Ostensibly exploring the practice of law before the internet. Heck, before good highways for that matter.
Sunday, February 18, 2024
OROZCO by SK GUNS and Pascual Orozco himself.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Wednesday, January 17, 1917. Joint Mexican American Committee Concludes
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
The Columbus Raid. Why did it occur?
Unlike some historitans, I think the answer is obvious, and I've touched on it before in our thread Lex Anteinternet: The Mexican Revolution. As the anniversary of the event came upon me at a time when work and activities kept me from posting a really new entry here on the episode, I'm linking in, over the course of the week, a variety of items, but this particular item addressed some of these topics. So I'm basing this post on what I earlier wrote. Perhaps that's bad form, but none the less I think the earlier entry was pretty good.
I'm not going to repeat all that was there, but let's note that Mexico had slid into revolution, and the US had already intervened in Mexico during that revolution. Mexico's long standing dictator Porfirio Diaz had fallen in revolution. In turn, Modero, who overthrew him in the name of liberal democracy, had ruled naively and had gone down in a 1913 military coup that brought Victoriano Huerta to power. Unfortunately, that coup had the local support of the American ambassador to Mexico, Henry Lane Wilson. Mexico erupted into civil war. That civil war brought the radical Venustiano Carranza into power and soon remaining Mexican revolutionaries took sides with or against him as Mexico descended into chaos. One of the revolutionary generals opposing Carranza was Pancho Villa with his Army of the North.
We pick up the story after the U.S. first intervened military at Vera Cruz to keep arms being supplied to Huerta.
Indicative of things to come, perhaps, Huerta was defeated and fled while the United States occupied Vera Cruz, but he was no more pleased about the American presence there than a disgruntled Huerta was, who went on to plot with German agents to bring Mexico into war with the United States, as noted. American forces withdrew in November 1914, but they'd be back, as we'll see, in a different location only shortly thereafter. The intervention at Vera Cruz, however, did prevent the Germans from supplying a shipment of arms to Huerta, which may or may not have had an impact on the Mexican Revolution. Ironically, the arms were actually American made as the Germans, in 1914, were not in a position to export arms to Mexico.Carranza soon found himself fighting the two main stars of the Mexican Revolution, Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata. Zapata, while he receives less attention, is by far the most interesting of the two as he had a real political vision for Mexico, that being a distributist agrarian state. Villa was more of a peasant free agent, with less defined goals. Suffice it to say, however, both had been highly successful revolutionaries and a betting man would have bet against Carranza at that point.However, Carranza was a radical as well, and that position allowed him to undercut support for a war weary Mexican population in the south. This began to undercut support for the agrarian Zapata, and he began to face supply problems and accordingly set backs in the field. Nonetheless Zapata was still in the field in 1919 when he was lured into a trap in an effort to secure supplies and assassinated. In the north, Pancho Villa, who had been a very successful natural cavalry commander, found himself unable to adapt to the changes in battlefield tactics that were also being used in Europe. Constantly in battle against Carranzaista commander Alvaro Obregon, who used barbed wire and trenches, his fortunes rapidly declined.Alvaro Obregon, whose competence and study of military tactics lead to the defeat of Pancho Villa and his Division del Norte. He'd ultimately become present of Mexico following his coup against Carranza. Obregon would serve one term as president of Mexico, and was elected to a second term to follow his successor Calles, but he was assassinated prior to taking office.But before they did, Carranza, in spite of a dislike of the United States, approached the Wilson administration about transporting troops through Texas by rail to be used against Villa. Wilson had been horrified by H L. Wilson's actions in bringing about Madero's downfall, and he deeply desired to see an end to the fighting in Mexico. Deciding to recognize Carranza as the legitimate ruler of the country, he granted permission for this to be done in 1915. Traveling under arms, they were used against Villa. Villa retaliated against the United States for its entering the conflict in this fashion by raiding Columbus New Mexico on March 9, 1916.
The raid on Columbus has seemingly baffled American historians ever since, but the reasons for it couldn't be more apparent. Villa was a fairly simply man, not a diplomat, and he had been attacked by Carranza's forces after they'd crossed the United States by rail. By doing that, the US had taken a position in the war, which indeed it had whether President Wilson recognized that or not. Indeed, Wilson had been warned by those knowledgeable not to support Carranza, who deeply disliked the US, and when it wasn't clear who was going to win the civil war. Wilson's actions did nothing to engender love from Carranza but it did inspire Villa to retaliate against the US.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Good Friday, April 10, 1914. Villa takes San Pedro.
Villa drove the Federals out of San Pedro, Coahuila, Mexico.
Last prior edition:
Thursday, April 9, 1914. Drama at Tampico.
Saturday, April 5, 2014
Sunday, April 5, 1914. Terrorism at St. Martin in the Field's, Villa at Torreon
A bomb exploded in the Anglican St. Martin in the Fields Church in London, causing major property damage.
Suffragists were suspected, but no firm evidence of who was responsible was ever found.
Pancho Villa, still in action at Torreon, in spite of having earlier been reported defeated/wounded/dead, was doing something I assumed was just a movie trope. . . deploying a machine gun from a train in Mexico.
The same issue of the Cheyenne paper advertised women's outfits for Easter.
Last prior edition:
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Thursday, April 2, 1914 Villista victory at Torreón, Disaster on the ice, Cumann na mBan, birth of Alec Guiness.
It was opening day.
Pancho Villa telegraphed the head of the Mexican opposition,Venustiano Carranza, to report he had retaken Torreón. He noted his losses as 2,000 killed or wounded, and the Federal dead at 12,000 killed, wounded or captured.
Effectively, he had taken control of northern Mexico.
The U.S. Navy gunboat, Dolphin, entered Tampico harbor in Mexico and presented a 3x21-gun salute to the Mexican flag in remembrance of the April 2, 1867, Battle of Puebla.
It would be the last peaceful diplomatic exchange between the United States Government and the Mexican government of Victoriano Huerta.
Wes Kean, captain of the SS Newfoundland, spotted survivors from his ship that had been trapped on ice floes off Newfoundland for three days during a blizzard. The men had been set out for seals on April 1, with the expectation that if the weather worsened, they could stay aboard the nearby Stephano. Instead, Wes' father, Adam, gave the men lunch at that point and ordered them back out on the ice. This left the captains of both vessels under the belief that the men were safe. While equipped originally with primitive radios, they had been removed prior to the voyage as a cost savings measure, which compounded the error..
Kean, upon spotting the men, alerted the nearby SS Bellaventure. 77 of 132 men who had been lost, died.
The same weather sank the Southern Cross with the loss of all hands.
The Cumann na mBan, or Irishwomen's Council, an Irish Republican paramilitary organization, was founded. It apparently still exists.
300 Pentecostal preachers and laymen gathered in a general council in Hot Springs, Arkansas to discuss preservation of Pentecostal revivalism.
A train derailment near Tanjung Priok, Indonesia caused by buffalo crossing the tracks resulted in the death of 20 people and 50 more being injured.
Great British actor Alec Guinness was born in Maida Vale, London, England. One of the greatest actors of all time, he appeared in 62 films, many of which are remembered at least in part for his performance. They include such varied classics as Lawrence of Arabia, Kind Hearts and Coronets, The Bridge On The River Kwai, Doctor Zhivago, and Star Wars. His career was interrupted by World War Two, during which he served in the Royal Navy, and during which he formed the intent to become an Anglican Priest. An experience on a movie set impacted him deeply, and he converted to Catholicism, as did his wife, who only informed him after the fact, in later years, from Judaism.
Last prior edition:
Wednesday, April 1, 1914. Villa at Torreón
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Wednesday, April 1, 1914. Villa at Torreón
Villa's fortunes in Torreón were improving.
The same paper featured this interesting watch ad:
Note that wristwatches were treated as a female item, which they were until World War One, we we are now in the cusp of in this timeline, changed that.
Last prior edition:
Friday, March 27, 1914. "Any kind of fighting you wish".
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Friday, March 27, 1914. "Any kind of fighting you wish".
And some employers had photographs taken of their employees.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Wednesday, March 25, 1914. Villa repulsed.
According to the Cheyenne paper, Villa had suffered a set back.
The same paper showed that Wyomingites were slamming Democrats as far back as that, and even earlier.
Also in that issue, some interesting items showing how local agriculture was.
And then there was this interesting item:
Monday, March 23, 1914. Doubts about Roosevelt's fate on the River of Doubt.
Friday, March 21, 2014
March 21, 1914. Yo acuso
A commission set up by Venustiano Carranza confirmed British rancher William S. Benton had been stabbed to death in Pancho Villa's office by Major Rudolfo Fierro.
The commission further claimed Villa invented the court martial story to protect Fierro, who was distantly related to him.
Fierro played the role of Villa's executioner until he died in an accident in 1915, being thrown from his horse and drowning in quicksand.
Anarchist marched in New York City.
Last prior edition:
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Friday, March 20, 1914. The Curragh Muntiny
The Curragh Mutiny saw British Army officers stationed at Curragh Camp, Ireland resign their commissions rather than face being ordered to resist the Ulster Volunteers, should the Home Rule Bill pass.
Sunday, March 9, 2014
Monday, March 9, 1914. Surprising news on Mexico.
Jesús Salgado, a lieutenant of Emiliano Zapata, surrounded Chilpancingo, the capital of Guerrero, with s force of 5,000 men.
Other news of the Mexican Revolution hit the front page of the Laramie Boomerang, including some surprising "facts" about Pancho Villa.
The story on the fire in St. Louis was tragically accurate.
Mexico figured in the headlines of the Cheyenne paper as well.
Prime Minister H. H. Asquith proposed to allow Ulster to vote on whether to join a Home Rule parliament in Dublin.
YMCA Convention, Salina Kansas:
Last Prior:
Sunday, March 8, 1914. International Women's Day, Berlin.
Monday, February 24, 2014
Tuesday, February 24, 1914. Villa, Ulster Unionist, the doomed Canadian Arctic Expedition and Joshua Chamberlin.
Pancho Villa refused to delivery the body of William S. Benton to US and British authorities but stated he's allow relatives to visit his burial site, escorted.
The Ulster Unionist Party distributed posters addressing concerns about the Ulster Volunteer Force attempting to assure that it was formed solely due to its disputes with London, which probably wasn't particularly comforting.
Captain Robert Barrett led the last survivors from the Canadian Arctic Expedition's Shipwreck Camp to Wrangel Island, leaving a note on their whereabouts in a copper drum in case the icebound camp drifted into an area where it could be found.
Robert Peary, meanwhile, speculated in the press that the Canadian expedition had set up camp near the Alaskan coastline.
Famous Maine commander Joshua Chamberlain, who won a Medal of Honor for his actions at Gettysburg, died at age 85.
He had gone on to serve as the Governor of Maine.
While famous for his role in the Civil War, he had started off his adult life with the intent of becoming a Congregationalist minister, which was his mother's desire. His father had hoped for a military career for him. Marrying in 1855, he took up a career as a teacher before the Civil War. He of course served notably in the Civil War. After the war he served four one year terms as Governor of Maine (what a horrific though to have to run a campaign every year), resumed teaching at the university level, practiced law, and engaged in various business activities.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Monday, February 23, 1914. Villa Justice, Girl Flirts, and Packing heat.
The news was out about the Villista's having executed a British rancher. Villa insisted that it was an act of official justice due, he claimed, the rancher having attempted to pull a gun on him.
The real reason I'm posting this paper, however, is not for that news, although it appears here in the form of an article that the British did not intend to intervene in the Mexican Revolution due to the incident, but rather for its relation to some things we noted earlier this week, specifically;
Legislatures. Back to the future and other diversions?
Here we see the application of laws of the era. Two young women, ages 18 and 19 respectively, were run out of town in Laramie for leading an "immoral, idle and profligate course of life".
They'd just arrived there, so they couldn't have had the time to engage in too much immorality, idleness etc. Indeed, they'd just taken up quarters.
Maybe a person has to read between the lines, perhaps, on this one.
Also, a Union Pacific clerk was fined for carrying a concealed weapon. You'll commonly hear it suggested that up until recently, everyone was allowed to pack all the time, and in any way they wanted, but that's really not the case.
Related threads:
Legislatures. Back to the future and other diversions?
Packing Heat
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Friday, February 20, 1914. Revolutionary execution.
William S. Benton, a British rancher with Chihuahua holdings, was executed in Juarez by Villistas, after a "court-martial". He was accused of making an attempt on Villa's life, but his associates claimed he had no views on the Mexican Revolution at all.
More on this from a Scottish blog:
Pancho Villa murders Keig man
Rosa Luxemburg was tried in a Frankfurt court on charges of encouraging public disobedience and sentenced to a year in prison. In the Court she stated.
When, as I say, the majority of people come to the conclusion that wars are nothing but a barbaric, unsocial, reactionary phenomenon, entirely against the interests of the people, then wars will have become impossible.
Nice sentiment, but shallow thought.
Luxemburg herself has always struck me as not being too deep. Perhaps I'm wrong as she remains the deluded darling of the far left, and maybe there's more to her than my very limited knowledge is aware of.
James William Humphyrs Scotland made the first cross-country flight in New Zealand. On the same day, Winston Churchill, serving as First Lord of the Admiralty, flew as a passenger in a Sopwith Sociable.
Legal, Alberta, was founded.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Wednesday, February 18, 1914. Insuring Villa and The Tennessee Walz.
Pancho Villa insured his life for $500,000 as a favor of his wife. That was a huge sum at the time.
Pee Wee King, co-writer of the classic Tennessee Waltz, was born.
King died in 2000 at the age of 86.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
February 5, 1914. Arming Villa.
What could possibly go wrong?
Interesting effort at prohibiting divorce after remarriage as well. In an era when shacking up was generally illegal, that would have had real implications.
Seems harsh to most, I suppose (although I'm not sure that I don't agree with the proposal, which of course went nowhere, and would go nowhere now).
Prince Abdullah I bin al-Hussein, son of Hussein bin Ali, Sharif of Mecca, met with Herbert Kitchener, British Governor General of Egypt and the Sudan, in Cairo. While the Great War had not yet arrived, the topic was potential British support against the Turks in response to their moves against Hejaz, which was independent at the time, but which was unfortunately absorbed by Saudi Arabia after World War One.
The British were no committal, but communications were kept open.
Alistair MacKay and three other members of the shipwrecked Canadian Arctic Expedition left their camp with a full stocked sled of supplies in an effort to find land. They were spotted three days later by Karluk ship steward Ernest Chafe and the Inuit members of the party who were on a return mission from Herald Island. They had been checking on a four-man scouting team. Thereafter, they were never seen alive again.
Friday, January 10, 2014
Saturday, January 10, 1914. Villa takes Ojinaga.
After delaying his assault, as we reported on a couple of days ago, Villa led his troops into Ojinaga and captured it. Half of the 4,000 men defending Federal force retreated into the United States.
The victory secured northern Mexico on the hands of the Villistas.
A military court in Strasbourg acquitted Colonel Adolf von Reuter and Second Lieutenant Schadt for illegally appropriating the civilian police to counter a demonstration.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Wednesday, January 6, 1914. Using the camera.
Pancho Villa delayed an attack on Federal troops at Ojinaga until an American film crew was able to reach his lines.
The film footage would end up in The Life of General Villa, a lost film (sadly) produced by D. W. Griffith and directed by Raoul Walsh.