The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1915-11-03
VILLA ATTACKS CARRANzA
FORCES WITH LARGE ARMY
American Troops at Douglas, Ariz., to
See That MeMcans Fight on
Their Own Soil.

Preparations were completed Fri
day for the third battle at Aqua Pri
eta, Sonora, between various fac
tions, since Madero opened the wal
in Mexico five years ago.
Five thousand American troop!
with sixteen three-inch guns, are mo
bilized at Douglas, Ariz., to see thai
the Mexicans shoot only on their owl
side of the boundary. Carranzs
troops under Gen. P Elias Gales, lie
behind an elaborate system of earth
works awaiting the approach of the
Villa army.
Fighting may begin Immediately
or may be delayed until some time
next week. That is dependent upon
the plans, disposition and condition
of Villas troops, but the outcome
probably will determine whether Son
ora shall come under sway of Villa OF
whether he will be driven as fugi-
tive across the American border.
Hostilities, however, seemed likely
to begin quickly, for at last reports
Villas forces were scattered from if
teen to twenty-five miles south OF
Aqua lPTieta, in a region where little
water is available. CarranZa troops
under Gen. Diguez were reported to
be working in behind them.
The Carranza garrison at Aqua
Prieta numbers hardly more than
thirty-seyen hundred effective men.
The reinforcements that Gen. Gales
expected to come from Piedras Ne
gras, over the American territory,
with fifteen cannon and twenty-four
machine guns, can not arrive for two
or three days, \
This was the word brought by Gen.
Benjamin Hill of Carranza's army
who made it known that he does not
intend to join the Carranza forces but
that he will become one Of the inter-
ested non-combatants on the Ameri-
can side of the boundary.
Whether Villa is in Sonora, leading
in person the army of invasion, was
not definitely known, but his fate was
generally believed to hinge ON the
imminent battle.
If he wins he probably will re-
main more or less important factor
in the Mexican situation-at least in
Sonora. If he loses, many Americans
and Mexicans predict he will find the
nearby boundary a convenient exit
from Mexican affairs. There is some
apprehension among residents on &C
count of experiences during previous
battles at Aqua Prieta, when stray
bullets from the Mexican side killed
five persons and wounded twenty
others.
Although undoubtedly outnumber-
ed and probably outmatched in artil-
elry, Gen. Gales regards his position
as impregnable. The town lies on an
eminence, the easiest point OF attack
being to the eastward. Here, Carran-
"a engineers have devoted most at
tention to fortifcatiocs.
Villa is reliably reported to have
field gurs, some as large
as four-inch pieces, though these are
believed to be hardly more than fifty
per cent. efficient. His army IS es-
timated at from six to twelve thou
sand men. The CarranZa equipment
without the sixteen cannon accom-
panying toe delayed Piedras Negras
contingent, consists. of six three-lncn
American made guns and thirty ma
chine guns.
On the American side counting the
battalions of the Seventh and the
Twentieth United States Infantry reg
iments which arrived there are ap-
proximately five thousand United
States soldiers with four batteries OF
artillery, or sixteen guns. Two bat
teries arrived early Friday from No
gales and approximately, one thou
sand more men will arrive from Fort
Bliss Saturday or Sunday.