The Defeat of Francisco Villa

On January 1, 1915, the Alcohol Prohibition Law is established in Arizona, and foreseeing an economic upturn of alcohol sales in Mexico, in Nogales, Sonora the cave located on Elias Street . owned by Francisco G. Hermosillo, and who was used as a warehouwe, is prepared as a bar and restaurant. In March, Maytorena takes Naco, while in July, Calles, based in Agua Prieta, takes it back.

During August, Governor Maytorena builds in Nogales an eleven lines border fence to prevent international problems. The following month another battle takes place in Paredes, on the Santa Cruz River, during which the Maytorena forces defeat the Callistas.

By November, the US Government recognizes the Carranza faction, and from then on, they will allow the sale of weapons only to this faction. Villa comes then to Sonora, trying to evict the Carranza forces from the State and to improve his situation in the US public opinion.

Calles, located at Agua Prieta, builds up the defences of the town, surrounding it on three sides with barbed wire and trenches.

The US government allows Calles to take troops by train from Cd. Juarez to Agua Prieta, and even the Agua Prieta trenches will be defended during three days by US soldiers of Regiments 7, 8, 11, 20 and 22 of Infantery, as well as the Sixth of field artillery.

Besides this, taking in consideration that Villa uses to attack during the night, some reflectors are located to illuminate the potential attack possitions. It hasn´t been established yet if they were located in the US or Mexico.

And so it happens. On November 1, at 1:30 AM, Villa attacks Agua Prieta while the powerful reflectors illuminate the ground, while the artillery makes a real massacre.

After this defeat, Villa breaks the tacit agreement of not affecting US economic interests in Mexico. He forces the Cananea mine directives a contribution of $25,000 dlls, and then divides his forces in two. One section goes to Nogales, and the other to central Sonora.

In the night between the 25 and 26 of November, the Villa forces decide to leave Nogales, beginning simultaneously the assault of homes and commerces in Nogales, as well as burning the administrative archives of the town.

The following day, when the last Villista train leaves town, it breaks down, so part of the troops decide to return to town and incorporate to the troops that remain burning and commititing atrocities.

One of the soldiers shoots at least twice against the US troops that protect the border, and they immediately answer the attack.

Then starts a short fight between the US forces located in US soil, and the villistas, with some 50 Villa soldiers dead, while there are no US casualties.

Soon after this, the Carranza soldiers that approach Nogales, mistakenly think that the US soldiers are Villistas, and start shooting at them. The result of this second fight are two dead US soldiers and three wounded, while it is estimated that more than 100 Carranza soldiers are killed.

It is not until a Carranza officer realizes that they made a mistake, and orders an immediate cease fire, when the fight is ended.

This will be the last formal battle of the revolution in Nogales. From this moment onward, the border region will enter into a new stage. In the future, the border will see an increase in international trade, not only in war material, but in social consumption goods.