The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1916-06-30
CAPTAIN BOYD AND LIEUTENANT
ADAIR AMONG KILLED, AC-
CORDlNG TO SCOUT, EN-
PLoYED BY PERsHING.
CAVALRY OUTNUMBERED
FIVE TO ONE, is REPORT
Americans Withdraw Only When
Heavy Mexican Reinforcements Are
Brought Up-U. S. Commander lg-
nored Warning, thinking Mexi-
can General Was BIuffing."


Chicago, June PA message to q
Chicago paper from Washington says:
1.-THE United States is officially notified
by the de facto government of Mexico
that IL of the troopers of the Tenth
cavalry taken prisoners by the Mexi'
cans in the Carrizal engagement and
sent to Chihuahua are being rushed
from that point to Jaurez, where they
will be surrendered to the American
authorities"
Chihuahua City, Mex, June 24-The
seventeen American soldiers, negro
troopers of the Tenth cavalry, who
were captured in the battle at Carri-
zal, were brought here with Lem H.
Spillsbury, Mormon scout, employed
by Gen. J. ]. Pershing, and were in
termed.
Spillsbury said that Capt. Charles
T. Boyd, commanded the Americans
and with Lieut.. Henry R. Adair was
among the killed.
Seventy-six In Troop.
Spillsbury's story, as announced by
General Trevino, was that rs negroes,
comprising Troop H of the Tenth cav
airy, Captains Boyd and Moore, Lieu
tenant Adair and himself, composed
the American detachment that encoun-
tered the Mexicans.
He said he saw on the field the dead
bodies of Boyd and Adair and at least
IL of the negroes.
Spillsbury's account as given out
follows:
1--WE left Casas Grandes Sunday
morning, arriving outside Carrizal
early Wednesday morning.
Warned to Turn Back.
Captain Boyd Immediately dis
patched courier to the jefe politico
of the little village, advising him that
we were on our way to Villa Ahu-
mazda.
After we had waited some time
Lieutenant Colonel Rivas come out
and warned Captain Boyd that he had
better turn back. Captain Boyd then
explained that he was in pursuit of
some bandits which he had heard had
looted Santo Domingo and was bound
to catch a negro deserter which he
had heard was in Villa Ahumada.
Boyd Declines Invitation.
"In reply to this Lieut. Col. Rivas
notified the Americans that If he at
tempted to advance he would have to
pass over the dead bodies of the Mex
leans. He advised Boyd that he had
better not argue the matter.
81
port to his superior officer, General
Gomez, who sent out a note inviting
the Americans to enter Carrizal for a
conference. Captain Boyd declined
this invitation.
Urges Americans to Retire.
ION this ground, Gomez went out in
person and insistently urged the Amer
orders from his superiors necessitated
his acting on them without further
parley. General Gomez repeated these
words as he walked away. Boyd mere
1y answered: All right"
General Trevino's announcement |
then goes on to quote Spillsbury as
saying that after General Gomez had |
retired to his troops, who were lined |
up outside the town, Boyd ordered his |
men to advance, whereupon Spillsbury |
expostulated with him, arguing that
fight was sure to follow Spillsbury is |
reported as saying that Captain Boyd |
obstinately seemed to think that the
Mexican general was only bluffing,"
and the firing quickly began. He is
further quoted:
Negroes Become DemoraIized.
Captain Morey and Lieutenant |
Adair fell wounded, the latter mortal
ly, Captain Morey was wounded in the
shoulder and Immediately the negroes
became demoralized. At the same time
the men holding the horses fed with
the mounts, leaving II negro soldiers
and myself. We were forced to sur
render
Il saw the dead bodies of Boyd and
Adair and at least IL negroes on the
field Of battle"
Cruiaer and Tornado Boat Sail