Third Battle of Torreón facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Third Battle of Torreón |
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| Part of Mexican Revolution | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Pancho Villa |
 Severiano Talamantes Fortunato Maycotte Juan Gualberto Amaya |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 2,500-3,000 | 4,000 | ||||||
The Third Battle of Torreón was an important fight during the Mexican Revolution. It happened from December 21 to 23, 1916. In this battle, soldiers led by Pancho Villa took control of the city of Torreón. The city was defended by forces known as Carrancists.
Contents
Before the Battle
Villa's Movements in Northern Mexico
In 1916, Pancho Villa and his troops were constantly moving around Chihuahua in northern Mexico. His army would grow and shrink, fighting many smaller battles against the Carrancist soldiers. The Carrancists were loyal to Venustiano Carranza, another important leader in the revolution.
Villa's forces won a big victory in late November when they captured Chihuahua City. However, their celebration did not last long.
Losing Chihuahua, Gaining Torreón
A large Carrancist army, led by Francisco Murguía, began moving towards Chihuahua City. This army had about 16,000 soldiers. Villa realized his troops were greatly outnumbered. So, he decided not to fight them there.
Instead, Villa and his men left Chihuahua City, taking their supplies and treasures with them. Murguía's army entered the city easily on December 4. Villa's new plan was to trade Chihuahua for Torreón. Torreón was not as well-guarded, so it seemed like an easier target.
Villa's army headed south towards Torreón. Along the way, they captured other towns like Camargo and Parral. They also took supplies from several trains. As they traveled, more people joined Villa's army. By December 20, about 2,500 to 3,000 soldiers had gathered near Torreón.
The Battle
Approaching Torreón
Villa's soldiers first approached Gómez Palacio, a town next to Torreón. A Carrancist group was there, but they were told to move into Torreón. This meant that Torreón was defended by about 4,000 soldiers. They had only a few cannons to help them.
General Severiano Talamantes spread his infantry soldiers around the city. Meanwhile, General Fortunato Maycotte tried to surround Villa's attackers with his cavalry. But Villa's units, led by Lorenzo Ávalos, pushed them back into the city.
The First Day of Fighting
The main attack began early in the morning on December 21. General Nicolás Fernández led an attack on the right side of the railway. His troops took control of two important hills called Calabazas and La Polvareda.
In the middle, Baudelio Uribe's troops pushed forward. However, they faced strong resistance. About 50 of their men were killed, including Juan Martínez, who was Pancho Villa’s brother-in-law. Uribe's horse was also shot.
Villa's forces also attacked from a third direction. Eligio Reyes reached the city from the south. He came from a flat area called El Pajonas and moved towards the Alameda area of the city.
The Second Day and Final Push
On December 22, the defenders tried to fight back towards Calabazas. A Villista general named José María Jaurrietta rode to the scene. Even though cannons were firing, his presence stopped his soldiers from running away.
Fernández then returned to Gómez Palacio. He planned a final attack for the next day. That evening, Talamantes and Maycotte thought Villa would attack at night, as he often did. But Villa did not.
The last attack started at 8 a.m. on December 23. Some of Maycotte's cavalry soldiers had already left the city. Talamantes decided to pull his remaining troops out of Torreón. He was one of the last to leave. By 10 o'clock, Villa's victory was complete. During the battle, General Carlos Martínez and Luis Herrera were killed among the defenders.
What Happened Next
After the Battle
As the Carrancist defenders fled, they left behind some Kiikaapoa warriors. These warriors were hiding in holes they had dug in the ground, like trenches. Villa sent some of his own Kiikaapoa soldiers to talk to them. They convinced the warriors to come down into the city, where Villa disarmed them.
Unlike many battles before, most of the hundreds of captured soldiers were not killed this time. Instead, following an idea from Baudelio Uribe, they were severely punished. This was especially true for those who had once fought for Villa but then switched sides.
Among the prisoners was a farmer named Jesús Salas Barraza. He was shot, but the bullet went through his head without killing him. Everyone thought he was dead, so he was left behind. This event was very important because more than six years later, Barraza was involved in Villa's death.
Loot and Taxes
The winning Villista soldiers were not completely happy with what they found. They got a lot of gold and silver. However, they found less ammunition than they had used during the battle, and ammunition was already in short supply.
Pancho Villa then called together the wealthy people of Torreón. This included craftsmen, merchants, and farmers. He demanded that they give him 2 million pesos as "military loans." He eventually collected 1 million pesos. He also collected 100,000 pesos from a special tax on local Spanish, German, and French residents.
Two days after the battle, General Talamantes, one of the losing Carrancist leaders, died. He passed away at the Enconada train station while on the road to Saltillo.
