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Select reports on the edsn offensive into the Atlantic Coast, March-April 1931
 
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Select reports on the Sandinista offensive into the Atlantic Coast region, March-April 1931

Critical introduction forthcoming ...

 

 

 

 
 

GUARDIA NACIONAL DE NICARAGUA
CUARTEL GENERAL, AREA DEL ESTE

BLUEFIELDS, NICARAGUA

21 April 1931

From:      The Area Commander, Eastern Area
To:        The Jefe Director

Subject:   Intelligence report from Neptune Mine.

  1.  Mr. Franklyn Springer Jr., son of the present operator of the Neptune Mine, recently proceeded from Bluefields to the mine with a shipment of cyanide and commissary stores. He has returned and has given to this office the following information in regard to bandit activities in that region:

On 17 March, a spy sent out from the Neptune Mine arrived in Bocay and was captured by the bandits in that place. This man was held four days and released. He found about 125 bandits in the immediate vicinity of Bocay, collected in five groups of 25 men each. They were awaiting, at the time of this man’s capture, for a large shipment of arms and ammunition from Honduras “across the river”. They had accumulated a supply of river boats, locally constructed in part and in part stolen, and were preparing under the jefes Ortez, Blandon, and Rivera to invade the East Coast. The Blandon crowd were detailed to raid the Neptune Mine. He heard at Bocay that Cockburn (at Sacklin)- this man is the Diputado Suplente recently arrested and released in Puerto Cabezas- and one Martinez (at Cabo Gracias) were the agents through which the arms were to be smuggled into the Coco River. Springer says the man had never heard of either Cockburn or Martinez and only repeated what he heard in Bocay.

On the 30th or 31st of March, Blandon and his group passed Neptune Mine and blew up the power plant which was afterwards (within a week) repaired. On 9 April, the group again returned and surrounded the mine but made no attack and withdrew after blowing up the dam which stored water for the hydroelectric plant at Big Falls nine miles from the mine proper. The latest rumor at Neptune Mine is that Ortez has been detailed to raid the mine and accomplish its destruction, a task Blandon was apparently unable to do. The name of Sandino was not mentioned, apparently, so that on 17 March it is improbable that Sandino was in that neighborhood. There seems to be little reason to doubt that Ortez is in this area.


        /s/  JOHN MARSTON

RG127/200



DEPARTMENT OF NORTHERN BLUEFIELDS
GUARDIA NACIONAL DE NICARAGUA
PUERTO CABEZAS NICARAGUA
24 April 1931

SUMMARY OF INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM SECRET AGENTS

At about 0600 April 11, 1931, a group of about 60 bandits appeared in Cuyutigne. They had spent the night at Locus River, four hours from Cuyutigne. These bandits were not well armed nor did they have much ammunition. Among their arms were two rusty Thompson sub-machine guns. Immediately upon their arrival in Cuyutigne the bandits asked the number of Guardia in Puerto Cabezas and if there were any Americans in the vicinity. They were told that there were very few Guardia in Puerto Cabezas and that there was a timber cruising squad about four miles due south of Cuyutigne. A group of about twenty bandits was dispatched to the timber cruisers camp, where they killed John D. Phelps and John L. Pennington, both Americans, and captured as prisoner R. P. Davis, who was killed sometime later. At about 0900 a patrol of 40 men was sent ahead to Logtown and about twenty men sent back to Locus river to summon the balance of the bandits, about 100, who had been left at Locus River. In Captain Pefley’s contact in Logtown on April 11 about 40 bandits took part and remained in possession of the town after the Guardia withdrew with Captain Pefley’s body. Upon the arrival of the main body in Cuyutigne, General Pedron Blandon sent Captain Timoteo Altimirano [Timoteo Altamirano] with 50 men over the trail to Auyupini. Altimirano was followed in about an hour by Coronel Padilla. The plans were for Altimirano and Padilla to join forces with Blandon at the “Y”, 34 kilometers from Puerto Cabezas on the railroad line. Blandon expected to meet no resistance on the railroad and had expected to come by train to Puerto Cabezas. Had the bandits met with no resistance, their plan was to march on Puerto Cabezas from Kilometer 26, entering by way of Tuapi and Kamla.

In Captain Pefley’s contact two bandits were wounded and died later at Locus River. The buildings at Logtown were burned during the afternoon of April 11. Lieutenant Darrah’s patrol, which spent the night of 11 April at Cuyutigne was cut off from Puerto Cabezas by the main body of the bandits under Blandon, about 100 men. Blandon’s troops were so disposed that all trails to Puerto Cabezas were barred. Word was passed among the bandits that a drive would be made on Darrah on the morning of April 12.

On 12 April the commissaries at Moss, Vaccaro and Louisianna Farms were looted and burned. Some of the bandits had been stationed along Darrah’s expected route out of Logtown, but they deserted their posts in view of the rich loot to be obtained by robbing the commissaries. At 0900, at Moss Farm, April 12, in Lieutenant Darrah’s [p. 3] first contact, two bandits were killed and two wounded. Airplanes, Lieutenants Young and Jack, flew overhead just after this contact and bombed the bandits position. In Lieutenant Darrah’s second contact of the day, at 0200 at Louisiana Farm, there were no bandits casualties. Blandon was in command of the army in both contacts.

Timoteo Altimirano and his detail of 80 men did not continue to Auyupini, as he had been directed, but turned back into the Tigue District and looted. Padilla continued through Auyupini to Sissin, where they robbed the indians and impressed them into service.

On the morning of April 13, the disposition of the bandit forces was as follows: Padilla and 20 men at Auyupini; Timeteo Altimirano and 30 men in the Tigne District, approaching Wawa Central; and Blandon with the balance of about 100 men in the vicinity of Logtown. In Captain Wood’s contact there were about 60 bandits, the other 40 men of Blandon’s group being in Moss and Vascaro Farms. Blandon knew of Captain Wood’s approach, and had disposed his troops so as to best defend the town. However, Blandon did not expect that Wood was so close, and the various posts placed around the town were at leisure and gambling, when the first shot was fired. The bandits were waiting for Captain Wood, but did not realize he was so close. When the first shot was fired, the bandits on the surrounding hills commenced firing and those in Logtown dived under buildings and commenced firing. No less than eighteen bandits were killed in this contact and enough others wounded so that the total loss of life of the bandits in the contacts of April 11, 12, and 13, was no less than thirty, including Blandon. Other jefes in Wood’s contact were Coronel Juan Altimirano, a Captain Saturnino (surname unknown) and one man dressed in black clothing and carrying an umbrella, but no gun. This man was thought by the indians to be a priest as the bandits respected him and consulted him in every move. After the contact in Logtown the bandits split into small groups and reformed at Leons River. There were about 75 men in this group, which was now without a leader and disorganized.

On the afternoon of April 13, Coronel Padilla arrived from Sissin at Kamla, nine (9) kilometers from Puerto Cabezas over the railroad, about three miles from the aviation fields. Padilla left his main body in the bush at Kamla, and he himself with four men came as far as kilometer seven (7) on the railroad line. With field glasses Padilla examined Puerto Cabezas, decided that Blandon had not arrived in port, and returned, after dark, to kilometer nineteen (19) with his entire group to await Blandon’s arrival by train. Padilla laid an ambush along the railroad track at kilometer 19, and at 0300 April 14, they were notified of Blandon’s death. Padilla then set fire to the railroad bridge at Kilometer 21. Padilla returned with his patrol to Sissin and sent four men over the trail to Siksikmas to find out if the main body were coming along the railroad on April 14, eighteen bandits with fourteen loaded mules cleared Cuyutigne in the direction of the Coco River. Captain Saturnino [p. 4] took command of the main body of bandits and ordered all groups to Laimus, on the Coco River, for reorganization. The last group, Padilla’s Sissin Patrol, left Locus River on 17 April.

Before departure of the bandits, all the indians in the vicinity of Auyupini were summoned and told to get all the supplies they could, as the bandits would return sometime later, whether it be three weeks or three months.

The bandits had seven boats built at Bocay by the indians, who supply labor of all kinds. These boats can carry thirty men each in addition to the crew. With their present supply of boats, the bandits will not be handicapped by high water in the rainy season. Their transportation problems are solved by these boats.

On April 18, Adolfo Cockburn, of Saclin, Diputado Suplento from Cabo Gracias, received a letter from A. C. Sandino ordering Cockburn to get word to Abraham Rivera, jefe of the group operating on the Coco River below Saclin, to proceed to Cabo Gracias and capture the town without delay. Cockburn is the Jefe quartermaster on the river and has organized the indians in labor groups to work for the bandits. Cockburn advised the surviving bandits leaders to return to the Kisalaya-Laimus area for reorganization and to await further orders from higher authority.

The plans of the bandits are believed to still be that they will remain on the Coco River in the Laimus-Kisalaya area, awaiting orders, ammunition and reinforcements from a superior commander, possibly Sandino. Word has been dispatched to Sandino’s headquarters reporting Blandon’s death and requesting his orders. It is nor believed the bandits intend to return above Waspne.

     /s/  J P SCHWERIN

RG127/200

 

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