The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1914-01-07
Having BIG Fight
MEXICAN FEDERALS AND REB-
ELS MEET AT OJINAGA.
ARE In Death GRAPPLE


Federal Troops, Though Outnumber-
ed Battle Desperately for Their
Capture Means the Execution of
Many Of the Officers Whom Villa
Has Ordered Gen. Ortega to Slay.
The battle between 5000 rebels,
under Gen. Torbio Ortega, and the
northern division of the Mexican
Federal army, entrenched around
Ojinaga, Mexico, across the border
from Preside, Tex, still was in pro-
gress when darkness fell Tuesday
night. No bullets came across the
border. The forces had been engag-
ed for Sc hours and many had been
killed and wounded.
Gen. Ortega, executing series Of
flank movements, steadily kept on
the offensive, gaining foot by foot the
approaches to the Federal strong
hold. The Federal forces, crippled
and disorganized by the first rebel
onslaught, clung to the hillside
trenches, where their leaders had de-
cided to make last stand.
They rallied somewhat from the
panic that seized many Of them with
the first volleys of the rebels when
daylight disclosed the position of Or
tega's men, and put up a plucky
fight against heavy odds, although
their losses were heavy from wounds
and desertions. Many wounded and
deserters waded waist deep through
the river to the American side.
It was impossible to even approx
mate the number of dead and wound
ed. Fifteen Federal wounded who
waded the river were allowed to re-
main and. were cared for by United
States army physicians, but several
score unwounded Federal deserters
were disarmed by the United States
border patrol, under Major McNamee,
and sent back across the border.
Army officers were convinced that
casualties had been heavy and Red
Cross representatives sent requests
for more help and hospital supplies.
They also requested permission to
cross the border to attend the wound
ed on the battlefield. Neither Of the
opposing forces is provided with hos
pital facilities and wounded have
been left on the hillsides where they
fell. Although 5000 rebels were en-
gagged, much of their fire was ineffec-
tive in the early hours Of the battle
because Of the position they occupied
below the village.
Ojinaga, cluster Of adobe build
ings, stands mile from the border
at the top of high hills which line the
valley through which the rebels ad'
vanced. When the day dawned Or
tega's men had gained the foot Of a
hill three miles from the village
where the Federals had planted a
fort to command approaches to the
town. They spread along the hill
sides and opened a fire which was
maintained all day, and which was
supported by 10 machine guns they
had dragged across the desert from
Chihuahua.
Foot by foot the rebels approach
ed the Federal trenches, until their
fire became too severe for the de-
tenders, who retired until. as dark
ness fell, all Federals who had not
fed were huddled in the shelter OF
the town itself.
A small Federal force made a gal
liant stand in the custom house
which stands on AZ elevation midway
between the village proper and the
plain. They swept hail of bullets
across the main approach to the
town, and for a time held the rebel
forces in check. AS the day wore on
however, the sputtering fire from the
loopholes Of the custom house grad
ua1ly diminished and finally ceased
entirely.
When their last cartridge had been
, fred the little handful Of Federals
deserted the building and scurried
across the mile and half separating
them from their comrades in the
town. Their retreat gave the rebels
an additional advantage Of position.
, Although the rebels appeared to
have much advantage, the outcome
Of the struggle was not clearly defin-
ed That the Federals will surren-
der is improbable, because Gen. Or
tega has explicit orders to execute
the so-called volunteers and their
commanders, Gems. Pascual Orozco,
= Ynez Salazar, Antonio Rojas, Bias
Orpinal, Lazaro Alanis and Rogue
Gomez. Eighteen hundred volun-
teers also come under the sentence of
death imposed by order OF Gen. Villa.
udl IuO 7 OOC1 dlS WILL S1LI I1C12 SoO0-
erals, except perhaps Gen. Francisco
Castro, Gen. Jose Mancilla and Gen.
Manuel Landa, Of the regulars, will
be forced over to the United States
in case of defeat, was thought on the
American side to be most likely.
The land which slopes down to the
shallow and muddy Rio Grande- on
American side all day presented the
busy aspect Of the rear Of all army in
action. Cavalrymen Of the border
patrol galloped along the waters
edge ready to send back any Mexican
soldiers who attempted to cross or to
stop a possible general rush Of the
whole Federal army across the bor-
der. Only wounded soldiers were
given assistance. A few civilians who
dared remain in Ojinaga until the
last came across unmolested.