The Sentinel=record., 1914-01-02
DISHEARTENED AND BEATEN THE FEDERAL ARMY IS HUG
 eINe THE BORDER.
OBSERVERS TURNED BACK
After United States Troops Have Dis armed Them-Wounded Are Cared
 for in the Camp of the American Soldiers.

Presidio Tex, Jan. 1.-The north ern division of the Mexican federal army at Oiinaga, Mexico. with it's eleven generaIs, other officers and about 4.000 soldiers. after a merciless three-days' attack by Gen. Ortega s 5000 rebels tonight appeared ready to fee in disorder across the river into the United States.
 With the line of struggling wound ed at the border to indicate the ex- tent of the carnage and deserters ai- ready appearing in numbers, Mai M. N. McNamee, commanding the border patrol, made every plan in an- ticipatlon of the flight.
 Less than 800 cavalrymen, mostly from the Fifteenth Cavalry, form the border patrol here To this small body of American soldiers would fall the task of surrounding and disarm- ing perhaps 40OO foreign soldiers, or 5000 of them if GOO have been dis abled or killed The ability of the American soldiers to handle the ref ugees was based on the assumption that the rebels would pursue the fed erals merely to the river
 An estimate as carefully as could be obtained of the wounded on both sides was 1000 Most of the wound. ed were left on the battlefield. The less disabled reached the river and were cared for by the Red Cross on this side. Scores of uninjured fed. eral deserters fin defiance of the American patrol crossed the river. All were disarmed and forced back to the Mexican side. More than 200 rifles, other arms and ammunition were taken.
 It was impossible to learn accur- ately the number of dead and the be lief that it would be great was based on the number of wounded. Many were believed to have died through lack of medical attention, as Red Cross officials were not permitted to ford the river, even under Red Cross flag. Those who ventured 10 help the wounded from the river risk ed the danger of being shot. A few shots feil close to or on the Ameri- can side. north of Presidio, but no one on this side was injured. Maj. McNanlee sent Gen. Oretga a warn ing that any further firing across the river might entail grave consequent ces.
 So far Mai McNamee has adhered to d policy of sending back all of the unwounded combatants. Should all of the federals come across they would be dlsarmede but they might be permitted to remain on this side under temporary arrest, on grounds of humanity.
 Final disposition of the prisoners would be in the hands of higher army authorities. It was hoped that the federals, if they came, would cross without any unexpected incident and that the rebels would not pursue them unnecessarily near.
 As for the battle at Oinaga one mile back from the river. It proceed cd uninterruptedly with the federais confined in and fighting from the adobe huts in the village while the rebels always drawing closer fired ar tillery and small guns from the hilis and approaches.
 Soon after daylight the federals mada q desperate attempt to rally They even extended their line of hre outward, but this brought q. heavier firing by the rebels, that sent the de- lenders back to their defenses. There after the relative positions of the op- nosing forces remained much the same. with Gen. Ortega driving III shot and shell from three sides, while Gen Francisco Castor's federals fired from whas vantage points they had within the horse corral, the customs house and trenches.
 Never in border history had there been a scene equal to that of the ted- aral wounded and deserters who scrambled to reach the United States while from their rear there still pour ed parting shower of shells ana bullets.
 The rivers edge was a ragged fringe of smoke-begrimed. maimed and half naked soldiers, some rush. ing peli.mell into the river some cry Ing from the pain of their wounds athers crawling because of shattered limbs over rocks and cactt some greedily stopping to drink the muddy