Key Facts
- Date
- 23–24 November 1913
- Villa's force size
- 5,500 soldiers
- Federal force size
- ~7,000 soldiers
- Federal casualties
- ~1,000 killed
- Villista casualties
- ~300 killed
- Ammunition captured
- 400,000 rounds of small arms ammunition
Strategic Narrative Overview
The battle opened on 23 November with inconclusive skirmishing, while Rodolfo Fierro sabotaged federal rail lines to the south, trapping Salazar's troops. On the second day, Villa launched a cavalry flanking maneuver while a dynamite-laden locomotive was rammed into federal train cars, triggering a catastrophic explosion. Salazar's men fled to remaining rail cars in retreat, and Villa's cavalry overwhelmed them. Fierro famously stopped an escaping locomotive single-handedly.
01 / The Origins
During the Mexican Revolution, Victoriano Huerta seized power in early 1913 following the coup against President Francisco Madero. Constitutionalist and rebel forces, including Francisco Villa's División del Norte, rose against Huerta's federal government. Control of northern Mexico and its railroad lines was strategically vital, drawing Villa into direct confrontation with federal commander José Inés Salazar near Ciudad Juárez in late November 1913.
03 / The Outcome
Villa's forces achieved a decisive victory, capturing four locomotives, seven machine guns, horses, rifles, and 400,000 rounds of ammunition. All captured federal soldiers were executed. The battle severely weakened Huerta's grip on the north, bolstered Villa's reputation as a commander, and strengthened the Constitutionalist cause in the ongoing struggle to overthrow Huerta's regime.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Francisco 'Pancho' Villa, Rodolfo Fierro.
Side B
1 belligerent
José Inés Salazar.
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.