The last army to invade the continental United States was that of Pancho Villa, the Mexican revolutionary and bandit. In March of 1916, some of Villa’s troops crossed into New Mexico and launched a nighttime raid on the little village of Columbus and the 13th Cavalry Regiment encamped nearby. Although surprised, the Cavalry rallied and repulsed the raiders, chasing them back into Mexico.
Presumably, Pancho Villa was angered by President Wilson’s decision to support the Carranza government in Mexico and to stop arms shipments to Villa’s troops. Later, Villa claimed he wasn't eevn there.
The US retaliated with the Mexican Punitive Expedition, led by Gen. John J. Pershing. He was an excellent choice; he had extensive experience fighting Apaches and waging war against guerillas in the Philippines. His cavalry penetrated deep into the state of Chihuahua.
The Punitive Expedition was a prelude to WW I. For the first time, the US Army used trucks for transport and airplanes for communication. It was primarily a cavalry campaign, with different Troops plunging independently into Chihuahua. The 1st Aero Squadron was attached to the Signal Corps, and its airplanes performed well in keeping communications between the separated Troops. A “truck train” of Jeffery (later, Nash) trucks struggled through the desert sands. General Pershing’s mobile headquarters operated out of a Dodge sedan.
The 1st Aero had already learned the importance of its support and maintenance staff; they needed the Jeffrey trucks for transporting wings, engines, spare parts. Their mechanics trained the Quartermaster Corps personnel in maintenance of the Jefferys, a new experience for the Quartermasters. The army stepped into the 20th century.
The Punitive Expedition came close, but it didn’t capture Villa. It did accomplish the prime objective of scattering and punishing his band of bandits. And Villa – well, today he’s viewed as a hero, a Robin Hood – in Columbus, New Mexico.
Here’s a nice readable account of the Expedition: “A Preliminary to War. The 1st Aero Squadron and the Mexican Punitive Expedition of 1916,” by Roger C. Miller.
Dac Crossley
March 16, 2010
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Emerson
This is really a great information on villa.. I must say its a great research on it.. I am glad I visited here and come to know about it..
Posted by: Villa Holidays | April 14, 2011 at 05:32 AM
Hi Dac,
I recently read a quite good history of another American excursion into Mexico of which I was entirely ignorant:
Arthur, Anthony. 2010. General Jo Shelby's March. Random House, 265 pp.
If you haven't read it already, you might find it fun.
Cheers,
Dave
Posted by: Dave | March 20, 2011 at 05:15 PM
I forgot to say---my dad was born in 1910, so when he played at Pancho Villa, he was getting his role from the current headlines, unlike my brother and I who were either playing with fiction like The Lone Ranger on TV or historic characters like Zorro.
Posted by: Janice Pulliam | March 16, 2011 at 08:27 PM
When I was little and playing cowboys and Indians with my brother, our father told us he used to play fighting Pancho Villa. I bet they had the same problem we did, namely that nobody wanted to play the "bad guy," in his case, Villa.
Posted by: Janice Pulliam | March 16, 2011 at 08:24 PM
Hi, Dac! Very interesting. On one of our several tours of Mexico (before the drug wars kept us home) we visited Pancho Villa's home, where he kept his mistresses. Yes, is true. And we saw an old car that he apparently used and it was all shot up. That man was a real gangster and terroist.
Didn't Pershing use camels down there? Or am I thinking of someone else?
Celia
Posted by: celiayeary | March 16, 2011 at 05:30 PM