torreon

New Outlook magazine books.google.com/books?id=oaOE3ri7pjIC&pg=PA734&l... indicates that Velasco led the Mexican Federal forces based in Torreon in April 1914.

Swanq: Thank you for the information about General Velasco from the New Outlook Magazine. We will add some of it to the description when we update.

On December 7th, 1913, Huerta ordered Gen. José Refugio Velasco Martínez (you can learn about him in wikipedia with that name) to recapture the city of Torreón, Coahuila State, Laguna District. On March 21-22 started the Laguna District siege (Gómez Palacio, Lerdo, Durango State and Torreón, Coahuila State) in what is known as "La Batalla de Torreón" that culminated with Torreón's take on April 1rst, 1914. There´s a picture in your collections that shows Gen. Velasco when departed from México City to Torreón and is not the same person. If you search in The Democratic Banner, issue April 3, 1914 you can compare the two persons. Dr. Roberto Duarte.

LOC: Bain's caption reads "Federals," not "Feds." The Mexican troops were not called "Feds."

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

By Bain's serial numbers these two pictures are a secuence. It seems (3028-4) General José Refugio Velasco is passing review to the troops, most likely before fleeing from Torreón towards San Pedro de las Colonias. and 3028-5 they are marching on to that Town. Although they fled by train on the first 3 days of Aplil 1914. The other possiblility is the arrival to San Pedro. 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