California Military History

Mexican Border Crisis, 1914

 

A patrol near Camp Calexico, 1914

In April, 1914, the people on the American side of the border between California and Lower California flooded the Governor's office with alarming telegrams about Mexicans coming across the border and committing depredations and making raids on the California side of the border. There were several garrisons and border towns just over the Mexican side, with some of them containing Mexican troops. It looked as though we were going to have war with Mexico and the Americans were greatly excited and were crying for help.

 

There were no troops on our side of the border, except at Fort Rosecrans, San Diego County. Some parties had come over from Lower California and murdered a storekeeper and robbed· a store, which actions were, of course, blamed on the Mexicans. The crime was probabaly committed some ordinary bandits whose identities were not discovered.

Some companies of Reguler Army Coast Artillery scattered along the border were entirely insufficient. to covor the ground, Rich American settlements in Imperial Valley were very much alarmed about the reported plan to cut their canal, which ran for a way through Mexican territory, and which supplied the water for Imperial Valley.

 

The pleadings for help became fervent all along the line and the need of assistance so appnrent that after a consultation with Major General Arthur Murray, United States Army, who had
charge of the line, the Governor concluded to provide some protection for the American inhabitants. The brigade of Regular troops in California had been ordered to El Paso, Texas, thus depleting more than ever the number of troops in service on the California border. The Los Angeles battalion (1st Battalion) of the 7th Infantry Regiment was ordered to El Centro, under command ot Colonel William G. Schreiber, 7th Infantry Regiment, National Guard of California (NGC)., and did patrol and guard work for eighteen days.

 

The officials and people of San Diego, who are just opposite the Mexican post of Tiajuana, were as excited over the sitution there as were the people of El Centro.

 

The following units were ordered out for duty and were stationed at the different headquarters of the water systems, where they maintained a patrol for eighteen days:

• 5th and 8th Companies, Coast Artillery Corps, NGC, under command of Major Herbert R. Fay, Coast Artillery Corps, NGC
• Third Division of Naval Militia, under the command of Lieutenant Don M. Stewart, at San Diego.

A band or Mexican prisoners of war, near Fort Rosecrans, under charge ot Captain Frederick W. Benteen, 12th Infantry Regiment, U.S. Army, tunnelled under the confinement grounds and escaped. The National Guard took up the pursuit and recaptured about fifty out of sixty prisoners. The Regular troops captured the rest and they were all returned, except two or three.

 

 

Camp Calexico

 

A Mexican border patrol post, it was established on April 24, 1914, by the Los Angeles battalion of the 7th California Infantry (now the 160th Infantry Regiment) under Colonel W. G. Schreiber, "to protect life and property." half a mile north of Calexico, Imperial County. Units of the 2nd Washington Infantry later garrisoned this post in 1916.

 

 

 

 

 

Additional History:

On the Mexican Border, 1914 and 1916

 

 

Search our Site!

Search the Web Search California Military History Online

 

Questions and comments concerning this site should be directed to the Webmaster

 

Updated 8 February 2016