The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1912-1984, 1916-06-23
BATTLE WITH
THE GREASERS
Is Fought by American Troops In
Mexico Wednesday, but Details
Are Yet Unknown.
Latest From Mexico.

quarters of Gen. PerShlng last hlghI
reported that the attack, made upon
the Americans by MeXicans under
Gen. Gomez at CaTriZal, was entirely
unprovoked. Gen. Pershing, while
awaiting official information from
the Eleventh Cavalry command, sent
to the relief of the Tenth, forwarded
this information to Gen. Funston.
The report of stragglers was that the
Mexican machine gunfire was begun
after a conference between the COM
handing American officer and Gen.
Gomez without any previaus warn
ing.
In a statement give out last night
by Gen. Trevino, in connection with
the story of the attack as related by
one of the American prisoners, he
stated that he would still follow his
original orders and attack any force
of Americans that advanced in any
except a northernly direction. Ac-
cording to the American prisoners
received in Chihuahua City the
United States troops lost their Off
GERS. two of them being killed and
the other wounded in the course of
the engagement.
All along the border, with one or
two exceptions, the Mexicans are
moving their troops, supplies and
civilians back into the interior. At
Juarez the evacuation is said to have
been practically completed.
Washington officials last night,
pending the receipt of an official re-
port from the American commander,
were inclined to regard the Carrizal
encounter as a detached incident and
not necessarily one signifylng or
leading to hostilities.
Fort Thomas was selected as the
mobilization point for the Kentucky
militia last night by Secretary Baker
after a conference at the War De-
partment, and an order was sent to
the state authorities instructing them
to take their forces to the concentra-
ton camp at the earliest possible mo-
ment. The Central and Western
Army Department heads were mott
fed last night to send 5000 militI =
men to the border as soon as they
could be got in readiness.
Ell Paso, Texas, June 23.-Ameri-
can and Carranza troops fought
bloody battle Wednesday only a few
hours after President Wilson's 5000
word rebuke Tuesday to General
Carranza had gone forward to Mex
leo City.
The Americans lost twelve dead,
including their commander, and sew
enteen prisoners, while fourteen Car
rama soldiers were killed and thirty
wounded in the battle of CarriZal
Wednesday, according to the official
announcemnt today of the Mexican
consulate. The consulate announced
that complete details had been re-
ceived from Villa Ahumada. The
Americans removed their wounded
with them. The name of the Amer
lean commander is still unknown.
The bodies of the American dead
were counted as they lay on the
field of battle.
The engagement took place on the
Santo Domingo ranch near the Mex
lean town of Carrizal, which is nine
miles southwest of Villa Ahumada,
the Mexican field headquarters in
Northern Chihuahua.
The Americans engaged are
thought to have been members OF
troor from the Tenth Cavalry, ne
gro regiment, returning from scout
ing trip to GuZman. The size of the
Mexican force, whose commander,
General Felix Gomez, was killed, is
not known yet.
News of the battle was received
in Juarez by General Francisco Con-
zales. CarranZa commander Of the
military zone of the border. For
some reason General Gonzales kept
the storx secret until late in the af-
ternoon, when an American, j. C..
Huppel, returning to the border from
the interior, brought to Ell Paso the
news that he had seen numbers of
Mexican dead along the Mexican
Central Railroad tracks at Villa All
umada, and had been told there had
been an encounter.
General Gonzales first step after
confirming the news was to issue
statement placing the blame on the
American commander. He charged
that the American troops fired first
on the Mexicans, but that their shots
were directed at courier VINO mad
lust presented to them request that
they retire.
American army officers declared
absolute disbelief tonight In General
Gonzales assertions The opinion
was expressed that if the Americans
fired on the Mexicans they did so be-
cause it was necessary In order to
insure their own safety.
A new version of the Carrizal en-
gagement was brought to Ell Paso
Thursday by Mexican civilian, who
was in Villa Ahumada early Wednes-
day afternoon and said he assisted
in dressing some of the Mexican
wounded.
He said that General Felix Gomez
the slain CarranZa commander, had
been aware of the approach of the
Americans for twelve hours and had
sent a number of couriers to them
warning them to return to their en-
campment.
When they persisted in their ad
vance, he said, a pitfall several hum
dred feet in length was dug directly
in the trail over which the cavalry
men must ride. This was cleverly
concealed with brush.
- AS the Americans rode unsuspect-
ingly thru the sand dunes toward the
entrenchment, General Gomez lay
concealed some hundred yards away
in the mesquite.