The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-04-29
THE FIRST Fight
how AMERICAN TROOPS CAPTUR.
Ed PORT OF VERA CRUZ
STORY OF THE Fighting

Mexican Troops Opened Fire Upol
American Soldiers and the Trans
} port Prairie Returns Assault Wit
Telling Effect-Navy Turns it
Guns Towards Huerta's Position.
The city of Vera Cruz was in un
disputed possession of the American
Invading forces early Wednesday af
ternoon. Although there was no or
ganized force used against them anc
the snipers were less in evidence
than at any time during the fighting
eight Americans were killed and some
80 wounded.
While the MeXicans suffered more
severely the number Of their vasual.
ties has not been ascertained but the
best estimates obtained by Captain
VIM. R. Rush, of the battleship Flor.
ida, indicated that in the engage.
ments of Tuesday and Wednesday
their dead amounted to about $50
No person knows how many Mexicans
fell wounded as large part Of them
were hidden by friends.
| In the streets about the plaza We'd
nesday afternoon lay Is or 20 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 i'm
perative.
When the city was taken, the
American marines were ordered to
advance carefully and search every
building for men bearing arms.
Scores of prisoners were taken, most
of them protesting that they were
not guilty of any unfriendliness what
ever toward the Americans. Accus-
toned as the Mexicans are to their
own contending forces shooting i'm
mediately all prisoners, the captured
men could not believe that they
would receive less drastic treatment
at the hands OF the Americans.
The most spirited action of We'd
nesday, was the taking Of the naval
academy. Aside from that fight there
was no definite organided opposition
encountered by the Americans. A
hot fire was poured into the marines
from the naval college, which for a
time held them back, but few shots
from the cruisers Chester, San Fran
cisco and Prairie tore gaping holes
in the stone walls and silenced the
rifle fire of the Mexicans inside. The
bluejackets then we're enabled to pro-
ceed with their task.
A squad Of soldiers continued to
give considerable trouble to the
Americans from the battered Benito
Juarez tower. After they had been
silenced and removed from the tower,
it was discovered that they had con-
tinued fighting for lack Of ability to
do anything else. The shells from
the warships Tuesday had torn away
the stairway in the tower and the
men had been compelled to remain in
it.
At 10 o'clock Wednesday morning
the Americans were in undisputed
possession of all the city except the
southwest quarter in which the bar
racks are situated and few outlying
districts. At noon they had taken the
barracks. When the city prison,
which faces the main plaza Of the
city, was captured, Lieutenant Com
mander Buchan of the Florida in
spected. There was great surprise
among the Mexicans who had gather
ed there that the prisoners we're not
released. They had been accustomed
to seeing the victor always release
prisoners and then impress them all
in his own army.
Chief of Police Anontio Villa Vim
cencio was taken prisoner by the
Americans shortly after they had oc-
cupied the main plaza of the city. II
was suggested to him that he con.
tinue in his official capacity to direct
the city's protective system. He took
the matter under advisement. Had
the frightened mayor made up his
mind to accede to Admiral Fletcher's
suggestion, the Mexicans might have
been spared the humiliation of being
forced from their positions and un,
ldoubtedly a number of lives would
not have been sacrificed.
Coincident with the orders for the
general advance of the Americans, an
aged Mexican carrying the white flag
Of true came down street from the
center of the city. He carried let
ter to the chief Of police, the only
Authority he hoped to reach, and de-
sired Consul Canada to read it. il
was an urgent appeal to the chief Of
police to call off the snipers and pre-
vent the bombardment he believed
would follow if they continued theil
shooting. Even before the messen
ger had climbed the stairs into the
consul's office, Captain Rush was in
formed of the contents Of the note
and Immediately sounded "cease fir
ling" and "halt". But it was too late
The action had been begun all along
the line and it was not considered
wise to attempt further measures tt
stop it. The commanders ordered
their men forward at double quick
which they carried out with vigo
that afterwards gave them the city
Blood bespattered sidewalks, brok
en- windows and bullet SCARED wall
| tho D1o7o 1SOect