The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1916-06-30
GRAPHIC STORY OF
AMBUSHED TROOPS
Surviving Trooper Tells of Fight
OF Tenth Cavalry.
WERE OUTNUMBERED S TO I
Caught by Mexican Machine Guns
Which Opened Fire at Signal From
Gomex-Horses Were Shot
Down or Broke Away.

I'll Paso, Tex.-One OF the most
graphic stories I'm the history OF the
American army is that told by one OF
the four couriers sent 10y the command
Ing officer OF the ambushcd troops OF
the Tenth cavalry when he reached
General Pershlng's headquarters with
his appeal for relief for his comrades.
The following is the story he tells:
I'VE had been marching since early
Wednesday morning when we reached
the neighborhood Of Carrizal. Capt.
Charles Il. Boyd was riding ahead Of
the column. Just behind him was Capt.
Lewis s. Morey. Lieut. Henry X. Adair
was further back with the column.
There were 80 men In the troop.
Outnumbered 3 to 1.
From our position we could see
some Mexican soldiers I'm the village.
Captain Boyd sent forward a messen-
ger under n flag OF truce 60 ask permis-
sion to enter the town I'm search Of the
bandits that we were hunting. Gen.
Felix Gomez sent back word giving
permission 10 enter.
Captain Boyd. Captain Boyd gave the
word for the column To advance. We
were just starting forward when we
soticed Mexican troops pouring out
from behind different kinds OF shelter
adobe houses nnd the like-and de-
ploying TO the right and left. II was
battle formation. From the first glance
We saw that they outnumbered us at
least 1--WE To one.
Captain Boyd noticed their move
ment. To any soldier that sort Of thing
can mean only that an attack is about
TO be made. l saw Captain Boyd mo-
tion To the Mexicnns and make some
remark about IL to Gomez. Gomez
wheeled his mount around and sig
nailed with his hands. Then he made
IA dash for his own lines.
AT the same time couple OF ma
chine guns, one ut each end OF the
Mexican line, opened up on us. We
were caught In our saddles In easy
range, and we were good targets.
saw Captain Boyd fall. A moment
later Captain Morey was wounded in
tho shoulder.
Lieutenant Adair gave us the order
to dsmount. We got out OF our sad
dies In hurry. Then he told us to
throw ourselves on our faces and re-
turn the fire. Someone got Gomez Just
as he was reaching his line. The next
minute Lieutenant Adair was hit.
Both he and Captain Boyd are doad.
believe.
Horses Going Down.
THE machine guns were still going.
| could hear the bullets whizzlng over
us. Because OF Lieutenant Adnlr's or
der we saved lot Of men. But the
horses did not have the same luck. The
bullets started to hit them. and they
were going down ,as II their legs were
suddenly cut out from under them.
THE others. stung by the bullets and
kicked by the dying horses. begnn TO
rear and plunge. The men In charge
tried their best to- hold them but they
broke away. Some Of the men were
killed trying 10 save their mounts.
"Wben the horses got AWAY we were
marooned We fought back and pre-
vented the Mexlcans from advancing
In spite OF their advantage In numbers
and the machine guns. We began TO
fall back toward the hills as well as
we could.
I'VE recovered four horses and then
the four OF us were sent here TO re-
port. We left the rest OF the troops In
Of the wounded. The MexIcans kept
firing, but were kept awny by the nc
curate rife fire OF our men"