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Petra Herrera
(late 1800s?-early 1900s)
Soldadera Princess
Gentle reader, today we fight for Pedro. Presenting Colonel Petra “Pedro” Herrera, Mexican revolutionary, demolitions expert, and leader of a battallion of an all-female brigade that boasted hundreds of women.
Here’s the Mexican Revolution in one oversimplified paragraph: It’s the 1910s. President Porfirio Diaz is being a jerk. Revolutionaries (Pancho Villa, Zapata, others from the “bad boys of the revolution” calendar series) pop up and say, “hey, stop being a jerk and step down already.” Bam, war.
Most of the embedded women (soldaderas) were covering the minutia that the let’s-go-fight-already soldiers hadn’t thought through — like, you know, eating. With the war swallowing up town after town, more and more women (and children) joined up with the growing armies, although, some of the forces straight-up kidnapped them (and worse). The result of the whole thing was that the armies of the time looked like a giant block party (a journalist at the time described the revolutionary Carranza’s camp as appearing like “an immense picnic”).
Petra Herrera, though, was not about to cook or clean. Petra was there to kick ass.
Petra Herrera was not there to cook or clean. Petra was there to kick ass.
Her crowning achievement was to sack the city of Torreon, which is a big freaking deal. Taking Torreon — in the biggest fight in the war to that date — gave Pancho Villa access to heavy artillery, a half million rounds of ammunition, armored rail cars, the works. And yet, Herrera was not given much, if any, credit for her work in the massive fight. Now, mind, she’s not mentioned in the official papers on this, so take it with a pinch of salt, but according to another soldier in the battle, “she was the one who took Torreon, she turned off the lights when they entered the city.” Still: she received no promotion to general afterwards.
In response, Herrera said “I’m out.” She left Villa’s forces and made her own — an independent all-female brigade. By the end of the war, it was estimated to comprise around 300-400 women, down from (possibly wild) estimates of 1,000 at its peak. She looked after her women like a mama bear armed to the teeth. She wouldn’t let men sleep in her camp, and enforced that rule by staying up late and using any wayward male soldier that tried to get in as target practice.
She enforced the “no men” rule by staying up late and using wayward male soldiers as target practice.
Sadly, Petra met at ignominious end soon after. Working as a spy for Carranza’s forces in the role of a bartender in Jimenez, she was shot three times by a group of drunken men, and later died of her injuries.
And here’s the thing — as cool as she was, Petra was not unique in being an amazing soldadera. She wasn’t even unique in being an amazing soldadera named Petra who went by the male name of Pedro. There were so many awesomely distinguished women in the Mexican Revolution, it was hard to pick just one. Some others include:
- Petra Ruiz (who also went by Pedro). She was nicknamed “Echa Balas” (Bullets), had a bad temper, and was so skilled with knives and guns that other soldiers would just let her have her way. One account tells of some soldiers arguing who would be first to rape a young girl, when Petra shows up, demands the girl for herself, and then, winning her through intimidation, lets her go.
- Rosa Bobadilla, who, when widowed by the war, took up arms and fought in one hundred and sixty-eight battles — surviving them all to die at the age of eighty-three.
- A woman named Chiquita, who rode into an enemy camp, saying she was a trained nurse. Hours later, she was fleeing town after having stolen papers, documents, and maps.
- A 13-year-old girl named Elisa Grienssen, who, when US President Wilson sent an army into Mexico, rallied the women of Parral to kick them out. They surrounded the American commander (who was apparently already leaving, but taking his sweet time with it), throwing rocks and sticks, shouting “Viva Villa, Viva Mexico!”
Unfortunately, for most of the post-war history,soldaderas were largely memorialized through folk songs that, to my mind, didn’t quite do them justice, the most famous of which being La Adelita. In the song, the eponymous Adelita follows the army because she is in love with the sergeant. Although certainly that sort of thing happened, love wasn’t exactly the prime motivator for Petra “make me a fucking general already” Herrera.
Other portrayals of soldaderas, especially early on, tended to play into sexed-up gender stereotypes.Los de Abajo, a novel serialized in newspapers beginning in 1915, was a war novel that had two female leads: Camilla, the maternal, demure girlfriend, and La Pintada (the Painted One), who, though an excellent soldier, is portrayed as vulgar, out of control, and generally monstrous. She ends up stabbing Camilla out of jealousy and being exiled. Lame.
(enjoy the art? you can get it as a poster, shirt or phone case!)Art Notes
- Because Petra dressed as a man for much of her career, she is seen here in a period-accurate officer’s outfit. She has an officer’s sword, characteristic ammo bandolier, and is unfurling her braid from her hat, in a nod to her “guess what, I’m a lady” reveal. Her revolver is a copy of the one that Emiliano Zapata used (a Mexican S&W replica).
- The soldaderas below her are in outfits more typical of the standard soldadera representation. I gave them each different tones that together comprise the colors of the Mexican flag.
- The woman in green is based on this picture. Just look at this lady. Good lord.
- The woman in the picture is carrying a Winchester rifle — a rifle which carries with it a history for another quite interesting woman.
- The setting is an actual Mexican bridge that was around at the time, but it was clear on the other side of Mexico from where she operated (mostly Durango and Chihuhua). Still, I liked the visual, and it’s hard to find accurate pictures of bridges that were blown up a century ago.
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Next Time on Rejected Princesses
Giving the people what they want: 90 cats from a cloud.
This is my first time on the sight and I am indulging in a binge read. Petra and the one I am referring to as,”Tank Girl” are my two favourites and resonate the most with me.
However, being a 21 year old native of Mexico, I truly love your portrayal of Petra. It would be a beautiful thing to see a portrait of a native Mexican woman portrayed in the media as something other than a Housekeeper, struggling single mother, oversexed bombshell, or drug lords of the weeks eye candy and stash spot.
Beautiful, beautiful stories told on this sight. I’ve been here for 12 years and have rarely seen my culture represented in a positive or realistic way in art or even acknowledged. So once again, great work.
Excuse the grammar or words used in wrong context. It is tricky to put thoughts eloquently down in English for myself.
I absolutely love this rejected princess. I really wish the legendary adelitas would get recognition in popular films. I lived four years in mexico and really think that its rich cultural heritage is not properly represented in our society. I agree with Anissia that it would be a breath of fresh air to see Mexican women shown as the powerful and dynamic women that they are. I included a picture of Petra Herrera and a link to the article where it was found: http://www.imagenzac.com.mx/nota/la-valiente-petra-herrera-00-42-m8
Thanks so much for yet another awesome woman!
Hi! I visited this site a while ago and there weren’t nearly as many stories. I’m so glad this took off and its become so extensive. Fabulous work! I read this story and thought of the Andean revolutionary heroine, Manuela Saenz. I don’t know much about her. I first heard about her when I was researching Giuseppe Garibaldi who is very interesting but male. They met I supposed discussed their revolutions in Peru in 1851. Speaking of Giuseppe Garibaldi though, he was a feminist and his first wife, Anita was a very interesting person I think. She was Brazilian and she rode along side him in his battles. The only times she stayed at home were when she was so pregnant she was literally days away from giving birth. I love your work and I just thought I would point out these other awesome historical women to you. Keep up the amazing work! :)
Oh my god, i love this entry and i’m sure i’ll love the rest of the site. I’m writing a story that features Soldaderas and this entry was so informative and inspiring. I love how the drawing makes so many references to actual things. I’ve added your site to my bookmarks and will definitely come back for more!
Not bad . I kick ass all the time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m mexican, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am for the representation of these wonderful women that you do. When I was a girl, longer ago than I care to remember, the Secretariat of public education created one history book that was later edited and recreated so as not to include several fragments of history that were considered unimportant. Among them was a description of an Adelita’s life: “following the male’s of their lives sometimes, running away from the oppression of their lives or in fear of what the ” bola” would do to them. They had to march alongside with the men, carrying children, carrying food and their men’s weapons. When men were starving, they found who-knows-where a chicken to feed their families. Surviving harassment and rape. And in the fight, being equal to men.”
That passage used to give me shivers, and I can truthfully say that your writing caused that again. A shiver and a feeling of appreciation for all the women that history (would like to) forget. Thank you.