Brite Ranch raid facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brite Ranch raid |
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| Part of the Bandit War, Mexican Revolution | |
The fort at Brite Ranch, built after the raid in 1918
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| Location | 18 miles south of Valentine, Presidio County, Texas |
| Coordinates | 30°19′43″N 104°31′58″W / 30.32861°N 104.53278°W |
| Date | December 25, 1917 |
| Deaths | 4 |
| Assailants | Villistas, Carrancistas |
The Brite Ranch raid happened on Christmas Day in 1917. During this event, a group of Mexican raiders crossed the Rio Grande River into Texas. They attacked a ranch in Presidio County.
At first, people thought the raiders were Villistas. These were followers of Pancho Villa, a famous leader during the Mexican Revolution. Villistas had attacked American land before. However, some reports also said that Carrancistas were involved. These were soldiers loyal to Venustiano Carranza, another leader in the Mexican Revolution.
During the raid, the attackers killed three people. They also robbed a general store. Then, they rode back to Chihuahua, Mexico. American soldiers from the United States Army's 8th Cavalry and a group of local citizens chased them. On December 26, the Americans fought the raiders. Several raiders were killed, and some stolen items were taken back.
Later, an expedition to find more raiders led to another serious event. On January 27, 1918, Texas Rangers and US Cavalry soldiers were involved in the deaths of 15 Mexican men. This event became known as the Porvenir Massacre.
About Brite Ranch
Brite Ranch was started by Lucas Charles "L.C." Brite. It is located in the Big Bend area of Texas. This area is between the town of Marfa and the Rio Grande. The ranch was about 15 miles east of the river.
At the time of the raid, Brite Ranch was more than just a place for cattle. It was like a small town. Many people lived and worked there.
The Christmas Day Raid
It was Christmas morning, so most people at the ranch were away. Only the ranch foreman, T.T. "Van" Neill, his family, and a few Mexican-American families were there. The raid started just after sunrise.
Van's father, Sam, was the only one awake. He was drinking coffee when about 45 armed Mexicans rode into the ranch. Sam quickly realized who they were. He ran to his son's room, grabbed a rifle, and shot at who he thought was the leader. He killed that person, and the other raiders shot back at the house.
Van woke up and joined the fight. Mrs. Van Neill tried to call the sheriff, but the raiders had cut the telephone lines. The fight continued for a while. The raiders soon realized it would be hard to get into the Neill house without losing many of their own men.
They captured two ranch workers. One worker, José Sánchez, was sent to the house. He told the Neills that if they kept fighting, he and the other worker would be harmed. Van and his father wanted to keep fighting. But Mrs. Neill convinced her husband to give the raiders the keys to L.C. Brite's general store. This way, they hoped to avoid more trouble.
Van agreed. So, the raiders did not try to break into the house. Instead, they spent their time robbing the general store. They took clothes, food, and money. They also took the best horses from the ranch.
While this was happening, the postman, Mickey Welch, arrived at the store. He was in his wagon with two Mexican passengers. The raiders captured all three men. They shot the two passengers and killed Welch inside the store.
That night, the Neills had planned a Christmas dinner party. Rev. H.M. Bandy and his family arrived from Marfa for dinner. Van sent a young Mexican boy to tell the raiders not to shoot them. The raiders let the reverend and his family go to the Neill's house. When they got out of their wagon, Bandy said a quick prayer. Then he grabbed a rifle to help defend the ranch.
Other dinner guests were already at the ranch. They managed to escape and went to get help. Rancher James L. Cobb lived three miles from the ranch. He heard the gunshots and drove towards the sound to see what was happening. He stopped a short distance away and saw the Mexicans robbing the store.
Cobb then drove 12 miles to the nearest telephone. He called Lucas Brite, who was at his home in Marfa. Brite told the local sheriff. He also alerted the 8th Cavalry, who were stationed nearby. Soon after, a large group of citizens and some cavalry soldiers gathered. They drove to Brite Ranch. They almost caught the raiders. But the Mexicans quickly got on their horses and rode south. They went across the Candelaria Rim, where the American vehicles could not follow.
What Happened Next
The next day, Col. George Langhorne led a group of soldiers into Mexico. Their goal was to capture or kill the raiders and get back the stolen items. Langhorne's men had arrived in vehicles. So, he borrowed horses from ranchers for them. After meeting up with more soldiers from Ruidosa, the group crossed the Rio Grande into Chihuahua. They crossed at a place called Los Fresnos.
The group included about 200 soldiers from the 8th Cavalry. It also had several men from the local posse. Langhorne found 29 raiders just across the Rio Grande. They were in San Bernardino Canyon, near Pilares. A battle followed. The cavalry soldiers killed ten of the Mexicans. They also got back some of the stolen property, including several horses. Most of these horses had to be put down because they were ridden too hard. Only one American soldier was hurt.
People in the Big Bend area were very angry about the raid. They were especially upset about the deaths of Mickey Welch and his passengers on Christmas Day. Some citizens formed a group to watch the Mexican population in the area. They also wanted to take away their weapons.
However, the Texas Ranger company led by Capt. Monroe Fox went even further. Around midnight on January 27, 1918, rangers and 8th Cavalry soldiers surrounded the village of Porvenir. This village was on the Rio Grande, across from a Mexican village. The soldiers searched the town. While they were doing this, the rangers gathered 15 men. These men were taken to a nearby hill, where they were killed.
The Porvenir Massacre was looked into in 1919. This happened during a state hearing that was investigating the Texas Rangers. But no one was charged for the killings. The grand jury in Presidio did not take any action. However, on June 4, 1918, Governor William P. Hobby took action. He disbanded Company B of the Texas Rangers and dismissed five rangers for what they had done.
After the raid and the chase into Mexico, Lucas Brite built a small fort. This fort was meant to house Texas Rangers and protect the ranch. But it was never needed.
