line. Dogs and chickens add
ed to the novelty of the march; almost
everyone had a pet of some kind.
Those who witnessed the march say
|, that it was a pathetic sight to see the
hardships that the women and children
had to undergo. The American soldiers
did everything they could for them but
at that there was much suffering Many
of them were without shoes and their feet
were sore and bleeding long before the
trip was over
From Maria to Fort Bliss the trip was
4 made in two trains of three sections each
At Maria the refugees were compelled TO
part with many of their pots and burros
They thought the United States was i'm
posing a hardship on them because they
could not bring them on. The trip from