The Battle of Naco, or the First Battle of Naco due to a later
siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition warfare, attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity con ...
was a battle of the
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution ( es, Revolución Mexicana) was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from approximately 1910 to 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It resulted in the destruction ...
between
Constitutionalist
Constitutionalism is "a compound of ideas, attitudes, and patterns of behavior elaborating the principle that the authority of government derives from and is limited by a body of fundamental law".
Political organizations are constitutional ...
forces and
Mexican
Mexican may refer to:
Mexico and its culture
*Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America
** People
*** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants
*** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...
government forces. Rebel forces under
General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
Mexican Army
The Mexican Army ( es, Ejército Mexicano) is the combined land and air branch and is the largest part of the Mexican Armed Forces; it is also known as the National Defense Army.
The Army is under the authority of the Secretariat of National De ...
garrison
A garrison (from the French ''garnison'', itself from the verb ''garnir'', "to equip") is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a mil ...
and captured
Naco, Sonora
Naco is a Mexican town in Naco Municipality located in the northeast part of Sonora state on the border with the United States. It is directly across from the unincorporated town of Naco, Arizona. The name Naco comes from the Opata language and ...
.
Background
During the Mexican Revolution, Naco was a heavily contested battleground. The border town was prosperous and its assets were highly valued by all forces during the revolution. On March 12, 1913, the federal Mexican General Pedro Ojeda evacuated
Agua Prieta
Agua Prieta (English: ''Dark Water'', Opata: ''Bachicuy'') is a town in Agua Prieta Municipality in the northeastern corner of the Mexican state of Sonora. It stands on the Mexico–U.S. border, adjacent to the town of Douglas, Arizona. The mun ...
due to an advancing and overwhelming rebel army. His force included about 500 men, over 300 of whom were regular army troops, the remaining were
Yaqui
The Yaqui, Hiaki, or Yoeme, are a Native American people of the southwest, who speak a Uto-Aztecan language. Their homelands include the Río Yaqui valley in Sonora, Mexico, and the area below the Gila River in Arizona, Southwestern United Stat ...
native Americans, fighting for the Mexican government. The size of Obregon's army is unknown. Twice General Ojeda left Aqua Prieta to attack rebel forces advancing to attack his garrison, he defeated to columns on March 15 and 20. On March 17, over 100 Yaquis and their families deserted and surrendered to the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
stationed along the border, over 100 more deserted within the following days.
Battle
General Obregon attacked Naco from the southwest on April 8, 1913; only the 300 federal troops remained to defend the town. First skirmishing occurred at the outskirts of town for a few days. Gradually the stronger rebel force gained ground from the federals. When the rebels reached Ojeda's strong point, they attacked repeatedly without full force and were repulsed several times by federal forces. On April 10, General Ojeda defeated a large attack by Obregon's army, but this only led to Obregon's strengthening of his assaults. Finally on April 13, General Obregon launched a massive assault with most of his force on Ojeda's remaining men. The Naco garrison was unable to hold out so they retreated and escaped across the border into the
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
desert to the north. Obregon took control of Naco and Ojeda, with his men, surrendered to the United States Cavalry garrison of
Fort Huachuca
Fort Huachuca is a United States Army installation, established on 3 March 1877 as Camp Huachuca. The garrison is now under the command of the United States Army Installation Management Command. It is in Cochise County in southeast Arizona, appr ...
. The United States cavalry which accepted Ojeda's surrender reported that 213 Yaquis surrender to them, thirty of whom were wounded in battles that took place before the Naco engagement. A total of 260 federal Mexican troops surrendered to the American cavalry, fifty-six federals were wounded at Naco and about 30 more troops died at the battle. Rebel casualties are unknown. On April 18, 1913, Ojeda, his men, and the Yaquis were released from United States custody and went back to Mexico.
Second Battle
Naco would become a battlefield again during the Mexican Revolution. The famous
Siege of Naco
The siege of Naco was a major battle fought in the border town of Naco, Sonora, Mexico, between March 31 and April 6, 1929, during the Escobar Rebellion. Following their capture of Cananea in 1928 and the drafting of the "Plan of Hermosillo", rebe ...
in late 1914 and early 1915 became the longest battle of the war with 119 consecutive days of combat. The battle was fought between
Mexican Expedition
The Pancho Villa Expedition—now known officially in the United States as the Mexican Expedition, but originally referred to as the "Punitive Expedition, U.S. Army"—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the p ...
References
*Rangel, Juan José Flores History of MexicoII Page# 37. Cengage Learning Editors (2003)
*The Situation in Mexico. 1993 Huachuca Illustrated. http://net.lib.byu.edu/estu/wwi/comment/huachuca/HI1-08.htm. Retrieved July 7, 2010
* Mumme, Stephen P. "The Battle of Naco Factionalism and Conflict in Sonora: 1914-15," Journal of the Southwest, Arizona and the West, Vol. 21, No. 2 (Summer, 1979), pp. 157–186.
{{coord missing, Sonora
History of MexicoHistory of ArizonaNacoNaco 1913April 1913 events