Chihuahua because of its 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, his 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 spoken of the "need for reconciliation with the Americans" and the hope that the US would then "change its attitude" toward the Villistas. Katz also says that Villa may have chosen to attack Juarez because there was a smaller enemy garrison there than in Chihuahua, there was 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, Gen. 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 Gen. Pablo González Garza, numbered nearly 3,000 and had fortified Juarez and occupied the citadel, Fort Hidalgo. Gen. 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.[6][7]
Battle
Generals Alvaro Obregon, Pancho Villa and John J. Pershing pose after a meeting at Fort Bliss, TX, in 1913. Immediately behind Pershing is his aide, Lt.--and future general--George S. Patton.Col. Selah H.R. "Tommy" Tompkins on June 16, 1919, at the Ciudad Juarez Racetrack.
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 50-minute battle. Gen. Martin Lopez, Villa's
Col. Escobar, why his forces were not holding. Escobar told him it was because the "Villistas were attacking like rabid dogs." Escobar also advised that Gonzales withdraw his forces into the nearby fortress, or else be overrun. Gonzalez agreed with Escobar so the order was given to retreat and the Villistas took complete control of the city. When he got to the fort, Gonzalez used the telephone to contact the American garrison across the river and request aid. Though the Americans had already begun assembling infantry, cavalry and artillery from Fort Bliss, they had not yet received orders.[6][7][8]
Villa knew his only chance of getting into the fort was by utilizing some captured Carrancista artillery pieces. Gen. Angeles was put in command of this effort and had to move the artillery from their positions in Juarez to the fort outside the town before beginning the attack (Byron Jackson says that Ángeles did not participate in this battle, but instead remained at Villa’s headquarters eight miles south
Brig. Gen. James B. Erwin, did not respond to the sniping until 10:35 pm when Pvt. Sam Tusco of the 82nd Field Artillery was killed and Pvt. Burchard F. Casey was severely wounded. At about 11:00 pm, after Gen. Erwin learned of the casualties, 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.[6][2][8]
Erwin's forces included two battalions of the African American
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 24th Infantry crossed the Santa Fe Bridge and advanced through the center of Ciudad Juarez, with the 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery, supporting from downtown El Paso. The 5th Cavalry and the 7th Cavalry crossed the Rio Grande downstream in an attempt to catch the Villistas in a pincer movement. At 12:30 am, on June 16, the 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 64 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 Col. Selah "Tommy" Tompkins, and the 2nd Battalion of 82nd Field Artillery pursued the rebels to the south. 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. The attached artillery unlimbered its guns and fired at 4,000 yards from the Villistas' position. 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 25 dead and wounded Villistas.[6][8][10]
Aftermath
When the pursuit was finally discontinued, Col. Tompkins headed back north to the Rio Grande, collecting 50 saddles, 300 horses and mules and over 100 rifles that were left behind by the Villistas. Many of the guns were of German manufacture, so they were taken as souvenirs by the soldiers. Including Pvt. 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 Gen. Lopez. There was likely a lot more casualties than what was reported, though. Villa said the following 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 notice ... 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 surprise attack with trains on the Villistas' rear, forcing them to retreat.[11][12][8][4]
Durango was Pancho Villa's last battle. He then led the remnants of his army into the
National Guard camp was later named Camp Tusco [sic
].
The 82nd Field Artillery's unit insignia comprises a black artillery shell on a white background, symbolizing the first shot fired by the regiment over the Rio Grande.[8]
United States Congress, United States Senate (1920). Investigation of Mexican Affairs: Hearing before a subcommittee of the Committee on Foreign Relations United States Senate Sixty-Sixth Congress First Session Pursuant to S. Res. 106. United States Government Printing Office.
James B. Erwin
