8 minute read
The Last Battle Robert Torres
from February 2022
The Last Battle
By Robert Torres
Evaisto Mason Torres was seated on an old, brown, worn-out horse. The horse was thin, scared, and looked as if it could not take another step, but Evaisto knew better. A year ago, Evaisto had joined Francisco Madero, leader of the Mexican Revolution, to help defeat Porfirio Diaz, dictator of Mexico, along with Juan Navarro, Northern General of the Federales.
Evaisto had ridden the horse in several battles where both had barely escaped serious damage. On April 6, 1911, he was overlooking the City of Juarez. He had followed Pascual Orozco, one of Pancho Villa's Mexican army generals, to this small, lonely village located on the outskirts of modern day El Paso, Texas. Evaisto noticed the small adobe houses that the peasants called home. "So, this is Ciudad Juarez," he said. "What a lonely looking place; but this is where we will fight the Federales."
Evaisto knew that Pancho Villa, Major General of the Revolution, had decided that to win the war he had to destroy Juan Navarro's Northern army. So, here he was. He was surrounded by his fellow patriots all wearing sombreros, old worn boots, and shaggy torn pants that hadn't seen water for a while. Brown, faded, long-sleeved shirts with leather bandoleros, crowded with bullets, were strapped across their shoulders. They all carried 30 caliber single shot or lever action rifles and machetes that were tied to their cloth belts. The men, along with the women, had gathered around a campfire when Evaisto addressed them. "Amigos, Juan Navarro has better guns, plenty of ammunition, and more canons than we do, but we’ll fight Porfirio Diaz so that Francisco Madero can make Mexico a better place to live. Tomorrow we go into Juarez so today we must check our rifles, sharpen our machetes, and gather our ammunition because Navarro will fight hard."
All of the men looked at him and said, "Si senior.”
Evaisto also said, “I too have to clean and check my weapons.” Before preparing his rifle he went in search of Abigal, his wife.
Abigal Colorado Torres had been listening to Evaisto and she also said, "Si." She thought, "Tomorrow we fight for Madero and Mexico". Abigal was one of the women who was attached to the army of Pancho Villa and Orozco. She had followed the army because her husband Evaisto wanted her near him, and she, too, wanted to fight for Mexico. Abigal was a small woman, strongwilled with long black hair, dark black eyes with a serious disposition that reflected her attitude towards the Revolution. She was also here because of her love for Evaisto. She was one of the many women that followed and fought with the rebels. She, like her compadres, wore a sombrero, long brown skirt, soft boots, a leather poncho and she too, wore bandoleros, packed with ammunition, strapped across her chest for her own 30 caliber rifle. On April 6, 1911 she was with Evaisto just outside of Juarez and told him, "Evaisto, manana, we fight and I don't know what will happen, but I will fight the Federales and hopefully we'll be together when it is all over."
On April 7, 1911, the battle for Juarez began.
Navarro had set up barricades, machine guns, and canons around 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
anxiously waited. She was frightened, but she knew that her trepidation was more for the people around her than for herself. Before she had another thought the dynamite blast rocked her off her feet. Dust, rocks, and debris along with the smell of gun powder assaulted her world. Getting up she yelled, "Mujeres con los hombres," (women run to your men), and she ran. She tried not to step on the injured, dying, or dead but, in this she did not succeed. Falling she cried, "Ayi." As she fell, she noticed the Federales moving on the flank of her compadres. Without hesitation she again began running, shooting, and yelling.
Evaisto and the rebels hacked, cut, and tried to stay alive. Everyone was screaming "Adelante no paren," (forward, don't stop). While running Evaisto confronted a Federales wielding a bayonet. He said, "Venga" (come on), as he raised his machete but the bayonet made a two inch slice on his left arm. When he took a step back, the Federales’ bayonet slashed his leg from his knee to foot. Bleeding and in pain he fell allowing the Federales to lunge forward in- order to kill him; before the Federales could strike he was shot in the chest and fell dead. In pain and bleeding profusely Evaisto tried to get up, but instead he passed out.
Abigal had been running, shooting, reloading, and shooting again, until she ran out of ammunition. Once this happened, she took out her machete. She knew that they could not fight the uninjured Federales, so they went after the ones that had been wounded. To her fellow fighters she said, "Be careful. These men are still dangerous." She and the women continued fighting until they saw the Federales begin to run. As one group, the rebels cheered and did not pursue. Exhausted, the women knew that the time for hunting for their men had come. "I am tired, hungry, and afraid," Abigal said. "Where is Evaisto?" Desperately and afraid she went looking for him.
Once the fighting stopped, the freedom fighters began to mend their wounded. They found Evaisto alive and seriously wounded. They carried him to the designated makeshift hospital. While there, the men cleaned and cauterized his wounds, covered him up, and placed him on the ground just outside the hospital tent. He was unconscious and looked horrible, yet he lived.
After searching through the wounded and dead, Abigal could not find Evaisto. Afraid, hurt, and emotionally drained she sat down and cried. "My God," she said, “He is gone." With sadness in her heart, she slowly got up and decided to go help the women find their loved ones. I will help the ones that can be helped she thought. While aiding the wounded she heard, "Abigal, Abigal, Abigal!" Her compadre, Esperonza, was yelling at her. "I found him, I found him." "Who?," Abigal asked.
Esperonza replied, "Evaisto, he is hurt but alive."
Without hesitation Abigal rushed to Esperonza and asked, "Where?" "Behind the hospital tent."
With tears streaming down her face and a hope greater than she had ever felt before, Abigal ran. As she ran, she prayed, "Please God let him be all right." She found him lying on the ground, feverish, sweating, and covered with a dirty blanket.
The fighting for Ciudad Juarez continued for another two days. On April 9, 1911 general Juan Navarro surrendered to Pancho Villa. The North had been won by the Freedom Fighters.
Abigal nursed Evaisto until his wounds healed.
Once healed, they moved to Phoenix, Arizona and never fought in the Mexican Revolution again.
July 7, 1911, Mexican camp.
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