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In March 1912, Pascual Orozco declared himself in rebellion against Mexican President Francisco Madero.
On March 24, 1912, Orozco achieved a significant victory against a federal army led by General José González Salas at the First Battle of Rellano.
This battle marked the pinnacle and the near end of Orozco's rebellion against Madero's government during the Mexican Revolution.
Pancho Villa, loyal to President Madero, defended the town of Parral against Orozco's attack.
Providing vital time for another federal army under Victoriano Huerta to arrive in Chihuahua.
The initial clash between Huerta's forces, which included Pancho Villa, and Orozco's rebels occurred at the railroad station of Conejos.
Amidst the chaos of the battle, federal forces successfully repelled multiple attacks by the rebels, ultimately capturing three of Orozco's cannons.
It’s not exactly known how many people died, but the fierce fighting likely resulted in numerous deaths and injuries on both sides.
As Orozco's troops retreated, they tore up the rail tracks behind them to hinder the federal forces' pursuit.
They chose to entrench themselves at the canyon surrounding the Rellano railroad station, likely due to its strategic location and the natural cover provided by the canyon's terrain.
On the night of May 22, 1912, General Victoriano Huerta commanded Pancho Villa to capture the eastern hill of the canyon.
The canyon lacked artillery support from the rebels.
Simultaneously, Huerta ordered the federal artillery to bombard both rebel positions, providing cover for Villa's assault. This also kept the rebels distracted.
Villa's successful capture of the eastern hill would prove to be a turning point in the battle.
It allowed the federal forces to gain a significant tactical advantage over the rebels.
After Villa successfully captured the eastern hill, relocated his artillery to this higher position.
The eastern hill's elevation surpassed that of the western hill, granting the federal forces a crucial tactical advantage.
From this vantage point, the federal artillery unleashed a relentless barrage of fire upon the rebel positions, resulting in significant casualties among Orozco's troops.
On the morning of May 23, following the successful capture of the eastern hill and the repositioning of federal artillery, General Huerta ordered a cavalry charge against the rebel positions.
The fierce cavalry assault, supported by the advantageous placement of the federal artillery, engaged the rebels in intense fighting that lasted for several hours.
Ultimately, the combination of the cavalry charge and the artillery bombardment proved too much for Orozco's rebels.
The mayhem forced them to abandon their positions and retreat off the battlefield.
During their retreat, Orozco instructed his men to place mines along the rail tracks to impede the federal forces' pursuit.
However, one of the mines detonated prematurely, inadvertently warning Huerta of the impending danger and allowed him to plan ahead.
General Huerta's forces finally caught up with Orozco's retreating rebels at the Bachimba rail station.
Faced with the prospect of confronting Huerta's superior artillery and demoralized by their recent defeats, Orozco's troops scattered and fled, fragmenting into small guerrilla bands.
This decisive defeat at Bachimba effectively marked the end of Orozco's organized rebellion against the Mexican government, forcing him to resort to smaller-scale guerrilla tactics and ultimately leading to the collapse of his revolutionary movement.
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