Pancho Villa Expedition Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
The Pancho Villa Expedition was a Punitive Expedition against the military forces of Mexican General Pancho Villa in retaliation for Villa's invasion of the United States and attack on the village of Columbus, New Mexico.Trouble with Villa had been growing since 1915, when the United States government disappointed Villa by giving its support to the Carranza government of Mexico. In revenge, Villa directed his men to harass and harm American citizens along the border. The most serious incident occurred in January 1916, when several American engineers were removed from a train inside Mexico and summarily executed, stripped, and mutilated. Villa kept his men south of the border to avoid a direct confrontation with the American forces that were being deployed.
On March 9, 1916, Villa's forces attacked Columbus and its small military contingent. They killed several citizens, burned the town, and took many horses and mules, along with a small amount of cash and merchandise removed from shops, before they slipped back into Mexico.
On March 19th, directed by President Woodrow Wilson, General John J. Pershing led a force of 12,000 men into Mexico to capture Villa. The newly adopted airplane, Curtiss JN-2, was used to conduct aerial surveillance. Villa had already had more than a week to disperse and conceal his "pistoleros" before the punitive expedition tried to seek them out in unmapped, foreign terrain.
Pershing divided his force into two columns to seek out Villa. In June, Lt. George S. Patton raided a small community and killed Julio Cardenas and two other men. Cardenas was an important leader in the Villista military organization. In July, American forces mistakenly attacked loyal Mexican troops in the village of Carrizal, killing and wounding many of them.
The expedition bogged down due to its lack of success, tension with Mexican officials and citizens, and the attraction of liquor that was provided by cantinas that remained open all night to provide service to the thirsty soldiers.
The expedition never was able to locate Villa or his forces, and was withdrawn in January, 1917. Pershing claimed it was a success.
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