José Inés García Chávez
- 1 min read
- 3 chapters
Explore on Lably
ToursExplore Lably’s 3D toursEarly life
He was born in Godino, Puruándiro, Michoacán, on 19 April 1889. He was the son of Anacleto García and Bartola Chávez.
Sign in to keep reading
2 more chapters are free with a Lably account.
Career
He was a cameraman during the Porfiriato (the period that General Porfirio Díaz ruled Mexico as president) and thus fought Santana Rodríguez Palafox in Veracruz. He was part of the group that rose against Victoriano Huerta under Anastasio Pantoja, but when the Carrancistas shot at him, Chávez rose up in arms and joined the Villista Army. He operated in the Abajoña of Michoacán and the states of Jalisco and Guanajuato, recruiting thousands of soldiers.
His fighting style was one of a guerrilla or bandit and his greatest success came in 1917. His army was feared in all regions of Michoacán, Jalisco and Guanajuato, for its brutality, especially towards women and children. Between 1915 and 1918, Inés Chávez torched the towns of Apatzingán, Paracho, Cotija and Degollado. He became known as "the Attila of Michoacán, Jalisco and Guanajuato", and his army as "The Painted Leopards".
Death
Chávez's death is murky. Some sources claim that he died on 8 January 1918, during the Battle of Huandacareo after assaulting several towns. Other sources say he died either of Spanish Influenza or of battle injuries in Michoacán on 11 November 1918.