supported by the
adherents of the old regime, and, although opposed to the Mexican army,
both had many ideas in common regarding the Madero Administration.
Furthermore, the officers and men of the army were receiving large
increases of pay for the campaign.

An instance showing this disposition on the part of the Federals
occurred in the State of Sonora in October, 1912. General Obregon, now
the commander of the Sonora State forces, was at that time a colonel of
the army and had his battalion, composed largely of Maya Indians, at
Agua Prieta, just across the border from Douglas, Ariz. Salazar's band
of rebels had crossed the mountains from Chihuahua and had come into
Sonora. Popular clamor forced the Federal commander at Agua Prieta to
do something, and accordingly he ordered Obregon to take his battalion,
proceed south, get in touch with Salazar, and "remain in observation."
Salazar was looting the ranch of a friend of Obregon's near Fronteras.
The rebel had taken no means to secure his bivouac against surprise;
his men were scattered around engaged in slaughtering cattle, cooking,
and making camp for the night. Obregon deployed his force and charged
Salazar's camp. Forty of Salazar's men were killed, and a machine gun
and a number of horses, mules, and rifles were captured; whereupon
Salazar left that part of the country. Upon Obregon's return to Agua
Prieta he was severely reprimanded and nearly court-martialed for
disobeying his orders in not "remaining in observation" of Salazar, and
attacking him instead. Had Obregon been given a free hand, he
undoubtedly could have destroyed Salazar's force.

After Salazar's defeat at Fronteras, he moved east again, and about a
month later appeared near Palomas, a town about three miles from the
international boundary south of Columbus, N.M. At Palomas there was a
Federal detachment of about one hundred and thirty men under an old
colonel. They had been sent there to protect various cattle interests
in that vicinity; and they had a considerable amount of money,
equipment, and ammunition for maintaining and providing rations and
forage for themselves and for some outlying detachments. Salazar,
hearing of this, demanded that the money and equipment be immediately
surrendered. Upon being refused, Salazar, with about three hundred and
fifty men, attacked. A furious battle was fought, ending in a
house-to-house fight with grenades--cans filled with dynamite, with
fuse attached, whic