T R A N
S C R I P
T I O N
Subject: |
Report of patrol made by 2nd
Platoon, 47th Company, 11th
Regiment, through area northeast
Matagalpa. |
Route: |
The patrol left A. Mort's place
at 2.30 P.M. 18/2/28 and arrived
at Corinto at 12.30 P.M. 20/2/28
via Cuatro Esquinas Oriental,
COYOLAR and LA TRAMPA. |
The patrol left CORINTO at 2:30 p.m. 20
February 1928 and arrived at MATAGALPA
at 1:30 p.m. 22 February, 1928 via LA
DATANLI, LA SULTANA and LA FUNDADORA.
The condition of roads traveled was as
follows: CUATRO ESQUINAS to CORINTO,
poor, muddy, mountain pack trail;
CORINTO to LA SULTANA, good, dry pack
trail; LA SULTANA to LA FUNDADORA muddy
mountain pack trail; LA FUNDADORA to
MATAGALPA, good bull cart road. Trails
high in the mountains are apparently
muddy the year around.
INFORMATION OF ENEMY:
Several of the natives questioned along the trail from
ORIENTAL to TRAMPA on 19 February 1928
gave the information that Sandino left
CORINTO on 15 February 1928 on the LA
VIRGEN trail headed north towards
CUCHILLAS, and estimated his strength at
about four hundred men.
Simon Cantarero, manager of the Corinto Finca, stated
that Sandino with his forces left
CORINTO 15 February 1928 and was last
seen on the LA VIRGEN trail going north
towards CUCHILLAS. He stated Sandino had
three hundred men armed with Mexican
rifles and one hundred rounds of
ammunition per man, and two cargo mules
carrying ammunition. I believe this man
maybe a Sandinista.
Five miles southeast of CORINTO one Luciano Rosales
came to us with the information that
sixty or seventy men gather at PASS REAL
each night and disperse in the morning.
He had not seen them. He further stated
that Paulino Lopez living nearby is the
propagandist and agent of Sandino. Lopez
and his house were investigated by a
patrol sent out at daylight 21 February
1928. No information was obtained.
At LA FUNDADORA we were informed that four out of about
twenty who went with Sandino from that
finca on 8 Feb. 1928 had returned to the
finca. At daylight 22 Feb. 1928 two of
these men, Anastacio Rugaena [Anastasio
Rugama] and Enlovio Carnijs [Eudovio
Cornejo] were captured, questioned
separately, and finally gave stories
coinciding as follows: "They left LA
FUNDADORA with Sandino 8 Feb. 1928 with
the promise of mules, rifles and an easy
life. They deserted Sandino at SANTA
ELENA one full days march north of LAS
CUCHILLAS on 17 Feb. 1928 because none
of the above promises were fulfilled.
Sandino's men [ p. 2 ] were saying they
were going to the Atlantic coast via the
route taken by Moncado [José María
Moncada] in coming west from PUERTO
CABEZA [Puerto Cabezas] during the
revolution. Sandino had with him about
four hundred men of whom over half were
equipped with rifle and ammunition. The
others carried machete. He had one heavy
machine gun and one cargo mule loaded
with ammunition for that gun. No
airplanes were seen at SANTA ELENA." The
prisoners were taken to Matagalpa for
further questioning.
Mr. Frankel, manager of LA FUNDADORA stated that while
there, Sandino had one Thompson sub
machine gun and one light browning in
his personal guard and that instead of
using one of the bedrooms Sandino slept
on the proch [porch] stating that he
would not trust his men. Mr. Frankel
further stated that the Jejes [Jefes]
Nasitays, Solgado, Giran, and Lobs
[--?--, Salgado, Giron, Lobo] were with
Sandino at LA FUNDADORA.
I believe that the mozos in the area through which
Sandino passed do not fear him and that
his speeches have been partly successful
in earning many to fear and even hate
marines.
AIR COMMUNICATION
No planes were seen on the 19th or 20th but we were
informed that planes passed over CORINTO
one half hour before we reached there on
the 20th. Rain channels in the mountains
near TRAMA [La Trampa] would often
prevent air observation of those trails.
On the 21 Feb. 1928 pannels [panels]
were laid in an open space six miles
north of LA SULTANA for one hour during
which time a plane twice passed to the
east of us apparently scouting the trail
through the mountains there, and failing
to sight our patrol on the lower trail.
RATIONS
The patrol started with rations for two
days and returned with rations for one
day.
Coffe [coffee], tortillios [tortillas],
beans, cheese and bananas can be
obtained in large quantities at the
larger haciends [haciendas] throughout
this area.
/s/ W. W. ORR
1st LT. USMC
127/220/6
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