Battle of Casas Grandes

Battle of Casa Grandes
Part of the Mexican Revolution

Casas Grande in Chihuahua.
DateMarch 6, 1911
LocationCasas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico
Result Mexican victory
Belligerents
Mexico Maderistas Mexico Mexico
Commanders and leaders
General Francisco Madero Colonel Agustín A. Valdez
Colonel Samuel G. Cuellar
Strength
~800
infantry,
cavalry		 ~1,100
infantry,
cavalry,
2 artillery pieces
Casualties and losses
58 killed,
unknown wounded,
41 captured		 37 killed,
60 wounded

The Battle of Casas Grandes was fought in March 1911 between the federal Mexican Army loyal to President Porfirio Diaz and rebels under General Francisco Madero. Rebel forces attacked the Mexican town of Casas Grandes, Chihuahua and defeated the federal garrison.

Battle

Francisco I. Madero was leading a rebel army of about 800 infantry and cavalry men when he attacked Casas Grandes. Several of Madero's men were in fact American citizens from the border states. The garrison included just over 500 infantry who were commanded by Colonel Agustín A. Valdez of Mexico's 18th battalion. General Madero and his men attacked the federal positions in Casas Grandes at 5:00 am. Fighting lasted for just over two hours until 7:15 am when another Mexican government column of 562 men reinforced the already engaged 500 troops. With the reinforcing federals were two mortars, they were quickly put into use.

Francisco Madero and his army in Cuernavaca, Mexico, June 1911.

The battle continued for several hours more as the federals and rebels repulsed each other's counter-attacks. By 5:00 pm the battle was over when General Madero ordered the retreat of his forces. The Mexican garrison lost thirteen men killed in the battle and another twenty-three were wounded. The reinforcing column lost twenty-four men and thirty-seven injured, including their commander Colonel Samuel G. Cuellar. Both General Madero and Colonel Cuellar were wounded. the rebels lost fifty-eight killed and an unknown number of wounded, forty-one men were captured. Of the rebel casualties, fifteen of the killed were Americans along with seventeen of the captured.

Aftermath

In addition to casualties, the rebels lost about 150 horses, 153 mules, and 101 firearms. Madero blamed his scouts for his defeat at Casas Grandes. He later issued a statement saying that it was his scouts inability to detect the reinforcing federal column that led to the defeat. All of the scouts were subsequently hung under General Madero's orders.

See also

References