Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1914-05-05

ors and marines have again proved
their yalor In the face of foreign foe,
and have. at the same time, given the
natives of this town new idea Of
the courtesy of American troops.
While the baftle that resulted in the
taking of Vera Cruz was not 6 severe
one as battles Of the past have been
counted it was OF character to test
the courage of men who were called
upon to face the steel-jacketed bullets
of foenlen hidden behind walls and on
housetops. and before it was over ~
American sailors had paid for the vic
tory with their lives and another SO
were seriously wounded
While the Mexicans suffered more
severely, the number of their casual
ties has not been ascertained, but the
best estimates obtained by Capt. VIII
lian r. Rush OF the battleship Florida
indicate that in the engagements Of
Tuesday and Wednesday their dead
a, ounted to about $50. No person
klcws how many Mexicans fell
wounded, as large part of them were
taken away anol hidden by friends.
Dead Lay in Streets.
In the streets about the plaza Thurs
day lay fifteen or twenty bodies, a
majority of them attired in citizens
clothing. Some of the men evidently
had been dead since the engagement
of Tuesday, and the tropical heat
made their immediate disposal lin
perative. One Of the first orders given
after the town had been captured was
to bury the Mexican dead in trench
at the sea enc Of the streets leading
from the plaza.
When the city was taken the order
was given to advance carefully and
search every building for men bearing
arms. Scores Of prisoners were taken,
most of them protesting volubly, many
Historically, that they were not guilty
of any unfriendliness whatsoever
toward the Americans.
Expected to Be Executed.
Accustomed as the Mexicans are to
their own contending forces shooting
Immediately all prisoners taken, the
captured men could not but believe
that they would receive no less dras-
tic treatment at the hands of the
Americans.
The guns found in houses were
thrown by the marines and bluejack-
cts from the upper balconies of the
houses tc the pavement below.
The most spirited action of Wednes-
dag was the taking of the naval acad-
envy. Aside from that fight there was
no defEite organized opposition en-
countered by the Americans.
Americans Under rict Fire.
A hot fire was poured into the adj
vancing Americans from the naval col
lege, which for time he. q them back,
but few welldirected shots from the
cruisers Chester, San francisco and
Prairie tore gaping noies in the stone
walls and silenced the rife fire of the
Mexicans inside. The bluejackets
then were enabled to proceed with the
task they had in hand.
A squad of soldiers, despite the
Smelling it had received Tuesday, con
tinued to give considerable trouble to
the Americans from the Benito Juarez
tower. After they had been silenced
and removed from the tower it was
discovered that the soldiers had con-
tinued fighting for lack of ability to
do anything else. The shells rom the
warships Tuesday had torn away the
stairway in the tower and the men
had been compelled to remain in it.
Mexicans Evacuate Hotel.
1t was not until late Tuesday that
the last of General Mas men on top
of the hotel received written orders
from outside the city to evacuate their
position. The order was obeyed by a
portion of the 100 men who were oc-
cupying the roof and vantage points
in the interior, but a small portion of
the band determined to disobey the
orders of their superiors and fight to
the last. These men, however, surren-
dered Wednesday morning. A lieu
tenant who was in command of the
Mexicans was led out a prisoner, and
although he had fought desperately,
he trembled and turned pale in the
belief that he would be summarily
executed.
None of the American women were
mistreated by the Mexicans during
their occupation of the building. A
few of the women assisted the Next
cans In caring for their wounded
Old Tower Held.
In the fighting in the center of the
inner harbor, San Juan de Ulua, an
ancient stone fortress, flew the Next
can flag throughout the ATTACH The
commandant and so armed men and
800 workmen in the navy yard peered
from the embrasures at the Prairie,
lying 500 yards away, and the other
ships Smelling the naval academy, In
the dungeons remained 500 prisoners,
the echoes CT the guns on the ships