TLS in Spanish, signed “Francisco Villa,” two pages, 8.5 x 11, Ejercito del Norte letterhead, October 3, 1915. Letter to General Felipe Riveros. In part (translated): “With great dismay I learned that a member of the military escort of General Jose Rodriguez treacherously assassinated your beloved brother, don Jesus. With these lines, I beg you to kindly accept my sentiments of sincere condolences…On my behalf, I assure you with all sincerity that I am going to be very attentive to what you are telling me. And as soon as I catch up to the killers of your brother, they will be punished with all severity, and especially the one nicknamed ‘El Chiquirrin,’ who will be shot.” In very good condition, with intersecting folds with partial edge separations, one repaired with heavily toned tape just above the signature. Accompanied by a full letter of authenticity from PSA/DNA.
Felipe Riveros was the governor of Sinaloa who had recently aligned himself with Villa's cause. His brother Jesus, one of his chief aides, was assassinated on September 30, 1915, prompting Villa's letter promising revenge. As he promises here, Villa dispatched another letter on October 8th, writing to inform Riveros that they had 'made an example of the murderer.' Villa's stronghold on the northern regions of Mexico would soon end after suffering substantial losses in battle, and by the end of the year he was on the run from the United States Army. A fantastic letter from a crucial turning point in Villa's revolutionary goals, highlighting his ruthlessness against his enemies.
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