The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1916-03-28
i. S. SOLDIERS IN
BATTLE WITH VILLA
COURIERS BRING STORY OF FIRST
FIGHT WITH BANDITS NEAR
SIERRA MADRE PASS.
REPORT 81 BANDITS SLAIN
Fear People Of Chihuahua May Join
Herrera and Outlaw Chief and
Make Common Cause Against
United States.

Ell Paso, Tex, March % (by courier
and Mexican federal telegraph The
first clash between United States
troops and Villas forces took place
Tuesday afternoon eighty miles south
east of Casas Grandes, according to
well authenticated but unofficial in
formation received here today.
The casualties reported were two
scouts with the American forces killed
and eighty-one Mexicans killed. Villa
did not personally command his band.
He is said to be still further south
holding conference with Col. Cano
of the CarranZa forces.
Fear Popular Revolt.
Coalition of the Carranzistas and
the Villistas throughout the state of
Chihuahua is expected at any time.
Luis Herrera with 1000 Carranzista
soldiers, is said to have left Chihua-
hua City this morning to join a Villa
column moving northward from the
Laguna district.
Herrera was relieved from duty by
Carranza less than month ago on
charges of drunkenness. He man
aged to hold his 1000 men together,
however, and has gradually gathered
equipment and supplies which make
it formidable force. He has large
following among the poems, and his
daredevil leadership has bound his
men to him by ties which are closer
than blood among Mexicans.
Mexicans Scout 1t.
Mexican Consul Andres Garcia and
Gen. Gavira at Juarez are unwilling
to admit any serious disaffection of
Carranza troops but have no definite
information to the contrary. The au-
thority accepted here comes from
United States army officers at Colum-
bus
The information from Columbus
said the Herrera report came from a
thoroughly creditable source"
The exact location of Herrera's
command is said to be at Rio San Pc
dro, a short distance west of Chihua-
hua
FL Paso Anxious.
The population in Ell Paso is in the
throes of anxiety, and the rumor fac
tory makes the situation much worse
than it really is. The news of the
clash between the American and Vii
lista forces caused a turmoil of activ-
ity at Fort Bliss, although the gen.
eral public is not yet aware of the
facts.
Bandits Slaughtered.
Again it is the gallant Seventh cav
alry-Col. Geo. A. Dodd's command
which is making the news from the
front. The report of the first fight
ing in which Americans were en-
gagged said two squadrons of the Sew
enth and battery of the Fourth field
artillery came upon the Villistas from
opposite sides and killed all who did
not escape in the mountain brush.
Gen. Bell and his staff at Fort Bliss
are of the opinion the engagement
took place near the pass through the
Sierra Madre range that leads to Bah
icora lake and into the Guerrero dis
trict. Two days ago Gen. Pershing
deployed his forces in such manner as
to make a trap at the mountain pass.
Villa Too Wary.
Villa, with the foX-like cunning that
has made him famous as an Indian
strategist, was apparently too smart
to be caught in such trap. He has
also business in another direction
with the Carranzistas, and it appears
to have been accomplished most sue
cessfully.
The total number of Carranza
troops in the state of Chihuahua is
less than 1000. The number if Viii
1istas under arms has been estimated
variously from 1000 to 5000, but this
does not take into account the masses
of the population who were passively
opposed to Carranza and still friendly
with the bandit chieftain.
Funston Asks for More Troops.
San Antonio, Tex, March 22.-Gen-
eral Funston considered the Mexican
situation so serious that he asked
Washington for more troops.
The rapid advance of General
Pershing's expedition has placed it so
far from its border base that addi-
tional soldiers are Immediately re-
quired to protect his dangerously
thin" line of communication, explained
General Funston, announcing the fact
of a call on the war department for
re-enforcements.
Within a day or two, due to the ex-
ceedingly rapid advance being made
Convention Defined.