The citizen., 1914-04-24
TORREON STREWN
WITH THE DEAD
Further Details OF Worst RevoIu-
tionary Battle.
BLOODlEST FIGHT OF ALL
Only the Failure To Arrive Of the
Rebel Column Assigned To Attack
From, the North Saved Huerta's
Force From Annihilation.

San Pedro, de las Colonias, Coahuila,
Mexico-A survey of the battlefield of
the last week shows that the battle
for possession of this city, which en-
gagged practically the full forces of
rebels and federals, was the bloodiest
of the revolution.
The battle was at it's climax Satur-
day, Sunday and Monday and on the
last day the rebels loss in wounded
alone was $50 men. In all, 1900 rebels
were wounded so seriously as to re-
quire hospital treatment during the en-
gagement. The rebel dead may never
be known, owing to the wide area COW
cred by the battle.
The federal loss was at least $500
in killed, wounded, prisoners and dis
persed. BY dispersed is meant those
federals who were separated from their
commands and fed individually or in
small detachments to the hills or into
the desert, probably to perish there for
lack of food and water. Twelve hun
dred regulars were captured by the
constitutionalists. The men were mus
tered into the rebel ranks, while their
officers will be held as prisoners: A
number of so-called volunteers or red
flaggers were captured and executed.
These men were former followers of
Madero, who are alleged to have joined
the Orozco rebellion, which overthrow
him.
ULo 1oct 6ohfin0 VIC hoOI1n
with the Herrera and Benavide's
brigades, attacking from the south,
while General Villa, with two brigades
and General Contreras charged from
the west General Ortega and Hern-
andez attacked from the east. Failure
of the rebel column assigned to attack
from the north to arrive on time prob
ably saved the federals from annihila-
ton.
The assault was met by whitening
artillery fire. The federals were all
put surrounded and fought desperately,
their fire tearing great gaps through
the rebel ranks. They fought from
the cover of irrigation bitches and
abode houses over line 20 miles in
length, but gradually they were forced
toward the center of the city. Their
escape was through the north, left
open by the non-arrival of the troops
assigned to that position. The fugi-
tives, once clear, turned east in the
general direction Of Monterey.
This was at 5 o'clock in the after
noon, after ten hours of terrific fight
ing. The retreat was almost a rout,
while in the streets 500 federal dead
were found. Three thousand men were
sent in pursuit of the fugitives.
The presence of General Velasco
who evacuated Torreon April 2, at San
Pedro, was surprise to General Villa.
He learned from the prisoners that
when the federal generals, de Moure
and Mas, were driven from the town
last week they sent word to General
Velasco, then at Parras, sixty miles
south, that they were in danger of be-
ing surrounded.
Velasco, by forced marches, succeed
ed in joining them on the tenth at
Benavides Junction, only few miles
from here. Later the troops of Gen
eral Argumedo and Campo came up and
the rebel garrison, then here, was
driven out on the eleventh.
That night Villa, with 5000 rein
forcements and twenty field pieces, ar
rived and began an immediate attack,
which eliminated Monday in the flight
of the federals.