100 Killed, Tate Stops Mexicans.

New York Times 100 years ago today, March 14, 1913:
U.S. Army Officer, Ready to Cross Border, Has Bugler Sound "Cease Firing!"
AMERICAN SOLDIER WOUNDED
That Causes Order Ending All-Day Nogales Battle—Federals Surrender to Our Cavalry.
TOWN IS TAKEN BY REBELS
Bullets Endanger Arizona Residents — Rumor Says Gov. Carranza Has Been Caught and Shot.
    NOGALES. Ariz,. March 13.— The Constitutionalistas overthrew the Federal garrison in Nogales, Sonora, to-night and are in possession of the border town after a fight which continued with little abatement for twelve hours. The casualties are estimated at 100 dead and twice as many wounded on both sides, though an accurate count has not been made. Private Allen A. Umfleet, Troop G. Fifth Cavalry. U. S. A., was wounded severely by a rebel bullet when doing police duty near the international line here. The shot passed through his face from nose to ear. No other American soldier was injured. The United States trooper was shot when the attack was at its height. Lieut. Col. Tate, in charge of the Fifth Cavalry patrol, at once sent word to Gen. Obregon, in command of the rebel forces:
    "You have shot one of my men. Cease firing, or I shall be after you at once."
    At the same moment the firing from the Mexican regulars under Col. Kosterlitzky and Col. Reyes was slackened. By a preconcerted arrangement Lieut. Col. Tate called his bugler, and ordered him to sound the Mexican "Cease firing" order. The Federal garrison obeyed instantly, but desultory firing continued to come from the besiegers.

Surrender to American Colonel.
    Gen. Obregon held back the fire from his men so that Cols. Kosterlitzky and Reyes with their forces were able to cross to the United States, where they surrendered to Col. Wilbur E. Wilder, Fifth Cavalry.
    Determined to wrest the remaining Sonora-Arizona port of entry from the Federal Government, 1,000 Constitulionalistas assaulted the town at daybreak, only to be driven back by the dogged resistance of no more than 250 defenders under Cols. Kosterlitzky and Reyes. Seen in the field, the Constitutionalist commander, Gen. Obregon, remarked that the "real attack" had not been begun. In the meanwhile, United States troops were rushed here from Fort Huachuca. Ariz., and to-night 600 troopers of the Fifth Cavalry, U.S.A., were on duty along the border.
    Col. Wilder had arrived late in the day to take command of the United States troops. The Mexican Federal soldiers stacked their arms before the American troopers and disbanded.
    More than thirty wounded men from the other side of the border are in hospitals here, while the dead lie in the mesa land south of Nogales. The attackers suffered most heavily. Of the one thousand men who made the march against the garrison of three hundred regulars, the number of dead has not been estimated accurately.
    A rain of lead dropped over the American town, many citizens narrowly escaping injury. Stray bullets fell into the streets. Several penetrated houses, narrowly missing Americans in their homes. The destruction in the Sonora town was great, although most of the buildings were of adobe.
    Gen. Obregon gave the order for an attack early to-day. The rebels remained at a distance from the town until nightfall. Three desperate attacks on the Federal soldiers were necessary to dislodge them from the defensive position. The most vigorous assault was made at 5 o'clock, when Constitutionalistas charged the Federals' front, left flank, and rear.
    Sharp fighting was continued for a quarter hour, when a sudden assault was made by rebel reserves on the right flank of the enemy. For half an hour longer the Federal soldiers resisted, but, unable to face the severe onslaught from all sides, they retreated to the shelter of the town and firing from them practically ceased.

Tate Ready to Cross Border.
    It was at this time that Lieut. Col. Tate gave his order to "cease firing." It is said the American officer had received instructions to cross into Mexico, if proatection of Americans demanded such a course, and give battle to the rebels and Federals alike in the event they disobeyed his orders to stop fighting. Immediately after the first bugle call from the American commander Lieut. Col. Tate began assembling his men. Then the second call was given and obeyed.
    A messenger from the American officer with Gen. Obregon at the time of the first bugle call asserted, upon his return, that the rebel General immediately gave orders to cease firing, but that his jubilant men fired their rifles in the air. At once, it was related by the messenger, Gen. Obregon shot down the leader of the disobedient soldiers.
    A conference was arranged between Gen. Obregon and Col. Wilder to-night.
    Red Cross volunteers from this side of the border constantly were in attendance upon the wounded of both rebel and Federal forces.
    Automobiles bearing Red Cross flags raced back and forth between the besieged town and this city, carrying wounded soldiers to the hospitals here. Many wounded men remain on the field and it is asserted it will be impossible to succor them until morning. Several Mexican residents of this city were injured when watching the battle.
    Twenty injured from both sides were, brought here, but an American physician, Dr. Gunstetter, who visited the firing line, reported many more Mexicans wounded who could not be reached without danger to the rescuers. American residents here quickly gave their services as Red Cross volunteers.

Rebels Braved Death Lane.
    Nogales is set in an ideal position for defense between two ranges of hills running parallel north and south. The State troops of Sonora were compelled to move through that mountainous lane and were mowed down by the fire of the Federal rifles and machine guns. On the plain between the hills the attackers concealed themselves in shallow gullies caused by mountain freshets. Here dead and wounded men lay in the sun. Twice in the day Gen. Obregon failed in stubborn attacks on the garrison.
    At 5:20 o'clock a third attempt was made to take the Federal positions. That was more successful, the defenders deserting the right front and extreme left trenches and fleeing to the cover of the town. The garrison's shift of base increased the hot fire toward the American side, and when a report reached Lieut. Col. Tate that one of his troopers had been wounded he hastily assembled his men.
    The American Red Cross workers were turned back from the Federal lines, and the United States soldiers had difficulty in clearing the streets of American Nogales of spectators. United States Consul Simpich drove an automobile carrying a red cross flag and filled with nurses through a shower of bullets to the aid of the wounded. About 10 o'clock the Constitutionalistas launched a movement from the east and west and sent a lively fire against the defenders from three directions. Consul Simpich telegraphed an appeal for Red Cross funds to the State Department in Washington. Many automobiles of Nogales residents were used in bringing the wounded to hospitals here.

Ojeda Fails Like Grouchy.
    Col. Kosterlitzky's defense was made doubly stubborn by his expectation of reinforcement by Gen. Ojeda, who, with 500 Huerta troops, was making a forced march to Nogales from Agua Prieta, which town he had abandoned to the secessionists. But Ojeda turned out to be a second Grouchy, and when the day had passed without his arrival, Cols. Kosterlitzky and Reyes decided they could not hold out overnight against the rebels.
    In the early fighting Tax Collector Nunze of Agua Prieta was wounded in the arm when on the American side of the border. Bullets pierced the walls of several houses in Nogales, Arizona. When in her home here, Mrs. Ada M. Gibson was struck in the heel of her shoe by a stray bullet. A small Mexican boy was wounded severely when on the American side. As she was sitting on the porch of her home in Nogales, Arizona, a bullet passed through the skirts of Mrs. H. W. Kelsay and buried itself two inches in a post. Pablo Rubio, a former official of Cananea, when sitting in the park here, was slightly wounded in the leg by a stray bullet.