Header image
PC28.02.12  waterman

QUICK LINKS TO PREVIOUS & NEXT PC-DOCS

28.02.03 PEARD
28.02.04 MCDONALD
28.02.06 YOUNG
28.02.12 WATERMAN
28.02.18 GEYER
28.02.19 CLARK
28.02.19 GRAY

28.02.12.   Waterman, Report of Contact with Bandit Group, El Jícaro

P C - D O C S :      P A T R O L   &   C O M B A T    R E P O R T S
thru 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 +

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

T  R  A  N  S  C  R  I  P  T  I  O  N

Marine Detachment
Jicaro, Nicaragua
12 February 1928

From: The Commanding Officer
To: The Regimental Commander, 11th Regiment, Ocotal, Nic.
Subject: Report of contact with bandit group on 12 February 1928.

    1.   A patrol of twenty enlisted, Sgt Smith, Fred G., in charge cleared Jicaro towards the northeast at 0300, 12 Feb. 1928.
 
   2.   While walking along a mountain ridge they saw a camp fire in a deep ravine between two high hills. Upon investigating the found six bandits living in an improvised hut.
 
   3.   They attack, killing five of the bandits and wounding the only one who escaped. The attack was at 0600.
 
   4.   Articles captured, two shot guns, powder and ammunition for same, seven machetes, a dynamite auger and a small red and black banner. [ p. 2 ]
 
   5.   Sgt. Smith's handling of this patrol was excellent and it was due to his work that it was successful
 
   6.   Roster of men on the patrol:

Sgt. Smith, Fred G. in charge
Cpl. Burge, Warren G.
P.F.C. Gifford, Albert G.
 "   Laney, Noel W.
 "   Welch, John A.
Pvt Brown, Mike
 "  Andrews, William E. Jr.
Thr Beck, Nelson W.
Pvt Crousen, Joe W.
 "  Cyasywiez, Francis A.
 "  Davis, Harold M.
 "  Donohue, Jack V.
 "  Enders, Robert H.
 "  Frei, John B.
 "  Huber, John A.
 "  Hunt, William C.
 "  Isarel, Lester R.
 "  Temmons, Vitus P.
 "  Wilson, Roy F.
 "  Wood, William E.

/s/ Hawley C. Waterman

127/204/3

Summary & Notes:

   A slaughter — a nighttime hunting expedition by 20 Marines; six rebels at a makeshift camp, five killed, only one escaped; not even a "contact," since the rebels didn't fight back.
   Report smells fishy: why would the patrol leave their garrison at 3 o'clock in the morning?  Why did they take the trail they did?  Why did the group they attacked have a campfire lit at 6:00 a.m.?  If they did have a campfire lit, why did they have no sentry or lookout?  Sounds like the Marines had inside information from a well-placed native in El Jícaro who knew of the rebels' probable location, and that the attack was a total surprise; more a massacre than a battle.
   Captured items seem to show the group was indeed EDSN, though hard to tell; the red-and-black banner could have been a post-hoc fabrication.

   Original report handwritten.

P C - D O C S :      P A T R O L   &   C O M B A T    R E P O R T S
thru 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 +

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

TOP OF PAGE