Battle of Ciudad Juárez (1919)
Encyclopedia
The Third Battle of Ciudad Juarez, or simply the Battle of Juarez, was the final major battle involving the rebels of Francisco "Pancho" Villa. It began on June 15, 1919 when Villa attempted to capture the border city of Ciudad Juarez
from the Mexican Army
. During the engagement, the Villistas provoked an intervention by the United States Army
forces protecting the neighboring city of El Paso
, Texas
. The American
s routed the Villistas in what became the second largest battle of the Mexican Revolution
involving the United States, and the last battle of the Border War. With the American army closing in, the Villistas had no choice but to retreat. Pancho Villa then attacked Durango
but lost again so he retired to his home at Parral
, Chihuahua in 1920, with a full pardon
from the Carrancista government.
and General John J. Pershing
's Mexican Expedition
in 1916 and 1917, Pancho Villa's army was scattered across northern Mexico but by 1918 he had assembled several hundred men and began attacking the Carrancistas again. The Villistas were mostly unsuccessful in their final campaign. Though they captured Parral and took several smaller towns, they chose not to attack the city of Chihuahua
because of it's large garrison. Instead Villa turned his attention to Ciudad Juarez in the summer of 1919. According to Friedrich Katz
, author of The life and times of Pancho Villa, Villa's motivations for attacking Ciudad Juarez are unclear. Katz says that Villa wanted to put one of his generals, Felipe Ángeles
, up to it because in the past he had spoke of the "need for reconciliation with the Americans" and the hope that the United States would then "change its attitude" for the Villistas. Katz also says that Villa may have chose to attack Juarez because there was a smaller enemy garrison there than in Chihuahua, a large source of food, and possibly to see if the Americans, just across the Rio Grande
, were still as hostile as they had been during Pershing's campaign. The new Carrancista commander in northeastern Mexico, General Juan Agustin Castro, was also factored in. According to Katz, Castro was not as aggressive as his predecessor and was "content to fortify himself in a few towns without ever taking offensive action." Therefore, Villa felt "relatively confident" that he could win the battle for Juarez without having to worry about Castro attacking him from the rear. Villa's army consisted of over 4,000 infantry
and cavalry
but he had no artillery
support. The Carrancista forces, under General Pablo González Garza
, numbered nearly 3,000 and they had fortified Juarez and occupied the citadel
, Fort Hidalgo. General Gonzalez also had artillery and two other important advantages, he would be fighting a defensive battle and was protected on the northern flank by El Paso and the American army.
Pancho Villa arrived at Ciudad Juarez on the night of June 14, 1919. He first concentrated his forces in an attack on Fort Hidalgo at 12:10 am on June 15 but was repulsed after a fifty minute battle. General Martin Lopez, Villa's godson
, led the attack beacuse Villa was sick at the time. At about 1:10 am, Lopez attacked the city itself. The cavalry charged ahead of the infantry and advanced in a way so that no bullets were crossing the border into El Paso. At first the Villistas seemed to be making progress, they cut through barbed wire
entanglements with wire cutters smuggled in from the United States and routed a line of Carrancista infantry. Then, as Lopez proceeded into the city streets, the advance began to slow. For the rest of the morning and throughout day the two sides fought a bloody close quarters engagement. General Gonzalez was held up in the Municipal Palace and observing the battle from the rooftop. As his lines crumble he says to his assistant, Colonel
Escobar, "We are not holding as we should, colonel. What is happening to our soldiers?" Escobar replied; "It is not them, my general. It is those Villistas. They are attacking like rabid dogs. ... If this goes on any longer, we shall have to surrender without putting up a real fight. Let us withdraw to the Hidalgo fortress so we may regroup and strike back, and let us do it as fast as possible to give the impression they [Villistas] have defeated us." General Gonzalez agreed with Escobar's plan so the order was given to retreat and the Villistas took complete contol of the city. When Gonzalez got to the fort he used the telephone to contact the American garrison across the river and request aid. Though the Americans had already began assembling infantry, cavalry and artillery from Fort Bliss
, they had not yet received orders.
Villa knew his only chance of getting into the fort was by utilizing some captured Carrancista artillery pieces. General Angeles was put in command of this effort and he had to move the artillery from their positions in Juarez to the fort outside of the town before beginning the attack. This took a while and by the time the task was finished General Gonzalez had come up with a daring plan to use the majority of his cavalry and his infantry in a charge against Angeles' column as it approached the fort. The charge successfully routed Angeles and sent him fleeing back to Juarez but the Villistas were able to hold onto the downtown
area. Meanwhile, on the Texas side of the border, American soldiers were being targeted by Villista snipers who directed their fire towards the 82nd Field Artillery Regiment
's headquarters at the El Paso Union Stockyards. Several American soldiers were wounded but they did not return fire. Additionally, two civilians had been killed and four more were wounded. The first, a man named Floyd Hinton, was killed while watching the fighting from his rooftop near the intersection of Ninth and El Paso streets. The second, a Mrs. Ed. Dominguez, was shot in the head while sitting on her doorstep at 309 East Eighth Street. The United States government later conducted an investigation into which faction was responsible for the casualties and suggested that the Villistas were to blame. The Americans, under Brigadier General
James B. Erwin, did not respond to the sniping until 10:35 pm when Private
Sam Tusco, 82nd Field Artillery, was killed and Private Burchard F. Casey was severely wounded by snipers. After General Erwin learned of this, at about 11:00 pm, he sent 3,600 men across the Santa Fe Street bridge, over the Rio Grande, to stop the sniping and provide protection for American citizens there.
Erwin's forces included the 12th Infantry, the 82nd Field Artillery, and the 2nd Cavalry Brigade, composed of the 5th Cavalry Regiment and the 7th Cavalry Regiment. Heavy skirmishing ensued and the Carrancistas returned to their fort so that only the Americans and the Villistas would be engaged. The 12th Infantry and the 2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery, advanced through the center of Juarez while the 5th Cavalry and the 7th Cavalry were protecting the flanks. At 12:30 am, on June 16, the 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery, opened fire from El Paso at the Villista held Juarez Racetrack and continued pounding it effectively until 1:00 am when the order to cease fire was given. By the time the bombardment was over, 1st Battalion had fired a total of sixty-four shrapnel rounds from two batteries
. 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery, was in position and ready to fire but never got a chance to engage. The Americans reached Palazio Commercio in Juarez at about 4:00 am. The Villistas were retreating so the cavalry, under Colonel Selah "Tommy" Tompkins
, and the 2nd Battalion of artillery continued on ahead of the 12th Infantry to pursue the rebels. At about 7:00 am, six miles southeast of Juarez, the Americans encountered a large force of Villistas, divided into three sections. The cavalry charged immediately, as well as the artillery, which was attached to horses. When the 2nd Battalion was 4,000 yards from the Villistas' position the troopers dismounted and the artillery pieces were brought to bear. The first salvo was a direct hit, shrapnel rounds wiped out one of the sections completely and forced the other two units to "scatter in different directions." This encounter was over by 9:00 am but later that day, as the Americans continued their pursuit, Battery D, 2nd Battalion, bombarded an adobe
shack and afterwards found the bodies of about twenty-five dead or wounded Villistas.
manufacture so they were taken as souvenirs by the soldiers. Including Private Sam Tusco and the men wounded before the intervention, two American soldiers were killed and ten were wounded during the fighting. The Carrancistas' casualties are unknown and the Americans reported that they killed or wounded at least 100 Villistas, including General Lopez. There were a lot more casualties than wwhat was reported though, as Villa said in an interview with the El Paso Morning Times on June 19, 1919; "Conscious that the [American] bombardment was causing large numbers of casualties among the civilian population, and considering it senseless to carry on a battle against an enemy superior not only in numbers but in equipment, I ordered the evacuation of Ciudad Juarez and the dispersion of my troops until further noticed. ... I came through here because, smarting as I am to lose an important battle, there is something here that alleviates my affliction. ... Three days ago I lost several of my best officers and hundreds of my humblest men. Those that carry no stars or eagles on their straw hats, afflicts me the most." Villa's statement has been questioned; the American artillery that bombarded Juarez focused solely on the racetrack, Villa's base, and most of his men deserted after the battle rather than being ordered to disperse. When Villa besieged Durango just a few weeks later he only had about 350 "bady demoralized" men left according to a representative of the Mexico North Western Railway
. The siege failed when the Carrancistas launched a suprise attack with trains on the Villista's rear, forcing them to retreat.
Durango was Pancho Villa's last battle. He then led the remnants of his army into the Sierra Madre
and used his newly formed Aerial Corps to fly surveillance missions and bomb enemy convoys and any soldiers that attempted to enter the mountains. Villa was said to have been very upset with the intervention by American soldiers during his attack on Juarez. According to the same railroad representative; "Villa made every effort to capture the only American in the vicinity of Villa Ahumada
, and told his men they had permission to kill any and all Americans encountered in the future. He also told the Mexican people that if any of them were guilty of working for or doing business with Americans in future, he would return someday and kill them." There is no evidence that Villa's men killed any Americans after the battle for Juarez, though there was a raid on the town of Ruby
, Arizona
, in February of 1920, that may have been the work of Villistas. By August of 1920, Villa had had enough, so he surrendered to the Carrancistas. Given a full pardon, Villa retired to a large hacienda
in Chihuahua, with a bodyguard of fifty men. Three years later, on July 16, 1923, he was assassinated while visiting the city of Parral. The assassins were probably sent by Alvaro Obregon
, who had become president after ordering the death of Venustiano Carranza
on May 21, 1920.
The United States War Department later named a National Guard
camp after Private Tusco and the 82nd Field Artillery's unit insignia shows a black artillery shell over a white surface, symbols of the regiment's first shot fired in anger over the Rio Grande.
Ciudad Juárez
Ciudad Juárez , officially known today as Heroica Ciudad Juárez, but abbreviated Juárez and formerly known as El Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez's estimated population is 1.5 million people. The city lies on the Rio Grande...
from the Mexican Army
Mexican Army
The Mexican Army is the combined land and air branch and largest of the Mexican Military services; it also is known as the National Defense Army. It is famous for having been the first army to adopt and use an automatic rifle, , in 1899, and the first to issue automatic weapons as standard issue...
. During the engagement, the Villistas provoked an intervention by the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
forces protecting the neighboring city of El Paso
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
s routed the Villistas in what became the second largest battle of the Mexican Revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
involving the United States, and the last battle of the Border War. With the American army closing in, the Villistas had no choice but to retreat. Pancho Villa then attacked Durango
Durango, Durango
-Climate:The city of Durango has a semi-arid climate, classified as Bsk in the Koppen system. The climate is temperate in the western portion , with the average annual temperature being 15 °C and consisting of an average annual rainfall of 1,600 millimeters. In the eastern region, the average...
but lost again so he retired to his home at Parral
Parral, Chihuahua
Hidalgo del Parral, is a city and seat of the municipality of Hidalgo del Parral in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It is located in the southern part of the state, 220 km from the state capital, the city of Chihuahua, Chih....
, Chihuahua in 1920, with a full pardon
Pardon
Clemency means the forgiveness of a crime or the cancellation of the penalty associated with it. It is a general concept that encompasses several related procedures: pardoning, commutation, remission and reprieves...
from the Carrancista government.
Background
Following the Battle of ColumbusBattle of Columbus (1916)
The Battle of Columbus, the Burning of Columbus or the Columbus Raid began as a raid conducted by Pancho Villa's Division of the North on the small United States border town of Columbus, New Mexico in March 1916. The raid escalated into a full scale battle between Villistas and the United States Army...
and General John J. Pershing
John J. Pershing
John Joseph "Black Jack" Pershing, GCB , was a general officer in the United States Army who led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I...
's Mexican Expedition
Pancho Villa Expedition
The Pancho Villa Expedition—officially known in the United States as the Mexican Expedition and sometimes colloquially referred to as the Punitive Expedition—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the paramilitary forces of Mexican insurgent Francisco "Pancho" Villa...
in 1916 and 1917, Pancho Villa's army was scattered across northern Mexico but by 1918 he had assembled several hundred men and began attacking the Carrancistas again. The Villistas were mostly unsuccessful in their final campaign. Though they captured Parral and took several smaller towns, they chose not to attack the city of Chihuahua
Chihuahua, Chihuahua
The city of Chihuahua is the state capital of the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It has a population of about 825,327. The predominant activity is industry, including domestic heavy, light industries, consumer goods production, and to a smaller extent maquiladoras.-History:It has been said that the...
because of it's large garrison. Instead Villa turned his attention to Ciudad Juarez in the summer of 1919. According to Friedrich Katz
Friedrich Katz
C. Friedrich Katz was an Austrian-born anthropologist and historian specialized in 19th and 20th century history of Latin America; particularly, in the Mexican Revolution...
, author of The life and times of Pancho Villa, Villa's motivations for attacking Ciudad Juarez are unclear. Katz says that Villa wanted to put one of his generals, Felipe Ángeles
Felipe Ángeles
Felipe Ángeles Ramirez was a Mexican military officer, noteworthy for his participation in the Mexican Revolution of 1910 to 1920.-Early life:...
, up to it because in the past he had spoke of the "need for reconciliation with the Americans" and the hope that the United States would then "change its attitude" for the Villistas. Katz also says that Villa may have chose to attack Juarez because there was a smaller enemy garrison there than in Chihuahua, a large source of food, and possibly to see if the Americans, just across the Rio Grande
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande is a river that flows from southwestern Colorado in the United States to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it forms part of the Mexico – United States border. Its length varies as its course changes...
, were still as hostile as they had been during Pershing's campaign. The new Carrancista commander in northeastern Mexico, General Juan Agustin Castro, was also factored in. According to Katz, Castro was not as aggressive as his predecessor and was "content to fortify himself in a few towns without ever taking offensive action." Therefore, Villa felt "relatively confident" that he could win the battle for Juarez without having to worry about Castro attacking him from the rear. Villa's army consisted of over 4,000 infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
and cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
but he had no artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
support. The Carrancista forces, under General Pablo González Garza
Pablo González Garza
Pablo González Garza was a Mexican General during the Mexican Revolution. He is considered to be the main organizer of the assassination of Emiliano Zapata....
, numbered nearly 3,000 and they had fortified Juarez and occupied the citadel
Citadel
A citadel is a fortress for protecting a town, sometimes incorporating a castle. The term derives from the same Latin root as the word "city", civis, meaning citizen....
, Fort Hidalgo. General Gonzalez also had artillery and two other important advantages, he would be fighting a defensive battle and was protected on the northern flank by El Paso and the American army.
Battle
Godson
Loongson is a family of general-purpose MIPS-compatible CPUs developed at the Institute of Computing Technology , Chinese Academy of Sciences in the People's Republic of China. The chief architect is Professor Hu Weiwu....
, led the attack beacuse Villa was sick at the time. At about 1:10 am, Lopez attacked the city itself. The cavalry charged ahead of the infantry and advanced in a way so that no bullets were crossing the border into El Paso. At first the Villistas seemed to be making progress, they cut through barbed wire
Barbed wire
Barbed wire, also known as barb wire , is a type of fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strand. It is used to construct inexpensive fences and is used atop walls surrounding secured property...
entanglements with wire cutters smuggled in from the United States and routed a line of Carrancista infantry. Then, as Lopez proceeded into the city streets, the advance began to slow. For the rest of the morning and throughout day the two sides fought a bloody close quarters engagement. General Gonzalez was held up in the Municipal Palace and observing the battle from the rooftop. As his lines crumble he says to his assistant, Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Escobar, "We are not holding as we should, colonel. What is happening to our soldiers?" Escobar replied; "It is not them, my general. It is those Villistas. They are attacking like rabid dogs. ... If this goes on any longer, we shall have to surrender without putting up a real fight. Let us withdraw to the Hidalgo fortress so we may regroup and strike back, and let us do it as fast as possible to give the impression they [Villistas] have defeated us." General Gonzalez agreed with Escobar's plan so the order was given to retreat and the Villistas took complete contol of the city. When Gonzalez got to the fort he used the telephone to contact the American garrison across the river and request aid. Though the Americans had already began assembling infantry, cavalry and artillery from Fort Bliss
Fort Bliss
Fort Bliss is a United States Army post in the U.S. states of New Mexico and Texas. With an area of about , it is the Army's second-largest installation behind the adjacent White Sands Missile Range. It is FORSCOM's largest installation, and has the Army's largest Maneuver Area behind the...
, they had not yet received orders.
Villa knew his only chance of getting into the fort was by utilizing some captured Carrancista artillery pieces. General Angeles was put in command of this effort and he had to move the artillery from their positions in Juarez to the fort outside of the town before beginning the attack. This took a while and by the time the task was finished General Gonzalez had come up with a daring plan to use the majority of his cavalry and his infantry in a charge against Angeles' column as it approached the fort. The charge successfully routed Angeles and sent him fleeing back to Juarez but the Villistas were able to hold onto the downtown
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
area. Meanwhile, on the Texas side of the border, American soldiers were being targeted by Villista snipers who directed their fire towards the 82nd Field Artillery Regiment
82nd Field Artillery Regiment (United States)
- Foundation and Formation :The 82nd Field Artillery traces it earliest history to that of the "First Dragoons". This type of fighting force was unique employing a fighting force that was skilled both as horse mounted and dismounted troops. Dragoon is derivitave from the French Army designation...
's headquarters at the El Paso Union Stockyards. Several American soldiers were wounded but they did not return fire. Additionally, two civilians had been killed and four more were wounded. The first, a man named Floyd Hinton, was killed while watching the fighting from his rooftop near the intersection of Ninth and El Paso streets. The second, a Mrs. Ed. Dominguez, was shot in the head while sitting on her doorstep at 309 East Eighth Street. The United States government later conducted an investigation into which faction was responsible for the casualties and suggested that the Villistas were to blame. The Americans, under Brigadier General
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
James B. Erwin, did not respond to the sniping until 10:35 pm when Private
Private
Private may refer to:* Private , a military rank* Private , a U.S. step rocket* Private , a Denmark-based band* Private , a 2004 Italian film* Private , a young-adult book series launched in 2006...
Sam Tusco, 82nd Field Artillery, was killed and Private Burchard F. Casey was severely wounded by snipers. After General Erwin learned of this, at about 11:00 pm, he sent 3,600 men across the Santa Fe Street bridge, over the Rio Grande, to stop the sniping and provide protection for American citizens there.
Erwin's forces included the 12th Infantry, the 82nd Field Artillery, and the 2nd Cavalry Brigade, composed of the 5th Cavalry Regiment and the 7th Cavalry Regiment. Heavy skirmishing ensued and the Carrancistas returned to their fort so that only the Americans and the Villistas would be engaged. The 12th Infantry and the 2nd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery, advanced through the center of Juarez while the 5th Cavalry and the 7th Cavalry were protecting the flanks. At 12:30 am, on June 16, the 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery, opened fire from El Paso at the Villista held Juarez Racetrack and continued pounding it effectively until 1:00 am when the order to cease fire was given. By the time the bombardment was over, 1st Battalion had fired a total of sixty-four shrapnel rounds from two batteries
Artillery battery
In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit of guns, mortars, rockets or missiles so grouped in order to facilitate better battlefield communication and command and control, as well as to provide dispersion for its constituent gunnery crews and their systems...
. 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery, was in position and ready to fire but never got a chance to engage. The Americans reached Palazio Commercio in Juarez at about 4:00 am. The Villistas were retreating so the cavalry, under Colonel Selah "Tommy" Tompkins
Frank Tompkins
Colonel Frank Tompkins was an American officer in the United States Army and Medal of Honor recipient for his leadership in the 1916 Battle of Columbus, New Mexico, during the conflict on the Mexican-American border.-Biography:...
, and the 2nd Battalion of artillery continued on ahead of the 12th Infantry to pursue the rebels. At about 7:00 am, six miles southeast of Juarez, the Americans encountered a large force of Villistas, divided into three sections. The cavalry charged immediately, as well as the artillery, which was attached to horses. When the 2nd Battalion was 4,000 yards from the Villistas' position the troopers dismounted and the artillery pieces were brought to bear. The first salvo was a direct hit, shrapnel rounds wiped out one of the sections completely and forced the other two units to "scatter in different directions." This encounter was over by 9:00 am but later that day, as the Americans continued their pursuit, Battery D, 2nd Battalion, bombarded an adobe
Adobe
Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous or organic material , which the builders shape into bricks using frames and dry in the sun. Adobe buildings are similar to cob and mudbrick buildings. Adobe structures are extremely durable, and account for...
shack and afterwards found the bodies of about twenty-five dead or wounded Villistas.
Aftermath
When the pursuit was finally discontinued, Colonel Tompkins headed back north for Ciudad Juarez, collecting fifty saddles, 300 horses and mules, and over 100 rifles that were left behind by the Villistas. Many of the guns were of GermanGerman Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
manufacture so they were taken as souvenirs by the soldiers. Including Private Sam Tusco and the men wounded before the intervention, two American soldiers were killed and ten were wounded during the fighting. The Carrancistas' casualties are unknown and the Americans reported that they killed or wounded at least 100 Villistas, including General Lopez. There were a lot more casualties than wwhat was reported though, as Villa said in an interview with the El Paso Morning Times on June 19, 1919; "Conscious that the [American] bombardment was causing large numbers of casualties among the civilian population, and considering it senseless to carry on a battle against an enemy superior not only in numbers but in equipment, I ordered the evacuation of Ciudad Juarez and the dispersion of my troops until further noticed. ... I came through here because, smarting as I am to lose an important battle, there is something here that alleviates my affliction. ... Three days ago I lost several of my best officers and hundreds of my humblest men. Those that carry no stars or eagles on their straw hats, afflicts me the most." Villa's statement has been questioned; the American artillery that bombarded Juarez focused solely on the racetrack, Villa's base, and most of his men deserted after the battle rather than being ordered to disperse. When Villa besieged Durango just a few weeks later he only had about 350 "bady demoralized" men left according to a representative of the Mexico North Western Railway
Mexico North Western Railway
The Mexico North-Western Railway or Compañía del Ferrocarril Nor-Oeste de México was a railroad that operated in Mexico between Ciudad Juárez and Chihuahua, via Nuevo Casas Grandes in the western portion of the state of Chihuahua. Prior to 1909, it was known as the Rio Grande, Sierra Madre &...
. The siege failed when the Carrancistas launched a suprise attack with trains on the Villista's rear, forcing them to retreat.
Durango was Pancho Villa's last battle. He then led the remnants of his army into the Sierra Madre
Sierra Madre Occidental
The Sierra Madre Occidental is a mountain range in western Mexico.-Setting:The range runs north to south, from just south of the Sonora–Arizona border southeast through eastern Sonora, western Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Durango, Zacatecas, Nayarit, Jalisco, Aguascalientes to Guanajuato, where it joins...
and used his newly formed Aerial Corps to fly surveillance missions and bomb enemy convoys and any soldiers that attempted to enter the mountains. Villa was said to have been very upset with the intervention by American soldiers during his attack on Juarez. According to the same railroad representative; "Villa made every effort to capture the only American in the vicinity of Villa Ahumada
Villa Ahumada
Villa Ahumada is a town and seat of the municipality of Ahumada in the state of Chihuahua in northern Mexico with 8,753 inhabitants...
, and told his men they had permission to kill any and all Americans encountered in the future. He also told the Mexican people that if any of them were guilty of working for or doing business with Americans in future, he would return someday and kill them." There is no evidence that Villa's men killed any Americans after the battle for Juarez, though there was a raid on the town of Ruby
Ruby, Arizona
Ruby is a ghost town in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. It was founded as a mining town in Bear Valley, originally named Montana Camp, so named because the miners were mining at the foot of Montana Peak.-History:...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, in February of 1920, that may have been the work of Villistas. By August of 1920, Villa had had enough, so he surrendered to the Carrancistas. Given a full pardon, Villa retired to a large hacienda
Hacienda
Hacienda is a Spanish word for an estate. Some haciendas were plantations, mines, or even business factories. Many haciendas combined these productive activities...
in Chihuahua, with a bodyguard of fifty men. Three years later, on July 16, 1923, he was assassinated while visiting the city of Parral. The assassins were probably sent by Alvaro Obregon
Álvaro Obregón
General Álvaro Obregón Salido was the President of Mexico from 1920 to 1924. He was assassinated in 1928, shortly after winning election to another presidential term....
, who had become president after ordering the death of Venustiano Carranza
Venustiano Carranza
Venustiano Carranza de la Garza, was one of the leaders of the Mexican Revolution. He ultimately became President of Mexico following the overthrow of the dictatorial Huerta regime in the summer of 1914 and during his administration the current constitution of Mexico was drafted...
on May 21, 1920.
The United States War Department later named a National Guard
United States National Guard
The National Guard of the United States is a reserve military force composed of state National Guard militia members or units under federally recognized active or inactive armed force service for the United States. Militia members are citizen soldiers, meaning they work part time for the National...
camp after Private Tusco and the 82nd Field Artillery's unit insignia shows a black artillery shell over a white surface, symbols of the regiment's first shot fired in anger over the Rio Grande.