The Sandino Rebellion, 1927-1934

From:      The Commanding Officer.
To:          The Commanding Officer, Fifth Regiment, Campo de Marte, Managua, Nicaragua.

Subject:   Report on dead and wounded as a result of the Battle of Ocotal, 16 July, 1927.

Reference: (a) Your telegram, No. 2627-1625.

1.      As can be readily seen an estimate can not be correct or even approximately correct under conditions prevailing here after the battle. It was nearly dark and I had too few men to dare send any outside the town limits to make a count.

2.      Fifty were counted here in town by me, twenty-five were reported to have died in houses later, three bull cart loads and ten mule loads were reported to have been dumped in a ravine a few miles out of town and the various burying parties sent out by the Jefe Politico reported a hundred or more found along the river. Therefore, I estimated about three hundred dead and believe that figure is as nearly correct as can be ascertained.

3.      No estimate can be made as to the number of wounded, for they can conceal themselves, or be concealed, or can conceal their wounds.

4.      There were ten non-combatants killed during the action and three wounded. One of those killed was Senator Paguaga and is the only civilian death our forces are responsible for, the others were killed by Sandino's men, principally Ruffo Marín, to settle private grudges. I do not know how the three women were wounded, but all their wounds were in an arm or shoulder, and I believe were received while attempting to drag dead men out of sight.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - G. D. HATFIELD - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Ancillary Documents: La Noticia (Managua), 19, 28, 29 July 1927

Story of July 19: According to Liberal Jefe Político Arnoldo Ramírez Abuanza: "En todos los caminos que salen de El Ocotal se ven centenares de zopilotes que indican claramente que están devorando las multitudes de cadáveres que quedaron durante la derrota. En un potrero a la orilla de la ciudad se hallaron 19 muertos." [Translation: "On all the roads that leave Ocotal one sees hundreds of vultures that show clearly that they are devouring the multitude of cadavers that were left behind after the defeat. In one pasture at the edge of the city were found 19 dead."]

Verbonico Vaquedano was in the battle; Honduran.

Wounded by the attackers: Adán Palma, Teodoro Salcedo.

Killed by the attackers: Luis Aguirre - also his cantina sacked [Aguirre was a Chamorrista commandante in Ocotal; see Segovian borderlands documents]; Manuel Elizondo; Adán Alvarez; Geraldo Ríos.

Saved by Jefe Político Ramírez: Luis, Emilio, and Salvador Paguaga.

Story of July 28: The house of Luis Peña was attacked first by the the Sandinistas. Alberto Zamora, the Administrador de Rentas in Ocotal, stayed inside the Marine garrison during the battle.

Story of July 29: Jefe Político Arnoldo Ramírez quoted as follows: "Rufo Marín, muchacho joven nacido de familia honrada del Jícaro, que engrosó las filas de Sandino, porque a su buena y anciana madre la flageló Luz Aguirre, siendo éste Agente de Policía del Jícaro en tiempos de Gral. Chamorro. Marín entró al Ocotal, como una fiera, buscó por todas partes Luz Aguirre, y cuando lo encontró lo acribilló a balazos en su misma casa, quedando así según Marín, consumada la venganza. Tal caso ocurrió también con Manuel Elizondo quien en tiempos pasados actuó como comandante de hacienda en Nueva Segovia -- habiendo guindado en Somoto a un pobre hombre quien le fué encontrado un contrabando . . . Vino a Ocotal la noche fatídica del 16 y encuentra a Elizondo y lo última a balazos y queda satisfecho, y la venganza consumada."