The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-04-17

a force of Carranza soldiers who en-
 gagged the little detachment of Aneri-
 can cavalry at Parra1 last Wednesday in a regularly organized action, ac- l cording to a detailed report written
 by Major Frank Tompkins and for
 warded to General Funston by General
 Pershing.
 Forty of the Mexican soldiers, in
 c1uding one major and one civilian,
 were killed by the reterating Ameri- | cans The American casualties were
 two killed and six wounded, including | Major Tompkins- His wound was | slight.
 Tompkins Gets Reinforce1nents.
 Major Tompkins' account of the ac- fl ton was received at General Funston's headquarters last night and served to 1 cIarify General Pershing,s report re- | ceived yesterday in which the identity
 of the attacking force was not stated and in which he left the inference that
 the cavalry was under Col. W. c. Brown.
 The Americans now are north and west of Parral, reinforced by a squad | ron of the Tenth, under Major oung, accompanied by Col. w. c. Brown and a picked squadron under Major Robert L. Howze. Fear for their safety thas been dispe1led by this re- port and by trooR dispositions that
 General Pershing lhas ordered, but the character of which General F'uns- ton did not wish to reveal
 That there might have been a sec 1 ond engagement was indicated in, a. message from Colonel Brown to Con sui fletcher at Chihuahua, filed from Santa Cruz, north of Parra1. Colonel Brown asked that an aeroplane be dispatched immediately to bring in a report of occurrence Thursday night This advice was received by General Funston yesterday afternoon.
 Major Tomplzins' story of the fight indicates lack of control over the troops by the commanding officer of the ParraI garrison, Gen. Lozano, and bitter antagonisnas by the public and troops The fighting took place out side of Parra1 and was continued over a route of eight miles to Santa Cruz, 8 station eight miles northeast of Parra1 on the railroad.
 Gen. Funston said that while Major Tonpkins undoubtedly acted in ac- cordance with his best judgment in retreatirg, he regretted that, he had not make a stand ,,on account of the ill-effect the story of his retreat would have on the Mexican people. who nat uraIIy would regard the incident as an American defeat.
 Major Tompkins arrived outside Parral on the forenoon of April 12 with Thirteenth Cavalry, reduced in mum Der the total of these two troops is approximately 100 men. The report that unarmed men went into Parral appears to have been erroneous. Ma | jor Tompkins admitted that he did march his small detachment quite openly along the trail into the city, where they were met by Gen. Lo- zano, who received them most gra-
 ciously.
 Attacked by Mexicans. The civil fauthorities arrived and ] joined in the courteous reception of l the major and his troops. The incl l{dent appeared to be progressing with | out unpleasant features Gen. 1o- zano and the civil authorities discuss ed with Major Tomplkins the question of camping sites, he and the local off, cials deciding on one just outside the 1 city to which Major To1npkins was l directed
 Major Tompkihs was preparing to
 move out to the designated camp when soldiers and civilians began to throw stones and shoot at the Americans. Realizing that the action was that of l a. mob of civilians and of soldiers who had got beyond the control of their I officers, Major Tompkins made no stand but retired his men without making resistance toward the city l limits. Shouting crowds followed 1 them, while stones and occasional shots fell among them without doing great damage.
 It was after noon when Tompkins led his men into a defensive position l behind a railway embankment out side the town. The mob respected the 1 advantage the Americans had taken,
 but within a brief time there appeared on their flank a force of 300 Mexican I Ja0 ifaT~ | a formal attack.
 Forced to Retreat.
 Major Tompkins was still averse to
 fighting in anything but a defensive
 manner against this force, since every 1 officer who has entered Mexico with the punitive force has had it impressed upon him that clashes with the troops l of the de facto government who are
 supposed to be cooperating with the | mericans in their pursuit of Villa and
 his bandits must be avoided. l Also it soon became apparent that l the Mexican's superiority in numbers made a retreat from the position be-
 hind the embankment imperative A retreat was begun that was ended only at Santa Cruz. The Mexicans pursued them almost the entire dis tance of the intervening eight miles. ] the Americans contenting themselves 1 with rear guard action.
 l~e In the running fight the Ameri-
 cans cared for their dead and 1 wounded.
 Major Tompkins's information that I forty-one Mexicans had been killed | was obtained from one who passed over the trail from Parral after the fight.
 Major Tompkins and his two troops reached Santa Cruz just before dark l and there met Col. Brown and Major | Young with a squadron of the Tenth cavalry. e Later in the night Major HoWze arrived with his picked squad
 ron. making the force there about
 500 men.
 Major Howze also had led his men through a. series of minor adventures He had come from San Francisco 1 Borja in the neighborhood of which