March 9, 1916 · New Mexico, United States / Chihuahua border Theater
March 9, 1916
Before dawn on March 9, 1916, approximately 500 Villista raiders crossed the U.S. border and attacked the small town of Columbus, New Mexico, and the adjacent Camp Furlong military base. They burned the Commercial Hotel, looted stores, and engaged in a gun battle with the 13th Cavalry Regiment. When the fighting ended, 18 Americans were dead (10 civilians, 8 soldiers) and approximately 90–170 Villistas had been killed or wounded. Villa's motivation remains debated: revenge for American arms dealers who took his money without delivering weapons, fury at Wilson's recognition of Carranza, or a calculated provocation designed to draw the U.S. into Mexico and destabilize Carranza.
Commanders