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A TRIBE ANNIHILATED._ i,Mexican Troop* Brutally Destroy an Aztec Village.Slaughter of 368 Soldiers in the ! Tomocnians’ Last Struggle, jNews of the annihilation of the Tomoc-niens, a people who inhabited a village called Tomocnie. and who, it is said, were nearly pure Aztecs, has been receive 1 at El Paso, Texas. Tomocnie is situated on the direct road to Guerrero and Jesus Maria, in the mountains of southeastern Chihuahua.Mexico, and the people had l**»u ;n open rebellion against the State and Federal Government for -nore than a year on account of excessive taxation, extortion by Government officers, and Governmeur interference with their religious belief. Two months ago the Federal (rnvernment s-nt the 110th Battalion, in command of General Ran.iel, to make the people pay the tax required of them and to accept the Government officers appointed to taka charge, or to kill every one of them. This alternative was openly boasted of byofficers in Chihuahua before the troops started for the town, and when the Tomoc-nleus heard of it they decided to tight to the end, as they knew that even should tiiev receive the soldiers peaceably they would be shot on the slightest provocation. 'When the soldiers made their descent on the village, they were met and driven off ( with the loss of twenty-two officers and fourteen men killed and two officers and fortv-flve men taken prisoners. The prisoners were confined on top of an adobe church. General Ran jel was the only officer who es- 1caped.When the news of the affair reached the ears of President Daiz, he decided to annihi- 1 late the village. Soldiers left Chihuahua and formed a junction with others from Pinos Altos and Guerrero to the number of 1300. Then au attack was made on all sides. The Tomocniens, who oniy numbered thirty-eight, took refuge with their families in the church and awaited the attack, which took place at aboot ten o’clock in tbe morning. The attack was made on all sides, and lasted until dusk, when the soldiers gainei an entrance to the church. Then a terrible hand-to-hand fight took plaee, and the soldiers completed the massacre. The report says that 363 of tneir number were killed and many wounded.The village the next day presen ’Led a terrible view. The streets leading to the church were strewn with bodies and flowing with blood. Not a man of tbe Tomocniens was left except those who happened to be out in the mountains.The Tomocniens were some time ago a rich people in cattle and farms, but. the lack of rain and failure o£ crops had brought them to poverty ami they were unable to endure the extortion of the Government. They were very hospitable and several weeks ago when several parties of Americans passed lt;through from Guerrero to Chihuahua, they were treated kindly and well-cared for, though the Government ; 1 officials objected to tbeir going, they saying that the Tomocniens were brigands. « The feeling against tbe Government is said to be very strong, and the affair is called a second Alamo, destined to bring liberty to the Mexican people.
Newspaper Details
Fisherman And Farmer
Edenton, North Carolina, US
Fri, Nov 11, 1892
Page 6
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Anonymous
USA 12 Dec 2021
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