The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1915-08-19
SEES VILLA LOSE
IN WHICH 5000.
Invited to Trenches to Wit
ness Big Fight, Corre-
spondent Is Caught In
Thick of Conflict.

4 THRILLINGLY realistic picture
n Of the great night battle at Sill
n do, in which Villa was crushed
and 5000 Of his men are said
to have died, is given by John w. Rob-
erts, special correspondent Of the In
ternational News Service, in dispatch
to the New York American. The writ
er was in the trenches with Villa.
Mr.. Roberts wrote his description as
the battle proceeded. He was shot
through the leg, but was rescued by
one Of Villas gunners, an American
named T. D. Taylor, who carried him
to the shelter of a box car after the
defeat and sent off bis message for
him.
Villa had been teasing Roberts about
correspondents reporting fighting they
did not see and invited him to see
what he promised would be one Of
the greatest battles ever fought by his
men, Roberts went with Villa to the
advance trench and began making
notes.
1t is an old dry ditch, four feet deep,
he wrote. Nearly 5000 soldiers are in
this place, the rest of the Villa army
having taken positions on the hills to
our right. The only sign of the enemy
is cloud Of dust four miles away.
No one seems to be excited It seems
as though we are going to have a huge
picnic
A mounted officer just Informed Vii
la that it appeared as though Obregon's
forces are going to take the offensive
Villa seems to take this as huge joke
Villa Was Confident.
"Let them come" he said, laughing
Before morning more than half Of
them will have turned their toes up
toward the stars"
Villa invited me to peep over the
trench and see the enemy through his
field glasses. I could see nothing but
hazy cloud Of dust two miles long
Villa has gone to place his artillery.
have been friends with one Manuel
Sosa. He has been soldier in Villas
army for two years and has never
been wounded. He is a good natured
fellow and is always grinning. like
to see him smile.
His soldadera has begun to broil a
couple Of chunks of beef. 'You must
eat with us, amigo" Manuel said as
he borrowed a cigarette from me.
AS we ate asked him If he had no
children. So
Isl, senior. we've had two, but dur
ing the battle Of Torreon, while they
were sleeping under a tree, a shell
struck them, and we never saw them
again."
Manuel saw me looking at the red
sunset and laughed. ''That's sangre,"
he said. God predicts the splitting of
much Carranzista blood tonight. God
Is on our side. That's why we always
win"
An Internal sound like the ripping
Of canvas split the silence overhead.
A moment later a whistling explosion
was heard in our rear. jumped from
where I sat, trembling violently. Man.
uel didn't even look up.
''The enemy has begun it's cannon
ad1ng," he grinned.
l am the only excited person in the
whole trench. The other soldiers, who
have not finished their suppers, are
still eating. The soldaderas don't seem
to be afraid, either.
The red in the sky has turned to a
deep purple. The Villa artillery on our
right has begun to boom. To me the
air seems charged with a sinister
something that I can't describe.
Carranzistas Open Attack.
Away to our left there is heavy rifle
fire. Each shot sounds like two be-
cause it echoes against the hills. No
one seems to worry. A great, fat SOL
der to my right is sound asleep. He
is lying on the sand, and his face is
covered with his big sombrero
A young captain not over eighteen
years Of age has ridden up to our part
Of the trench.
'"The enemy is sending column in
this d1rection!' he shouts. "F4rst SER
seanIS, prepare your men! Inere is
column of our own men to the rear
who will shoot down any one who at
tempts to fleev' .-=
He looked curiously at me, smiled
and galloped away. ~
A soldadera woke up the fat man
and he has begun to curse for all he Is
worth.
It is dark now There seems to be
fighting all around US, but I can see
none Of it. Each side has discovered
the positions Of the others artillery by
the tongues Of fire emanating from
the cannon at each shot.
Every man in our trench is patient
ly waiting. The soldaderas-most Of
them-are sitting down in the ditch