Battle of Nogales (1915)
| Second Battle of Nogales | ||||||||
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| Part of the Mexican Revolution, Border War | ||||||||
 American and Mexican soldiers guarding International Street in Ambos Nogales. The obelisk in the center is a border marker, which still stands today. |
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| Belligerents | ||||||||
 Villistas
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Carrancistas
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 United States
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| Commanders and leaders | ||||||||
| unknown |
Alvaro Obregon
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William H. Sage
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| Casualties ~70 killed or wounded | ||||||||
The Second Battle of Nogales was a three-sided military engagement of the Mexican Revolution, fought in November 1915 at the border towns of Nogales, Sonora and Nogales, Arizona. On the morning of November 26, rebel forces of Pancho Villa, who occupied Nogales, Sonora, began firing on United States Army soldiers in Nogales, Arizona. The Americans responded with counter fire for over two hours before a force of Carrancistas (aka. Constitutionalistas ) arrived to attack the Villistas. Later that day, the Constitutionalistas accidentally opened fire on American soldiers and another short skirmish was fought. The battle resulted in the deaths of several Mexicans and was the first significant engagement fought between Villistas and the United States military.
In November 1915, Pancho Villa was engaged in the major Battle of Agua Prieta, a battle he would ultimately lose. Short on men and supplies, Villa sent a detachment to Nogales, Sonora which occupied the town without opposition. Shortly thereafter, a series of raids were launched across the international border into Arizona. It is not known which faction was responsible for the attacks, as both were known for raiding in southern Arizona, but it was most likely the Villistas. According to author Francisco Arturo Rosales, Villa's intentions at the time were to retaliate against the United States for their aid to Carrancista forces at Agua Prieta and to destabilize the region enough to where President Venustiano Carranza could no longer control it. On November 21, two Buffalo Soldiers from Troop F, 10th Cavalry, were fired on while manning a border observation post near "Monument 117". The cavarymen returned the fire and in the gunfight Private Willie Norman was wounded. On the next day, five "armed Mexicans" attacked a small camp of Troop F soldiers along the Santa Cruz River near Nogales, Arizona. The soldiers returned fire with revolvers and killed two of the raiders. On November 25, some "guerillas" crossed the border and attacked a 10th Cavalry outpost that protected Mascarena's Ranch. Again the soldiers were from Troop F and they repulsed the raiders, one Mexican was wounded and captured. The situation was about to get much more serious though. On the next day, while evacuating Nogales, Sonora, Villista snipers began shooting at American soldiers of the 12th Infantry who were guarding the border in Nogales, Arizona. In response to the sniping, the American commander of the 12th Infantry, Colonel William H. Sage, ordered his men to form a skirmish line and prepare for battle.
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