The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-04-30
WOUNDED IN
VILLA FIGHT,
IS PENS|0NED
Private Yarborough's Left Arm
Shattered as the Result of
Bandit Raid.

SAN ANTONIO, Tex, April 90
The first American soldier who will
get a pension as result OF the Villa
attack on Columbus is John v. Var
brough. private in Troop G. Thirteenth
cavalry. Private Yarbrough was shot
through the left arm, necessitating
amputation just below the elbow. or
the six wounded soldiers. Yarbrough
is the only one permanently disabled
and, therefore. the only trooper en-
titled to pension. Yarbrough served
In the Philippines, but was never
wounded before.
Yarbrougl's Story.
Following is Private Yarbrough's
own story Of the yillista raid on Col
umbus:
81 was on sentry post few minutes
after 4 o'clock on the morning of
March when heard shots and shouts
at the other side of Columbus. Then
heard q fusillade. heard Med-
cans shouting as they rushed through
our camp toward the town. viva
Villa! Muerta los grlngos! they
yelled as they ran. firing.
THE six Of us at the guard house
sought cover and began firing when
ever we could spot Mexican by the
flash Of his gun or his yells. Tho BAN
dts came running and yelling. They
had left their horses outside OF Column
bus. We said nothing. but pumped
lead into them as fast as we could load
and unload. There must have been
forty attacked the guard house. but
We six held the guard house. and
was the only man wounded. A COM
rade was with me behind the lumber
pile and the other four men wore
shooting around the corners Of the
house.
I'VE had been firing for perhaps ten
minutes and the bullets were flying
thick all around us-some had knocked
splinters from the lumber into our
faces-when my comrade said: Mate,
let's beat It.
II would liked to have cleared out
but | am soldier. and l thought of
the women and children In Columbus,
VINO would be left to the mercy of the
savages. said to my comrade: If
you attempt to beat 1t will kill you
like am the Mexicans. He stuck
with me. told Lieutenant James p.
Castleman we would hold the house.
and we did.
His Arm Shattered.
II had dropped several Mexicans and
was just raising my elbow to fire at
Mexican who was running straight
at mo when chance shot from his
rifle plugged mo in the arm. It felt
like had been hit with baseball
bat. A dun dun bullet, As caliber.
makes an awful wound. My arm was
numb in an instant and could not
fire my rife. so dropped 1t and grab
bed my revolver with my right hand
and kept up the fight. I killed the
man who shot me and several OF his
pals bit the dust close to the lumber
pile. The lumber was peppered with
bullets from the Mexicans' Winches-
tiers. They are good mbarksmen,
though. and many bullets went whiz-
zing over us. Mexicans devote lot
OF energy in yelling bloody murder
when they should be shooting. The
Villistas had been told that II they at
tackled the Americans 1t would be q
rout. because the 'gringoes will rum
We learned this from wounded ban
dts. They will not stand the gan.
Once YOU fire into detachment Of
Mexicans and drop some OF them they
will scatter and run for II.
THE attack started shortly after 4
O'Clock. Just after the moon went
down. and 1t was as dark as a stack
OF black cats. That is one reason why
we killed only 200 out Of 500 that at
tackled us. think our boys are pretty
good marksmen. for they got one for
each Of us Americans at Columbus, be-
sides the wounded. When day began
to break the bandits ran to their
horses and rode straight for the Dor
der. We chased them for five miles
into Mexico. and number were
killed during the chase.
Defends Officers.
There has been lot OF talk about
us being surprised by the villistas
The papers have said many Of the Of.
ficers were not on the job for long
time after the battle opened. 1t has
| alec kaan .aid tt,ot 500.