r north
from Zacatecas. These had to repair the railroad as they went. Torreon
was being held by about one thousand Federal soldiers.

Villa was well informed of these movements, and also of the fact that,
in their anxiety to take Durango, a Federal force of about 800 men,
under General Alvirez, was to leave Torreon before the arrival of the
Saltillo and Zacatecas columns. Having the inner line, Villa with his
mobile force could maneuver freely against any one of these. He
accordingly left a rear guard in front of the Federals at Santa
Rosalia, and, marching south rapidly, met and completely defeated
General Alvirez's Federal column about eighteen miles west of Torreon,
near the town of Aviles. General Alvirez and 287 of his men were
killed, fighting to the last.

Villa then turned toward Torreon. The "soldaderas" of Alvirez's force
had escaped when the fight at Aviles began and reached Torreon, quickly
spreading the news. The Federal officer in command attempted to round
them up, but to no avail, and Torreon's weak garrison became panic
stricken, put up a feeble resistance, and evacuated the town. Villa
occupied it on the night of October 1st. He sent his mounted troops
against the Federal columns from Saltillo and Zacatecas, tearing up the
railroad around them, until they both retreated. He maintained splendid
order in Torreon; sent a detachment of one officer and twenty-five men
to the American consul to protect American interests, and stationed
patrols throughout the city with orders to shoot all looters. At first,
a few stores containing provisions and clothing were looted, and some
Spaniards who were supposed to be aiding the Federals were killed, but
the pillaging soon stopped. Villa's occupation of Torreon thus
contrasted strikingly with Urbina's occupation of Durango.

The capture of Torreon made precarious the military position of the
Federals in Chihuahua, as Torreon was their principal supply point.
When Villa's advance reached Santa Rosalia, the Federals evacuated
their fortified position at that place and concentrated all available
troops at Chihuahua City. They expected that a decided attempt would be
made by Villa to take it. The Federals did succeed in repelling small
attacks against Chihuahua on November 6th-9th and, to strengthen their
garrison, they reduced the troops in Juarez until only 400 remained.
Villa, while keeping up the investment of Chihuahua City, prepared a
force for a dash on Juarez,