Ok, now I'm posting the first half of 1916, which promises to be a long year.
1916
16 January 1916 - Villa's forces attack train, killing 16 Americans.
21 February 1916 - Battle of Verdun begins
9 March 1916 - Villa raids town of Columbus, New Mexico. 18 Americans and 100 Villistas killed.
15 March 1916 - Major General John J. Pershing leads an expeditionary force of 4800 men into Mexico to capture Villa.
29 March 1916 - Colonel George A. Dodd and his command of 370 men from the 7th cavalry attack Villa and his forces, killing and wounding 75 of his men and forcing them to retreat into the mountains.
12 April 1916 - A running battle between Villa and America forces is fought in and around the town or Parral, Mexico.
22 April 1916 - Colonel Dodd fights another engagement with around 200 villistas under Candelaro Cervantes at Tomochic. Skirmishing continues throughout the day, killing around 30 villistas and two men from the 7th cavalry. At night, the 170 remaining men retreat in the direction of Ojos Azules.
24-30 April 1916 - Easter Rising
5 May 1916 - Six troops of the 11th cavalry and a detachment of Apache Scouts are attacked by Julio Acosta and his band. They lead them out of Ojos Azules and into an ambush. All but two of the scouts are killed, along with 23 villista casualties. On the same day, dozens of Mexican raiders attack Boquillas and Glenn Springs, Texas, taking two captives. The rebels from Ojos Azules march on Rubio.
12 May 1916 - Colonel George T. Langhorne and two troopers from the 8th cavalry rescue the two prisoners at El Pino without a fight.
14 May 1916 - Lieutenant George S. Patton comes across the ranch of Julio Cardenas. With 15 men and three armored cars, he leads the first armored attack in US history. Patton personally shoots three of the men, including Cardenas. Patton and his men get out and strap the rebels to their armored cars. The rebels from Ojos Azules are drawn to the gunfire, near Rubio. The advance elements catch Patton's group unawares, and kills or wounds 7 men with the first volley. Patton kills 4 attackers himself, but is eventually overwhelmed. Lieutenant George S. Patton will go down in history as Custer 2. The Mexicans take the three armored cars and leave for Colonia Dublan.
19 May 1916 - Colonel Dodd and his 350 men of the 7th cavalry finally catch up with Acosta and Cervantes' group. Dodd is unaware of the disaster at Rubio. He appears to be routing the Mexicans when his troops run into a ravine. Two armored cars waiting at the end open fire. The first and second ranks fall while the following ranks trip over them. The Mexicans turn around and add their fire to the massacre. Colonel Dodd and the 7th retreat after sustaining 124 casualties. The Villistas lose 30 and retreat to Chihuahua.
22 May 1916 - Villa orders Cervantes and Acosta's group into the mountains.
24 May 1916 - The American public is outraged when they learn of the twin disasters in Mexico. Wilson orders Pershing into the mountains to track Villa down.
25 May 1916 - President Carranza warns Pershing any further expansion south, west, or east will be contested.
31 May 1916 - Battle of Jutland
3 June 1916 - Arthur Zimmerman is killed under mysterious circumstances in Berlin and succeeded by Richard von Kühlmann.
9 June 1916 - Villa sneaks into Chihuahua and gives a speech, recruiting 52 extra troops. Villa is still wounded from earlier in the year, but manages to hold on. Villa and around 470 troops march towards Ojinaga. Pershing orders the 10th, 13th, and remainder of the 7th cavalry after him.
15 June 1916 - Villa fights the US cavalry into a draw outside of Ojinaga, and the cavalry retreat for reinforcements. 53 US troops are wounded and 27 are killed out of around 300 while the Villistas take around 70 casualties.
17 June 1916 - Villa launches a massive raid against Presidio, Texas. He kills 32 US civilians and 11 National Guardsmen, losing only 4 cavalry of his own. The famous illustration of armored cars shooting up main street appears in the New York Times just a few days later. Villa retreats deep into Coahuila.
21 June 1916 - Elements of the 5th and 11th cavalry fight Mexican federal general Felix Gomez at Carrizal, mistaking his troops for Villa's until skirmishing had already begun. 24 US cavalry are killed and 23 are wounded. The Mexicans take 72 casualties. Gomez himself is shot and loses his right below the elbow, but is able to continue leading his troops after a couple weeks in bed.
24 June 1916 - British intelligence intercept the Kühlmann telegram. It is a message to Carranza suggesting he gives Villa up to the Americans. Carranza replies angrily.
27 June 1916 - Carranza gives the famous "Only Mexico can fix Mexico's problems!" speech.
1 July 1916 - Battle of the Somme starts
2 July 1916 - Pershing's expedition moves into Coahuila after being reinforced by 2000 Texas national guardsmen.
7 July 1916 - 300 Mexican infantry open fire on Pershing's forces near modern day La Cuesta. The Mexicans are routed with 89 casualties, the Americans only taking 22 killed and 38 wounded. However, Pershing himself is wounded, and Colonel Dodd is forced to take command.
9 July 1916 - Wilson is told in no uncertain terms to pull all troops out of Mexico by the Mexican ambassador.
10 July 1916 - With elections coming up, and public opinion wanting Villa at the end of a hangman's rope, Wilson orders the occupation of US-Mexican border towns, and for Dodd's expedition to regroup in Chihuahua. A Republican senator proposes the "National Readiness Act" which would increase the US army with 5 more infantry regiments. It is supported by Theodore Roosevelt and Elihu Root.
21 July 1916 - When 1000 Texan and New Mexican national guardsmen enter Juarez, they are fired at in the streets. The US public watches Mexico with wary interest.
1 August 1916 - Carranza meets with Zapata and asks him for a ceasefire and even to help each other until America leaves the country. Zapata agrees on the condition that his ally Villa is never handed over to the Americans.
12 August 1916 - Felix Gomez, now travelling in a carriage, takes 700 Mexican infantry and meets up with Villa's 450 men and 3 armored cars. They march on Juarez in two columns and Gomez is heard to say a third column of supporters will rise up in the city [1]
14 August 1916 - Villa takes 400 cavalry and raids the national guard supply lines behind El Paso.
17 August 1916 - 200 Mexicans rise up in El Paso in protest against the US government. 500 Texan national guardsmen are dispatched to deal with Villa in Texas.
20 August 1916 - After 3 days of being harried by Villa's irregulars, the New Mexican national guardsmen in Juarez are frightened when they see the 200 men from El Paso marching towards them. The inexperienced US commander orders his troops to fire when he allegedly hears a pistol shot. 43 Mexicans are killed.
21 August 1916 - With Juarez and El Paso in a state of unrest, Villa and Gomez are able to surround the 500 Texans. The Texans take 238 casualties and Mexicans only 72. They then march into Juarez, with great support from the locals. The 500 New Mexicans flee back to El Paso.
23 August 1916 - With the border in a state of open conflict, Carranza makes an official declaration of war against the US. Wilson immediately orders all national guard units in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California called up immediately. He orders the 7th-15th infantry regiments to New Orleans, along with the 1st artillery and 1st-3rd cavalry. He sends the 25th-30th infantry, 8th cavalry, and 2nd artillery to Tuscon. Finally, he sends the 12th and 14th-17th cavalry to Mexicali and orders Dodd to consolidate his position. The National Readiness Act is approved. The 2nd Mexican-American war has begun.
[1] - Sorry guys, couldn't resist.
Any thoughts so far?
