CAMPAIGN OF GENERAL GONZALEZ IN THE EAST
Like most of the campaigns in the north of Mexico, where the strategic
objectives are the border towns, so the campaign of General Gonzalez
was fought, first for the possession of Piedras Negras (Ciudad Porfirio
Diaz), Nuevo Laredo, Camargo and Matamoros, and later for the control
of Tamaulipas.
The first battle of the revolution against Huerta was fought at Anhelo
and ended in a defeat. Then Venustiano Carranza, with his brother Jesus
Carranza, and Pablo Gonzalez, took Piedras Negras.
Huerta, as well as his generals, were of the opinion that if Carranza
was captured and shot, it would end the constitutionalist revolution
then and there. Therefore, they concentrated all their efforts upon
Piedras Negras, which was defended by four hundred men. More than 9,000
Federals were sent against them, and although the revolutionists were
forced to leave, the enemy did not succeed in capturing the leaders.
[Illustration: GENERAL PABLO GONZALEZ
Chief of the Eastern Division]
Then Pablo Gonzalez, with the help of Jesus Carranza, roamed all over
the States of Coahuila and Nuevo Leon defeating over twenty Federal
garrisons and capturing the much needed arms and ammunition, which were
so scarce and hard to get at the beginning of the struggle.
It is a fact worth noticing that, in the three campaigns in the North,
Centre and South, the revolutionists captured many cities, and then
departed. To the lay mind it seems absurd to fight so hard to capture
a city, and then to let it go almost immediately without even waiting
for the Federals to retake it. Nevertheless, it was good tactics. The
Federal garrisons offered big stores of war material, while the cities
supplied them with food, clothing and money.
Monterrey was attacked twice without success, and there was no chance
of victory until Torreon, Piedras Negras, Nuevo Laredo, Matamoros
and Tampico were in the hands of Pablo Gonzalez. When that was done,
Monterrey was automatically evacuated by the Federals.
Tampico was attacked several times and besieged by Caballero. The
Federals had a great advantage, as they controlled the city with their
gunboats. Another drawback was the presence of foreign warships, of
foreign Consuls and representatives of the great oil corporations. The
Dutch, English and American Oil Companies protested most vigorously
against the attack on Tampico, and the Federals took good care to use
this protection to great advantage.
When Pablo Gonzalez was ordered to take Tampico at all costs, he did so
after only four days’ battle. When the Federals began their retreat,
they threatened to burn and destroy all the oil tanks and property of
the foreigners, if they were followed by the Revolutionists.
Like many of the important moves in the campaign against Huerta, the
great significance of the capture of Tampico was pointed out by a
civilian. In this instance, the Secretary of the Interior in Carranza’s
revolutionary Cabinet, Don Rafael Zubáran, was the wise counsellor.
The first reason given was that Huerta had practically given away many
very valuable oil concessions to an English company, in return for
cash. That the export tax on each barrel of oil was doubled from sixty
cents to $1.20 and calculating that over half a million barrels of oil
were exported daily, it will be seen what a rich source of income would
have been taken away from Huerta.
The second reason was that the seizure of Tampico would eliminate
a great source of friction between the foreign powers and the
revolutionary government, besides relieving the anxiety felt in
Washington as to the constant danger of foreign marines landing in
Tampico to protect the interests of their countrymen.
The third reason was that Tampico, besides being the most important
seaport in Mexico after Vera Cruz, was also a great strategic point.
It cut off Monterrey and Saltillo from the coast, and endangered
and flanked their communications. Huerta considered the possession
of Tampico of such value that when it was threatened by the rebels,
and he knew that it was lost to him, he decided to force American
intervention by arresting some marines who had landed at the Tampico
wharf on routine business. The action was deliberate and was meant to
concentrate the attention of the revolutionists on American aggression,
so that they would discontinue their attacks. The State and Navy
Department very wisely kept the American warship outside of the Panuco
River so as to offer as few pretexts as possible for attacks. It can be
asserted that the fall of Tampico sounded the end of Huerta’s rule in
Mexico.