In the early fall, fourteen Mexicans were killed, shot down close to the new town of Donna with no explanation. Their bodies were displayed along the road as an example of white supremacy and law enforcement power. This created a worse fear among the two races and especially the Mexican people living on the Texas side. Many of the Mexican workers began leaving their jobs for fear of being killed by their Anglo bosses.
In the first week of September, a band of twenty-five Mexicans showed up at the pumping plant of the Los Fresno Canal Company and burned the building down. The employees were taken prisoners, and on their way met another man who was also taken as prisoner. Up the road, two employees were killed. The prisoner who was left was released, because he was a member of one of the families that had helped the wounded Villistas bandits during their crossing into Las Rucias; in gratitude, his life was spared.
Angry civilians with detachments of the U.S. Cavalry galloped to the scene. As they caught up with the raiders, a fierce skirmish followed. Several of the Mexican raiders were killed; the others escaped into the thick brasada.
All throughout the month of September, looting, shooting, burning bridges, killing, and robbing stores bore testimony to the vengeance of Pizaña, Garza, and De la Rosa. The citizens had almost forgotten that a war was taking place in Europe; they were fighting their own war here—a racist war.
As Don Federico had predicted years ago, by the end of September, Señor Saenz and his wife Sostenes showed up with their wagon at one of their friend's home, escaping the raiders. Apparently, a band of eighty raiders had attacked their store in Progreso, Texas, and demanded grain and apparel. Lieutenant King of the Twenty-Sixth Infantry arrived at the Progreso store, and soon one of his soldiers was dead and another was wounded. One of his soldiers was missing and had been captured and taken across the river. King and his men rushed to the river and encountered the raiders; a two-hour battle ensued. The captured soldier had his ears cut off first and was later decapitated. His head was being displayed on a pole across the river. Horror and outrage erupted.
The turbulent conditions along the border were already wearing thin between the Mexican-American, the gringos and the incidents with the Mexican raiders. After Madero’s death, the two countries were on the verge of a diplomatic quandary.
Early one morning, close to Ebenezer, several Mexicans from the Carranzistas army were found shot to death by a vigilante group of businessmen and were later buried at the same spot. Very little was said about this incident in the newspapers. Many of the Mexicans who were living in the area declared later that the victims were deserters who wanted to give up the fighting but were killed by gringo ranchers. News traveled fast, and it infuriated De la Rosa. He went into a rage and wrecked a train six miles north of Brownsville, killed the engineer, and injured innocent passengers. De la Rosa and his marauders entered the train and began shooting at the civilians and robbing them. One of the passengers, who claimed he was German, was spared. When Captain Ransom arrived at the scene, the raiders were gone. They found four Mexicans working on a nearby ranch, which were taken and executed by the Captain, confirming his hatred toward the Mexican people. Innocent Mexican field workers were rounded up and tortured for information and then lynched; others were shot. This enraged the Mexican-American citizens, who began complaining to Texas Senators and State Representatives.
Throughout the fall and early winter, General Funston became convinced that the Carranzistas were coming into the United States in a full-scale invasion. By the end of the year, almost half of the available forces were stationed on the borders. The rural economy was devastated. Many of the scared Anglo families left their farms and relocated north for safety. Many Mexican-American families fled to San Antonio and far up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, while other families with relatives in Mexico fled back across the border with their children for fear of being killed by vigilantes or the Texas Rangers.
Don Federico and James were ordered to attend a meeting in Brownsville under a priority command, and the Don was to make arrangements for a bilateral meeting with Carranza. President Wilson was applying diplomatic pressure to the U.S. Army and Houston's generals, wanting to pacify Mexico. Wilson wanted his troops out of the border area. After several correspondences back and forth with Nafarrate and Carranza initiated an agreement, arrangements were made in Matamoros. Don Federico had become friendly with General Nafarrate, but he cautioned the Don to be careful with Carranza and to watch his words. Carranza's intentions were not what they seemed; too many undercurrents were coursing below the surface.
In the middle of October, Don Federico met with Carranza in Matamoros. There the two faced one another at a large banquet held by Nafarrate and several other Mexican commanders.
President Carranza presented himself with dignity, resembling a grand nobleman from the Spanish courts, with his light complexion, white hair and beard, and his uniform covered with silver and gold medals. Surprisingly, he greeted Don Federico as if they were childhood chums. The banquet room was full of uniformed soldiers standing on both sides, fully armed. There were several generals attending: General Alfredo Ricaut, General Pablo Gonzalez, General Juan Antonio Acosta, and General Maurillo Rodriguez, along with several Germans from the German Consul, and General Nafarrate, who was graciously greeting the guests at the door.
It was also at this meeting that the Don came face to face with Franz Von Schmidt and the elder Señor Del Calderóne. Von Schmidt remembered meeting Don Federico at the Castle Del Calderóne. The father of the Don's son-in-law Ricardo seemed surprised at first to see Don Federico. At the meeting, Don Federico realized Von Schmidt had convinced Carranza of the German undertaking toward the United States, and Del Calderóne was back to his old self again. If he had his way with Carranza, he would be in charge once again and head of the Mexican military. They were all stroking each others' egos, not realizing the consequences of war with the United States.
Earlier, newspapers had reported that Huerta had fled Matamoros, realizing that several American spies had spotted him and gotten wind of his activities. He had been captured in the state of New Mexico, arrested, and taken to jail at Fort Bliss near El Paso.
Jittery El Guapo James was very attentive and took down every word that was being said, but he jumped nervously at every loud outburst. In the meeting, the stoic Carranza expressed to Don Federico that the U.S. was ignoring the Mexican government and had forgotten their neighbors to the south. Not until this changed, upon his orders, would the raids into Texas completely cease. Don Federico found it interesting that in previous meetings and conversations with the Carranzistas, both Nafarrate and Carranza had denied any responsibility for the raids across the border.
The Don realized that the "Plan of San Diego" was being conducted by Augustin Leon Garza, Basilio Ramos, Abel Sandoval, Aniceto Pizaña, Maurillo Rodriguez, Chino Garcia, A. Saenz, and Luis De la Rosa and several more. They were being paid by the Germans to put pressure on the United States to recognize Carranza for President. It was a carefully constructed plan and well carried out at the expense of poor innocent Mexicans-American civilians in Texas who were being fingered, tortured, and killed.
At the meeting, Don Federico took Del Calderóne aside and asked if he was aware that his family was now living in Mercedes. The pompous ex-Huerta general remarked, "Ricardo has known where I've lived for three years now, and has fully supported me in all activities. I now have a young, sixteen-year-old mistress living with me in Matamoros and do not care to see my old wife."
Infuriated, Don Federico, who was completely repulsed, answered as civilly as he could. "It's none of my business what you do with your life, but Ricardo has never mentioned to any of us where you were. My only concern is my daughter, and as a gentleman, I do not care for your actions and do not care if we ever speak again, sir!" Del Calderóne stiffened his shoulders in rebuttal and acted as if he did not care; he was as narcissistic as Ricardo. Don Federico decided to keep this shocking information to himself until
the proper time to confront his egotistical son-in-law.
Within a week, Washington recognized Carranza as supreme chief of Mexico and opened the doors wide for the Carranzistas armies to travel through Texas via Sonora and get rid of Pancho Villa.
Shortly after the Carranza meeting, there was an attack on the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway northwest of Brownsville, in which a bridge was also burned. Raiders, unaware of the agreement and still out of control, killed several businessmen and wounded others, seizing all of their valuables. Angry posses pursuing the raiders hanged four and shot six. American soldiers were attacked north of Harlingen in a battle that lasted for over an hour, with three killed and others wounded. General Funston was enraged and asked for bloodhounds and as many Apache Indians as he could get to help track the raiders. The War Department began questioning General Funston's ideas, as they were completely taken aback by his request; consequently, no new regiment of infantrymen was furnished. The harsh press was fed up and lambasted the impotent tactics of the U.S. Army.
It was in 1915, too, that the region suffered from a smallpox epidemic. All schools were closed and many children died. The turbulent times had brought different movements in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, from financial and economic changes to educational changes that made sure every child attended school, but in segregated classes, since the "Jim Crow Laws" were still very evident in the Valley. Without the Mexican laborers, the South Texas economy had come to a halt; it was the Mexicans who performed the arduous labor in the fields. Half of the population had been evicted and moved elsewhere, and the merchants were scrounging for help.
In Brownsville, the Federal District Courts were busy with Mexican suspects being jailed for participating in the raids with the marauders from across the border. Over fifty individuals were indicted for murderous acts, and several were hanged. Mexican-American families stood for days outside the courts waiting for justice.
In December, Felicia and Dan were married at the Lady of Mercy Church in Mercedes. Close family members attended, along with many of the workers who worked the ranch and the oil field. A small reception followed since Emma had been experiencing the flu with a persistent cough and was not up to making a big fuss. It was also very dangerous for people to travel in and out of the Rio Grande Valley, and especially to cross the border.
It was later learned that, after the wedding reception dance, a group of seven young, single Mexican farm workers, who had attended and had stayed late, were riding north on a rural road. They were stopped by two mounted Texas Rangers, who bullied them and trotted their horses in circles around them. They were interrogated and asked if they were carrying any guns. Los Rinches shouted at them, called them dirty names and displayed their rifles menacingly. Several shots were fired into the ground as the Rangers attempted to arrest the young men. When they started to round up the frightened young men, two escaped, running into the bushes, three were shot in the back, and the two who were caught were hung from a cottonwood tree by the side of the road.
The news traveled like a wildfire in the dry grass among the dead Mexicans' families. Sorrow mixed with terror and panic sent tremors of fear through the town. Ironically, nothing was ever said of this incident in the newspapers, and according to the local sheriffs, the Rangers who patrolled the area had an alibi; consequently, the news was insignificant. Mexican-American families were alarmed and wanted justice, they wanted revenge. Many started their own vigilante groups, especially the men, who wanted to join the Carranzistas to get back at the "white pigs."
One of the young boys shot in the shoulder while escaping was the youngest son of Señor Esquibel. Los Rinches in the area would have hell to pay, dealing with him. Señor Esquibel went as far as to consult Doña Adela, getting her to perform black witchcraft rituals condemning the Rangers and cursing them. Indian drums were heard, unsettling the serenading cicadas on the Esquibel's property and stampeding cattle. Interrupting the cockroaches and scorpions skittered away from the throbbing vibrations.
The new year of 1916 rolled in fast. The raids along the border ceased for the moment in South Texas, but the hatred between the Mexican-American families and the Anglos remained, especially for the disliked Rinches, who enforced the law as it suited them and thought they were above reproach. All Mexicans were still looked upon with suspicion.
Huerta's alcoholic abuse finally caught up with him, and news of his death was all over the newspapers. He died of cirrhosis of the liver at Fort Bliss near El Paso. Carranza was true to his word; however, Pizaña, and De la Rosa remained at large, so the governor of Texas offered a large reward for the capture of both men. For the first three months of the New Year, activities on both sides of the river remained peaceful. For a while, normal activities resumed; Mexican-American citizens were traveling back and forth, buying merchandise again.
In Chihuahua, Pancho Villa went berserk when the United States openly supported Carranza for the Mexican presidency. In retaliation, he rode into the mining town of Santa Isabel and murdered seventeen American miners. Early in the month of March, Villa marched with over a thousand of his soldiers into the town of Columbus, New Mexico, and disregarded the agreement that Carranza had made with the United States. He burned part of the town, robbed and killed seventeen civilians and sent waves of terror throughout the border towns once again. This action enraged Carranza, having to answer to the United States for Villa going against his orders. Another raid took place around the Big Bend town of Glenn Springs, Texas. The U.S. militia was called out to mobilize the National Guard along the border. Several other depredations took place in Laredo, Texas, with killings and hangings, and the burning of bridges, with many Mexicans, shot to death.
Washington began imposing an arms embargo on Carranza and sent General John Pershing with 6,000 troops into Mexico to chase Villa in the mountains of Chihuahua, but the troops were eventually recalled later to fight in Europe.
Carranza, who was secretly sponsoring the whole charade that was the Plan of San Diego went crazy, and in retaliation, he ordered his generals to begin raiding again along the Texas border. Carranza had replaced General Nafarrate and his entire command at Matamoros with the gloomy General Eugenio López. He authorized López to organize a backdoor series of raids, cutting telegraph lines, destroying railroad trestles, and killing people in the U.S.
An unexpected turn of events happened. General Nafarrate supposedly went into military retirement and was going into politics. He remained friendly with Don Federico and requested in a telegram that the Don meet him covertly in Reynosa. Don Federico responded immediately, finding Nafarrate's dismissal as a general in Carranza army suspicious and questionable.
This time, Don Federico traveled by himself and left James behind. He feared that he was going to find out sooner or later the secrecy of the Carranza movement. At dusk, in a clandestine meeting in a local cantina in downtown Reynosa, the Don met with General Nafarrate. The General was alone, in civilian clothes, and unrecognizable. There he discussed major problems, as the Don listened. He discovered that the Kaiser in Germany was paying large amounts of money to Carranza—something the Don had already suspected. The Japanese were also paying Carranza, in return for the valuable oil along the Gulf that was fueling their submarines and other machinery. German agents and spies were controlling the country, teaching Mexican army officers military science and setting up a powerful wireless station in Mexico City. The Germans, uniting with Japan, were going to support Carranza in the war with the United States, ostensibly so Mexicans could take back their land.
There were spies throughout Mexico and also in the United States, especially in the Valley, ready to take up arms when the time came. Carranza had ordered several of his soldiers involved in the San Diego Plan to travel to the border towns of Texas and kill the informants who were betraying his cause by revealing the Plan to the Americanos. Nafarrate also mentioned that the main reason he was relieved of his duties was because he knew too much about Carranza'
s secrecy and was too friendly with the people of the United States. He was perhaps being spied on at that very moment by Carranza's henchmen. He feared for his life.
"Well, I hope you stay safe," remarked the Don, visibly upset. He tried to change the subject. "I do hope we can remain, friends," he suggested. "Now that you're out of the military service and have more time on your hands, we can visit one another." The Don's reply was spoken in gracious sincerity toward Nafarrate, for he liked him as a friend.
"Cómo no," replied Nafarrate. "I'm going to run for governor of Tamaulipas, making Matamoros the capital. The people of Matamoros truly love me. You can come and be my guest in the city with my new novia." I'm marrying the most beautiful woman in the world, Maria Luisa." The retired general was sad at leaving the military but happy with his new civilian future. After those words and much more, the Don returned home without divulging a word of it to James.
In June, Abel Sandoval with twenty raiders crossed the river into Brownsville, wrecked a train, and assassinated several Mexican-Americans who had informed on and pointed the finger at the insurgents. General James Parker, who at the time was patrolling the area, called the 26th Infantry to reinforce him and chased the raiders across the bridge into the city of Matamoros.
General Alfredo Ricaut, who was now commander of the Mexican forces in Matamoros, challenged General Parker by evacuating the town. General Parker stood his ground and refused to take orders from the Mexican general. General Parker's bravery alarmed Ricaut and so worried Carranza that the Americans would overtake the town of Matamoros, that he promised to stop the raids. Parker and his troops returned to Fort Brown. In Laredo, the Laredo Daily Times reported that several violent melees with insurgents and the Texas Rangers had occurred. By this time, Carranza, involved with the German diplomats, had lost his hold on the San Diego Plan, since many of his followers in Texas were being caught and killed. Many of the raiders were paid off in large amounts, and many of them vanished into Mexico, perhaps changing their names. Meanwhile, Del la Rosa was dying from consumption.
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