File No. 812.00/19819
General Funston to the Secretary of War
3447. Following just received from General Bell, El Paso:
Code message just received from Chihuahua states that Carrancistas were defeated by Villistas yesterday and that people in Chihuahua are badly frightened. [Page 612] Information this morning from another source indicates that Villistas are already in the suburbs of Chihuahua. Two men taken by Villistas on September 26 claim that Villa has 2,000 armed men and 1,500 unarmed as he has gathered up all men in the Guerrero district. They also claim that Villa hunted around Namiquipa for munitions which had been cached away but was unable to find them. Probably these were the arms found by the American troops. These two men say that Villa in his speeches states that he is going to drive the Carrancistas out of Chihuahua. They also say that Villistas have no corn, no flour, no beans and are living on meat only, killing beeves wherever they can be found. All are mounted, even those without arms, some on horses, others on mules and yet others on burros.
General Pershing furnished above.