Border War (1910–1918)
Encyclopedia
The Border War, or the Border Campaign, refers to the military engagements which took place in the Mexican
-American
border region of North America
during the Mexican Revolution
. The Bandit War
in Texas was part of the Border War. From the beginning of the revolution in 1910, the United States Army
was stationed in force along the border and on several occasions fought with Mexican rebels or federals. The height of the conflict came in 1916 when revolutionary Pancho Villa
attacked
the American border town of Columbus, New Mexico
. In response, the United States Army, under the direction of General
John J. Pershing
, launched an expedition
into northern Mexico, to find and capture Villa. Though the operation was successful in finding and engaging the Villista rebels, the revolutionary himself escaped and the American army returned to the United States in January 1917. Conflict at the border continued however and the United States launched several more smaller operations into Mexican territory until 1919 when violence decreased significantly after the Battle of Ambos Nogales
. Conflict was not only subject to Villistas and Americans; Maderistas, Carrancistas, Constitutionalistas and Germans
also engaged in battle with American forces during this period. The war was one of the highlights of the Old West era.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
border region of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
during 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...
. The Bandit War
Bandit War
The Bandit War, or Bandit Wars, refers to a series of raids in Texas between 1910 and 1918 that were carried out by Mexican rebels from the states of Tamaulipas, Coahuila and Chihuahua. Before 1914, the Carrancista faction was responsible for most of the attacks but in January of 1915 rebels known...
in Texas was part of the Border War. From the beginning of the revolution in 1910, 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...
was stationed in force along the border and on several occasions fought with Mexican rebels or federals. The height of the conflict came in 1916 when revolutionary Pancho Villa
Pancho Villa
José Doroteo Arango Arámbula – better known by his pseudonym Francisco Villa or its hypocorism Pancho Villa – was one of the most prominent Mexican Revolutionary generals....
attacked
Battle 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...
the American border town of Columbus, New Mexico
Columbus, New Mexico
Columbus is a village in Luna County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 1,765 at the 2000 census. The town is named after 15th century explorer Christopher Columbus.-History:...
. In response, the United States Army, under the direction of General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
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...
, launched an 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...
into northern Mexico, to find and capture Villa. Though the operation was successful in finding and engaging the Villista rebels, the revolutionary himself escaped and the American army returned to the United States in January 1917. Conflict at the border continued however and the United States launched several more smaller operations into Mexican territory until 1919 when violence decreased significantly after the Battle of Ambos Nogales
Battle of Ambos Nogales
The Battle of Ambos Nogales , or the Third Battle of Nogales, was an engagement fought on August 27, 1918 between United States Army forces, stationed in Nogales, Arizona, and the Carrancista garrison of Nogales, Sonora...
. Conflict was not only subject to Villistas and Americans; Maderistas, Carrancistas, Constitutionalistas and Germans
German 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...
also engaged in battle with American forces during this period. The war was one of the highlights of the Old West era.
1910
- Revolutionary activity breaks out in Mexico.
- United States Army deploys to several border townBorder townA border town is a town or city close to the boundary between two countries, states or regions. Usually the term implies that it is one of the things the town is most famous for. Border towns can have highly cosmopolitan communities, a feature they share with port cities...
s to protect American lives and property and to ensure that fighting between rebel and federal forces remains on the Mexican side of the border. - In late 1910, Francisco Madero issues the Plan of San Luis PotosíPlan of San Luis PotosíThe Plan of San Luis de Potosí was a political document written in San Antonio, Texas, United States, and published in the Mexican city of San Luis Potosí in 1910. The document ushered in the Mexican revolution and the collapse of the Presidency of Porfirio Díaz...
in San Antonio, TexasSan Antonio, TexasSan Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
. A proclamation which called for Mexican citizens to rise up against the federal government of Porfirio Diaz. - On November 20, 1910 Madero planned to attack the border town of Ciudad Porfirio Diaz across the border from Eagle Pass, TexasEagle Pass, TexasEagle Pass is a city in and the county seat of Maverick County The population was 27,183 as of the 2010 census.Eagle Pass borders the city of Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, which is to the southwest and across the Rio Grande. The Eagle Pass-Piedras Negras Metropolitan Area is one of six...
. Due to the lack of reinforcements Madero canceled the operation and left to New Orleans, LouisianaLouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
to prepare another plan.
1911
- Pofirio Diaz pressured the United States government into issuing orders for Madero's arrest. Madero escapes across the border back into Mexico on February 14.
- Magonistas began campaigning in northern Baja CaliforniaBaja CaliforniaBaja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
in February. They capturedCapture of MexicaliThe Capture of Mexicali, or the Battle of Mexicali was the first action of the Mexican Revolution taken by rebel Magonistas against the federal Mexican government of Porfirio Diaz...
the Mexican border town of MexicaliMexicaliMexicali is the capital of the State of Baja California, seat of the Municipality of Mexicali, and 2nd largest city in Baja California. The City of Mexicali has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the population of the entire metropolitan area reaches 936,826.The city...
on February 11 and then marched to TijuanaTijuanaTijuana is the largest city on the Baja California Peninsula and center of the Tijuana metropolitan area, part of the international San Diego–Tijuana metropolitan area. An industrial and financial center of Mexico, Tijuana exerts a strong influence on economics, education, culture, art, and politics...
where they defeatedFirst Battle of TijuanaThe First Battle of Tijuana was an early engagement of the Mexican Revolution and the first significant victory for the Magonistas. Tijuana was captured and held by rebel forces on May 9, 1911 and was used as a haven for recruiting American volunteers from California.-Background:The tourist port of...
the federal garrisonGarrisonGarrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
. The Mexican government retaliated and attacked Tijuana in June, forcing the rebels to cross the border and surrender to the United States Army at San Ysidro, California. - In March 1911 Francisco Madero led 130 men at the Battle of Casas GrandesBattle of Casas GrandesThe Battle of Casas Grandes was fought in March 1911 between the federal Mexican Army loyal to President Porfirio Diaz and rebels under General Francisco Madero. Rebel forces attacked the Mexican town of Casas Grandes, Chihuahua and defeated the federal garrison.-Battle:Francisco I. Madero was...
in Chihuahua. The rebels lost the battle but later the federals retreated which left Madero's army in control. Madero then began smuggling arms and ammunition on a large scale from across the border. - On March 16, 1911 rebel sabatours in Ciudad Juarez bombed the barracks and homes of the Mexican Army garrison. A large nitroglycerin explosion was seen on the American side of the border. Two days later a large cannon which sat in the town square of El Paso, Texas disappeared and was presumably taken to Ciudad Juarez.
- Maderista rebels fought federal troops loyal to Porfirio Diaz at Agua Prieta, Sonora in April. United States troops across the border in Douglas, ArizonaDouglas, ArizonaDouglas is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. Douglas has a border crossing with Mexico and a history of mining.The population was 14,312 at the 2000 census...
were attacked by Mexican forces and in response the Americans intervened which left the rebels in control of the town. - Madero's rebels under Pancho Villa and Pascual OrozcoPascual OrozcoPascual Orozco Vazquez was a Mexican revolutionary leader who, after the triumph of the Mexican Revolution, rose up against Francisco I...
attacked federal forces at the major Second Battle of Ciudad JuarezBattle of Ciudad JuárezThe First Battle of Ciudad Juárez took place in April and May 1911 between federal forces loyal to Porfirio Díaz and rebel forces of Francisco Madero, during the Mexican Revolution. Pascual Orozco and Pancho Villa commanded Madero's army which besieged Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. After two days of...
from April 7 to May 10. The American garrison of El Paso, TexasEl Paso, TexasEl 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...
exchanged fire with rebels resulting in minor casualties on both sides. - Porfirio Diaz exiled. Francisco Madero becomes President of Mexico and calls for an end to warfare in the country. He offered to pay rebels of different factions but only if they would lay down their arms or join his new federal Mexican Army.
- Fighting breaks out between rebel factions.
1912
- United States Army continues garrisoning American border towns.
- General Pasqual Orozco rebels against President Madero and begins a campaign in the Mexican border state of Chihuahua. Madero responds by sending an army which defeated Orozco's troops in thee major battles. Villa rebels from the Madero government soon after.
- Federal Mexican forces of President Francisco Madero establish Fort Tijuana along the international border with California in response to the Magonista campaign.
1913
- Nogales, SonoraNogales, SonoraHeroica Nogales , more commonly known as Nogales, is a city and its surrounding municipality on the northern border of the Mexican State of Sonora. The municipality covers an area of 1,675 km², and borders to the north the city of Nogales, Arizona, United States, across the U.S.-Mexico border...
was attacked by General Obregon's army of over 2,000 Constitutionalistas in 1913. Defending federal forces under General Emilio KosterlitzkyEmilio KosterlitzkyEmilio Kosterlitzky, also known as Emil Kosterlitzky, was a Russian-born polyglot linguist and soldier of fortune who eventually became a spy for the United States....
collapsed and surrendered to the United States Army garrison of Nogales, ArizonaNogales, ArizonaNogales is a city in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. The population was 21,017 at the 2010 census. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 20,833. The city is the county seat of Santa Cruz County....
. - The Battle of NacoBattle of NacoThe Battle of Naco, or the First Battle of Naco due to a later siege was a battle of the Mexican Revolution between Constitutionalist forces and Mexican government forces. Rebel forces under General Alvaro Obregon defeated the Mexican Army garrison and captured Naco, Sonora .-Background:During the...
is fought. Alvaro Obregon's rebel army defeated the federal Mexican border town garrison of Naco, SonoraNaco, SonoraNaco is a Mexican town and municipality located in the northeast part of Sonora state on the border with the United States. It is directly across from the unincorporated town of Naco, Arizona. The name Naco comes from the Opata language and means nopal cactus. The town saw fighting during the...
. United States troops watched the battle from across the border. - American troops in Naco, Arizona begin construction of Fort Naco, one of twelve forts built by the United States Army along the border for protection against warring Mexican forces.
- General John Pershing and Pancho Villa meet at Fort Bliss, Texas and would meet again later in 1914 at OjinagaOjinagaOjinaga Municipality is one of the 67 municipalities of Chihuahua, in northern Mexico. The municipal seat lies at Ojinaga, a rural bordertown on the U.S.-Mexico border...
.
1914
- On April 9, the Tampico AffairTampico AffairThe Tampico Affair started off as a minor incident involving U.S. sailors and Mexican land forces loyal to General Victoriano Huerta during the guerra de las facciones phase of the Mexican Revolution...
occurred. An incident in TampicoTampicoTampico is a city and port in the state of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located in the southeastern part of the state, directly north across the border from Veracruz. Tampico is the third largest city in Tamaulipas, and counts with a population of 309,003. The Metropolitan area of...
between United States Navy sailors and Mexican troops which resulted in the severing of diplomatic relations between Mexico and the United States. - In response to the Tampico Affair, PresidentPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Woodrow WilsonWoodrow WilsonThomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
asked Congress to approve an armed invasion of Mexico. - Congress approves the invasion. The United States Navy's Atlantic fleet under AdmiralAdmiralAdmiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Frank FletcherFrank Friday FletcherFrank Friday Fletcher was an United States Navy admiral who served in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was awarded the U.S. military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions as commander of Navy forces at the Battle of Veracruz, Mexico.-Biography:Fletcher was born on...
was sent to Veracruz and occupied the city after an amphibious assault and a street battle with Mexican defenders. - The longest battle of the Mexican Revolution was fought at Naco, SonoraNaco, SonoraNaco is a Mexican town and municipality located in the northeast part of Sonora state on the border with the United States. It is directly across from the unincorporated town of Naco, Arizona. The name Naco comes from the Opata language and means nopal cactus. The town saw fighting during the...
, across the border from Fort Naco and Naco, Arizona. Pancho Villa's men attacked General Obregon's garrison on October 17, 1914. During the 119 following days of siege warfare Villa was defeated. Also during the battle several United States Army Buffalo Soldiers stationed in Naco, Arizona were wounded by rebels shooting into their camp. Eight men were wounded but they did not return fire and were later recognized for their good discipline. - Pancho Villa and Emilio Zapata capture Mexico City but soon after are forced to retreat by Alvaro Obregon's army.
1915
- Carrancistas draft the Plan de San Diego, an operation to overthrow the American state governments of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California by starting a race warRace warRace war is a term referring to developing hostilities between ethnic groups divided on the basis of racial group or skin color. The term may refer to specific violent acts or to general overt or covert hostilities between ethnic groups; compare ethnic conflict.-Manson:The murders perpetrated by...
. The plan was discovered by the Americans after a Carrancista leader was arrested in Texas though some fighting did occur in the form of raids, launched by rebels into Texas territory.
- Pancho Villa attacks General Obregon's Constitutionalist garrison at Nogales, Sonora. Villa initiates a siege but over time is defeated due to the lack of artilleryArtilleryOriginally 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...
and insufficient supplies. During the siege the United States 12th Infantry garrison of Nogales, Arizona was attacked by Villistas and in turn skirmished for a half hour. Only one American was killed along with several of Villa's rebels. - Villistas and Constitutionalists foughtSecond Battle of Agua PrietaThe Second Battle of Agua Prieta was fought between the forces of Pancho Villa and those of the future President of Mexico, Plutarco Elías Calles, a supporter of Venustiano Carranza, on November 1, 1915, at Agua Prieta, Sonora, as part of the Mexican Revolution. Villa's attack on the town was...
again at Agua Prieta in November 1915. Later Villa attributed his defeat to large searchlights used during the battle by the United States Army garrison of Douglas, Arizona. The battle ended in defeat for Villa and led to the more disastrous Battle of Hermosillo on November 21, 1915. During which Villa's forces pillaged the city instead of fighting the garrison, resulting in a repulse. Also at this time Constitutionalist forces were allowed access to American railways for troop movement.
1916
- The January 1916 San Isabel Massacre occurred. Villistas stopped a train near Santa Isabel, ChihuahuaSanta Isabel, ChihuahuaSanta Isabel is a small town in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of Santa Isabel.As of 2005, Santa Isabel had a total population of 1412....
and killed eighteen American passengers from the ASARCOASARCOASARCO LLC is a mining, smelting, and refining company based in Tucson, Arizona that mines and processes primarily copper. The company, a subsidiary of Grupo México, is currently in Chapter 11 bankruptcy...
company of Tucson, ArizonaTucson, ArizonaTucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
. - Now losing the war, Pancho Villa decided to raidBattle 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...
Columbus, New Mexico for supplies on March 9, 1916. The raid did not go as planned and Villa's 500 cavalrymen were defeated by over 300 United States infantry and cavalry who were stationed in a border fort outside of town. Columbus was heavily damaged by the Villistas who burned several of the town's buildings. Sixty to eighty Villistas were killed along with over a dozen American troops and civilians. - In response to the attack on Columbus, American President Wilson ordered General John J. Pershing to proceed into Mexico with over 5,000 men to capture or kill Pancho Villa, thus beginning the Pancho Villa Expedition.
- On May 5, 1916 Villa's rebels attacked two more American border towns, Glenn Springs, Texas and BoquillasBoquillas, TexasBoquillas was a small settlement in Texas, located on the northern banks of the Rio Grande. It was located within Brewster County, five miles northeast of San Vicente, Texas. The place existed to service the mining operations at Boquillas del Carmen, Mexico, just across the Rio Grande.Boquillas,...
. Over 200 men under Rodriguez Ramirez and Natividad Álvarez crossed the Texas border with the intention of capturing supplies. At Glenn Springs a United States Army squad of nine men resisted the Villista attack for several hours but eventually the raiders set fire to the adobe building the Americans were held up in and forced the 14th Infantry men to retreat. Three of the United States troops were killed and four others were wounded. One young American boy was also killed by the Mexicans. At Boquillas, twelve miles from Glenn Springs, the Americans there captured Alvarez and discovered he was a Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant colonelLieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
in Pancho Villa's Division del NorteDivision del NorteThe División del Norte was an armed faction formed by Madero and initially led by General Jose Gonzales Salas following the call to arms from Francisco Madero at the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution in 1910. After Salas committed suicide following his defeat at the hands of Pascual Orozco at the...
and was a veteran of the Battle of CelayaBattle of CelayaThe Battle of Celaya, which occurred near Celaya, Guanajuato on 13 April 1915, was a battle of the Mexican Revolution.The Conventionist forces under Pancho Villa were badly defeated by forces under the command of Álvaro Obregón, who supported the presidency of Venustiano Carranza. Villa lost...
. - The raiders of Glenn Springs and Boquillas took two captives with them when they withdrew across the border. Jesse Deemer and Monroe Payne who were later rescued by American Army forces during a small cavalry expedition into Mexico. The expedition of eighty men, two wagons and a car began on May 8 from Marathon, TexasMarathon, TexasMarathon is a census-designated place in Brewster County, Texas, United States. The population was 470 in 2007, after growing from 455 in 2000, but had decreased to 430 by 2010.-Geography:Marathon is located at ....
and was under the command of ColonelColonelColonel , 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...
Frederick W. Sibley and Colonel George T. Langhorne. The rebels were held up at El Pino, Chihuahua and at first Colonel Langhorne negotiated for the release of the two Americans and when this failed he ordered his men to embark his personal car and head for El Pino. Upon their arrival the Villistas fled and Deemer and Payne were freed. During the operation which ended on May 21, five Mexicans were killed in skirmishes with no American losses. - President Wilson orders the National Guard to reinforce the United States Army garrisons at the border line. By August 1916 an estimated 117,000 guardsmen were stationed along the border in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.
- On April 12, 1916, American forces and Carrancistas fight the Battle of ParralBattle of ParralThe Battle of Parral, on April 12, 1916, was the first battle between soldiers of Venustiano Carranza, known as Carrancistas, and the United States military during the Mexican Expedition...
in Chihuahua. When United States troops under MajorMajorMajor is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Frank TompkinsFrank TompkinsColonel 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:...
attempted to leave the city of ParralParral, ChihuahuaHidalgo 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....
they were attacked by Carrancista riflemen. The Americans returned fire and over the course of several hours forty-five Mexicans lay dead along with two Americans, including Major Tompkins. The engagement marked the furthest penetration into northern Mexico by American forces, Parral is over 500 miles from the border. - In June Buffalo Soldiers of the 10th CavalryU.S. 10th Cavalry RegimentThe 10th Cavalry Regiment is a unit of the United States Army. Formed as a segregated African-American unit, the 10th Cavalry was one of the original "Buffalo Soldier" regiments. It served in combat during the Indian Wars in the western United States, the Spanish-American War in Cuba and in the...
suffered a defeat at the Battle of Carrizal. Federal Mexican troops attacked 100 cavalrymen when they attempted to enter the town of Carrizal. The most famous battle of the Border war was fought and ended with the deaths of forty-five Mexicans and sixteen Americans. Forty-four other Mexicans and Americans were wounded. - Raids on American border towns continued during and for years after the Pancho Villa Expedition. On June 15, raiders killed four American soldiers at San Ygnacio, Texas. On July 31 another soldier and a United States customs inspector were killed in a second raid. During both engagements Mexicans were killed or wounded but their casualties are not known.
- Future General George S. PattonGeorge S. PattonGeorge Smith Patton, Jr. was a United States Army officer best known for his leadership while commanding corps and armies as a general during World War II. He was also well known for his eccentricity and controversial outspokenness.Patton was commissioned in the U.S. Army after his graduation from...
of the 8th Cavalry conducted America's first assault with armored vehicles at a ranch near San Miguelito, Mexico. Three Mexicans were killed including the Villista General Julio CardenasJulio CardenasJulio Cárdenas was a Captain in Pancho Villa's Villista military organization. He was second-in-command to Villa and the head of his personal bodyguard. The Battle of Columbus, New Mexico, in which 18 Americans were killed, sparked the campaign, led by 'Black Jack' Pershing, to eradicate the...
. Patton is said to have carved notches into the pistols he carried, representing the men he killed with them.
1917
- Due to the defeat at Carizzal, President Wilson ordered General Pershing to withdraw from Mexico and end the expedition. By January 1917 most of the American expeditionary troops had left Mexican territory and were back at garrison duty along the border.
- The Zimmermann TelegramZimmermann TelegramThe Zimmermann Telegram was a 1917 diplomatic proposal from the German Empire to Mexico to make war against the United States. The proposal was caught by the British before it could get to Mexico. The revelation angered the Americans and led in part to a U.S...
was intercepted by the BritishUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1917. In the telegram the German government formally requested that Mexico join World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
on the side of the Central PowersCentral PowersThe Central Powers were one of the two warring factions in World War I , composed of the German Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulgaria...
. The Germans asked the Mexicans to attack the southwestern United StatesSouthwestern United StatesThe Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
and promised to return land to Mexico that was lost to the United States during the Mexican-American War and the Gadsden PurchaseGadsden PurchaseThe Gadsden Purchase is a region of present-day southern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico that was purchased by the United States in a treaty signed by James Gadsden, the American ambassador to Mexico at the time, on December 30, 1853. It was then ratified, with changes, by the U.S...
. Mexico ignored the request but the United States did not and used the affair as a reason to declare war on Germany. So began the American entry into World War IAmerican entry into World War IAmerican entry into World War I came in April 1917, after 2½ years of efforts by President Woodrow Wilson to keep the United States neutral. Americans had no idea that a war was approaching in 1914...
.
1918
- United States Army Intelligence stationed at Fort HuachucaFort HuachucaFort Huachuca is a United States Army installation under the command of the United States Army Installation Management Command. It is located in Cochise County, in southeast Arizona, about north of the border with Mexico. Beginning in 1913, for 20 years the fort was the base for the "Buffalo...
, Arizona detected a German military presence in Sonora and ordered troops to begin surveillance operations to prepare for war with Mexico. Mexican railways, train stations, and other related enterprises were inspected as possible routes for a large scale American invasion. - Revolutionary Yaqui native AmericansIndigenous peoples of the AmericasThe indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
established a base in Bear Valley, Arizona to store weapons intended to be smuggled into Mexico. This base was discovered by the United States Army so Blondy Ryder of the 10th Cavalry was ordered to evict the rebel Yaquis. On January 9, 1918, Ryder's patrol attackedBattle of Bear ValleyThe Battle of Bear Valley was a small engagement between the revolutionary Yaqui natives and the United States Army on January 9, 1918 in southern Arizona. This skirmish is widely recognized as the final battle of the American Indian Wars.-Background:...
the Yaquis in a small half-hour engagement. The camp was destroyed, one Yaqui was killed and nine others were captured. The United States Cavalry suffered no casualties. - In mid August, Lieutenant Colonel Frederick J. Herman received an anymous message from a Mexican revolutionary about a possible attack on Nogales, Arizona by federal Mexican soldiers and a group of German military advisors. A few days later on August 27, a Mexican suspected of gun smuggling crossed the border into Nogales, Sonora followed by an American Custom agent and two United States Army troops. A Mexican soldier watched the incident and fired on the American agent. The shot was a miss but hit one of the soldiers instead, the remaining two Americans returned fire and killed the Mexican soldier. From there the incident escalated from a small dispute into a battleBattle of Ambos NogalesThe Battle of Ambos Nogales , or the Third Battle of Nogales, was an engagement fought on August 27, 1918 between United States Army forces, stationed in Nogales, Arizona, and the Carrancista garrison of Nogales, Sonora...
. Reinforcements from both sides rushed to the border to fight, men of the 35th Infantry Regiment35th Infantry Regiment (United States)The 35th Infantry Regiment was created on 1 July 1916 at Douglas, Arizona from elements of the 11th, 18th and 22nd Infantry Regiments. The 35th served on the Mexican Border during the First World War and was stationed at Nogales, Arizona in 1918...
called for aid and a squadron of 10th Cavalry under Herman responded. When they arrived they attacked the Mexican positions on top of hills along the other side of the border. The assault was successful and the Mexican troops with their German advisors were defeated. Thirty to 129 Mexicans, two Germans and seven Americans died in the fighting. After the battle German military activity in Sonora ceased. The Battle of Ambos Nogales became the last major engagement of the Border War.
See also
- Border War (disambiguation)
- List of border wars
- Mexican-American War
- Mexican RevolutionMexican RevolutionThe 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...