File No. 812.00/19439
[Untitled]
2984. Following received from General Bell:
The following report was obtained from an American ranchman who arrived from Chihuahua to-day. He is reliable and a man of standing as is shown by the fact that he was able to obtain an interview with Treviño. He says that Villa personally entered Chihuahua and directed his men and that they simultaneously attacked the Federal buildings and all the military cuartels, that they were in Chihuahua from 2.30 a.m. until 10 a.m. and fighting all the time. That most of the prisoners and many of the townspeople went out with him when he left and that they took large quantities of ammunition, that there were about 100 Villistas and 300 Carrancistas killed, that after leaving Chihuahua Villa and his men went to San Andres and killed the commanding general and some of his men there and that the balance of the men joined him, that General Cavazos went out of Chihuahua with about 280 men to rescue the garrison at San Andres and that Villa’s men attacked him at Santa Yzabel and General Cavazos returned with only 4 men, as Villa had killed 2 captains and the remainder of the force. General Ramos left Chihuahua yesterday with 600 men over the Northwestern to fight Villa. Villa blew up the large steel bridge over the San Andres river. Villa is accredited with having over 1,500 men and men from the whole mountain country are flocking to him and he is getting stronger every day while the majority of the people in Chihuahua are pro-Villistas. General Treviño told him yesterday that conditions are very serious, also talked with General Cavazos and thinks it only a matter of days when Villa will attack Chihuahua again. He says that General Salazar and Colonels Selvestri Devedo and Tino and all tile important prisoners went with Villa.