The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1916-04-07
VILLA IS DEFEATED
IN FIRST SK|RM|SH
MEXICAN BANDIT SURPRISED BY
AMERICAN TROOPERS AND
PUT TO FLIGHT.
Wounded Bandit Escapes in Light
Wagon, But Trusted Lieutenant
and Number of His Followers
Are Killed in Battle,

- oSo, dcAdS.-S surprised by Amer
lean soldiers, the main body of Fran
cisco Villas bandits was put to fight
on March 20, after sixty Mexicans had
been killed and four American sol
diers wounded.
The attack of the Villa forces was
made possible by an aeroplane scout
who had located the bandits.
Four hundred cavalrymen from the
Seventh and Tenth regiments, led by
Colonel George A. Dodd, at the end of
flfty-mile ride, which they made in
surprising short time, burst upon the
unsuspecting Villista camp, where 500
bandits were celebrating the massa-
ere of 172 Carranzistas two days pre-
viously at Guerrero.
Villa, shot through the leg and with
one hip shattered, was hurried from
the scene barely in time to escape the
onslaught of the soldiers of the north.
The bandits made brief but hope
less stand before the fierce charge of
Colonel Dodd and his troopers. Then
they broke and fed, leaving sixty
dead on the field, including their COM
mander, General Eliseo Hernandez.
Two machine guns, a number of
horses, rifles, ammunition and equip
ment fell into the hands of the VIC
tors.
Among the known wounded is Pa
bio Lopez, Villas lieutenant in the Co
lumbus raid. The American casualties
were four privates wounded.
The American soldiers did not lin
ger on the field of victory. For five
hours they drove the enemy before
them into the wilderness of mountain
peak, desert and canyon, where roads
or even trails are unknown, and
where a misstep means death to
horse and rider. They halted only
after the chase had led them ten miles
from the battlefield and the fugitiyes
were scattered far and wide in little
bands of half dozen men each.
The scene of Colonel Dodd's victory
is broad valley lying at the head of
the Rio Santa Maria. On the west
rise the barren foothills of the CONT
mental divide and to the east is
trail, made famous by Villa, which
leads through the Laguna de Castillo
district to the ill-famed Santa Ysabel.
1t was at the latter place that Villa
killed eighteen American mining men,
a crime which sent thrill of horror
throughout the United States and
marked the beginning of what many
believe to be the end of his blood
stained career. 1t was toward Santa
ISABEL that he was believed to be
heading when the troopers of the
United States swept down from the
north upon his camp.
From the meager details which
have reached here from Mexican and
American military sources, Colonel
Dodd's men made their way unno-
ticed through the arroyos, or deep
gulches, which split the foothills in
all directions, and were almost in the
camp before the alarm was given.
Villa is reported to have been in a
small tent nursing his injuries when
the crash of the American volleys
awoke the bandits to panic-stricken
action.
The extraordinary hold the bandit
chief has over his followers is shown
by the fact that their first thought
was to save him. Unable to walk or
ride, he was hurriedly placed in a
light wagon and driven over the rough
mountain trails to some secret lair.
After the battle on the San Geroni-
mo ranch, the American soldiers re-
leased a large number of General Car
ranza's men whom the bandit chief
was holding. 1t is probable that it
was at the Guerrero massacre that
Villa was wounded.
Staff officers here believe there is
no doubt that Colonel Dodd's army,
strengthened before now by men sent
forward by General Pershing, has be-
gun driving hunt for the wounded
bandit and for the scattered remnant
of his force. 1t will be no surprise
now to General Funston and his staff
to receive a report at any time telling
of Villas capture. News of another
battle is not expected, however. The
smart blow administered by Colonel
Dodd, it was believed here, would
serve to deter Villas men from speedy
Colonel Dodd, who led the troopers
that put Villas followers TO flight, is
described as a typical Remington cav
airy officer. He is GA years old, but
doesn't show it by twenty years. He
rides his horse as though it were
part of him, and is known through
out the army for his activity in de-
veloping cavalry horsemanship. He
is the man who made the monkey
drill a cavalry feature.
Aviator Has Bad FALL