It was April 1915, when Pancho Villa realized that the Mexican Revolution and all the pillaging and killing were getting to him1. His general staff advised him that a short vacation would do him good and get his mind off business. San Antonio, Texas, was the selected vacation spot since springtime in Texas could at times be quite lovely. He chose to travel by horseback since most of the railroads in Mexico at that time had been destroyed and the bridges blown up. Naturally his favorite mount, Siete Leguas, accompanied him on the trip to San Antonio.
Pancho and his grand entourage booked in at
the Holiday Inn San Antonio. After a whirlwind round of country
club cocktail parties sponsored by the San Antonio Chamber of
Commerce2 and a gift of the Key to the City, Pancho set out to
see the sights. It was no surprise that his favorite sights were
the Zoo and the Alamo. The accompanying picture was done while
Pancho posed on Siete Leguas in front of the Alamo3. The week
ended all too soon, and Pancho and his followers bid adios
to San Antonio. Pancho and party were soon back at work in Mexico;
murdering, pillaging and in general tearing down the country.
History tells us how the rest of the story goes.
1 Pancho had tried several marriages, but he still could not
get his mind off things.
2 The Chamber of Commerce was especially excited by Pancho's visit;
and even though he was considered a bandit and hated in the U.S.,
The Chamber believed thus he brought in a lot of business.
3 The Daughters of the Texas Revolution welcomed him as a fellow
revolutionary even though he was Mexican.