Neville Ranch raid facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nevill Ranch raid
Part of the Bandit War, Mexican Revolution
Location	Presidio County, Texas
Date	March 25, 1918
Weapons	Small arms
Deaths	2

The Nevill Ranch raid happened on the night of March 25, 1918. It was the last major attack on a Texas ranch by Mexican rebels during the Bandit War. While not completely certain, many believed that followers of Pancho Villa were responsible. In this attack, two people lost their lives. After the raid, the rebels went back to Pilares, a village in Chihuahua, Mexico. A group of United States cavalry soldiers chased them. A small fight took place in Pilares the next day. Several more people were killed, and the American soldiers burned the village before returning to Texas.

Why the Raid Happened

Trouble Along the Border

Since the Mexican Revolution began in 1910, groups of Mexican bandits often crossed into Texas. They would raid ranches and cause trouble. After the Brite Ranch raid on December 25, 1917, the Big Bend area of Texas was on high alert. Three people had been killed on Christmas Day. People thought that followers of Pancho Villa from the small border town of Porvenir were responsible.

The Porvenir Incident

On January 27, 1918, Texas Rangers and US Cavalry soldiers went to Porvenir. They surrounded the village and started searching it. Reports from some villagers later claimed that Texas Rangers gathered fifteen Mexican men. They took them to a nearby hill where they were killed. There was no clear proof that these men were involved in any banditry. Later archaeological digs in 2015 suggested that US Cavalry soldiers also fired their weapons at the site.

News of the Porvenir Massacre quickly spread in Mexico. Many people thought the attack on Nevill Ranch might have been revenge. This was because many of the raiders had lived in Porvenir or had family there.

Nevill Ranch Location

Nevill Ranch belonged to Edwin W. Nevill. It was about six miles northwest of Porvenir, right along the Rio Grande river. The ranch was very isolated, with no close neighbors. The lower part of the ranch, where the attack happened, did not even have a telephone. Edwin lived there with his wife and five children. On the day of the raid, he was at the ranch with his oldest son, Glenn. Also there were his Mexican servant, Rosa Castillo, her husband, and their three children. After the Brite Ranch raid, Edwin had moved his wife, Anna, his son, Thomas, and three daughters, Edith, Grace, and Lois, to a safer home in Van Horn.

The Attack on Nevill Ranch

Warning and Return

On March 25, 1918, Captain Leonard Matlock of the 8th Cavalry was on duty in Candelaria. He received news about a possible attack on Nevill Ranch. Captain Matlock sent a patrol, led by Lieutenant Gaines, to warn Edwin Nevill. However, Edwin was not at the ranch at that time. He was in Van Horn buying supplies.

Edwin heard the same warnings in town. He and his son rode for eight hours straight to get back to the ranch. They arrived to find the ranch unharmed. Edwin gathered everyone in the family house to talk about the rumors of an attack.

The Raid Begins

At some point, Glenn Nevill went to check on sounds outside the house. When he looked out a window, he saw about "fifty approaching horsemen" in the dim light. These horsemen immediately started shooting with small arms. The house did not offer enough protection. So, the Nevills and Castillos ran from the house to a ditch about 300 yards away.

Glenn was shot. As he lay wounded, the raiders came closer and killed him. Rosa Castillo was also shot in front of her children. Her husband managed to escape on a pony. After the shooting, the raiders began to steal from the ranch. They took horses, food, clothing, bedding, and other supplies. Edwin Nevill escaped on foot. He was later found "wandering" through the desert.

What Happened Next

The Pursuit Begins

Rosa Castillo's husband found Lieutenant Gaines and his patrol six miles from the ranch. He told them what had happened. Lieutenant Gaines followed the man back to the lower Nevill Ranch. They arrived just after the raiders had left. From there, Gaines went to the upper ranch to call his commander, Colonel George Langhorne, by telephone.

Colonel Langhorne quickly responded. He sent Captain Henry H. Anderson and Troop G, 8th Cavalry, from Everett Ranch. This army camp was about thirty-four miles north of Candelaria. At the same time, Troop A, 8th Cavalry, was sent by train from Marfa to Valentine. From Valentine, they got on their horses and rode towards Nevill Ranch.

Chasing the Raiders

By 4:00 pm on March 26, Captain Anderson had gathered both troops and a mule train for supplies at the ranch. They were ready to start chasing the raiders. The American soldiers crossed the Rio Grande into Chihuahua, Mexico, soon after. They quickly found the Mexicans' trail.

According to Colonel Langhorne, Captain Anderson and his men followed the Mexicans over rough, mountainous land for about seventy miles. The raiders then "doubled back" and started heading towards Pilares. Unable to escape, the raiders set up an ambush for the cavalrymen near Pilares. This turned into a running battle that lasted for eleven miles.

Colonel Langhorne reported that the raiders received help from people in Pilares. He also said that some Carrancista soldiers (Mexican government soldiers) might have fought in the battle. Langhorne mentioned that after the mission, a Carrancista officer named Enrique Montova "boasted he had fought against [the Americans]" and "drove [them] out [of Pilares]." At the same time, this officer was "professing to aid [them]."

The Battle at Pilares

When the battle was over, Captain Anderson ordered his men to burn all the buildings in Pilares except for one house. His soldiers captured many weapons, including German-made Mauser rifles. They also found proof in the village that linked the people living there to the raids on Brite and Nevill Ranch.

The Americans then returned to Texas. They were "barely ahead of a larger group of Mexican [Carrancista] cavalry." Only one American soldier was killed during the battle at Pilares, Private Carl Alberts. Mexican casualties ranged from ten to thirty-three killed, and another eight were wounded. Colonel Langhorne stated: "Our soldiers found about 10 dead and found the horses of Nevill and equipment belonging to Nevill's ranch and the boy that had been killed, and probably they killed a great many more than that. There were 29 in the raid, and the report as we checked it up showed there were about 33 killed. We lost Private Albert of A Troop in that fight."