Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1916-03-30
A Lively Fight With The Mexicans.

Or. c. c. Lucas, of KeameysviIIe. this
county, received letter from his son,
Lieutenant ]. P. Lucas, of the United
States Army, giving an account OF the
recent fight at Columbus, New Mexico,
when the Mexican soldiers and bandits
under General Villa attacked the town
and the American forces camped there.
In his graphic account OF the battle Lieu
teneHt Lucas saws
Villa jumped US Thursday morning
about four O'Clock. had just gotten back
from Ell Paso about midnight and was
asleep when heard horses moving out
side my window. | live in an adobe
house about fifty yards west OF camp,
and was all alone. looked out and saw
about a hundred Greasers around my
house. said, "WeIl, old top, this is the
end, reckon" So got my gun and
got out in the middle of the floor, thinking
would get few OF them, anyhow, be-
fore they got me. Fortunately the Senti-
mel over in camp opened fire about that
time and the Greasers ran in that direction
The sentinel was killed. got on what
clothes ! could find IN the dark, though |
Couldn't find my boots, and followed them
into camp. got as many OF my men as
could and went 10 the guard for
the machine guns. The mounted Mexi-
cans had swept through camp, killed two
sentlnels at the guardhouSe and dis
mounted force was now attacking camp
from the town. There was one Greaser
near the guard-house who shot at me,
but missed. The sergeant who was with
me and both fired at once, but don't
know whether we killed him or not.
finally got one OF the guns and got il SET
up and opened fire on about twenty oi
them, but the - gun jammed just as
they charged. "beat it. | finally got
one OF the guns in fairly good position
and then went to look for some more
men. The bullets were singing like a
beehive. | found "H" troop without
an officer and got them in position 10
return the fire from the town. Only two
officers could get into camp, Stringfellow
and !, the rest were cut off except the o.
D., who had taken troop and gone on
into town 10 protect the women. String
fellow had "K' troop and had "H" and
one machine gun. sent Stringfellow 10
protect my flank and then the fun started.
A store was burning in the town and we
could see 10 shoot. The bullets were
humming around my head. II was some
fuSilade, but we had the better OF it, |
could see them dropping like ten-pns.
We were sure "up against it," We had
about go men. all told, and estimated
the,force that attacked the town as at
least 1000. II was probably more than
that.
They got enough in about half an hour
and commenced to fall back and then
some more officers could get in and help
us out. We finally drove them out OF
town and had running fight with them
across the border for three or four hours.
lost in my troop two men killed and
three wounded. am proud of them
they behaved well.
Our total casualties were eight killed
and about nine wounded. The Mexican
loss is estimated at 100 killed and about
four times that number wounded.
Considering the fact that we were COM
pletely surprised, and that they outnum-
bered us four TO one. think we accounted
for ourselves pretty well.
This is the tight as saw it, No one
sees anything under these circumstances
except what he is doing, or trying TO do,
himself.