Battle of Columbus (1916)

Battle of Columbus
	; Columbus, after the battle
Date	March 9, 1916
Location	Columbus, New Mexico, United States31°49′51″N 107°38′30″W / 31.83083°N 107.64167°W
Result	American victory Columbus lightly damaged; Villistas withdraw with heavy casualties;
Belligerents
United States	Conventionists División del Norte;
Commanders and leaders
Herbert Slocum ; Frank Tompkins	Pancho Villa
Strength
353	484
Casualties and losses
8-10 soldiers killed and 6 wounded	67 killed and many more wounded 7 captured
	10 civilians killed

The Battle of Columbus, also known as the Burning of Columbus or the Columbus Raid, began on March 9, 1916, as a raid conducted by remnants of Pancho Villa's Division of the North on the small United States border town of Columbus, New Mexico, located 3 miles (4.8 km) north of the border with Mexico. The raid escalated into a full-scale battle between Villistas and the United States Army.

Villa himself led the assault, only to be driven back into Mexico by elements of the 13th Cavalry Regiment stationed at the town. The attack angered Americans, and President Woodrow Wilson ordered Brigadier General John J. Pershing to lead the Punitive Expedition in which the US Army invaded Mexico but failed to capture Villa.