Villa
FRANCISCO (PANCHO), a Mexican bandit leader, born in Chihuahua, the date being unknown even to himself, as he was the son of ignorant peon parents, Indian by race. Villa first became prominent in 1910, when he appeared as a guerrilla gu leader during the ing the cause of Carranza, when the lat- revolutionary troubles, definitely espousdent Huerta of the Republic, the slayer ter began his campaign against Presiing the cause of Carranza, when the latter began his campaign against Presithe army advancing against Mexico City. of the previous President, Francisco Madero. Carranza made Villa leader of the army advancing against Mexico City.
The main resistance of the Huerta parguished himself by his brilliant and darleading a much inferior force, distinguished himself by his brilliant and daring tactics, exciting the admiration of military strategists in all parts of the world. After his success and elevation to the Presidency, however, Carranza disagreed with Villa, denouncing him clared war against the Carranza governclared war against the Carranza government and returned to his guerrilla difficult relations between Carranza and the Government of the United States, Villa and his followers, early in 1916, crossed the international boundary and attacked the town of Columbus, N. M., killing a number of citizens and setting fire to a number of houses. The United States immediately despatched a large cavalry force across the frontier in pursuit of Villa and his band, which achieved no success, but brought about a very critical situation between the two countries. In 1920 Villa was pardoned by the new revolutionary government and granted a farm as a subsidy.