Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-06-29
U. S. TROOPS VIRTUALLY
WIPED OUT At CARRzAl

San ANTONIO, Iexass June z4-lWo
troopers Of the Tenth Cavalry under
Capt Charles 7. Boyd, practically
were wiped out by the attack of Mex
lean forces under Gen. Felix Gomez
ct Carrizal, June 2l, according to in
dications given in a fragmentary re-
port received by Gen. Funston from
Gen. Pershing Friday night.
Gen. Pershing's message stated
that seven survivors in all. including
those who arrived Thursday night
have reached the main column. All
were enlisted men but Che report did
not say whether there were noncom-
missioned officers among them.
According to the stories Of the sur
vivors, as outlined in Gen Pershing's
report, mounted force Of Mexicans
made charge from the flank at the
conclusion Of a parley between Capt.
Boyd and Gen. Gomez at the same
time that machine gun opened fire
from the front as Gen. Gomez reach
ed his line.
Capt. Boyd had ordered his men to
dismount as the machine gun opened
fire, and the combined effect of the
Mexican charge, the machine gun
fire and the rifle fire from the Mex
lean garrison of Carrizal, which had
almost surrounded the little Ameri-
can force under cover of the parley
sought by Gen Gomez to discuss
whether Capt. Boyd should be allow.
ed to pass through the town, stamp.
eded the horses.
With their mounts gone, caught
without means Of escape, ringed about
on three sides with the fire Of an
overwhelming force, the fate Of the
little detachment is believed by Off
GERS here to have been sealed. It is
feared that only the most stupendous
luck, backed by desperate valor,
could have extricated Capt. Boyd's
men from the trap.
The reports from Mexican sources
placed the number killed, including
two officers, at from 12 to 40. II
lis reported II were taken captive in
to Chihuahua City The accepted per
centage of wounded to those killed
| in modern warfare would place the
wounded at from 35 to 90 at the low
| est estimate. The strength of the twC
troops, c and K is not known here
ibut it is estimated that they coulC
mot exceed 1870 men, allowing fol
those sick and on detached service
With but seven survivors reported
as arriving at the main column th'
number of those accounted for a
least speculatively is pitifully small
The report from Gen. Pershing state'
, that the stories Of the survivors wer
confused and did not conform in al
details with the report made by tn
, first arrivals from the battlefield
Gen. Pershing reported that ther
i was scene Of wild confusion whe
| the Mexicans opened fire and thei
; cavalry charged. The strugglers ap
} parently were cut off in an effort Q
Capt. Boyd to extricate his men fror
: the jaws Of the trap which was clos
J ing on his command, or fled befor
the outcome Of the battle could b
! learned
! Gen Pershing according to his rt
5 port, had received no word from tn
t two battalions Of the Eleventh Cay
Z airy, which he had sent to rescr
!, the remnants Of Capt. Boyd's exp
a dition He stated that he had take
). no measures to support the squadron
. of the Eleventh.
.. Gen. Funston said last night ths
e he had received news regarding
e report that Gen. Bell had crossed II
border at FL Paso and that no col
firmation had been received of n
mors of reported bandit raids ne'
/ Hachita, N. M, and Brownsville.