Francisco "Pancho" Villa was originally
Doroteo Arango, but Pancho caught on better with anyone who felt
like joining him in the fight that originally had the aim to get rid of Mexican dictator
Porfirio Díaz.
As a guerrilla leader, Villa controlled Chihuahua
for about two years during the
Mexican Revolution.
Pancho Villa might or might not have raided
Columbus, New Mexico, in 1916.
In any event, as a consequence of the
Columbus Raid, the US sent
John J. Pershing after Pancho Villa.
Without success.
Pancho Villa's Stamina
In his book The Life and Times of
Pancho Villa, historian Friedrich Katz
tells you what was remarkable about the man.
"It is
doubtful whether many military leaders would
have continued to fight had they suffered
defeats of such magnitude as the ones that
Villa suffered at Celaya.
Villa,
however, seems to have had unlimited amounts
of self-confidence, courage, and endurance.
Above all, he
had such charismatic appeal that his
soldiers were willing to continue the fight
and that he was even able to win new
recruits for his army."
Pancho Villa's Staff
Luis Aguirre Benavides was
Pancho's secretary.
Another good friend of Villa's was
Rodolfo
Fierro, who passionately did all of Pancho's dirty work.
Arguably the best trained soldier in the field of the Mexican
Revolution was Villa's general
Felipe Ángeles.
Doroteo Arango without hat
Archivo Histórico, Universidad
Nacional Autónoma de México
Pancho Villa - Early Years
Pancho was born on June 5,
1878, at the Rancho de la Coyotada on the Hacienda del Rio Grande,
one of the largest haciendas in the state of Durango. The hacienda
owner was the López Negrete family.
Francisco "Pancho" Villa was baptized
Doroteo Arango. There are different opinions about his real
name.
Pancho Villa's Family
Pancho Villa's father was
Agustín Arango. His mother was María Micaela Arambula.
The couple worked as sharecroppers on the hacienda.
Pancho's father died when he was five
years old.
Pancho Villa had four siblings. His brothers were
Antonio and Hipólito. Pancho's sister was
Martina.
PANCHO
Bettmann Archive
Pancho Villa's Politics, Successes, and Defeats
On September 30, 1914, Pancho issued
his
Manifesto for the
Mexican People.
Its complete title is
Manifesto - Addressed by General Francisco Villa to the Nation, and
documents justifying the disavowal of Venustiano Carranza as First
Chief of the Revolution.
Pancho Villa's finest hour was at the
end of the year 1914, when he, together with Emiliano Zapata, moved
into Mexico City. However, beginning with the year 1915, and while
fighting against Carranza, Pancho Villa's life went bad fast.
Pancho Villa's Looks
Pancho Villa's physical
appearance is described as tall, as a matter of fact taller than
Zapata, robust, approx. 180 pounds, with a light complexion.
If you think Elizabeth Taylor
got married often, learn from Pancho Villa. Pancho seems to have been
using marriage proposals as a pick-up line. Girls all over the place
were delighted. Thus, he ended up having many kids by many
girls. In other words, if you find out that you are related to Pancho Villa,
join the club.
Pancho might or might not have married
Petra Espinoza in Parral.
After just a brief courtship, Pancho
Villa married Maria Luz Corral. He convinced the priest that
neither one would really have the time for his confession before the
marriage. This
relationship ended in 1921.
PANCHO VILLA AND HIS WIFE LUZ
CORRAL El Paso
Library
Juana Torres was also married to
Pancho at some point. Juana's love faded when Pancho Villa put
Juana's mother and sister in prison for stealing his money.
Among others, Pancho also married
Soledad Seañez and Austreberta Renterta.
So how did he pull it off? Pancho became
a pro for simulated marriages. After the ceremony, he told the judge
to burn the official papers. Or else. That simple.
Pancho had a son named
Augustin.
Augustin's mother was Asuncion Villaescusa.
Pancho had a daughter named
Reynalda.
Not sure about her mother.
Pancho had a daughter named
Micaela.
Micaela's mother was Petra Espinoza.
Pancho Villa was assassinated
on July 20, 1923. Villa was in his Dodge Sedan with his bodyguards, driving
home from Parral to Canutillo.
A street vendor was waving to him at the
intersection Benito Juarez / Gabino Barveda. Pancho slowed his car to return the greeting and the
vendor shouted "¡Viva Villa!". The shout was a signal for a squad of
gunmen concealed in a house by the roadside.
They opened fire, the car swerved off
the road and crashed into a tree. Villa was killed instantly, riddled by
seven, some say nine, bullets. Four of his bodyguards were killed with him.
Among the ones killed were:
Trillo
(the chauffeur), and Daniel Tamayo (Villa's assistant). Three
members of his escort were wounded: Rafael Medrano,
Ramón
Contreras, and Claro Hurtado.
Villa was buried in the Parral cemetery.
On February 6, 1926, grave robbers had a field day. Pancho Villa's
head disappeared and was never recovered. Of course there were all
kind of rumors where the head went.
Back to 1923. Shortly after Pancho Villa's
killing, Jesús Salas Barrazas, the congressman for the Eloro
district of Durango, was arrested and charged with the murder of
Pancho Villa. Barrazas claimed innocence but, on September 13, 1923, was convicted and
sentenced to 20 years in prison. He served only 6 months.
Shortly before his death in 1951,
Barrazas confessed to being one of the seven men who had ambushed
Villa.
PANCHO VILLA ON HORSEBACK
Archivo Histórico, Universidad
Nacional Autónoma de México
Pancho Villa's Legacy
In 1976, President Luis
Echeverría dedicated the Monument of the Revolution in Mexico
City. Once more but this time by presidential decree, Pancho, or
what was left of him, was dug out and re-buried in Mexico City
alongside
Francisco Madero and
Venustiano Carranza.
Pancho's girl Austreberta and
some of his children were present at the ceremony.
Luz Corral
didn't show. She said the only proper place to bury Pancho Villa
would have been the crypt in Chihuahua.
In 1979, a statue of Pancho Villa was
erected in Tuscon, Arizona. Talk about split reaction.
In his book The Life &
Times of Pancho Villa, author Friedrich Katz speculates that, "Pancho
Villa's División del Norte was probably the largest
revolutionary army that Latin America ever produced."
If you are a real legend, people will
be singing about you. Swing along while listening to General Villa's
corrido.
A corrido is a Mexican ballad, by the way.
Pancho Villa's Short Biography
June 5, 1878
Birth in Rio Grande, Durango, Mexico
1909
Marries Maria Luz Corral
1910
Joins the Mexican
Revolution on the rebels site as captain
1911
Wins the Battle of Cuidad
Juarez, Diaz packs his bags, and Madero becomes new
president
1912
Death sentence for
disobeying orders, sentence is changed to two years in
prison, Villa flees to El Paso, Texas
1913
Madero gets himself
killed, Huerta is the new president, Villa feels hot
under the collar and conquers Chihuahua
1914
US intervention in
Veracruz, Huerta resigns, Carranza is the new president,
Villa and Zapata are having a good time in the National
Palace in Mexico City
1915
Villa fights Carranzas
troops now, is having a nightmare in the Battle of
Celaya, US recognized Carranza government, it goes
downhill with Pancho
1916
Raid on Columbus, NM,
allegedly initiated and executed by Pancho Villa
1916 / 1917
As a consequence of the
Columbus Raid, Pancho is on the run from General
Pershing and 3,000 US troops that roam on Mexican soil
without impunity
1918
Continues fighting against
Carranza's army
1919
Defeat at Juarez
1920
Carranza assassinated,
Villa negotiates a peace with Interim President Adolfo
de la Huerta. Villa agrees to retire. He purchases the
Hacienda Canutillo in the state of Durango
Greco-Persian Wars
Also called the
Persian Wars, the Greco-Persian Wars were
fought for almost half a century from 492 to
449 BC. Greece won against enormous odds. Here
is more:
