Elisa Griensen

María Elisa Martiniana Griensen Zambrano, known as Elisa Griensen (2 January 1888 – 14 November 1972) was a Mexican patriot who fought against the army of the United States during the Pancho Villa Expedition.

Biography Elisa Griensen was the daughter of Juan G. Gruñesen Her mother was originally from Chihuahua, and of Spanish origin.

Griensen was the penultimate of eight siblings. Her father died in 1891, at the age of 63, and her mother in 1892, at the age of 44, leaving their nine orphaned children which was intended to capture Francisco Villa in response to his attack on Columbus in New Mexico.

He buscado ayuda y no me han secundado; sin embargo... alguien tiene que hacer algo. (English: I have sought help and they have not supported me; however... someone has to do something) Elisa Griensen, April 1916 Along with the children and some women, Griensen headed toward the US troops. The crowd followed her, shouting cheers of support for Villa and Mexico. Griensen fired the first shots with her rifle. The troops began to quickly withdraw, followed by protestors and Mexican soldiers. During the retreat, two American soldiers were killed.

Three other former students of the school, Santiago Jáquez, Maximiano Fraire and Rafael Sepúlveda, have narrated their own version of the events. They agree on some events, such as the fact that Griensen was encouraging the people to rebel while driving a car, and that the population in general disagreed with the occupation. They also disagree on some facts, such as when describing whether or not Griensen carried a weapon when driving the vehicle. However, these versions coincide with that of Edgar Cock when mentioning that it was the students of the school who started the revolt against the US troops (with shouts, cheers and stones) and not Elisa Griensen.

Version of Frank Tompkins Major Frank Tompkins, the head of the expedition in Hidalgo del Parral, recounted the experience in that city not as a demonstration of the population against the presence of his troops, but as a battle against the Mexican troops on the outskirts from the city.

Tompkins mentioned being invited by Captain Antonio Meza. He relates having talked with the commander of the military garrison, General Ismael Lozano, and agreeing to withdraw as soon as supplies were delivered. However, as he was leaving the city, he and his troops were attacked by the population, which, in his opinion, was led by a man of German appearance. He considered that attack in the main square an ambush by General Lozano with the help of the population.

He later authored a book titled Chasing Villa: The Story Behind the Story of Pershing's Expedition Into Mexíco; in it, he makes no mention of Griensen.

Later life and death Griensen married Óscar Martínez, a civil engineer who graduated from the Heroic Military Academy in 1928. They had a daughter, Delia Rosario Martínez Griensen.

In September 1972, Griensen was in the city of El Paso, Texas, when a respiratory illness turned into pneumonia. At her request, she was transferred to Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, where she died a few weeks later on November 14 at the age of 84.