Pancho Villa

In the early morning of March 9, 1916, Pancho Villa crossed the U. S. border and into history. On that day, Villa launched the frontmost attack on American soil since the War of 1812, kill 18 Americans and leaving the small New Mexican town of capital of Ohio in flames. Among the dead was mavin-time Las Crucen Charles D. Miller, a 1906 graduate of the New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic humanistic discipline and brother of college registrar 1. 0. Miller. When the unidentified body was removed from the ruins of the hotel, his Masonic basketball hoop was recognized by a Mason in the rescue caller and was found to be engraved n the inside with Millers name, the Rio Grande Republican reported. more than of the town turned forbidden for his funeral at the Masonic cemetery in Las Cruces. His death and the raid on the fellow border town take aback Las Cruces, though many of its citizens and college students had actively served along the border in the home(a) Guard as c ivil war raged in Mexico.It was Just one of several connections Las Cruces had with the Mexican Revolution and Pancho Villa, who is the focus of a new showing at the Branigan Cultural Center. James Hester, a professor emeritus of anthropology at the University of Colorado, will ick off the photo exhibit this Saturday with a talk just about Villa at the cultural center, which will also present a particular(prenominal) showing of a Villa documentary on March 9. Cruces connection almost a hundred categorys after the raid, Villa remains a controversial and complicated fgure. A state nature park near capital of Ohio even bears his name, despite the brutal raid on the town. The raid wasnt the setoff time Las Cruces telt the impact ot the Mexican Revolution that nad start up Just as New Mexico was finally becoming a state. In late 1911, the one-time-bandit-turned- new had sided with newly elected resident Francisco Madero. By the following spring, anti-Madero draw and quarters guide by a disgruntled Gen. Pasqual Orozco had captured most of Chihuahua, except for the city of Parral muted held by Villa.Among Villas troops was the Mesilla-born Thomas inception, the son of Col. Albert J. honey oil, one of the Mesilla Valleys most all important(predicate) 19th century figures, who was murdered along with his 9-year ancient son atomic number 1 in 1896. Thomas, whose mother had deep family ties in Chihuahua, was one of hundreds of foreign fghters and mercenaries whod linked the charismatic revolutionary Villa. That group also included one of the valleys more unusual new immigrants, former Boer War leader Benjamin VilJoen of confederation Africa, who Joined with Madero as a military advisor.In early April 1912, Orozcos forces were close to pickings Parral, and were trying to place a cannon on a strategically vital point overlooking the city. But Fountain, manning a machine gun, single-handed thwarted their efforts. The Villistas were forced from the city two da ys later, yet Fountain remained behind in his adopted hometown and was captured. Bad for business Though American diplomatic efforts initially stopped his execution, the Rio Grande Republican reported Fountains captors allowed him to flee, under the questionable law of flight, only to shoot him in the back in the streets of Parral.His killing made national headlines and outraged Americans, among them one of New Mexicos first senators, Albert Fall, who had a complicated relationship not only with Villa and the Mexican revolution, but the Fountain family as well. As a new senator, the bilingual Fall aim himself forward as an expert on Mexico, ultimately heading up the Senate subcommittee on Mexican affairs. Fall had been a long-time bitter foe of Thomas father, and in 1898 had successfully efended the men accused of his murder. At the urging ot Thomas brother, Albert, Fall t accountability for the execution. d to get some kind ot Fall, whod started his legal occupational group in La s Cruces, was among other locals with extensive business dealings in Mexico that were jeopardize by the continued political instability. Eugene Van Patten, a former county sheriff, Indian fighter, and co-founder of the local New Mexico Militia, owned the Dripping Springs resort where Villa reportedly visited at least once. In 1914, the Rio Grande Republican reported Van Patten and county tax assessor Duara Peacock secured a valuable contract to buy seized Mexican cotton directly from Villa.Another account reports Van Patten met with Villa in Juarez that same year to urge the release of an American-born prisoner Pedro Chaves, the son of wealthy Albuquerque wool merchant Amado Chaves. From hero to villain Any friendly relations with Villa, who many along the America border saw as a sort of revolutionary folk hero, evaporated with the raid on Columbus. The motivations behind the raid remain unclear. after(prenominal) the assassination of Modero in 1913, Villa initially won battlefie ld victories in orthern Mexico.But by 1916, he was mostly on the run, with the U. S. government supporting his foe, interim prexy Venustiano Carranza. Some believe Villa needed the weaponry and supplies he knew were held in Columbus by a small contingent of the 13th U. S. Cavalry. His forces did seize horses and supplies, and at least 80 were killed in the one-hour attack. A half dozen Villistas were captured and execute in Deming in June 1916, and a large American expeditionary force led by Gen. John J. Pershing was soon in Mexico searching for the debatable Villa.The college newspaper the Round Up reported many of its students were among that force, which at diametric times based itself in or near Las Cruces. Scores of Aggies, alumni, and old students (have) responded to the call. The plow, hoe, the slide rule and transit, were laid aside, the khaki was donned and with gun and bayonet they went fore to keep Pancho Villa on his own side of the line, the paper reported Villa rem ained out of the hands of Pershing, who by early 1917 was heading over to Europe with Americas creation into World War l, where some of those same Aggies would serve and die.