Felipe Neri
Encyclopedia
Felipe Neri was a soldier and general in the Mexican Revolution
.
, Morelos
, on August 23, 1884, to Pedro Neri and Faustina Jiménez. Before the Mexican revolution
Felipe Neri worked as a kiln
operator at a Chinameca
hacienda.
. A bomb which he mis-threw exploded nearby and left him completely deaf. Subsequently he served with Zapata
as an explosives expert and divisional general
. He constructed bombs for the revolutionaries out of salmon
cans. According to some sources the incident that took away his hearing made Neri particularly ruthless in how he treated captive prisoners; he either had them executed or he would cut off one of their ears as a "mark of Cain". He also applied the same punishment to deserters who left the Zapatista army in order to go back to work on the haciendas. His injury and this practice earned him the nickname of mochaorejas - "clipper of ears".
, headed by Emiliano Zapata, in May 1913, together with Eufemio Zapata
, Genovevo de la O
, Amador Salazar
, Otilio Montaño Sánchez
, and Manuel Palafox
(who acted as the secretary).
, and at one time almost with Zapata himself. In November 1913 Neri had appropriated some guns from the other Zapatista commanders which earned him a rebuke from Zapata. Neri answered with a bold letter in which he refused to return the guns, accused Zapata of favoritism and not giving him enough credit, and threatened that if Zapata tried to collect the guns again, he would break off and fight Huerta on his own.
He was killed in January 1914, while returning from a campaign in Tepoztlan
, by the Zapatista forces of Antonio Barona Rojas. According to some authors, there is strong circumstantial evidence that the killing was done on the orders of Zapata himself, although an explicit order to that effect has not been found. Barona was never held accountable for the killing.
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
.
Early life
He was born in the neighborhood of Gualupita, in CuernavacaCuernavaca
Cuernavaca is the capital and largest city of the state of Morelos in Mexico. It was established at the archeological site of Gualupita I by the Olmec, "the mother culture" of Mesoamerica, approximately 3200 years ago...
, Morelos
Morelos
Morelos officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Morelos is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 33 municipalities and its capital city is Cuernavaca....
, on August 23, 1884, to Pedro Neri and Faustina Jiménez. Before the Mexican revolution
Mexican Revolution
The Mexican Revolution was a major armed struggle that started in 1910, with an uprising led by Francisco I. Madero against longtime autocrat Porfirio Díaz. The Revolution was characterized by several socialist, liberal, anarchist, populist, and agrarianist movements. Over time the Revolution...
Felipe Neri worked as a kiln
Kiln
A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, or oven, in which a controlled temperature regime is produced. Uses include the hardening, burning or drying of materials...
operator at a Chinameca
Chinameca, Morelos
Chinameca is a Location in the Mexican state of Morelos. At Hacienda de Chinameca Pablo González, general serving Venustiano Carranza, ordered Coronel Jesús Guajardo the assassination of Mexican Revolutionist Emiliano Zapata, on april 10, 1919....
hacienda.
The Revolution
He joined the rebellion in March 1911 and took part in the siege of CuautlaCuautla
Cuautla may refer to:*Cuautla, Jalisco, Mexico*Cuautla, Morelos, Mexico...
. A bomb which he mis-threw exploded nearby and left him completely deaf. Subsequently he served with Zapata
Emiliano Zapata
Emiliano Zapata Salazar was a leading figure in the Mexican Revolution, which broke out in 1910, and which was initially directed against the president Porfirio Díaz. He formed and commanded an important revolutionary force, the Liberation Army of the South, during the Mexican Revolution...
as an explosives expert and divisional general
Divisional General
Divisional General is a rank used in many armies to denote a rank of general, corresponding to command of a division. For convenience Divisional General is almost always translated into English as Major-General, the equivalent rank used by the UK, USA, etc., although this translation is, strictly...
. He constructed bombs for the revolutionaries out of salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
cans. According to some sources the incident that took away his hearing made Neri particularly ruthless in how he treated captive prisoners; he either had them executed or he would cut off one of their ears as a "mark of Cain". He also applied the same punishment to deserters who left the Zapatista army in order to go back to work on the haciendas. His injury and this practice earned him the nickname of mochaorejas - "clipper of ears".
On the Zapatista Revolutionary Junta
He became part of the Zapatista's ruling Revolutionary JuntaMilitary junta
A junta or military junta is a government led by a committee of military leaders. The term derives from the Spanish language junta meaning committee, specifically a board of directors...
, headed by Emiliano Zapata, in May 1913, together with Eufemio Zapata
Eufemio Zapata
Eufemio Zapata Zalazar was the brother of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata. He was known as a womanizer, a macho man, and a very heavy drinker....
, Genovevo de la O
Genovevo de la O
Genovevo de la O was an important figure in the Mexican Revolution.He was born in Santa María Ahuacatitlán, Morelos, to sharecropper parents. He was dedicated to the plight of Mexico's peasants and came to be an outstanding Liberation Army of the South guerrilla general...
, Amador Salazar
Amador Salazar
Amador Salazar Jiménez was a Mexican military leader who participated in the Mexican Revolution.-Early life:He was born in Cuernavaca, Morelos on April 30, 1868, as the son of León Salazar and Gertrudes Jiménez...
, Otilio Montaño Sánchez
Otilio Montaño Sánchez
Otilio Montaño Sánchez was a Zapatista general during the Mexican Revolution....
, and Manuel Palafox
Manuel Palafox
Manuel Palafox was a Mexican politician, soldier and intellectual.Palafox studied in Puebla, his city of birth, and became an entrepreneur. In 1911, he joined the Liberation Army of the South of Emiliano Zapata, initially to defend his home...
(who acted as the secretary).
Conflicts with other Zapatista chiefs
On several occasions Neri and his men would come into confrontation with other Zapatistas, notably with the troops of Genovevo de la OGenovevo de la O
Genovevo de la O was an important figure in the Mexican Revolution.He was born in Santa María Ahuacatitlán, Morelos, to sharecropper parents. He was dedicated to the plight of Mexico's peasants and came to be an outstanding Liberation Army of the South guerrilla general...
, and at one time almost with Zapata himself. In November 1913 Neri had appropriated some guns from the other Zapatista commanders which earned him a rebuke from Zapata. Neri answered with a bold letter in which he refused to return the guns, accused Zapata of favoritism and not giving him enough credit, and threatened that if Zapata tried to collect the guns again, he would break off and fight Huerta on his own.
He was killed in January 1914, while returning from a campaign in Tepoztlan
Tepoztlán
Tepoztlán is a town in the Mexican state of Morelos. It is located at in the heart of the Tepoztlán Valley. The town serves as the seat of government for the municipality of the same name. The town had a population of 14,130 inhabitants, while the municipality reported 41,629 inhabitants in the...
, by the Zapatista forces of Antonio Barona Rojas. According to some authors, there is strong circumstantial evidence that the killing was done on the orders of Zapata himself, although an explicit order to that effect has not been found. Barona was never held accountable for the killing.