War on the Border by Jeff Guinn

Author:Jeff Guinn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 2021-05-18T00:00:00+00:00

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On April 13, the Mexican government dispatched two vehement telegrams to the U.S. State Department, both claiming that Major Tompkins precipitated a violent confrontation at Parral. Besides this unforgivable affront, Mexican troops should be “entirely in control” of Villa’s pursuit and inevitable capture. Accordingly, it was time for “the withdrawal of [U.S.] forces from our country.” Secretary of State Lansing, scrambling to learn what happened, replied that the Punitive Expedition’s purpose—an “endeavor to take the bandit Villa”—remained. Lansing suggested that the best way for this to be accomplished, and the American troops subsequently ordered home, would be “for commanders in the field for both countries to cooperate.” If the American forces left now, it could only encourage other revolts against the Mexican government—surely President Carranza didn’t want that.

While Lansing counseled cooperation, Pershing urged the opposite. It had been bad enough that the Mexican government had hampered his mission by refusing the use of trains and forbidding entry into towns. Federales and civilians had lied incessantly about Villa’s whereabouts. Now American soldiers scrupulously adhering to ridiculous stipulations had still been attacked by troops of the Mexican government. On April 18 Pershing wired Funston that “in order to prosecute our mission with any promise of success it is therefore absolutely necessary for us to assume complete possession for the time being of the country through which we must operate.… Therefore [I] recommend immediate capture by this command of [the] city and state of Chihuahua [and] also the seizure of all railroads therein, as preliminary to further military operations.”

Funston wired back from the Army Southern Department headquarters in Texas that “war with [Mexico] is almost inevitable.” He predicted that if the expedition stayed in southern Chihuahua, it would soon be attacked “by a large force… from Central Mexico, as well as Sonora troops.” Pershing’s supply line would prove too long to maintain, and because the expedition was five hundred miles deep in Mexico, when the Mexican attack came “we cannot support you.”

Then came a thunderbolt: Funston ordered Pershing to fall back “with a view to concentration of [your] entire force at Colonia Dublan. Such action imperative.” Funston acknowledged that, following the events at Parral, Pershing and his forces wanted to defend American honor by fighting, but “no question of prestige can be entertained as military considerations must govern. Acknowledge and report daily.”

To the delight of the Villistas lingering around the Chihuahua-Sonora border, their gringo pursuers turned back north. It appeared to be abject retreat. Some Villista officers printed and distributed posters urging fellow citizens to join their cause at this auspicious moment: “Now is the opportune time for every Mexican to answer the call to arms in order to combat these intruders.”

On March 12, three days after the Columbus raid, U.S. border agent George Carothers had warned Secretary Lansing that any U.S. pursuit of Villa lasting “over a month” would result in all of Mexico uniting against America. The month was up, and Carothers had apparently been right.

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