#OTD on December 30, 1917, US soldiers and Texas Rangers crossed into Mexico pursuing “bandits” who had raided the Indio Ranch near Eagle Pass the 29th. They killed ca. 6 Mexicans at the village of San Jose. This event followed the Brite Ranch Raid. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brite_Ranch_raid
Mexican outlaws, most likely soldiers in the Mexican Revolution, had raided the Indio Ranch a number of times in 1917. For example, in September a group of “bandits” made off with 30 head of cattle.
When raiders attacked in late December, they made off with approximately 160 sheep (not cattle as the news reported). But this time soldiers and Rangers had been stationed nearby and they pursued the Mexicans across the border.
On the outskirts of San Jose a firefight between villagers and the American forces began. The townspeople were no match for the American machine gun platoon. The Americans counted 6 “bandit dead” but admitted “there probably were several others in the brush.”
In retaliation for several raids in Dec, the following month a group of Rangers, soldiers, and others raided the village of Porvenir. Rangers under the command of J.M. Fox executed 15 Mexican men and boys in what is now known as the Porvenir Massacre. https://x.com/Refusing2Forget/status/1619345581725593601?s=20
It has never been clear if the 6+ dead at San Jose were the raiders or townspeople, but for newspapers of the day as well as the Rangers and soldiers it didn’t matter. They were all just “bandits.” And labelling them so excused the Americans from any culpability in a crime.
The following year after demands for an investigation from the Mexican govt, Sect of State Robert Lansing wrote to Mexican officials to explain away the incident. He misstated several of the facts and asked the Mexican govt to “put a stop to the…lawless bands in question.”
Lansing in essence blamed the victim. In all likelihood the Rangers and Army soldiers killed innocent villagers. That all they needed to do was say “bandit” to justify their actions was sadly normal at the time.
This thread is a part of the #OTD in Ranger history campaign that @Refusing2Forget is running this year. Follow this twitter handle or https://refusingtoforget.org/ranger-bicentennial-project/ and visit our website https://refusingtoforget.orgto learn more.
The key source for this thread is @historybrian’s https://uncpress.org/book/9781469670126/borders-of-violence-and-justice/
