Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-06-17
TROOPERS GAIN ON
REBELS As THEY
FLEE To INTERIOR
General j, B, Erwin With
Charles Cox as Aid, Directs
Fight-Infanty Is With
drawn to Ell Paso

ELL PASO, Tex, June ia report
was received at military headquar-
ters at 1920 a. m. today that fight
ing was in progress between United
States cavalry under command of
Colonel S. R. H. Tompkins and a
Villa detachment in the vicinity of
San Lorenzo, opposite Ysleta, Tex,
twelve miles east of Ell Paso.
Artillery fire against the Villa
rebel forces southeast of Juarez was
opened at 1926 a. m. today with the
Second battalion of the Eighty-sec-
ond field artillery firing shrapnel.
The artillery fire was six miles from
Juarez in the vicinity of the cavalry
fighting near San Lorenzo.
AT IL o'clock the entire Second
cavalry brigade, composed of the
Seventh and Fifth cavalry regi-
ments, could be seen plainly about
eight miles south and west of Jua-
req in hot pursuit of the Villa forces
which were engaged at 10 o'clock
this morning in the vicinity of San
Lorenzo. it was stated at military
headquarters.
At 11:20 o'clock the American cav
airy appeared to be gaining rapidly
on the Villa band which was MAX
, ing a desperate effort to reach the
mountains to the southwest of Jua-
rez. The pursuit, which started east
of Juarez, swung to the west and the
columns could be seen in a cloud of
dust to the southwest beyond Jua-
req.
BY IL a. m. the Twentyfourth in
fantry was back on the American
side after having spent exactly elev-
en- hours on Mexican soil.
American troops sent into Mexico
last night to stop the indiscriminate
Eyin oir
\ first general engagement with the
Mexican rebel forces of Francisco
Villa at the JuareZ race track short
ly after 2 o'clock this morning, and
the Americans were victorious. Villas
troops were driven from the race
track by rife fire and machine guns,
and many prisoners We're reported
taken by the United States cavalry,
which took up positions on the east
and southeast of the track, accord
headquarters.
Fight IN Streets
United States troops are in full
possession of Juarez today and Amer
lean cavalry is securing the Mexican
territory south and east Of the city
searching for Vil1ista soldiers.
The Mexican rebels and federal
troops fought in the streets Saturday
night and Sunday night, many on
both sides being killed. Many bull
lets from the rebel guns came across
the Rio Grande, and two persons were
killed and seven wounded on the
American side.
When the Mexican bullets became
too thick for the safety Of the citi-
zens of Ell Paso, Brigadier General
4 J. B. Erwin, formerly commander Of
Camp Gordon, at IL o'clock last night
ordered American troops to cross the
border, and in ten minutes after the
order was issued, $500 United States
soldiers were in Mexico. The first
! troops to cross the border were the
fourth infantry, a battalion of the
Eighty-second artillery and the Fifth
and Seventh cavalry.
Trapped by q. S. Cavalry
After the Mexican federals were
allowed to retire into the town of
Juarez, Colonel Hadsells negro in
fantry opened with a terrific fire on
the trenches fanking the race track.
They advanced in open order and sue
ceeded in dislodging the Villa forces
who held the strongest. position, as
the negro troops were forced to adj
vance across a comparatively open
plain. The first volleys from the
rife men were answered, shot for
shot, by the Villa troops, who
seemed to realize they were trapped
by the cavalry in the rear and the
infantry in front
American machine guns started
suffering from adobe houses near
the race track and the preponder-
ance of rife fire was soon with the
American forces. The preliminary ar
tillery preparing having been COM
pleted the guns became silent as the
rifles took up the work. The explo-
sion of Mauser and American car
tridges could be plainly distinguish
ed from military headquarters in
the Mills building in Ell Paso, where
General Erwin was an interested
spectator from his tenth story win
dow.
As the American cavalry maneu-
vered over the Juarez plains their po-
sitions were marked by green rocket
flares and were answered by similar
star shells from the top of the Mills
building. At 230 o'clock the rife fir
ing had died down, indicating the
Villa forces were defeated and were
being driven into the hills or pur-
sued by the United States cavalry.
The American artillery was sta
toned in positions from which the
Juarez' race track. where the Villa
rebels were quartered, could be shell
:. e. with shrapnel. A thanking move
ment was begun in an effort to pre-
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