Buffalo Soldiers Of The 10th Calvary - Mexican Revolution

Photo: Returning soldier who where captured during the Mexican Revolution's Punitive Expedition. Buffalo Soldiers of the 10th Cavalry who were taken prisoner during the attack on Carrizal. In June, Pershing received intelligence that Villa was at Carrizal, in the state of Chihuahua. He selected Captains Charles T. Boyd and Lewis S. Morey to lead approximately 100 soldiers from Troops C and K of the 10th Cavalry to investigate. They encountered 400 Mexican Army troops, or Carrancistas, instead of Pancho Villa’s men. The Mexican soldiers told the Americans to turn back northward. Captain Boyd refused and ordered his men south through the town anyway, which caused shots to be fired. Both sides suffered large losses. Captain Boyd and 10 soldiers were killed and another 24 were taken prisoner. Twenty-four Mexican soldiers were killed, including their commanding officer General Felix Gomez, and 43 were wounded. General Pershing was furious at this result and asked for permission to attack the Carrancista garrison at Chihuahua. President Wilson, fearing that such an attack would provoke a full-scale war with Mexico, refused. The Battle of Carrizal marked the effective end of the Mexican Expedition, which failed in both its missions. Pancho Villa survived, and small raids on American soil occurred while the expedition was in Mexico. http://www.blackpast.org/aah/battle-carrizal-1916

Area: Central / Old Ft. Bliss

Source: El Paso County Historical Society

Uploaded by: El Paso Museum of History