torreon

LOC: Bain's caption reads "Federals," not "Feds." The Mexican troops never were called "Feds."

Another Bain/LOC photo of Mexican federal troops at Torreon:

By serial nr. if we locate these photos on last days of March or first of Apirl. Then the man on horse back could be Gen. José Refugio Velasco, "pasando revista" to federal troops posted in Gómez Palacio and Torreón before the latter was evacuateded. (Although the face features are not clear, the resemblance is high). Dr. Roberto Duarte.

Thanks Wystan for catching the correct title. We will fix it the next time we update. Dr. Roberto Duarte: Do you have a photo of Gen. José Refugio Velasco for comparison? Thanks for the information about him.

You can find a photo of Gen. José Refugio Velasco in The Democratic Banner, issue April 3, 1914 and New-York Tribune, issue March 29, 1914 (The Library of Congress, Cronicling America). Dr. Roberto Duarte

Take a look on photo LC-B2-2374-9 "Argumedo's force halt refugee train at Torreón" of your collection, and compare hand writting. If a perpendicular line is traced on the shadows you'll get Nort-South direction. So, locomotive is traveling West-East, probably American Refugee coming fron Asarco [American Smelting and Refining Co.] (Velardeña) stopping by Avilés (currently Ciudad Juárez, Durango) separated from Torreón just by Cerro del Huarache. Throurgh that rail used to travel International Mexican Railroad (settled on 1888) from Ciudad Porfirio Díaz (currently Piedras Negras, Coahuila-Eagle Pass, Texas) to Durango City. Some refugees went all the way through and others arriving at Torreón changed to Central Mexican Railroad (Mexico City to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua-El Paso, Texas). Dr. Roberto Duarte

Date written on negative is 3/7/29.

Torreon, in northern Mexico was a scene of much fighting between rebels and federals in 1913-1914 and again in the rebellion of 1929.

www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/atlas_mexico/constitutionalist_re...
provides a map of Mexico with indicators of military activity by different groups during the "Constitutionalist Revolution" of 1913-1914. Torreon is shown as an area where Federal forces (in support of Huerta while he was president, February 18, 1913 – July 15, 1914) resisted the Revolutionary Army. Pancho Villa was the revolutionary leader who was active around Torreon.

Other Bain photos of Federal at Torreon include:

and

la foto 3033-12 (así como otras de distintas fechas) también tiene 3/7/29 (¿marzo 7, de 1929?). Tal vez se trate de la fecha de archivo o de publicación pero no de la toma. Dr. Roberto Duarte.

These three pictures most likely were taken arround April 4, 1914, not at Torreón, but at San Pedro, 62 kilometers north from Torreón. Or at least were taken on April 1-2, before or when the federals were fleeing from Torreón to San Pedro, hustled by Villa's troups. Dr. Roberto Duarte¨ Plastic Surgeon