'The Hunt for Pancho Villa' premieres Nov. 3
October 28, 1993
Just before dawn on March 9, 1916, a band of Mexican revolutionaries
loyal to General Francisco "Pancho" Villa crossed the border into the United
States and attacked the town of Columbus, New Mexico. By the time they withdrew, 17
Americans and 67 Mexicans lay dead.
Overnight, Pancho Villa became America's most wanted enemy. Within a
week, thousands of American soldiers would invade Mexico; within a few months, 150,000
U.S. troops -- the largest American deployment since the Civil War -- would be mobilized
along the border from California to Texas. The leader of the American expedition was
General John "Black Jack" Pershing. His mission: to capture Pancho Villa, dead
or alive.
"The American Experience: The Hunt for Pancho Villa,"
premiering Wednesday, Nov. 3 at 9 p.m. on KPBS Television, tells the story of one of the
most controversial figures in American history and the dramatic but failed efforts of the
U.S. government to bring him to justice -- events that brought him to justice -- events
that brought the United States and Mexico to the brink of war.
"The Hunt for Pancho Villa" was produced by Hector Galan and
Paul Espinosa. Written by Espinosa and directed by Galan, the one-hour film is narrated by
Academy-Award-winning actress Linda Hunt.
A production of WGBH Boston,"The American Experience" is made
possible by support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and public television
stations.
Executive producer for "The American Experience" it Judy
Crichton. Senior producer is Margaret Drain. Pulitzer-prize-winning author and historian
David McCullough is the series' host providing an introductory essay for each broadcast.
Painting a picture of the violent, chaotic U.S.-Mexican border in the
early part of this century, "The Hunt for Pancho Villa" draws on a wealth of
archival materials, including remarkable, rarely seen film of the U.S. expeditionary force
that was sent to capture Villa; and postcards, cartoons, newsreels, and film excerpts
found in public and private collections in the United States and Mexico.
Also featured are interviews with two of Pancho Villa's soldiers, Jose
Maria Varela and Enrique Alferez; Columbus, New Mexico residents Margaret Carson, Richard
Dean, and Jessie Thompson; former Columbus resident Mary Lee Gaskill; Chihuahua witnesses
Vicente Lara, Ruben Osorio, Carlos Villegas, Rey Whetten, Adolfo Rivera (who was held
prisoner by a Villa colonel), Blasa Rivera and her brother Francisco Rivera; and
historians Hector Arras and Louis Ray Sadler.
Mexican revolutionary and popular leader, Pancho Villa was America's
most wanted enemy and the target of the largest deployment of American troops since the
Civil War.
Testimonial accounts recorded at the time reflect the views of the
major actors in the drama: General John "Black Jack" Pershing, General Villa,
President Woodrow Wilson, and U.S. and Mexican government officials.
Hero or outlaw?
Pancho Villa's infamous attack on a small American town had its roots
in his complex, volatile character; in Mexico's turbulent politics; and in the tangled
relations between Mexico and the U.S., which had many business holdings below the border.
As so outlaw, Villa was legendary in Mexico for his brazen attacks on
"haciendas," the huge, profitable ranches that kept workers in virtual ignorance
and poverty.
"He was seen as the Mexican Robin Hood...because it was said that
he helped the poor by taking from the rich," says historian Hector Arras in the
program.
Pancho Villa had once been considered a friend of the United States,
even called the potential "George Washington of Mexico." During the Mexican
Revolution, he had won a series of military victories and had emerged a national figure.
He became convinced that the United States would recognize him as Mexico's legitimate
leader.
But in 1915, the United States abruptly threw its support behind
Villa'a archenemy-- Venustiano Carranza. Villa felt betrayed. He was certain that Carranza
had struck a deal to turn Mexico over to the Americans.
"Americans know that I've always made a special effort to
guarantee their safety in my country," said Villa. "Now only history can decide
who is responsible."
He vowed to fight.
America had not only changed its attitude toward the unpredictable
Villa, but placed an arms embargo on him, culling off his supply from towns like Columbus,
NM. The United States also secretly helped Carranza's troops defeat villa's forces.
But Villa was not a man who gave up easily. His troops ambushed a train
carrying American miners, killing all but one of the 17 men on hoard. His next target
would be Columbus, NM.
America retaliates
News of Pancho Villa's infamous Columbus raid reached the outside world
almost immediately and precipitated a heated, often emotional debate in both the United
States and Mexico. Some congressional leaders called for a fullscale invasion of Mexico.
Others argued that the United States needed Mexico as an ally and should not punish an
entire country for the actions of a small band of guerilla fighters.
President Wilson, in the midst of a presidential campaigns did not want
to rush into a decision. The country was divided over the issue of isolationism and
interventionism as the war in Europe became more threatening. As a compromise, Wilson
announced the formation of a "Punitive Expedition" under the command of General
John J. "Black Jack" Pershing, a celebrated hero already famous for his
successful campaign in the Indian Wars and the Philippines.
Under Pershing's command, the cavalry or U.S. National Guardsmen and
Army regulars, backed up by airplanes (the first ever used in battle), new armored tanks,
and over 600 trucks (the cavalrymen had to be trained to drive them), set up camp along
the border.
"The Punitive Expedition was the last of the old and the first of
the new," says historian Louis Ray Sadler. "This is the last great cavalry
operation in the United States army."
But the hunt was tough going. Despite the massive provisions and
advanced technology of the American army (especially compared to Villa's rag-tag brigade),
the U.S. troops suffered in the intense heat and were constantly eluded by Villa, who knew
the land like the back of his hand.
"We always went on the side where the sun was shining so they
couldn't see us," recalls Enrique Alferet, a member of Villa's army. "We rode
parallel to the Americans."
The American invasion triggered the deep resentment of the Mexican
people and of President Carranza, a political opportunist who claimed that the military
action violated Mexico's sovereignty. In the town of Parral, townspeople attacked U.S.
troops looking for Villa. Another skirmish in the town of Carrizal left 14 American
soldiers dead; 24 were taken prisoner. Full-scale war between the two countries seemed
imminent.
"I told the president we should at once seize all the border
towns," wrote General Hugh Scott, "and shove the Mexicans into the desert
beyond."
But neither country wanted war. After diplomatic talks, Carranza
released the American prisoners. In Febuary 1917, faced with the inevitable involvement in
World War I, the U.S. agreed to withdraw its troops. After 11 months, the Americans had
not only failed to capture Pancho Villa, they had never caught sight of him.
General Pershing publicly declared the Punitive Expedition a victory,
but privately, he wrote to his father-in-law:
"...We are now sneaking home under a cover like a whipped cur with
his tail between his legs."
In 1920, Pancho Villa laid down his arms, in exchange for a government
offer of land and amnesty. He was awarded a large ranch which had once been a hacienda. In
1923, he was gunned down by political enemies.
Pancho Villa's confrontation with the American troops has never been
forgotten on either side of the border. The enduring legacy of the Punitive Expedition,
which was designed to vanquish him, was, ironically, to transform Villa into a mythic
figure.