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Monday, September 2, 2019
Texas History Minute The sharp blast of gunfire broke the early morning quiet on a cold January morning in 1918. Thirteen men and two boys had just been Dr. Ken rounded up from a Bridges small village on the Texas border and slaughtered. The families knew who the assailants were, but no one dared speak out, lest the gunmen return. In what became one of the worst mass lynchings in the history of the state, none of families of the victims from the small village of Porvenir ever saw justice in their lifetimes. The gunmen were law enforcement officers from the Texas Rangers in one of the darkest chapters of Texas History.
month later, on the night of January 24, Ranger Company B descended on the nearby village of Porvenir, a community of little more than 140 people, mostly farmers, ranchers, and field hands. "Porvenir," translated from Spanish, means "future." Rangers ordered everyone out of their homes – men, women, and children – and held them for two days while their homes were searched. The searches turned up nothing that implicated anyone in Porvenir in any of the recent border violence or any other crime. The people were allowed to return to their homes, but the Rangers returned two days later.
This time, the Rangers had the 8th Cavalry and four area ranchers with them. The people again were ordered out of their homes, separated the women and children The shootings stemmed from the continuing fallout from the Mexican from the men and the whites from Hispanics. Thirteen men and two Revolution just across the border. boys, all Hispanic, ranging from Competing Mexican factions had ages 15 to 72 were taken by fought each other since 1910 in a Rangers. There were no warrants, brutal civil war over issues ranging from land for the poor to dictatorship no indictments, and no hearings. All 15 were lined up and to corruption. In the meantime, thousands died and thousands more executed. Victims included Severiano Herrera, age 15, Juan fled to the United States for safety. Some quietly set up new lives while Jimenez, age 16, rancher Manuel others set up hospitals and refugee aid Moralez, age 47, and Antonio stations along the Rio Grande, most Castanedo, age 72. Moralez’s wife went into labor and delivered notably organizations like the Mexican White Cross. Others came their sixth child hours after his father’s death. to Texas to buy weapons or sell stolen cattle before moving back across the border. One of these latter The Rangers unit attempted to cover up the entire incident. figures included Pancho Villa, a bandit turned revolutionary who rose Company B did not report the from obscurity to nearly capturing the incident for an entire month. The people of Porvenir fled across the whole country by 1914. Rio Grande into Mexico where the men were buried. The 8th By 1915, Villa’s fortunes had Cavalry destroyed the abandoned changed, and he plotted to use the United States to thrust himself back village days later. into power. His plan was not to use Word slowly leaked out. Widows America as an ally, however. He came forward to give affidavits planned to raid border villages in while the army condemned the order to force the Americans to Rangers. By June, Gov. William invade Mexico. Villa, rapidly becoming a legend in Mexico, would P. Hobby disbanded Company B, fired five Rangers, and forced then portray himself as a patriot defending Mexico from the American their commanding officer to resign. Investigations by the invaders and the weak central government of Mexico that allowed Rangers in 1918 and the state it. The first and most notorious was legislature in 1919, led by State the raid on Columbus, New Mexico, Rep. Jose Canales, condemned the in March 1916 that left 13 Americans executions and demanded the entire company be tried for dead and 80 of Villa’s 100 raiders murder. In spite of the evidence dead. Attacks on the Texas communities of Glenn Springs, San and the outrage, no one was indicted. Civil cases in the 1920s Ygnacio, and Fort Hancock that faltered, and the incident largely summer left seven Americans dead forgotten. There was to be no and spread terror along the border. justice for the men of Porvenir. The army expedition into Mexico later that year led by Gen. John Pershing failed to capture Villa, but Numerous reforms to the Rangers and law enforcement have been his activities greatly declined. enacted in the century since this The Texas side of the border was still incident took place. Descendants of the people of Porvenir have thick with fear and nerves were since worked to present the story frayed by late 1917 as the nation of the massacre to the public. In fought in World War I and still 2018, the state unveiled a looked warily at the unrest to the South. On Christmas Day, about 45 memorial to the murder victims. But where a thriving community raiders suddenly struck the Brite should exist, lay only ruins and Ranch in Presidio County. It was never certain if they were connected questions still unanswered. to Villa or not. Three Americans and 18 raiders were killed as the 8th Dr. Bridges is a Texas native, Cavalry arrived and drove them off. writer, and history professor. He can be reached at drkenbridges@gmail.com. Army cavalrymen and Texas Rangers were now looking for revenge. One
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