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Then use you browser back button to return to this page. General John Pershing gives an on the scene press conference in Columbus, New Mexico, prior to his organizing the his failed expedition into Mexico to try and capture Villa. Pershing was known by his contemporaries as "Black Jack" because of his command of "negro" troops. Other officers in the US military gave him this knickname as a degrading gesture. Actually, it was a toned down version of what they originally called him - "Nigger Jack".

Villa and his forces left Columbus, New Mexico in ruins. This prompted the American invasion of Mexico, when General John Pershing led an expeditionary force into the state of Chihuahua to try and "get Villa".

The famous Pancho Villa reward poster - offering $5,000 dollars for his capture!

This recruiting poster calls for 25,000 men to "shoulder the trusty Springfield" and get ready to defend "The Flag, Old Glory".

An American post card exaggerating the prowess of Yankee military might and consigning Villa to the rank of "bandit".

The Americans decided to test out some of their new military equipment out in the expedition against Villa, but they only succeeded in kicking up even more dust for Villa to hide behind, as he trailed the Americans - hidden behind their great cloud of dust.

Besides all of his trucks, motorcars, motocycles, and armored cars, Pershing also mustered dirigable balloons and airplanes in his relentless quest to find Villa. Legend has it - it is recorded in a song - that Villa's troops sewed togther an American Flag and stationed themselves in a conspicious place where they knew that one of these airplanes would fly over (they had excellent intelligence on the Americans). The pilot, thinking that he was seeing an American unit, landed and was immediately cpatured bu the Villistas. Villa then used the plane to spy on the Americans.

Instead of fighting it out with Villa, as they were intending to do, the American army instead wound up in a battle with forces of Carranza, and they got the worst of it, with the survivors of their unit being captured in the town of Carrizo, 128 kilometers south of Juarez. Typically, the United States sent "negro" troops - known formerly as "buffalo soldiers" - to do their dirty work, while their white skinned countrymen stayed behind in relative safety. These soldiers were later returned to a less than hero's welcome by the Mexicans. This incident came close to bringing both countries to war, but it was later smoothed over.

For more information on the subject of black soldiers in the US military, write to Lynchdua@aol.com

General Pershing had a travelling brothel assigned to the service of his forces, and this post card supposedly portrays some the ladies who attended to the needs of the brave soldiers - although there is some doubt as to whether the photograph was actually authentic. Critics assume these women who worked in this particular detail must have had a different appearance than the subjects of this photograph.

A unit of American soldiers of fortune, and committed insurrectionists - many of whom were allied with the International Workers of the World party and fighting for ideological reasons. This was taken after the first Battle of Juarez, and these men were under the command of Pancho Villa. They are obviously hamming it for the camera, and not photographed during the actual battle.

A Pancho Villa Constitutionalist Army artillery position - the man in the middle, directing fire, is an American soldier of fortune

The most important reporter who actually wrote back from the front line inside of Mexico with Villa's forces was John Reed, whose book "Insurgent Mexico" is probably the best reporting of its type ever written. Reed was sympathetic with Villa and with the Mexican campesinos who supported him, but his politics were not appreciated by the United States government of Americna capital, who effectively censured him afterwards, and consigned his classic to the dustbin for decades. The importance of Reed's masterpiece is just now being re-discovered, as is the man himself.