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Information on Pedrón's band from anonymous Jinotega finca owners

     This intelligence memorandum by Capt. Hanneken summarizes information on Pedron's band provided, reluctantly, by an anonymous married couple, owners of a finca in the coffee district near La Flor, Jinotega.  The final line is especially noteworthy:  Pedrón told her that if she told the Marines that he had camped at her finca, he would come back and cut her head off — underscoring the chasm separating the rebels from wealthy landowners, and the Sandinistas' tactics of terror used to compel compliance among property owners and others opposed to their movement.  (Phot: Gen. Pedrón & members of his family, Jinotega, ca. 1931, from the collection of Walter C. Sandino)

     Also noteworthy is that our anonymous finqueros (finca owners) were personally acquainted with three-quarters of these men — again suggesting the local nature of Sandinista operations.  The repeating surnames in the list (Garc
ía, Gutiérrez, Romero, Rivera, and others) suggests the family-based nature of Sandinista bands.  The report also illustrates the modus operandi of the Marines & Guardia — compiling lists of "bandits" and where they lived so they might be "hunted" down and eliminated.  As the war dragged on, such lists only grew longer, and the "hunting" expeditions only more intensive.

 

 

HEADQUARTERS, NORTHERN AREA,
OCOTAL, NICARAGUA.
28 March, 1929.
 

INTELLIGENCE MEMORANDUM:
LA FLOR
March 26, 1929.

Memo: Area Commander, Northern Area.
 
1. "The following information was given by Mrs. (Blank) and substantiated by her husband. Mr. (Blank) has a finca about (blank) miles S.E. from La Flor [Jinotega].
 
2. "That Altamirano's band at the time he camped at (Blank's) finca on or about March 11, 1929, consisted of about 40 Bandidos, 35 of whom were armed with rifles, 7 with cutachas; that he had one Lewis machine gun and one sub-Thompson; the men did not have very much ammunition for the rifles and that they had perhaps several hundred rounds for the machine guns.
 
"That Pedron had about 15 Indians, who were not armed, but who carried all the baggage. That Altamirano camped at the finca for about 24 hours waiting for (Blank) to make an appearance as Pedron wanted to kill (Blank). That no mention was made about Sandino and that they, Altamirano's men, were not looking for armistice, but want to fight the Marines, Guardia, and Voluntarios.
 
"The following are the men with Altamirano, whom Mrs. (Blank) knew and which was substantiated by (Blank):

                            --- FROM ---
1. Santos Vasquez, Jefe    Guapinol Area
2. Pedro Herrera            "  "    "  "
3. Gregorio Manzanares      "  "     "  "
4. Tomas Rodriguez        Las Cuchillas Area
5. Panfilo Gutierrez        "  "        "  "
6. Jose Rizo       A spy who enters Jinotega occasionally
7. Damas Rodriguez        Las Cuchillas Area
8. Carmelo Gutierrez         "  "       "  "
9. Sebastian Montenegro      "  "       "  "
10. Nicolas Garcia         Boca de Cua Area
11. Cornelio Garcia          "  "       "  "
12. Calixto Hernandez, Lieut.   San Potreros Area
13. Leocardio Garcia            "  "       "  "
14. Reyes Romero                "  "       "  "
15. Jose Romero               Jinotega Area
16. Calixto Guillen           "  "     "  "
17. Catalino Guillen          "  "     "  "
18. Matias Romero             "  "     "  "
19. Carmelo Garcia            "  "     "  "
20. Adan Rizo                 "  "     "  "
21. Sixto Gutierrez           La Pita Area
22. Basilio Contreras  A spy for La Pita and Jinotega area.
23. Florencio Cornejo         La Pavona area
24. Guillermo Rivera          La Pavona area
25. Jose Rivera              "  "       "  "
26. Elijio Centeno               Indefinite
27. Filadelfia Rivera                 "  "

 "The rest they did not know with the exception that Mrs. (Blank) often heard them calling Filadelfia Gomez -- Note: (Was in Sandino's immediate Guard) and Sebastian Centeno.
 
"Three quarters of the above men were known to (Blank) who states they are Altamirano's bandidos. (Bland) also states that a Mrs. Senora Fibersia Garcia [Tiburcia Garcia] who lives near San Potreros is an Altamirano spy and that Altamirano often passes at her place when crossing the Coco River.
 
"Mr. and Mrs. (Blank) also stated that the above woman had come alone at their finca about 20 days ago and had stopped for a few hours and then left.
 
"From (Blank) and from other sources it is to be noted that Altamirano does not use any of the trails except at impassable localities. Pedron cuts thru the mountains and brush.
 
"(Blank) further states that Altamirano uses the following areas when crossing the Coco:
(a) La Pavona-Cuchillas-Los Cedros-Pantasma Valley -- crossing Coco near Piedras thence toward Wana.
 
(b) La Pavona-Cuchillas-Los Cedros-Bilan-Los Torres-Potreros to Coco or from Potreros to Rio Cua about 4 miles East of Boca de Cua, (Marines call place Alligator Pond, where Capt. Hall had contact some time back.) North to Gualacario where he crosses Coco.
"Mr. and Mrs. (Blank) were afraid to give the names of the bandits and only after promising them that it would never be known except by myself, Gen. Escamilla and Headquarters, Ocotal and that no other persons would ever know did they consent to do so.
 
"It is thought that the above information may be of value to patrols operating in the area around Pena Blanca.
 
"(Blank) also stated that Rosendo Zelaya, who owns a finca at La Flor, had taken in this area, large numbers of beef. (16 alone from (Blank).) Large quantities of dulce, coffee, etc., and money for Sandino's cause about a year ago. And that Zelaya is a strong supporter of Sandino. Rosendo Zelaya is now in Jinotega.
 
"That Mrs. Zelaya had found a bandolier of ammunition on the trail near La Flor and had sent it to Sandino. (About a year ago.)
 
"Altamirano told Mrs. (Blank) that if she told the Marines that he Altamirano had been and camped at her finca, he would return and cut her head off."

/s/ HANNEKEN
/s/ L. B. REAGAN
Captain, U.S. Marine Corps,
R -- 2

M29.03.28. RG127/209/1

 

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