The Last Battle By Robert Torres
of ammunition, and more canons than we do, but we’ll fight Porfirio vaisto Mason Torres was Diaz so that Francisco Madero can seated on an old, brown, make Mexico a better place to live. worn-out horse. The horse Tomorrow we go into Juarez so today was thin, scared, and we must check our rifles, sharpen our looked as if it could not machetes, and gather our ammunition take another step, but Evaisto knew because Navarro will fight hard." better. A year ago, Evaisto had joined All of the men looked at him and Francisco Madero, leader of the said, "Si senior.” Mexican Revolution, to help defeat Evaisto also said, “I too have Porfirio Diaz, dictator of Mexico, to clean and check my weapons.” along with Juan Navarro, Northern Before preparing his rifle he went in General of the Federales. search of Abigal, his wife. Evaisto had ridden the horse Abigal Colorado Torres had been in several battles where both had listening to Evaisto and she also barely escaped serious damage. On said, "Si." She thought, "Tomorrow April 6, 1911, he was overlooking we fight for Madero and Mexico". the City of Juarez. He had followed Abigal was one of the women who Pascual Orozco, one of Pancho was attached to the army of Pancho Villa's Mexican army generals, to Villa and Orozco. She had followed this small, lonely village located on the army because her husband the outskirts of modern day El Paso, Evaisto wanted her near him, and Texas. Evaisto noticed the small she, too, wanted to fight for Mexico. adobe houses that the peasants called Abigal was a small woman, stronghome. "So, this is Ciudad Juarez," he willed with long black hair, dark said. "What a lonely looking place; black eyes with a serious disposition but this is where we will fight the that reflected her attitude towards Federales." the Revolution. She was also here Evaisto knew that Pancho Villa, because of her love for Evaisto. Major General of the Revolution, had She was one of the many women decided that to win the war he had that followed and fought with the to destroy Juan Navarro's Northern rebels. She, like her compadres, army. So, here he was. He was wore a sombrero, long brown skirt, surrounded by his fellow patriots all soft boots, a leather poncho and she wearing sombreros, old worn boots, too, wore bandoleros, packed with and shaggy torn pants that hadn't ammunition, strapped across her seen water for a while. Brown, faded, chest for her own 30 caliber rifle. On long-sleeved shirts with leather April 6, 1911 she was with Evaisto bandoleros, crowded with bullets, just outside of Juarez and told him, were strapped across their shoulders. "Evaisto, manana, we fight and I They all carried 30 caliber single shot don't know what will happen, but I or lever action rifles and machetes will fight the Federales and hopefully that were tied to their cloth belts. we'll be together when it is all over." The men, along with the women, had On April 7, 1911, the battle for gathered around a campfire when Juarez began. Evaisto addressed them. "Amigos, Navarro had set up barricades, Juan Navarro has better guns, plenty machine guns, and canons around
E
40
February 2022
the main outposts of the city. Pancho Villa and Pascual knew this, so they avoided them by sending their forces through the old adobe homes of the peasants. Evaisto and his group were ordered to get as much dynamite as they could carry and blow up the houses behind Navarro's emplacement. Abigal was placed with the women and told to follow the men after the dynamite exploded. Before they left, Abigal went to her husband, hugged him, and said, "Viejo, I will see you when this day ends." “Mi senora, he replied, “Aye te medio.” Then he went after dynamite. An hour later the rebels were positioned in the exact position that Villa had designated. Screaming and yelling, Evaisto and 100 men ran, or rode, to these small houses. They lit the dynamite, and threw it as far as they could. Navarro had seen them coming so he sent a troop of soldiers armed with machine guns and told them to shoot on sight. The rebels yelled, “Here they come," and as one, they began shooting. With guns firing, the dynamite exploded sending dirt, wood, and bloody men everywhere. Dust covered everything and men were screaming, shooting, crying, dying. Evaisto was thrown back and suffered cuts on his hands and face. "Vamos,” (let’s go), he screamed, got up, and discharged his weapon. He ran, screamed and fired until he was out of ammunition, but he did not stop. The men then heard him say, "Hombres, los machetes, aye venen los Federales" (take out your machetes, here come the Federales). With machetes out, a hand-to-hand battle began. After leaving Evaisto, Abigal ran to the rear where the rest of the women
