Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 151, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 June 1916 — FEAR CAVALRY TROOPS WIPED OUT [ARTICLE]

FEAR CAVALRY TROOPS WIPED OUT

Pershing’s Brief Wire Indicates That Only Seven of Tenth Cavalry Troopers Survive. The two troops of Tenth cavalry under Charles T. Boyd were practically wiped out by the attack of the Mexican forces under General Gomez aft, Carrizal June 21st, according to indications given in a fragmentary note received by General Funston from General Pershing Friday night. General Pershing’s note stated that the survivors—seven, in all—including those vhat arrived Thursday night, have reached the main column. All were enlisted men, but the report did not say whether they were non-com-missioned officers among them. According to the stories of the survivors as outlined in General Pershing’s report, a mounted force of Mexicans made a charge from the flank at the conclusion of a parley between Capt. Frank Boyd and General Gomez at the same time that a machine gun z opened fire from the front as General Gome-z reached his line.

Cptain Boyd had ordered his men to dismount as the machine gun op*ened fire and the combined effect of the Mexican, charge, the machine gun fire and the rifle fire from the Mexican garrison at Carrizal, which had almost surrounded the little American force under cover of the parley sought by General Gomez to discuss whether Captain Boyd Should be allowed to pass through the town stampeded the gorses. No derails were made known to General Pershing as to whether the Mexican charge was checked.

The accepted per centage of wounded to those killed in modern warfare would place the wounded at 35 or 40 at the lowest estimate. The strength of the two troops, G and K, is not known here but it is estimated that they could not exceed 130 men, allowing for those sick or on detached service. With only survivors reported as arriving at the main column the number of those accounted for at least speculatively, is pitifully sma’ l . With their mounts gone, caught without means of escape ringed about on three sides with the fire of an overwhelming -force, the fate of the little detachment is believed by officials to have been sealed.