Battle of Ciudad Juárez (1913) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Second Battle of Ciudad Juárez |
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| Part of the Mexican Revolution | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Pancho Villa Victoriano de Anda Venustiano Carranza |
 Francisco Castro Salvador Mercado Victoriano Huerta |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 2,000 | Around 600 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Light | Major | ||||||
The Second Battle of Ciudad Juárez was a big win for the rebels in the Mexican Revolution. It's also called the Capture of Ciudad Juárez or “Villa’s Trojan Train”. Rebel fighters tricked the government army in Juárez by hiding inside a hijacked coal train. They snuck into the city at night and surprised the soldiers, winning easily.
After winning the Battle of Torreón in September 1913, Pancho Villa wanted to capture Ciudad Chihuahua. But his attacks failed after three days. As his troops left, they found a coal train at El Sauz station. Villa's men emptied the train. They then sent a fake message to Juárez, saying the tracks were broken. Juárez headquarters told the train to return. Villa and 2,000 men hid in the empty train cars. They entered Juárez undetected around 2:00 am on November 15. The fighting started at 2:10 am and ended by 5:00 am. Most government soldiers surrendered.
Capturing Juárez made Villa famous around the world. The American newspapers praised his clever plan and his soldiers' discipline. In Mexico, this victory boosted the spirits of Villa's Division del Norte. It helped them trust Villa again after the tough fight in Ciudad Chihuahua. Juárez was also important because it was on the American border. This location gave Villa a steady income from taxes. It also allowed him to buy weapons directly from Americans. This happened after the US stopped its arms embargo in early 1914. The capture of Juárez also forced the government army in Ciudad Chihuahua to leave their city. They tried to get Juárez back. But Villa defeated them badly at the Battle of Tierra Blanca. This win secured rebel control over the state of Chihuahua.
Contents
Why the Battle Happened
Mexico in Turmoil
In February 1913, Mexico's President Francisco I. Madero was killed. This happened after he gave up power to a military takeover. General Victoriano Huerta led this takeover. Huerta quickly took control. He killed the governor of Chihuahua, Abraham González. He also jailed or sent away many other governors. These governors were thought to be loyal to the old government. Because of these actions, states like Sonora and Coahuila started revolts. Rebel groups began to appear all over the country.
Pancho Villa Joins the Fight
Pancho Villa was a former revolutionary general. He had escaped from a military prison in November 1912. He was living in the United States. When Villa heard that Madero and González were killed, he returned to Mexico. He declared himself in revolt against Huerta. Villa quickly gained many followers in northwestern Chihuahua. He agreed to support Venustiano Carranza, the governor of Coahuila. Carranza was seen as the leader of the revolution.
Rebels Unite
By July 1913, the government had taken back much of Coahuila. They defeated Carranza's troops three times. These battles were at Anhelo, Saltillo, and Monclova. With northeast Mexico mostly stable, the government attacked rebel groups in Chihuahua. Pascual Orozco led this attack. His forces swept through southern Chihuahua. They quickly took the state capital, Ciudad Chihuahua. This changed everything for the rebels. They realized they could not fight the government alone. So, on September 26, 1913, rebel leaders from Chihuahua and Durango met. They chose Villa as the leader of a new, united force. This force was called the Division del Norte.
Villa's First Big Move
The new Division del Norte moved to take Torreón. This city in Coahuila was a rich railway center. The rebels hoped to get supplies and money there. They also wanted to stop government trains. The government commanders in the area were not very good. But the rebel troops were well-trained and brave. So, Torreón fell quickly after a series of day and night attacks.
The victory at the battle of Torreón gave the Division del Norte many weapons and ammunition. It also helped them form a strong artillery group. The Division then quickly moved to control Chihuahua. They tried to take the capital, Ciudad Chihuahua. Villa had succeeded with direct attacks in Torreón. So, he tried the same plan against the soldiers in Ciudad Chihuahua. But this time, it was different. The government soldiers in Chihuahua had a strong, experienced unit. Their general, Salvador Mercado, was very skilled. Villa's forces tried to storm the city for three days. But they made no progress. They lost many men and a lot of ammunition. Finally, on November 12, Villa ordered his troops to retreat.
Capturing Juárez: Villa's Clever Plan
A Tricky Situation
The failed attack on Ciudad Chihuahua put Villa in a difficult spot. The attack had used up much of the Division's ammunition. It also made some soldiers doubt Villa's leadership. Villa needed a quick victory. But it seemed to everyone that he had no good options. Villa's forces could retreat south to Hidalgo del Parral and Torreón. From there, they could attack government forces in central Mexico. Or, he could attack north to take Juárez. Juárez was a key city on the American border. It offered more money and American weapons.
However, both choices were risky. The strong government army in Chihuahua could move to stop or recapture any city Villa attacked.
Villa's Smart Move
Considering this, Villa decided to split his forces. He ordered General Manuel Chao to go south. Chao took the trains, artillery, and infantry. He blew train whistles and cut telegraph lines. This was to trick the government troops. Meanwhile, Villa would ride north with his cavalry. He planned a surprise attack on the Juárez army.
The Captured Train
On the evening of November 13, Villa's horsemen passed the railway station of El Sauz. This was about 60 kilometers north of Ciudad Chihuahua. A coal train was arriving at the station. Villa's men ambushed and captured it. After taking the train, Villa ordered the railway lines towards Ciudad Chihuahua destroyed. He also had the coal unloaded from the train.
At the same time, the station's telegraph operator was forced to send a message to Juárez. The message said the tracks were destroyed, probably by rebels. It asked for more instructions. The dispatcher in Juárez told the train to return to Ciudad Juárez right away. They also said to report its safe arrival at each station by telegraph.
Following these orders, Villa's men traveled north on the hijacked train. Four of Villa's men got off at each station. They forced the local telegraph operator to send a message to Juárez. It reported the train's safe arrival. After sending the message, Villa's men cut the telegraph lines at the station.
The Juárez Army
The government army in Juárez had about 600 men. General Francisco Castro was their commander. The soldiers felt confident. Ciudad Juárez was thought to be very well protected. It had strong defenses. Also, it was across the Rio Grande from the US city of El Paso. Any stray shots during a rebel attack could hit people in El Paso. This might cause the US army to get involved against the rebels. This confidence, plus news of Villa being near Ciudad Chihuahua, made many soldiers relax. They were enjoying the many bars and gambling places in Juárez when the rebel train arrived.
Taking the City by Surprise
The train, full of Villa's soldiers, arrived in Ciudad Juárez around 2:00 am on November 15, 1913.
The rebels got off the train in the center of Juárez. They spread out to take important places before anyone noticed them. Government troops saw the rebels at 2:10 am. Then, gunfights started all over the city. Rebel forces quickly took over much of the city. The government barracks and border tollbooth fell by 4:00 am. Most of the remaining government soldiers surrendered by 5:00 am. When the sun came up, only a small group of government soldiers was still fighting. They were in a house near the Juárez horse racetrack. This group finally had to surrender when they ran out of ammunition.
What Happened Next
Unlike in 1911, capturing Juárez did not fully secure rebel control over Chihuahua. The government army in Ciudad Chihuahua was still strong. It was similar in size and equipment to Villa's Division del Norte. They were also in good spirits after successfully defending their capital. This success made government leaders believe they could win Juárez back. So, a strong force was sent north to retake Ciudad Juárez. General Refugio Velesco led this force.
The capture of Juárez was not the final battle of the Chihuahua campaign. But it greatly improved Villa's position. He gained ammunition and weapons from the captured government troops. The victory also boosted the morale of the Division del Norte. It helped them trust Villa again after the failed attack on Ciudad Chihuahua. Also, Villa's men were no longer stuck between the armies in Ciudad Chihuahua and Juárez. The government army was coming by train from the south. This gave Villa a chance to choose where the next battle would be. He could have used the defenses of Juárez, which were mostly still intact. However, even with the weapons gained from Juárez, the Division del Norte did not have enough ammunition or heavy weapons for a long siege. They only had 2 cannons and a few machine guns. So, Villa decided to fight the government forces at a small railway station. This was Tierra Blanca, about 30 km south of Juárez. The battle at Tierra Blanca gave Villa his immediate victory. It was the final battle that forced government forces back to one last spot in eastern Chihuahua: the border city of Ojinaga.
