Articles about Pancho Villa attacking Columbus, Luna County New Mexico in 1916

March 10, 1916
Albuquerque Morning Journal

VILLA INVADES UNITED STATES; COLUMBUS, N.M. SCENE OF RAID
At Least Sixteen Americans Are Slain and Large Part of Town Is Burned; Battle Is Fought in the Streets.
AMERICAN CAVALRY CROSS BOUNDARY LINE
Pancho Makes Stand Five Miles Below Border and U.S. Troops Are Fighting Superior Numbers
     Columbus, N.M., March 9-Francisco Villa, outlawed Mexican Bandit, raided United States territory today. With 1,500 men he attacked Columbus, N.M., killed at least sixteen Americans and fired many buildings before he was driven back across the international border.
     At least 250 troops of the Thirteenth United States cavalry followed the Villa bank into Mexico. reports to Col. H.J. Slocum late today stated that Villa had made a stand five miles south of the border, where spirited fighting ensued. In this engagement an unnamed private was killed and Capt. Adj. George Williams was wounded.

Troops Make Stand
     The small detachment of troopers under Majors Tompkins and Lindsiey, fighting dismounted, made a determined stand against the renewed Villa attack and at last reports were holding their own.
     The raid on American territory proved costly to the bandit chieftain. The bodies of eighteen Mexican bandits, including Pablo Lopez, second in Command, had been gathered and burned before noon and troopers reported an undetermined number of dead still lying in the brush.

The Town Is Rushed
     Led to the attack under the slogan, "Death to Americans," Villa's followers fought with desperation. They crept along ditches skirting the United States cavalry camp and rushed the sleeping town, firing heavily. The first volley brought American troops into almost instant action. While a portion of the raiders engaged the cavalryman, others detailed by the bandit chieftain, began applying the torch and shooting American citizens, who ventured from the buildings.

Targets For Snipers.
     Lights in homes and public buildings immediately became targets for snipers posted at Villa's discretion. Other bandits, creeping close to American homes, enticed a number of civilians into the open with English spoken invitations. A number of fatalities are attributed to this ruse. Stores were looted, oil was poured upon frame structures and the match applied by other bandits. The post office was raided and furniture smashed, but the looters secured only one small registered package. Many civilians barricaded themselves in their homes and fired at the Mexicans as they darted through the streets. 

Retreat is Sounded
     The fighting in the town ended almost as suddenly as it began. Less than two hours after the first shot was heard, Villa's buglers sounded the retreat and the invaders began a disordered flight, closely followed by American troopers.
     Three troops of cavalry were posted on the boundary tonight. A battalion of infantry and a squadron of the Eight cavalry from Fort Bliss left El Paso today to reinforce the troops here. With these forces, Colonel Slocum said he could handle any further attack Villa in desperation might decide to make.
     Mrs. Maud Hawkright, an American woman held captive by Villa for nine days and liberated this morning, declared late today that Villa announced March 1 his intention to attack Columbus, and proceeded north under forced march to carry out his purpose. His men were without water or meat. They dropped from their horses often before reaching the Boca Grande river but Villa ruled them by fear and his officers with the flats of their swords beat the soldiers into animation sufficient to reach the point where they rested and prepared for the raid and meanwhile killed four Americans at the Palomas Cattle company round-up Tuesday.
     Mrs. Wright's husband, Edward John Wright, formerly of Houston, Tex., and a youth named Frank Hayden, employed by the La Booker sawmill, were taken from the Wright ranch March 1, and presumably killed. When they took her prisoner and forced her to ride away with them a detachment of Villa's men under Col. Nicolas Servantes gave her baby to a Mexican family.
     Mrs. Wright was cared for today at the home of Mrs. Slocum, wife of the colonel commanding the Thirteenth cavalry. There she told the story of her capture, and experiences from the time she was taken from the ranch at Colonia Hernandez, west of Pearson, where the Carranza government was presumed to maintain a heavy garrison for the protection of Americans.

Villa Changes Costume
     Up to yesterday, she said, Villa wore citizen's clothes with a queer little round straw hat and rode a little mule, but just before the fight early today he donned the trim military uniform he used to wear at Juarez. He mounted one of three handsome sort-- charges which had not been ridden at all during the long march from the border and led nearly 2,000 men upon the sleeping American camp which harbored less than 300 troopers of the Thirteenth cavalry.
     Mrs. Wright said she was told by some of the men detailed to guard her during the march north, that Villa had 3,000 men and 6,000 horses, and, she added, "It looked to me, though, as if he had twice that many horses and men."

Raid Mormon Colony
     Just before she and her husband were taken prisoners with the Hayden boy, Mrs. Wright said, the Villa men told her they had raided Colonia Juarez, one of the American Mormon settlements west of Pearson, and had looted all stores of flour and provisions and had slain some foreigners.
     "Servanets, with twelve men, came to the ranch the night of March 1." Mrs. Wright stated,  "pretending to be Carranza soldiers, and asked me if I had any food to sell I told them we had only a little flour and mean, just enough for one family and the family of a Mexican rancher we had. I was cooking in expectation or my husband's arrival home, and Servantes asked if he might buy some for his men. I told him I would give him and his men something to eat.

Take All Supplies
     "It was just about dark then, and my husband came into the yard with two pack mules, which he unloaded. As soon as that was done some of the Mexicans caught and saddled the animals. Servantes became impatient about this time and demanded to see our stores of flour and meat. As soon as I opened the storeroom, he ordered some of his men to take all of our supplies of both. Then they called my husband outside. The next I saw of him his hands had been tied behind his back. My husband called to Hayden, and he was also tied. Then I went with my baby in my arms to see Servantes and told him that he had eaten our food, taken all our flour and meal, leaving us nothing with which to prepare another mean, and that I did not think it was justice to make a prisoner of my husband.

Everything Looted
     "Meanwhile the soldiers, evidently taking Servantes' order to confiscate the flour as permission to loot, began stripping the house of everything. They took thirteen horses and every other animal on the ranch. I protested to Servantes again and he said he would order the flour to be returned, but the man to whom he gave the order never moved.
     "My husband was taken out to the gate of the ranch yard and tied up there with Hayden. I went out with the baby to see him and saw that they had also made a prisoner of the Mexican who had been working on the place. All three were tied up. A Mexican soldier ordered my husband not talk.
     "I said to my husband: 'I am sure they intend to kill you.' The soldier told me to shut up and my husband said he thought everything would be all right if I went into the house. He said it was too cold for the baby outside. So I went into the house, but soon afterward a soldier came in and said my husband wanted to see me. When I went out he told me to leave the baby with the wife of the Mexican, who had been taken prisoner with her husband. I did that. The solider and I went out together where the told me that my husband was at the top of the hill a short distance off.
     "He told me to mount behind on his horse, when I refused he put me on one of the pack mules taken from my husband,
     "I was suspicious and said so. I thought they intended to take me away but the soldier told me everything is all right but I did not see my husband. When I called he did not answer me, then I said I was going back to my baby.
     "The soldier said: 'We have given your baby to a Mexican family.' That made me frantic. I said: 'I am going right back to my baby,' He drew his sword and declared if I did he would kill me. I dismounted from the mule, but he forced me back on it. I knew then I was a prisoner. We rode all that night and reached Jiminez where we made camp for three years. Three hours was the longest we ever stopped in any twenty-four until we reached the Boca Grande river. I saw Villa at Jiminez but he refused to talk to me.
     " 'I am too busy.' he would always say. 'Talk to one of my colonels; that is what they are for,' but they did nothing but laugh at me. Through all the nine days I was a prisoner. I slept only in the saddle or the camp a little while with my head against a tree or stump, but the men guarding me treated me well and one of them told me that Villa's men didn't love him but were ruled entirely by the fear he had instilled in them. Villa was protected from assassins throughout the march by his officers, a score of colonels and generals and by a picked body of men known as 'Dorados,' who camped and rode by themselves."
     Mrs. Wright then told of how the meat supply and water gave out during the march northward through the desert region of Chihuahua and how men, their tongues swollen, eyes glazed and absolutely exhausted would drop from their horses, only to be beaten with swords by Villa's officers until they remounted and again joined the column.
     From the fist I knew that Villa intended to attack Columbus," Mrs. Wright continued. "It was freely discussed by the men and the officers. Some of the latter told me that Villa intended to kill every American they could find, but they pointed to me as an example of their decision not to harm women. But later as we approved the Mexican border from Boca Grande, these same officers reported to me that Villa, his rage growing as he neared the boundary, had declared that he would make torches of every woman and child as well as every man in Columbus.

Would Lay American Waste.
     "He intended, they said, to lay the whole United States waste and would be helped by Japan and Germany. At Boca Grande, I saw evidence of their determination. I did not see the three American cattlemen named McKinney, Corbett and O'Neil slain, but I saw the officers later wearing their clothing. That was after villa had sent out twenty men to break up the Palomas cattle round-up and supply the hungry column with meat.
     "But I saw another American killed. He appeared on the road just head of the column and a squad took out after him. He was trampled down by the horses of a score of men. Then Servantes on his horse dragged him by the company with which I was marching. Just as he came opposite me, Servantes drew his revolver and shot him in the neck. The American ran about forty feet and fell. The Mexicans stripped him of his clothing, then divided up the garments. The whole column then rode with their horses over him and the last man past fired the parting shot into his head.

Pleads for Release
     "When we left Boca Grande, I pleaded to be released," Mrs. Wright added, "but Servantes, with a smile told me that instead, he intended to give me a 30-30 rifle and force me to fight with the Mexicans against the 'gringoes,' I told him if he did I would throw the gun into the river. 
     " 'If you do,' he said, 'I will throw you in after it!' I then told him I could die but once and that the first one I would fire upon would be him and I then would try to shoot some other officers.
     "Servantes turned to some other officers and said, 'I really believe she would and so I will not give her a rifle.' Turning to me, he said 'You are the hardest woman I ever saw. I replied 'Thus would make any woman hard.'

Villa Jests With Captives
     "Just before the march for the horror began, I spoke to General Villa again, asking him to set me free because I did not want my own countrymen, the American soldiers, firing upon me in the ranks of the Mexicans. But he laughed and said that when he got to Columbus, he would give me my papers in the office of the bank there.
     "He also said that the life I had led with his troops was making me fat.
     " 'Your cheeks are rosy and fat,' he said. 'Sunburned and swollen,' I replied.
     "We left Boca Grandes late yesterday afternoon and crossed the border west of Columbus before 4 o'clock.

To Make Torches of People
     "The officer in charge of the company I was with said: 'We will lay the town in waste, and Villa says we are to make torches of every man, woman and child to be found.'
     "We entered the ditch leading past the American army camp below Columbus. The captain of my company told me that he and twenty other officers had crossed the border as spies yesterday and found that only a few American soldiers were in camp, that the others were father west; he and everybody expected an easy time capturing and burning the town and destroying every American in it.
     "The Mexican inhabitants, he old me, were to be saved. I was in the line Villa threw along the railroad tracks after his troops had swept eastward through the United States cavalry camp.
     "A bullet hit the saddle of my mare as I stood dismounted behind it. Villa sent his men across the tracks into the town. Soon I saw all buildings on fire. Then the American troops apparently got into action and in a little while the Mexicans came back.

Mexicans Retreat.
     "Villa rode among them cursing and threatening to shoot any man who ran away but they kept going back. An old soldier named Manuel who said he was too sick to fight had been detailed to guard me.
     "He said if he could he would run into the country with me, because he had had enough of war, but he was afraid and I went back with the retreat until I reached a point near the house where Mr. Moore was killed and his wife wounded.
     "Here Villa came upon me. I again asked him to set me free. He said 'Go, you are at liberty.' I went to the Moore's house and found Mr. Moore lying face down on the steps dead, his wife was in a nearby field wounded. She had seen her husband shot but did not know he was dead. Some American soldiers came by. They called for an ambulance and I came into Columbus with Mrs. Moore."

First Real Food
     Mrs. Wright assisted surgeons who attended Mrs. Moore and in the army camp she again assisted in helping wounded soldiers. She was then taken in charge by Mrs. Slocum who put her to bed, the first bed she had slept in since March 1, and kept here there al day and tonight, letting her rise only to eat a little of what she described as "real food," and drink a few cups of tea.
     "I have had nothing for nine days but mule meat and scorched beef without salt," she said.
     "You are a real mother," she added, turning to Mrs. Slocum.
     Mrs. Wright came from Santa Clara county, Alabama.

Seven Dead, Five Wounded
     The causalities of the Thirteenth cavalry during the Columbus fight was seven dead and five wounded. Villa's losses were estimated at in excess of one hundred killed and twice as many wounded. Of these, the American pursuit into Mexico, which ended about 2 o'clock this afternoon, accounted for more than seventy-five killed and wounded, it is said.
     The American losses on the Mexican side was one corporal slain when Villa threw out a heavy guard to engage the purusing United States troopers.

Albuquerque Men Killed
     Of the eight American civilians slain when the bandits shot up the town two, Charles De Witt Miller, of Albuquerque, N.M., and Dr. H.J. Hart, of El Paso were burned to death in the fire which destroyed the Commercial hotel.
     The body of Walton Walker, a Sunday school convention delegate, from Playas, N.M., who was shot to death with W.T. Ritchie, proprietor of the hotel, also was incinerated. Charred fragments  of the bodies were all that remained today.
     The Mexicans set the hotel on fire, together with a number of other buildings, and posted snipers to pick off Americans they fled out of the burning building.

Woman Is Shot Dead
     Mrs. M. James was shot and killed in the doorway of another hotel from which she was running with her sister. Mrs. James' husband was wounded. Mrs. James fell, dying, over the body of C.C. Miller, who had been driven from his drug store across the street. Her sister, a child not yet in her teens, escaped the fusilade without a scratch.

Villa Loses Papers.
     Villa dropped his personal papers as he went with his fleeing men back into Mexico. A note found among these, evidently a transcript of an order issued just before the attack read: "Kill all the gringoes."
     Mrs. S.F. Ryan wife of the captain of E troop, and Capt. Rudolph Symser, of H. troop, with Mrs. Symser and their little children, had narrow escapes from the bandits. The Ryan house fronts regimental headquarters and the ditch up which Villa's troops came, and was riddled with bullets as Mrs. Ryan lay in bed in the front room. The Symser home north of the cracks was surrounded on front and both sides by bandits before a short was fired. Captain Symser head someone tell the bandits that an American army officer and has warmly lived there. Gathering his wife and children he emerged from the back door and reched the barn just as the bandits broke in the door.
     Two troops stationed at Gibson's ranch, fifteen miles west, did not get into action at all. There were only three troops in camp, with an effective force of not quite 250 men. Informed of this by his spies and certain that aid would be give by certain of the Mexican population of Columbus, he advanced from the Boca Grande river to twenty-five miles southeast yesterday afternoon.
     He reached the border, three miles south of the town, shortly before 4 o'clock. With his force rested and well fed, after a thirsty and hungry march from the interior of Chihuahua and acquainted with the topography, he deployed his men into a deep, wide drainage ditch running from the Mexican border gate to Columbus, and paralleling the road that skirts the American army camp.

Complete Surprise
     The first intimation of the attack when Private Fred Griffin of K troop, on sentry duty in front of headquarters, saw a number of Mexicans surrounding the quarters of Lieut. John P. Lucas of the machine gun troop of the Thirteenth. Griffin opened fire and at the cost of his life drew the attention of the bandits from Lucas, who was enabled to escape and reach the camp and turn out his command.
     Captain F.G. Turner and his wife were in an adobe house just north of the railroad tracks. Mexicans pointed out his dwelling as a house occupied by an American army officer. They remained inside until the troops in came got into action and scattered the bandits.
     Fred Griffin, private of K troop was on sentry duty in front of the quarters and opened fire on a party of Mexicans attacking the quarters of Lieutenant John P. Lucas, commanding the machine gun troops of the Thirteenth cavalry. Griffin fell mortally wounded under a volley of bullets, but killed two Mexicans and then crawled to the side of the Ryan home. Mrs. Ryan meanwhile had risen and ran around the house under fire of Mexicans to the adobe garage in the rear. A party of bandits was standing about Griffin who was shot in the stomach. She opened the garage, when a Mexican grasped her arm and demanded where she was going. She answered calmly that she was going into the building to get a motor car. The Mexican let her go and during the fighting in the camp she remained in the automobile until hurt.  Every piece of furniture in the Ryan home was riddled.

Barracks and Hospital Attacked
     Lieutenant James P. Castleman, commanding F troop, was officer of the day. Griffin's shot and the answering volley, which pierced his stomach, caused Castleman to leap for the door. He was met by a Mexican who fired point blank at him and missed. Castleman killed him.
     By this time the Mexicans had swept through the camp riddling the barracks and hospital, and leaving fourteen dead in their tracks.
     Castleman marched F troop into the town to protect civilian men, women and children who already were running through the streets under the fire of Mexican troops who were lighted in their work by the flaming Commercial hotel and other buildings. Lucas disposed his men on the railroad skirting the southern side of town, with two machine guns supported by riflemen.

Machine Guns Used.
     The machine gun company fought a Villa machine gun to a finish and captured it with a quantity of ammunition not his troops suffered most in causalities. 
     Castleman, fighting his men in front of the hotel owned by Mayor W.C. Hoover, next door to the Columbus bank, engaged many times in the number of Mexicans and drove the bandits westward. They sought to make the cover of a hill in the rear of the customs house fifty yards southeast of the El Paso Southwestern station. Lucas' machine gun troop caught them as they crossed the track and riflemen in the ditch took them in flank as the Mexicans, practically all mounted, dashed southward.

Colonel Slocum in Thick of Fight.
     Colonel Slocum was out of his quarters uptown within ten minutes after the first shot was fired and reached the Hoover hotel corner as the Mexicans approached. A bullet from the rifle of one of the bandits struck the barrel of his revolver and knocked it from his hand. Castleman's troop reached the point about the same time.
     The Mexicans were in the midst of the town for perhaps forty or fifty minutes, shouting "Viva Mexico" and "Viva Villa." The fired thousands of shots. Everything that moved drew a volley. Frightened citizens who lit lamps to dress by, drew shots.
      Bullets shattered windows everywhere and the bandits, beside posting snipers to kill every American that emerged from the buildings, invaded the hotel and dwellings in searching for victims. 
     Army officers, whose quarters were attacked, bore testimony that resident Mexicans of the town pointed out to the bandits the houses occupied by Americans and those sheltering Mexicans. General Slocum ordered a troop to search every Mexican house and deprive every one of arms on pain of death if they were not voluntarily given up. There are about five hundred Americans in Columbus and nearly as many Mexicans, some of whom are refugees who fled their country before the advance of Villa.
     One Mexican, Lebrado Marques, was caught and placed in the military guardhouse, charged with having so directed the operations of the bandits and also having given information to Villa through his spies.

Surgeons Treat Injured Mexicans
     El Paso undertakers reached here tonight with caskets for the American civilian and solider dead. The bodies of the Mexican slain were burned. Twenty seven bodies were so disposed of today, while a number of their wounded were treated at the hospital  of the Thirteenth calvarly, the army surgeons being assisted in their work by women nurses who worked all day. Some of the Villa wounded were mere boys.

Rancher Is Murdered.
     As they retreated southward, the Mexicans stopped at the ranch of J.J. Moore long enough to kill Moore, wound his wife and loot the place. His wife was found out in a field. American soldiers passing by saw her wave a handkerchief, and with Mrs. Wright, who was liberated by Villa nearby, assisted her to an army ambulance which brought her to a hotel here, where she lies tonight painfully but not seriously wounded in the thigh.
     Villa men, according to the statement of Mrs. Wright, did not stand fire as Villa thought they should and he raved and cursed and threatened as he followed them southward, striving all the while to rally them for another attack.
    

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