San Quintin is a small, remote town on the Pacific coast of Baja, Mexico, about 120 miles south of Ensenada. In 1911,
It was home to 338 people (Zazueta). San Quintín sits beside a protected bay, called the Inner Bahiá San Quintín, which itself is within the larger San Quintín Bay, in turn, inside the Bajía Santa María. San Quintin was established as a wheat-production region by the Compañía Mexicana de Terrenos y Colonización, a British land company (who in turn bought the land from a United States land company in 1880). Hundreds of British colonists established wheat farms around the inner bay, on which they built a state-of-the-art flour mill, a water purification company, the beginnings of a rail line to Yuma and a pier in the inner bay for their exports. After the English founded the colony, however, they learned that the normal rainfall there would not allow for wheat production, and in the decades before the Revolution, the colonists began to abandon the town, which fell into disrepair. Workers tore up the train tracks and shipped them to Arizona for a mining area. One locomotive, whilst being loaded onto a ship to be taken away, fell into the water and remains there, at the mouth of the bay, to this day.
A battle almost occurred at this town in April of 1911, when Juan Emilio Guerrero led a small force of 30 Mexican and Cocopah Liberals, who had recently left Mosdby’s group at El Álamo, to occupy most of the town. However, the English Navy happened to be nearby to restock on fresh water, and they actually landed 30 marines and a machine gun and crew to oppose the Magónistas, who withdrew rather than to engage in such an unequal contest.
Around the same time as Pryce’s liberation of Tijuana, Guerrero returned with his group to finish the job.
Set up: San Quintin sits just northeast of the inner bay, an inlet inside the Bahía San Quintin. Across the bay from the town, four mountainous volcano peaks rise from the lush greenery beside the Pacific Ocean. North and south of town, desert and scrub butts up against the shoreline. To the east of town, dry ridges rise into the Mesa San Simon.
Conditions: Clear - normal visibility
Supply: 7 rounds of ammo for defenders, 5 rounds for rebels.
Forces:
PLM Forces:
Juan Emilio Guerrero and 12 revolutionaries (Mexican and Cocopah)
Government forces:
10 Rurales
8 Local Militia
Victory Conditions: The side which possesses the town at the end of 15 turns wins.
Aftermath:
The victory of Geurrero’s small Liberal band at San Quintín left Baja California’s capital, Ensenada, surrounded, with PLM forces occupying important strategic points both to the north and south. “This time, no English sailors halted them. In terms of possession of population centers, the twin victories at Tijuana and San Quintín brought the Liberals to their peak” (Trejo). Guerrero’s group remained in San Quintín for three weeks, but headed for Tijuana around May 28th. Guerrero’s group did not surrender when the foriegn volunteers did, however. Instead they continued raiding towns around Ensenada.
Emilio Guerrero was, at the time of his appearance before the court in September of 1911, thirty-eight years old. He was married, had worked as a miner, lived in Mexicali for many years, and was currently confined to the jail there. He grew up in Mulegé, Baja California, and was Indigenous. He told the court that he had, indeed, rode into San Quintín on April 19th, with 12 men riding under his command. His second in command was Pedro Cables, Teófilo Flores was the secretary, and other members of the group included Juan Ponce, Francisco Reogríguez, Zeferino Lieras, Heraclio Remero, three others, a José who’s name the court clerk wrote too messily, and an Ursino who’s last name Guerrero forgot. The action of April 19th was a raid, in which the Liberals intended to secure funds and supplies for the campaign. The rebels remained in San Quintín for the night. Guerrero admitted to looting several homes and stores in San Quintín, including the store of Tomás León Ley y Compañía. Guerrero also said that after he had left the town with most of the group early on the morning of April 20th, Pedro Cables and Pancho Rodríguez set the Ley y Compañía house on fire, then joined up with the rest later. The court was curious why Guerrero’s band didn’t rob or destroy the property of Harry N. Cannon, whom Guerrero visited with Teófilo Flores, Pedro Cables, and Ursino, but rather they purchased coffee and flour from Cannon. The court asked Guerrero why no harm came to Cannon, to which the accused said, according to the summary, “because he agreed to deal with him and his people.” The Judge’s name was Alejandro Lamadrid, and the defense attorney was Gustavo Appel. (Ensenada. Declaración De Emilio Guerrero a Los Cargos De Asalto En San Quintín. 8 Sept. 1911).
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