"Soldiers of Fortune" in the Mexican Revolution
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This webpage is a work in progress to document as much as possible about
foreign nationals who participated in the actual conflict during the
Mexican Revolution 1910-1920. Additional and/or corrected information on
this subject actively sought. Any help would be greatly
appreciated.
When the Mexican revolution erupted in late 1910, adventurers, soldiers
of fortune, filibusterers, insurrectos, call them what you may, traveled
to Mexico to join the fight.
They came from all walks of life - professional soldier, cowboy,
tradesman, businessman, doctor and newspaperman. They were rich men,
poor men, thieves, murderers, and cattle rustlers. A couple of movie
stars claimed to have fought with Madero in 1911.
They came from all over the globe - the U.S., France, Sweden, South
Africa, Germany, Italy, Holland and Switzerland. Haldeen Braddy called
them "a menagerie of international warriors" in his book COCK OF THE
WALK.
Whether they joined Madero's El Falange De Los Estranjeros - also known
as the "Gringo Rag-Tag Battalion," Villa's American Legion, Obregon's or
Carranza's armies, they came to Mexico for gold and glory - most of them
received neither.
Brief biographies of several of these intrepid adventurers are detailed
below.
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Unused Postcard
American Insurgents & Visitors in Blancos Camp, 2 Miles from Douglas.
unknown, photographer
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Unused Postcard
Americanos
D.W.Hoffman 13, photographer
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Unused Postcard
Japanse With Insurectos
J&S Photo, photographer
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American "Slim"
Jim A. Alexander, photographer
There were several soldiers of fortune named Slim in Mexico; Chicago
Slim, Death Valley Slim, Dynamite Slim and Silent Slim to name a few. No
definite information could be found about American Slim.
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Captain James Charles Bulger
Jim A. Alexander, photographer
1881-1965 Born May 31, 1881 in Brooklyn, NY. Joined revolutionists in
Honduras in 1897 and later fought in Nicaragua. Enlisted it the U.S.
Army at the beginning of the Spanish American War and served in the
Philippine Islands. In 1905, he bought a tract of land in Colorado and
founded Bulger City midway between Ft. Collins, CO and Cheyenne, WY. The
town did not develop as he had planned, and in 1911, he went to Mexico
and fought for Madero. He returned to Colorado in 1912 and founded a
second city which also failed to develop. When it appeared the U.S.
would be drawn into a war with Mexico in 1914, Bulger went to Denver to
recruit a volunteer regiment of veterans. During a bout of drinking, he
became involved in a fight and murdered one of the owners of the Savoy
Hotel. He was convicted and spent the next 46 years in the Colorado
State Prison. He was paroled in 1961, but stayed on at the prison as a
gardener until his death in 1965. In 1971 the James C. Bulger Post No.
35 of the American Legion was chartered at the Colorado State Prison.
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Captain Alfred W. Lewis
Jim A. Alexander, photographer
A Canadian machine gunner and free-lance soldier, who roved the world
seeking out wars. Fought for the British in the Boer War. In charge of
the Insurrectos artillery who used the Blue Whistler/McGinty cannon at
Ojinaga. Resigned after the fall of Juárez in May 1911.
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Unused Postcard
"Blue Whistler" with American "Slim", Captain
Bulger, Colonel Villareal and Captain Lewis.
Jim A. Alexander 12, photographer
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Guiseppi Garibaldi
Alexander, photographer
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6/27/1911 Postcard
Guiseppi Garibaldi Second in Command in Madero's Army
Alexander Photo 145, photographer
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San Dreben
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Link
SAM
DREBEN - Warrior, Patriot, Hero
by Hymer E. Rosen
(El Paso)
Courtesy of the Texas Jewish Historical Society
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Frank S. McCombs
Jim A. Alexander, photographer
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Unused Postcard
Frank McCoombs at Ojinaga.
Jim A. Alexander, photographer
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Born circa 1874-1876. Son of wealthy Seattle, WA farmers who was
always a soldier of fortune. Served in Greece, China, Nicaragua and with
the British and U.S. navies. Joined Mexican insurgents in 1910. He was
called El Diablo. Fought in the battles of Mulato and Ojinaga. Tex
O'Reilly described him as stone deaf and unable to speak Spanish. He
didn't know the meaning of fear - liked to crawl off at night and kill
Federal sentries.
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Dr. Ira Jefferson Bush
D.W.Hoffman, photographer
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2/3/1912 Postcard
Red Cross, Madero's Camp.
D.W.Hoffman 13, photographer
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1865-1939 Born in Mississippi three months after Appomattox. Received
his medical degree at age 25 and set up practice in Louisiana.
Contracted malaria and moved to El Paso for his health. When the
revolution broke out in Mexico, Bush was requested to treat some of
Pascual Orozco's wounded troops. Later he was hired by Governor Abraham
Gonzalez to establish a hospital and medical corps for the insurrectos.
The hospital was located in a converted boarding house in El Paso. Dr.
Bush also trained Mexican girls as nurses. He and a few friends stole
the Blue Whistler/McGinty cannon and transported it to Mexico where it
was used at Ojinaga and Juárez. His autobiography GRINGO DOCTOR was
published shortly before his death in 1939.
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Unused Postcard
Gen. Price
Commanding The
Rebels
At.....unreadable.....
unknown, photographer
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Caryl Ap Rhys Pryce was a Welshman in his mid-thirties who had vast
experience in the British army. In 1911, he was a mounted policeman in
Western Canada when he heard of the fighting in Mexico. He joined the
junta that was fighting in Baja, Lower California and was elected
commander of a group of Mexicans, IWW's and soldiers of fortune. He and
other leaders were indicted for violating U.S. neutrality laws, and the
Mexican government charged him with murder and arson in connection with
the Battle of Tia Juana. He was released on bail. In 1912, he had the
leading role in a movie which recreated the important battles of the
Baja revolution. In 1913, the charge against him was dismissed. He
returned to Canada and served in that countrys army in WWI. He later
transferred to the British army. In 1919, he resigned with the rank of
major. He corresponded with the British army records office until 1925.
After that, nothing is known of him.
We are looking for a better example of this
postcard.
Any help would be appreciated...PLEASE contact me.
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Capt. Ivor Thord-Gray
unknown, photographer
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Rebel Artillery. r. to l. Major Merigo, Capt. Thord-Gray, and native
gunners. Hermosillo, Dec. 1913.
unknown, photographer
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1878-1964 Born April 17, 1878 in Stockholm, Sweden. He spent 12 years
in the British Army in Africa, fought in the Boer War and later in the
Philippines with the U.S. Army. He went to Mexico in late 1913 and after
a short stint as Villa's chief of artillery, he soldiered with Carranza,
Obregon and Blanco. In 1914, he left Mexico for service in Europe with
the Northumberland Fusiliers. In 1918, he went to Russia as Assistant to
the Director of Information, Canadian Siberian Expedition. He
transferred to the White Russian army, was wounded, captured by the Red
army and released to return to the U.S. because of his wounds. He died
on August 18, 1964.
Ivor Thord-Gray, Mexico City, September 1914.
unknown, photographer
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Edwin S. "Tex" O'Reilly
Clark Printing Company,
San Antonio, TX, photographer
Born in Dennison, TX on August 15, 1880. He fought as well as reported
wars. He was a reporter for the Associated Press, an adventurer, a
policeman in Shanghai. He soldiered in the Spanish-American War, the
Philippine Insurrection, the Boxer Rebellion, in Venezuela, Honduras and
Nicaragua. In 1911, he was one of Madero's Foreign Legionnaires.
Dr.I.J.Bush said that O'Reilly was the biggest liar in the legion while
O'Reilly said it was fortunate that he was in Madero's army; otherwise,
the revolution would have been lost. He, later, fought with Villa.
Lowell Thomas chronicled O'Reilly's life in BORN TO RAISE HELL. His
autobiography is ROVING AND FIGHTING: ADVENTURES UNDER FOUR FLAGS.
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8/12/1909 Postcard
San Antonio Daily Light Courier E.S.O'Reilly Who Is Making The Famous
2,200 Mile Ride From San Antonio, Tex. To Washington, D.C. Bearing A
Message To President Taft.
Clark Printing Company,
San Antonio, TX, photographer
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Benjamin Johannes Viljoen
Meyer Ltd. Pretoria, photographer
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Unused Postcard
1334 - Gen. B. J. Viljoen.
Meyer Ltd. Pretoria, photographer
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1868-1917 Born in Woodhouse, Eastern Cape Colony. A celebrated South
African soldier, a general in the Boer army who immigrated to New Mexico
and established a settlement with other Boer farmers. The settlement did
not flourish and in 1911, Viljoen went to Mexico and was appointed as a
military advisor to Madero. In 1912, he was the Mexican Consul at
Breslau, Germany. Died of pneumonia January 14, 1917.
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Emil Holmdahl
unknown, photographer
Born in Ft.Dodge, Iowa in 1883. Enlisted in the 61st Iowa Infantry and
served in the Philippine Islands. After discharge, joined Lee Christmas
in Honduras. Went to Mexico in 1909 and served in the Rurales under
Emilio Kosterlitzky. Holmdahl changed allegiance to Madero after the
fall of Juárez. Later, he joined Villa and then Obregon. Returned to the
U.S. and worked as a taxi driver. In 1916, he was a guide with
Pershing's Punitive expedition. Later served with the U.S. 16th Infantry
in WWI. In 1926, while on a prospecting trip to Mexico, he was arrested
for desecrating Villa's tomb. Friends arranged his release, and he
returned to the U.S.
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