In the middle of the night on March 9, 1916, life in Columbus changed
dramatically. At 1:00 A.M., between 500 and 600 Mexican revolutionaries, led by
General Francisco "Pancho" Villa, crossed the border into the United States.
Villa divided his troops and attacked Columbus from the southwest at
approximately 4:20 am. This attack caught the entire town, as well as the army
camp, by surprise. Their are many theories about why General Villa decided to attack this town.
dramatically. At 1:00 A.M., between 500 and 600 Mexican revolutionaries, led by
General Francisco "Pancho" Villa, crossed the border into the United States.
Villa divided his troops and attacked Columbus from the southwest at
approximately 4:20 am. This attack caught the entire town, as well as the army
camp, by surprise. Their are many theories about why General Villa decided to attack this town.