Puerto Palomas, Chihuahua

Puerto Palomas de Villa, also known simply as Palomas, is a small town of about 5,000 people in the municipality of Ascensión, in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It borders on the village of Columbus, New Mexico, in the United States.

Geography and Climate

Palomas is located at an approximate elevation of 4100 feet (1250 m) above sea level and as a result of this rather high elevation, in addition to its location in the far north of Mexico, it receives about 5 inches of snow each year.

History

It was from here that Pancho Villa launched his attack on Columbus, New Mexico, on March 31, 1916, in retaliation the United States launched the Putative Expedition, Under General John J. "Black" Jack Pershing to capture Pancho Villa. Despite over a year of effort, including one of the first large scale uses of motorized transport by the U.S. Army, Pancho Villa was not captured. During this campaign a young officer Lt. Patton, later to be known as General Patton, was to become famous. During his service, Patton, accompanied by ten soldiers of the 6th Infantry Regiment, killed two Mexican leaders, including "General" Julio Cardenas, commander of Villa's personal bodyguard. For this action, as well as Patton's affinity for the Colt Peacemaker, Pershing titled Patton his "Bandito". Patton's success in this regard gained him a level of fame in the United States, and he was featured in newspapers across the nation.