812.00Sonora/910
The Consul at Agua Prieta (Jackson) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 7.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to my telegrams of May 1, 1929,71 and in connection therewith to report more in detail in regard to the surrender of Agua Prieta, Mexico, by the rebel officers in control of the garrison to Mexican Federal officials.
Throughout the day previous to the surrender there were indications of unrest throughout the city and as one rebel general after another fled to safety on the American side of the border, it became evident that the revolutionists had given up hope of being able to defend the city against General Almazan’s troops, notwithstanding the fact that the Federal troops would not arrive for at least twenty four hours and the rebel forces, consisting of approximately eight hundred men, were well armed and appeared to be well supplied with ammunition.
At midday on April 30, General Barcenas in charge of the garrison informed me that he desired to cross to the American side. He stated that he no longer had any control over the troops and that even though he stayed he would be unable to prevent the troops from looting the city which he expected them to do.
As soon as General Barcenas had crossed the line, I called on General Jacinto Treviño with the view of preventing the looting of the town if possible. General Treviño informed me that he intended to remain in Agua Prieta and assured me he had sufficient control over the troops to prevent disorders. However, two hours later he too fled to the United States, and from then on until midnight there was a general exodus of rebel officers to the American [Page 411] side, and it was practically impossible to get any one to attempt to control the troops for any length of time. However, at midnight Vice Consul Jones and myself called on General Antonio Medina on the outskirts of the city, who assured me he could control the troops and immediately placed a heavy guard throughout the town, ordered all cantinas closed and all other troops off the streets, and from then on until the city was turned over to the Federal officials, he maintained excellent order throughout the city.
General Medina also informed me at the time I called on him that as practically all the rebel leaders had fled to the United States, he realized the revolutionists had lost and in order to avoid any more bloodshed he was sending an emissary to General Almazan offering to turn the city over to him providing amnesty was granted to his officers and men.
At two o’clock in the morning Mr. Manuel Prieto, representing the Federal Government, and General Flores of the Federal army sent word to General Medina and other generals in Agua Prieta and also to General Gonzales, in command of a cavalry troop of five hundred men near the city, inviting them to a conference on the American side, which they agreed to attend, and shortly thereafter crossed the border to meet with the Federal officials in the United States Immigration office near the line.
The conference ended with the formal turning over of the city to the Federal authorities without disturbance at 6:15 A.M. The conditions of the agreement reached guaranteed the lives of both officers and men in Agua Prieta.
As the only local newspaper here reported that I attended the conference, I desire to assure the Department that neither I nor Vice Consul Jones took any part in the negotiations at any time.
General Almazan with a force of approximately twenty five hundred men entered the city this afternoon, and the remainder of his army is expected to arrive tomorrow. The rebel generals Caraveo and Yocupicio, reported to have several thousand men under their commands, are supposed to be near El Tigre, Sonora, but it is not expected that they will make any attempt to retake this city.
American property in the district has suffered very little damage so far during the revolution, and I am of the opinion that American property rights in the district will continue to be respected by both sides. The last act of General Barcenas, before leaving for the United States, was to turn over to this office eight American owned auto trucks which had been seized by the revolutionary army.
I have [etc.]
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