The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1916-06-30
I SURVIVORS BRING
TALBOT TREACHERY
Two Troops Of Tenth Cavalry
Practically Wiped Out.
ATTACKED UNEXPECTEDLY
Pershins Has No Word OF TWO Bat
taIIons Sent To Rescue Rem
nants OF Captain Hoyd's
Expedition.


San Antonio, Textile two troops
of the Tenth Cavalry, under Capt. Chas.
T. Boyd, practically were wiped out by
the attack of Mexican forces under
General Gomez, at Carrizal, June 81,
according to indications given In a
fragmentary report received by Cen
eral Funston from General Pershing
I General Pershing's message stated
that seven survivors in all have reach
ed the main column All were enlist
ed men, but the report did not say
whether there. were non-commissioned
officers among them.
According to the stories of the sur
yivors as outlined in General Perish
ing's report, a mounted force of Mexi-
cans made a charge from the flank at
the conclusion of a parley between
Captain Boyd and General Gomez, at
the same time that machine gun
opened fire from the front as General
Gomez reached his lines.
Caught In Trap.
Captain Boyd had ordered his men
to dismount as the machine gun open
ed fire, and the combined effect of the
Mexican charge, the machine gun fire
and the rife fire from the Mexican
garrison of Carrizal, which had almost
surrounded the little American force
under cover of the parley sought by
General Gomez to discuss whether
Captain Boyd should be allowed to
pass through the town, stampeded the
horses. No details were made known
to General Pershing as to whether the
Mexican charge was checked.
With their mounts gone, caught
| without means of escape, ringed about
on three sides with the fire of an over
whelming force, the fate of the little
detachment is believed by officers here
to have been sealed. 1t is feared that
only the most stupendous luck, backed
by desperate yalor, could have extri-
Gated Captain Boyd's men from the
trap.
The reports from Mexican forces
placed the number of killed, including
two officers, at from IL to 40. 1t is re-
ported II were taken captive into
chihuahua City.
About 1870 Men In Command.
The accepted percentage of wound
ed to those killed in modern warfare
would place the wounded at from IS
to 40 at the lowest estimate The
strength of the two troops, G and K. is
not known here, but it is estimated
that they could not exceed 1870 men.
allowing for those sick and on de-
tached service. With only seven sur
vivors reported as arriving at the main
column, the number of those accounted
for at least speeulatively is pitifully
small.
The report from General Pershing
stated that the stories of the survivors
were confused and did not conform in
all details with the report made by the
first arrivals from the battlefield. Gen
eral Pershing reported that there was
a scene of wild confusion when the
Mexicans opened fire and their cav
airy charged. The stragglers apparent
ly were cut off in an effort of Captain
Boyd to extricate his men from the
jaws Of the trap which was closing
on his command, or fed before the
outcome of the battle could be learned
Chihuahua City. - Seven more
American troopers were brought here
as prisoners by Mexican military au-
thoritses. They had been captured in
the desert in the vicinity of the Car
rial battlefield Several of them were
wounded and all were sorely stricken
from privations. Since Wednesday
they had wandered over the sand
wastes without food or water.
These troopers, all colored, bring
the total captured by the Mexicans to
"a. This number does not include the
Mormon scout, Salisbury, also taken.
On the same train which brought
the prisoners came the body of Gen.
eral Felix Gomez, killed in action. The
populace turned out as one to meet the
train. Driven to frenzy by their bit
ter hatred of the gringoes they spat
upon the American soldiers and did
honors to the body of the Mexican gen
eral in turn.
General Jacinto Trevino, Carranza's
commander of the northeast, had
taken every precaution to shield the
prisoners from violence at the mob's
hands, furnishing them with a large
detail of soldiers as a guard. The
crowd followed the troopers to the
Quartet, however, cursing and hooting
at them. Even women, carrying babies
in their arms, ran along the sidewalks
in the wake of the mob.