The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1919-06-18
u. S. TROOPS
AGAIN AFTER VILLA
Short Campaign Successful
i'm Purpose
SOLE PURPOSE
FOR PROTECTION

|
Mexican FcdcraIS. Attack Made to
stop Rebel Firing in Direction Of
American Line. Troops arc with.
! drawn.
tl Paso Tex, June 1G.-Amcrican
troops sent into Mexico last night to
stop the indiscriminatc firing across
the border fought their first general
| engagement with tho Mexican rebel
forces OF Francisco Villa at tn Juarez
race track shortly after O'Clock this
morning and the Americans were vic
| toriouS. Villas troops were driven
from the race track by rifle fire and
machine guns and many prisoners
were reported taken by the United
States cavalry which took up positions
on the east and southeast Of the track,
according TO an official report at mill
tary headquarters.
The Mexican rebels and federal
troops fought in the streets Of Juarez
Saturday night and Sunday night.
many on both sides being killed. Many
bullets from the rebel guns came
across the Rio Grandc and two per-
sons were killed and seven wounded
on the American side.
When the Mexican bullets became
too thick for the safety OF citizens
of FL Paso, Brig. Gen. J. b. Erwin at
II o'clock last night ordered Ameri-
can troops TO cross the border and
in ten minutes after the order was is
sued $500 United States soldiers were
in Mexico. The first troops to cross
the border were the Fourth Battalion
OF the 2ith Infantry, a battalion Of
the SIND Artillery and the Fifth and
Seventh Cavalry.
After the Mexican fcdcrals were al
lowed to retire into the town Of Jua-
rez, Col. lladsclls negro iinfahtry'
opened with q terrific rifle fire on the
trenches thanking the race track. They
advanced in open order and succeeded
in dislodsing the Villa forces who held
the strongest positions as the negro
troops were forced to advance across:
a comparatively open plain. The FIST
vollcyS from the rincmcn were an
Swcrcd 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
sputtering from above houses near the
race track and the prepondcrance Of
rifle fire was soon with the American
forces. The preliminary artillery
preparation having been completed,
the shrapncl guns became silent as
the rifles took up the work The ex-
posion Of Mauscr and American cart
ridges could be plainly distinguished
from military headquarters in the
Mills Building in FL Paso where Gen
Erwin was an interested spectator
from his tenth story window.
LAS tho American cavalry maneuver-
ed over the Juarez plain their posi-
tons were marked by green rocket
! flares and were answered by similar
star shells from the top OF the Mills
building. At 2:30 O'Clock the rife
firing had died down, indicating the
Villa forces were dcfeatedn and watat
being driven into the hillssor, p,frsuadLs
by therUntcd States cavalry The
American artillery was stationed in
| positions from which the Juare& race
| track where the Villa rebels were
quartcrcd could be shcllcd with shrap-
mel. a ilanlng movement was begun
in an effort to prevent the escape Of
the rcbcls.
In announcing his action in order
ing Americans into Mexico, Gen. Err
win, in former statement said he
had done so to prevent tho ndiscrim-
mate firing into lIl Pas0 by rebel SOL
diers, cndangcring the lives OF Ameri,
cans.
But on no account were they to
undertake an invasion into Mexico"
continued the statement. CAS- soon as
the Villistas have been dispersed and
the safety Of the citizens OF El Paso
has ben assured, the troops Of my
command will be withdrawn to the
American side Of the border.
Major General dc Rosey Cabell,
commander Southern Department OF