Salt Lake Tribune | 1913-12-21 | Page 4 | Federals Desert to the Rebel Side

I i ' FEDERALS DESERT I TO THE REBEL SIDE 31AYTORENA, Sonora. "Mexico, Dec CO. Deserters from tho federal garrison at Guaymas, a few miles to the south of the Insurgent camp here, were arrjvins H today. Tnelr number. It wao expected would aggregate GOO. Already eleven officers have surren-dcrcd. surren-dcrcd. Among them was Major B. Flgueroa-. a member of the Blair of Gen-oral Gen-oral Pedro OJeda. federal commandant at Guarrnas, and commander of the cavalry stationed at the gulf port. The enlisted men appeared In groups of five and ten, dust-covered and suffer-lne suffer-lne from want of water and food. The federal officers here say that many havo not reached tho constitutionalist lines I and ore wandering from ranch to ranch, . i or aic lost in tho mountains . It uas assorted that practically all tho BBBBBBBki1I outposts placed about Guaymas by the federal commander had deserted, with their arms and ammunition. The developments since yesterday morn-lng morn-lng were considered a death blow to the Huerta government In tho northwest, marking the overthrow of General Pedro OJeda, whose stubborn fighting along the border and at Guaymas long has been a menace to the southward progress of General Gen-eral Carranza'a forces. Deserters brought news of the disarmament disarma-ment of tho entire Tenth battalion of Infantry, In-fantry, numbering more than 500 men. These were disarmed following the discovery dis-covery of a plot to desert in a body, officers offi-cers and men, to the Insurgent side This Is bolleved to havo reduced the federal garrison by one-half. Thnt General OJeda himself would accept ac-cept amnesty was Indicated by a report reachlntr hero from Cruz de Pledra. the nearest point to Guaymas held by the Insurgents, Colonel F. Marnier, commanding command-ing the .conBtltntionallHts there, reported that tho federal commander had sought an Interview with him under tho agreement agree-ment that each should leave his base with an equal number of men and meet on neutral ground. Colonel Mcndez said he declined tho offer, fearing a trap. Completely Demoralized. General Alfaro Obregon, commander of the constitutionalist forces in the northwest, north-west, remained here today. Tho federal ofllcenj who arrived assisted In locating tho scattered groups of deserting federals. Tho deserters did not constitute any one command, the officers said, but came from various regiments and battalions. This was taken as an indication of the complete demoralization of the federal 1 garrison. There are 1100 Mayo Indiana troops sta.-tioned sta.-tioned here under command of General Juan Cabral, and 1600 Insurgent troops are at Ortiz, a few mlleB' to the north, all of whom will bo moved Into Guaymas as soon as the city is ovoouatod and It becomes certain that there will be no danger of a bombardment by tho two federal gunboats which have been lylnsr In the harbor.