General Álvaro Obregón, General Francisco Villa Arámbula,
General John J. Pershing and George S. Patton Jr on the International Bridge
between Ciudad Juárez and El Paso on August 27, 1914.
Following U.S. protests Mexico's President Venustiano Carranza undertook to deal with Villa but insisted that the U.S. not interfere. However with the U.S. rapidly losing patience with Carranza, General Frederick Funston - U.S. commander along the border - was ordered to dispatch an armed U.S. column into Mexico in pursuit of Villa (to be taken dead or alive). To that end Funston placed General John Pershing in command of a punitive expedition of about 4,800 men to capture Villa.
The 7th, 10th, 11th, and 13th Cavalry regiments, 6th and 16th Infantry regiments, part of the 6th Field Artillery, and supporting elements crossed the border into Mexico in mid-March, followed later by the 5th Cavalry, 17th and 24th Infantry regiments, and engineer and other units.
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It was on 29 March, 1916 that the first battle between the Villistas
and the soldiers took place, at San Geronimo Ranch, near the town of
Guerrero.General Pershing received intelligence regarding the location of Villa at Guerrero, 230 miles south of Columbus, so he sent a messenger to Colonel George A. Dodd to move his 370 troopers of the 7th cavalry into the area. Colonel Dodd was to ride as fast as possible to catch Villa before he moved on. When the Americans arrived at Guerrero on March 29, they had traveled about 400 miles in fourteen days, following their departure from Camp Harvey J. Jones in southern Arizona, including fifty-five miles in the seventeen hours after receiving news of Villa's position.
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| Colonel George A. Dodd |
According to varying sources, there were between 200 and 500 Villistas at Guerrero, spread out across the town, and for the first couple of hours after the 7th Cavalry's arrival, Dodd had his men attempt to ascertain the number of enemy forces. It wasn't until 8:00 am that the order to attack was given.
Dodd divided his command into three contingents with instructions to charge and surround the town in order to cut off the Villistas's avenue of escape. When the American charged, fighting erupted at three points. After the charge the Americans dismounted to fight the Mexicans on foot.
During the five-hour battle, over 75 of Villa's men were killed or wounded and he was forced to retreat into the mountains. Only five of the Americans were hurt, none of them fatally. The battle is considered the single most successful engagement of the expedition and it was the closest Pershing's men came to capturing Villa.
Guerrero was flanked by mountains on two sides which made it difficult to surround the town and the Villistas used them for cover. There were also not enough cavalrymen to cover all of the escape routes so the majority of the Mexicans got away, including Pancho Villa. Part of the Villista army mounted up and retreated east through a valley. They were pursued by some of the American cavalrymen in a ten mile running engagement.
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Official Report of the Dispersal of Villa's Forces by General John Pershing
San Geronimo Ranch,March 30, 1916
Dodd struck Villa's command, consisting of 500, 6 o'clock, March 29th, at Guerrero.
Villa, who is suffering from a broken leg and lame hip, was not present. Number Villa's dead known to be thirty, probably others carried away dead. Dodd captured two machine guns, large number horses, saddles, and arms. Our casualties, four enlisted men wounded, none seriously.
Attack was surprise, the Villa troops being driven in a ten-mile running fight and retreated to mountains northeast of railroad, where they separated into small bands.
Large number Carranzista prisoners, who were being held for execution, were liberated during the fight.
In order to reach Guerrero, Dodd marched fifty-five miles in seventeen hours and carried on fight for five hours.
Eliseo Hernandez, who commanded Villa's troops, was killed in fight. With Villa permanently disabled, Lopez wounded, and Hernandez dead, the blow administered is a serious one to Villa's band.
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31 March, 1916 found the 10th Cavalry deep in Chihuahua, Mexico.
They had been scouting for signs of villistas for two weeks and were
in camp at San Diego del Monte when a snowstorm struck, cutting them off
from contact with headquarters and General Pershing.
Failing to receive any orders or information from his superior, Colonel William C. Brown, commanding the regiment, decided to move with the 2d Squadron toward the last reported action at Guerrero, leaving the 1st Squadron under Major E. W. Evans in camp. It was the right move.
At 13:15 on April 1st near the village of Agua Caliente, Brown's force encountered some 150 villistas under General Beltran at a ranch where they had taken refuge.
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| Captain Selwyn D. Smith |
The highlight of the fight occurred when some of the Mexicans took up a strong position behind a stone wall to pour fire on the Americans. Brown ordered Major Young to charge the position with troops H and F, and the soldiers, buoyed by the prospect of being part of the first real cavalry charge since the Spanish-American War, leapt to the saddle, drew their .45s, and swept down on the villistas' wall. As they increased their speed to the gallop, withholding their fire, they began to yell, and the Mexicans ran off into the woods to their rear.
Captain Troxel described the outcome of the clash:
... We never saw these Villistas as opponents again. ... None of our men were hit and the horses were the only part of our command that had not enjoyed the skirmish. One horse was wounded, one of mine dropped exhausted, one died that night, we killed one the next morning, and one could just get along by being led. I do not know the loss of the animals in other troops.
...We captured several ponies and mules and part of their pack train. We know of three Mexicans killed, and reports from Mexican sources, as noted in American papers, gave their casualties as forty-two, but I doubt the number and do not believe any of our officers think we got that many. As they were never out in the open, and as it was a running fight, we had no opportunity to look for their casualties nor did we particularly care to do so.
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It soon became plain that Mexicans, from railway employees to
Carranza's commanders, would do all they could to thwart American
efforts to find Pancho Villa. |
| Frank Tompkins, shown here as a colonel. |
"There was among the people a resentment toward us that was clearly shown in the brazen false news they disseminated. Practically all information from native sources was either entirely misleading, or if based on fact, located Villa's band at places several days later than the actual date. ...Several Mexicans frankly said that they would consider it a national disgrace if the Americans should capture Villa."
A Dangerous Shift
Colonel Frank Tompkins led the deepest penetration into Mexico when the column under his command arrived at Parral in the early morning of 12 April. The Constitutionalist commander of the city, General Ismael Lozano, informed Major Tompkins that coming to the city was a bad idea and that he must leave immediately. Tompkins agreed so the Americans left Parral not long after getting there.
On the way out of town, a group of Mexicans began shouting "Viva Villa", and other phrases, so Tompkins shouted the same back. A few minutes later, as the column was just outside of town, a cavalry of about 550 Carrancistas launched an attack on the American column.
Within the first few shots a sergeant standing next to Tompkins was hit with a bullet and killed while a second man was seriously wounded. Heavily outnumbered, the major had no choice but to keep going so he dismounted a rear guard to take up positions on a small hill and engage the pursuing Mexicans.
In this first skirmish an estimated twenty-five Mexicans were killed and the rest were driven off. The guard then regrouped with Tompkins' main force where they withstood another attack. During the second skirmish, an estimated forty-five Mexicans were killed. Tompkins continued his march to Santa Cruz de Villegas, a fortified town, eight miles from Parral, that the Americans could defend.
Though by the time of their arrival the fighting had ceased. The Mexicans were not far away, Tompkins was facing the possibility of his 100 man force being besieged by hundreds of Carrancistas, so he sent out dispatch riders for reinforcements.
On hearing of the attack on Tompkins, Colonel William C. Brown raced his 10th Cavalry to reinforce him. Within minutes the Buffalo Soldiers were in the saddle and moving to Santa Cruz de Villegas where Tompkins was reported to be making a stand. An hour later, with darkness falling, the buglers of the 10th sounded some calls and a faint answering call let them know that they were at the American camp.
The force of Buffalo Soldiers, troopers of the 2nd squadron of the 10th Cavalry, were under the command of Major Charles Young, the third African-American graduate of West Point. It was the same Major Young who had led a cavalry pistol charge against Pancho Villa's forces at Agua Caliente (1 April 1916), where the 10th Cavalry had routed the opposing forces without losing a single man.
It was obvious that the beleaguered Tompkins was glad to see the relief force come up. Captain Rodney was among those first 10th cavalrymen to ride into Tompkins' position and he recounted the scene.
The sound of our hoofbeats brought Tompkins to the gates and he gave us a warm welcome. He had bee wounded in the arm and he had injured a leg by falling over some hasty entrenchments that he had been supervising, and he was glad to see us. As we splashed through the ford he shouted to us. I can hear his words yet.
Major Charles Young, one of the six Negro officers of the Army and our Squadron Commander, was riding by me at the head of the advance guard when Tompkins sighted him and called out,
"By God! They were glad to see the Tenth Cavalry at Santiago in '98, but I'm a damn sight gladder to see you now. I could kiss every one of you!"
Young grinned and called back.
"Hello, Tompkins! You can start in on me right now."
There was no further talk of kissing....
Because of his exceptional leadership of the 10th Cavalry in the Mexican theater of war, Young was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in September 1916. He was assigned as commander of Fort Huachuca, the base in Arizona of the Tenth Cavalry, nicknamed the "Buffalo Soldiers", until mid 1917.
He was the first African American to achieve the rank of colonel in the US Army.
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May 14, 1916Second Lt. George S. Patton and his force, riding in Dodge touring autos, approach the San Miguelito Ranch from the south, appropriately at high noon.
Patton positions two carloads—eight soldiers and a guide—at the southern wall around the hacienda and its two gates. He and the remaining two soldiers and a guide park their car northwest of the compound. They make their way east along the low north wall, heading toward the big arch of the main gate.
Patton carries a rifle in his left hand, with his right on the pistol butt at his hip. He is almost at the gate when three horsemen dash out of the hacienda into the courtyard and head southeast. They run right into the Americans stationed there.
The Mexicans immediately wheel around and charge toward Patton. Bullets whiz around the lieutenant as he pulls his Colt single action from its holster and returns fire.
One bullet breaks the left arm of the lead rider, who is later identified as Capt. Julio Cardenas, a close aide to Pancho Villa. Another shot takes down his horse. The wounded man scrambles for cover as Patton retreats to a wall to reload. The other two Mexican riders split up, trying to escape.
Patton sees one of them go by and shoots the horse in the hip, knocking down the mount and the soldier. In an act of chivalry, the American waits for the Mexican to extricate himself, stand up and pull his weapon—only then does Patton (and a couple of his men) shoot and kill him.
The third Villista has almost made good his escape, riding hard some 100 yards east of the hacienda. Patton holsters his pistol and aims his rifle. He and several of his command open up. The Mexican falls dead in the dust.
Meanwhile, in the confusion, Cardenas has exited on foot through the southwest gate and is running for some fields. One of Patton’s guides, an ex-Villista named E.L. Holmdahl, catches up with the wounded man, who falls to the ground and puts up his good, right arm in a sign of surrender. Holmdahl approaches with a drawn revolver to take the Mexican into custody. Cardenas drops his hand and pulls his pistol. His shot misses. Holmdahl puts a bullet in the captain’s head.
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