VILLA AND HIS CAMPAIGN IN THE NORTH
So much has been written about Francisco Villa that only a few
preliminary remarks are necessary to describe the personality of the
famous general. The enemies of Villa made the accusation that the rebel
chief was not respectable because he had been an outlaw under the Diaz
régime.
Those who have studied the Diaz rule with a mind unbiased by profits
and interests, will have discovered that if Villa was a bandit under
the Diaz reign, he certainly must have been an honest one; for almost
without exception all the officials from the President down to the
lowest Jefe Político, were robbers, cut-throats and grafters.
Villa is not better nor worse than the average Mexican, but his
weaknesses are those of his unfortunate countrymen, and his strength is
the latent strength of his people.
Villa, although directly responsible for the mutiny at Juarez in 1911,
when with Orozco he almost succeeded in eliminating F. I. Madero,
discovered that the three cientifico agents in El Paso were the
instigators of the plot. Ever since then Villa remained loyal to
Madero and continued to fight against Huerta, in memory of Madero.
[Illustration: GENERAL S. ALVARADO
Second in Command under General Obregon]
All the biographers of Villa spoke of him as a Napoleon, who had
created an army out of nothing. It must not be forgotten that out
of one hundred and thirty thousand soldiers who fought against the
military dictatorship, there were at least forty generals who created
armies out of nothing. They, too, were without money, ammunition, arms
and with even less experience than Villa.
During his ten or more years as an outlaw, Villa was roaming all over
the States of Chihuahua and Durango, as a leader of lesser outlaws, and
his guerrilla experience was invaluable to him later.
In the case of most other Generals, like Obregon, Gonzales, Gutierrez,
Natera, Herrera, Chao, Calles, Hill, Caballero, their experience was
insignificant. Most of the chiefs who fought the Federals were either
farmers, lawyers, engineers, clerks who had never before handled a gun
in their lives till the last revolution.
When Villa crossed the American border into Mexico in the spring of
1913, he marched up and down the States of Chihuahua, Coahuila and
Durango. He gathered men, attacking small cities and doing very much
the same as other revolutionists did--surprising small detachments of
Federals in outlying districts, and capturing the arms, ammunition,
and horses which were so badly needed. With him were co-operating the
Herrera brothers, Chao, Rosalio Hernandez, and in Durango, the Arrieta
brothers, Contreras, Triana, Carrillo and Urbina. They looted the banks
to buy arms and ammunition from the United States, and stole horses and
saddles to creat a mobile force and killed cattle to feed themselves.
The first important battle won by Villa was fought in San Andrés with
eight hundred men against fourteen hundred Federals, who were defeated
on October 4th, 1913. He attacked, captured and sacked Torreon. Near
Chihuahua he again defeated the Federals, but as Juarez was still in
their power, he had to take the border towns before attempting to fight
towards the south.
How he outwitted the commander of Juarez by stealing a ride north of
Chihuahua on a train loaded with coal, and surprised and drove the
commander across the border, has been told before.
The battle of Tierra Blanca, when he defeated five thousand Federals
who came from Chihuahua to relieve Juarez, was his first important
strategical battle, and as far as the campaign is concerned, is the
most important, even without excepting the battle of Torreon, in April,
1914. Without the battle of Tierra Blanca, no other successes could
have had any decisive value. In Torreon, Villa had all the men, arms
and ammunition he wanted, and with great recklessness, he sacrificed
his men, counting only upon results.
After the capture of Torreon, Saltillo and Monterrey automatically
fell into his power, for Torreon was the strategic key which opened the
way south to his army, i. e., the Northern division.
In another chapter, the causes and details of the Carranza-Villa
quarrel will be discussed. The character of General Villa must be
studied, in order to understand the underlying causes of the quarrel.
Villa, like Zapata, is a man of the peasant class. Physically strong,
with great will power and a good deal of horse sense. In men of this
type, due to their utter lack of education, and inexperience in
politics, they are an easy prey to their secretaries, friends, advisers
and hangers-on. Being fundamentally honest, they take it for granted
that their entourage is likewise, and being unable to read or write,
they are constantly deceived by their secretaries. In the case of the
other generals, like Obregon, Gonzales, etc., their education and
political experience put them on their guard against petty, scheming
politicians, and unscrupulous tools of the reactionaries.
Villa’s ideas outside of stratagems, spoils and the game of war,
are primitive, and not always clear. His appetites and his contempt
for human life is equal to that of the Apaches and Comanches; his
attitude toward life is anarchistic, rebellious. Towards people he is
cunning, suspicious, ostensibly good-natured and at times tyrannical.
An uncontrollable temper is softened by a keen sense of humor, and a
lavish generosity is encouraged by a propensity to acquisitiveness.
Villa is so terribly suspicious of everything and everybody, that
he has been accused of being not quite so brave as he wants to
appear. General Maclovio Herrera is admired for his courage and
is nicknamed “the Lion”: Villa has an unbounded respect for him,
tinged with a little envy. Villa’s enemies claim that he went to
Aguascalientes escorted by eighteen thousand soldiers, because he was
afraid,--although the other generals had none but bodyguards.
When Obregon was sent by Carranza to join Villa in a solution of the
Sonora controversy between Maytorena and Hill, he went alone. Villa
soon lost his temper and had Obregon arrested, and threatened to have
him shot by his soldiers unless he acceded to his demands. Obregon,
calm and cool, answered: “My life belongs to Mexico,--if you believe
that my death is necessary to the solution of the question, I am
ready to sacrifice it. I came here to meet Villa the patriot: I find
a savage Villa who calls himself the savior of Mexico.” The manly and
courageous attitude of Obregon conquered Villa, who instead of ordering
an execution, gave a ball in his honor.
When Carranza was in Chihuahua with Villa after the fall of Torreon, he
heard that Villa had ordered the execution of General Chao, Governor
of Chihuahua. Villa was asked to appear before Carranza, who demanded
an explanation. “I have shot Chao,” grinned Villa. Carranza was very
indignant, and protested vehemently. Then Villa laughed, and admitted
that the order had not been carried out. Carranza ordered him to
free Chao immediately, and said to him: “You have no right to arrest
and shoot an official not under your immediate command, without my
authority, especially a governor who is under my jurisdiction. Am I
the chief of the revolution or am I not?” Villa was impressed and he
ordered the release of Chao. He excused himself by saying that Chao had
grafted. Later it was discovered that Villa’s secretary had sent orders
to Chao, Villa not being able to read what he had signed, and the whole
scheme was engineered by Villa’s secretary to get rid of Chao, who was
his personal enemy. Villa embraced Chao as a result.
One of Villa’s many wives was enterprising enough to induce Villa to
let her sign some treasury notes, which were honored by the officials,
who did not dare refuse.
Once, Villa gave an order for the exportation through Juarez of
$5000 worth of material. The Secretary changed the order from five,
to fifty thousand, which without his knowledge had been telegraphed
to the official in charge of the Custom House in Juarez. The honest
official refused to let the goods pass the border, and the irate Villa
almost shot him for disobedience. Finally the matter was cleared up,
and Villa declared that he had ordered five, and not fifty, thousand
dollars’ worth. “But here is the order signed by you,” said the
official. Villa had been deceived again, as he has been all along by
his secretaries. The two following telegrams, one from Villa, and
the answer of the Arrieta Brothers, will throw a very clear light on
the attitude of Villa toward Carranza. It will also prove that the
majority of the generals do not sympathize with Villa, as he is making
a personal question, or better said, an alleged insult to his division,
a pretext to overthrow Carranza, and become the political dictator of
Mexico.
TELEGRAM.
CHIHUAHUA, General Headquarters,
Sept. 23d, 1914.
_Urgent._
GENERALS MARIANO AND DOMINGO ARRIETA.
Durango, Dgo.
Venustiano Carranza having deeply offended the honor and dignity of
the Northern Division under my command, and not being able to tolerate
any longer his whims and inconsequences, which would have sunk our
country in ruins, disseminating anarchy, while creating distrust with
foreign nations,--since yesterday, all my generals and myself have
decided to repudiate him as Chief of the Nation.
For we are convinced that because of his alliance with the
cientificos and his noted tendencies to favor a certain personal
group which surrounded him, and prevented the solution of the real
revolutionists, and to fulfil the promises made to the people.
As a consequence we have decided to fight only against the personality
of Venustiano Carranza, and to drive him out of the country, without
antagonizing or molesting the other chiefs who have fought to
overthrow the usurping government which has just fallen. Therefore
we repeat that our movement is solely against the personality of
Venustiano Carranza.
As we have always understood that you have been animated by patriotic
sentiments, like ourselves, we address ourselves to you, showing you
the matter clearly, and we hope that in view of the right which is on
our side, you will be with us, and will help by offering your services
to the cause of the people.
Already the Governor of the State of Sonora and his forces, have
repudiated Venustiano Carranza, and we hope that you will act likewise
and will define your position informing us if you are with us or with
Carranza.
We beg you to answer as soon as possible. Greetings.
The General in Chief,
FRANCISCO VILLA.
Answer to the above telegram.
DURANGO TO CHIHUAHUA, Sept. 24th, 1914.
SEÑOR GENERAL DON FRANCISCO VILLA,
Chihuahua.
We are in receipt of your telegram, in which you declare that
the division under your command has repudiated the authority as
Provisional President, of Don Venustiano Carranza, because of insults
to the dignity of said Division and for not having fulfilled the
promises made to the people.
We discover in your telegram a certain ambiguity, as we have no
knowledge of the insults to which you refer.
Concerning the promises made to the people, we consider your
pretentions premature, as a convention has been named to meet on the
first of October, in which clearly and explicitly the programme of the
government will be discussed and studied, so as to solve the various
problems which will benefit the proletariat.
Therefore we would be grateful, if you would communicate to us the
nature of the insults to which you refer, and the cause of the people
which has been frustrated, so that we can intelligently come to a
decision.
And lastly we appeal to your patriotism and the interest of the
country which through this break would be more weakened, and be at
the mercy of the American nation, which has not retired its troops
from Vera Cruz. We beg of you if you are a real patriot, to calm your
temper and meditate on the evils which would befall our country with
this civil war--which would bring about as a consequence a foreign war.
1st. We are of the opinion that you should sacrifice your self-love
for the good of the country, and you should not take notice of said
insults, even if they existed.
Secondly. That we hope that the Convention which is to take place on
the first of October, when all the Constitutionalist forces will be
represented, to solve the great problems of our country, will put
them into effect with the assistance of the arms which we will not
relinquish until our ideals have been fulfilled.
Hoping for an answer to give our definite resolution, we salute you
affectionately.
GENERAL DOMINGO ARRIETA,
GENERAL MARIANO ARRIETA.
As an answer, Villa sent General Urbina against the Arrieta Brothers.
Urbina and his forces were defeated, and the general badly wounded.
Innocent, well-meaning, but utterly deceived Villa! If he only knew
that the Cientifícos whom he accuses of having affiliated with
Carranza, are really pulling their wires from New York, and using him
(Villa) as the tool to eliminate Carranza, and this because the first
chief intends to carry out all the radical reforms of the revolution.