File No. 812.00/16689.
General Funston to the Adjutant General.
Villa’s troops made a serious attack on Agua Prieta about 1 a.m. lasting for 2 hours with great intensity; after that, intermittent artillery fire until about 4.30 a.m. Many bullets fell in United States territory resulting so far as known at present in wounding of 4 soldiers, 2 civilians. No fire was opened by United States troops for reasons as stated by General Davis, who was in command, that the losses were caused by infantry fire from the south and southwest and that it was absolutely impracticable to accomplish anything without crossing the boundary. While I believe that both sides are doing all in their power to prevent bullets falling in American territory I can not too strongly bring to attention War Department the fact well known to all officers familiar with situation that Agua Prieta cannot be attacked seriously without endangering the lives American soldiers and citizens and that it is absolutely impossible to stop or prevent such fire unless we have authority to cross international boundary and drive off the attacking Villa troops. Unless we have this authority in advance it will be too late when the necessity arises to prevent serious losses on American side. A message just received states Villa proposes to launch a determined attack as soon as a body 1,000 troops from Colonia Morelos arrives; head of column of reinforcements now in sight.