Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 June 1916 — U. S. TROOPS RUSH JO SAVE COMRADES HELD BY MEXICANS [ARTICLE]

U. S. TROOPS RUSH JO SAVE COMRADES HELD BY MEXICANS

Pershing’s Men to Demand Release of Soldiers. AMERICAN COMMANDER SLAIN Reported Captain Boyd and Eleven of Hla Force Were Killed at Carrizal—Another Clash Believed Near. El Paso, Tex., June 23. —Eleven troops of the Tenth cavalry, all of the regiment with the exception of the de* tachment ambushed at Currizal, are racing along the' dry bed of the Rio Carmen In the direction of Villa Ahumada. They are under orders to demand from the Mexican commanders the Immediate release of 17 troopers reported to have been made prisoners by the Cnrranzlstas. Another Battle Near. The American communder, it Is understood, carries Instructions from General Pershing to Inform the Mexican officers that he will throw his entire force against them If necessary’ to drive them back Int 6 the desert, unless the demand Is granted and tho prisoners are released without delay. Due to this situation, another clasln between the two forces Is considered probably within the next 12 hours. This Information Is unofficial, but It Is the substance of reports received through Mexican sources over the Northwestern railway wires. In anticipation of a battle of prowith the Americans, 2,000 troops from Juarez have been withdrawn and sent to Villa Ahumada ns re-enforcements. This movement was responsible for the rumor which prevailed during the day that Jaarez was being evacuated. The town Is stilt guarded by n Mexican force of about 500 under Gen. Eranclßeo Gonzales. Consul Gurcla announced that General Gonzales would remain and resist any effort to take the town. General Bell has expresed the opinion that the Mexican forces withdrawn from Juarez hnve only moved far enough awny to be out of range of his artillery. If that Is the case, the American column which will go from here In the event of orders to move will not be surprised. A dispatch contained the news that the American commander bad been slain with 11 of his troopers.. In addition, the dispatch declared that 17 Americans hud been tnken prisoners and 20 had been wounded. The dispatch plnced the Mexican losses at 17 killed and 40 wounded.

17 Troops at Chihuahua. Chlhuahun City, Mox., June 23. — The 17 American soldiers, negro troopers of the Tenth cavalry, who were captured In the battle at Carrizal were brought here with Leru H. Spillsbury, a Mormon scout employed by (Jen. J. J. Pershing, and interned. Captain Boyd Killed. Spillsbury said that Oapt. Charles T. Boyd, who commanded the Americans, and Lieut. Henry It. Adair were among the killed. A Captain Morey, who was with the American detachment, was wounded in the shoulder, hut escaped. In repeating a story of the battle which he said Spillsbury told him, Cen. Jacinto Trevino, commander of the military district ( of the northeast, announced that at any time and at any place the American troops moved other than toward the border he will comply to the letter with his superior’s orders and will attack them as Gen. Felix Gomez did at Carrizal. General Trevino said that all diplomatic nrangements are outside of his sphere. 76 Men in U. S. Force. n y Spillsbury’s story, as announced by General Trevino, was to the effect that 76 negroes, comprising troop O of the Tenth, Captains Boyd and Morey, Lieutenant Adair and himself, composed the American detachment that encountered the Mexicans. He said that he saw on the field the bodies of Boyd and Adair and at least eleven of the negroes. Splllsbury’s account as given out follows: “We left Casas Grandes on Sunday morning, arriving outside of Carrizal early Wednesday morning. “Captain Boyd Immediately dispatched a courier to the jefe politico of the little village, advising him that we were on our way to Villa Ahumada. “After we had waited some time Lieuteant Colonel Rivas came out and warned Captain Boyd that he would better turn back. Captain Boyd then explained that he was in pursuit of some bandits which he had heard had

located at Santo Domingo and also was bound to catch a negro deserter who, lie had heard, was in Villa Ahuraada. Refused to Let Force Pass. “In reply to this, Lieutenant Rivas notified the American that if he attempted to advance he would have to pass over the dead bodies of the Mexicans. He advised Boyd that he had better not argue the matter. “Rivas returned to the village to report 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. “On this ground, Gomez went out in person and insistently urged the Americans to retire, pointing out that his orders from his superiors necessitated his acting on them without further parley. General Gomez repeated these words as lie walked away. Boyd merely answered, ‘All right.’ ” Before he had time to formulate his reply, the stragglers tell, Gomez himself came out, accompanied by aids, and approached Captain Boyd. Mexicans Fire on Boyd. The American captain and the Mexican general stood in conversation for fifteen or twenty minutes. While they talked, soldiers of Gomez’ command, little by little, moved forward, apparently as if they wanted to be in a position to protect their general if the Americans should prove treacherous. The movement became more noticeable and rapid, until it looked to the American troopers that the object of the marching companies and troops was to surround the American command. The stragglers report that Captain Boyd seemed to be protesting vigorously against this encroachment of the soldiers of the army of Gomez, who had moved forward in surprisingly large force. As Boyd protested the Mexican forces were moving around to get flanking positions. Gomez seemed to accept the protests of Boyd in good faith and hastened back toward a group of mounted staff officers. apparently to give orders for withdrawal of the menacing force. The minute General Gomez reached this group, at the right of line of his men, the Mexicans opened fire with machine guns. Captain Boyd rallied his troopers in the face of this deadly attack, dismounted them, deployed the little band and made a desperate stand against overwhelming odds. From the first the spraying fire of the Mexican machine guns mowed down our troopers, while the hurriedly dismounted negro soldiers, prone on the ground, fired coolly and with deadly results into the ranks of the Mexicans, driving them back and gaining some respite. The few troopers who found their way back to the main column did not meet on tire way the two squadrons of the Eleventh cavalry which Pershing rushed to the support of the distressed troops when he learned of the fight through General Funston’s messages of inquiry. Funston said he had no doubt the two squadrons had found the survivors of the encounter and were returning with them and their wounded to the column. The ride before them was a hard one and the return with the wounded men must necessarily be slow.