Petra Herrera in 1913

Petra Herrera (seen above) joined the Revolutionary military in 1913 during her mid-twenties. Dressed as a man, using the pseudonym Pedro Herrera, fought in many battles of the Mexican Revolution commanded by General Francisco (Pancho) Villa.

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She was able to keep her identity as a woman a secret due to ingenious strategies, such as pretending to shave her beard every morning, thereby avoiding questions about facial hair.

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Although her leadership had led to some victories, Pancho Villa refused to give military credit to a woman and would not permit Herrera to serve as a General.

Removed from Villa’s forces, Herrera formed her own brigade, exclusively for women. She fought successfully in the second battle of Torreón on May 30, 1914, with 400 other women, the soldaderas. Cosme Mendoza Chavira, another follower of Villa, said “Ella fue quien tomo Torreón y apago las luces cuando entraron en la ciudad” (She was the one who took Torreón and turned out the lights when they entered the city.”)

The soldaderas later dissolved, after General Castro, a leader of the revolution, did not allow Herrera to rejoin the Villista troops. Afterward, Herrera allied with Venustiano Carranza in 1917 as a spy, in the guise of a cantina girl. She worked as a bartender in Jimenez, a city in the northern part of Mexico, until she died of gunshot wounds at the bar at the hand of bandits.