Inventory of Photographs

Photo 51.  Juan Torres, Guardia Nacional No. 588, March 1928.

Caption reads:  "Juan Torres #588 GN  March 7, 1928."

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Photo 52.  Training Guardias Nacionales.

Locale not indicated; probably around Jinotega.

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Photo 53.  Guardia Baseball Team.

No caption.  Probably in the Pacific Coast region.

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Photo 54.  Guardia Inspection.

No caption.  Probably Jinotega area.elevator shoes

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Photo 55.  Guardia Nacional, Rivas, 1928. 

Guardia Nacional, Rivas, March 1, 1928.  Officers in detail identified (l to r) as follows:  Lt. Schneeman, Jefe Pol?tico [Armijo?], Capt. Forsythe, and Lt. Somarriba.

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Photo 56.  Telpaneca Mutineers in Honduras, 1929.

Caption:  "Telpaneca mutineers under arrest in Honduras from Col. Faiquhaison [?] thru Brigade."  For documents relating to the "second" Telpaneca mutiny of October 21, 1929, see Top 100, p. 10.

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Photo 57.  Matagalpa Prison Entrance.

Caption:  "Entrance to prison, Matagalpa."  Sign reads: best replica watches  "Penitenciar?a Departamental de Matagalpa."elevator sneakers

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Photo 58.  Guardia Nacional Drill, 1928.

Caption:  "Physical drill under arms, Matagalpa."  Stamped "SECRET".

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Photo Cluster 59.  General Alejandro Plata.

No caption beyond what's on the photos.

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Photo 60.  Children at Doorway. 

No caption.

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Photo 61.  Alejandro Molina, Guardia Nacional.

Identified in caption as Alejandro Molina.  Alejandro Molina, the son of wealthy Estel? landowner Blas Miguel Molina, was with the Sandinistas in the second half of 1928 before abandoning the rebel cause in early 1929.  Was he arrested and forced into the "Casual Brazilian Hair Company" of the Guardia Nacional?  Or did he join of his own volition?  Or is it the same Alejandro Molina?  For more details, see Top 100, p. 5. 

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Photo 62.  Lt. Orville Pennington with Head of Silvino Herrera, August 1930.

One of the most famous photographs from the war, used in Sandinista propaganda sheets across the hemisphere to propagate the "Black Legend" of Marine atrocities.  Caption reads "Cabeza del jefe bandolero Silvino Herrera - muerto por la guardia en agosto de 1930 - Matagalpa."  The scrapbook page to which the photo was attached reads:  "Writing on photo when turned over to G.N.," and "Given to me in Jinotega.  J.C.S.", referring to Guardia Colonel Julian C. Smith.  The photograph is accompanied by a memorandum by C. B. Matthews, Jefe Director of the Guardia Nacional, dated 4 June 1932, which explains the context of Herrera's killing.  According to Matthews, Herrera was killed and decapitated by a landowner named Transito Ubeda, who guided the patrol led by Pennington, and whose wife had been raped by Herrera.  The memo goes on to absolve Pennington of any responsibility or disciplinary action, saying that he let his photograph be taken with the head in hand as a result of "boyish indiscretion" and that he was a "kind-hearted average American boy."  According to Matthews, the photo was taken by the late Lieutenant White, G.N., and originally had a small boy standing next to Pennington, whose image was whitewashed out of the photo.  Matthews went on to say that Pennington was well-liked by the natives in the area, spoke Spanish fluently, and was married to a Nicaraguan woman, with whom he had one child then residing in the United States.  Thumbnail of the Matthews memorandum is here:  ( ).  It is noteworthy that there is no evidence that Silvino Herrera (the decapitated man) was affiliated with the Sandinistas.  It is likely that Herrera was, indeed, a bandit and criminal.

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Photo 63.  Captured Sandinista Weapons.

Scrapbook page reads:  "Writing on the back of this photograph:  Arms captured by Guillen from Herrera, Meza, and Mendoza, 24 June 1930."

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Photo 64.  Prisoner Leonardo Gonz?lez.

Caption reads:  "This is the man whose picture is shown in the anti-American propaganda [---] as standing against the wall about to be shot."  The scrapbook page reads:  "Writing on the back of this photograph:  Leonardo Gonzales wounded in Guillen's contact of June 24 June 1930 at La Monta?a de los Gilgueros.  Died from a result - Gangrene, from wounds, in hospital in Matagalpa.  J.C.S.  [GN Colonel Julian C. Smith]."  It looks like this guy was beaten to a pulp in prison and left to die of his festering wounds.

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Photo 65.  Decapitated Sandinista Heads on Blanket.

Writing on scrapbook page reads:  "Copy of writing on reverse of the above photograph.  LA FUNDADORA.  -AN MENDOZA -  killed in contact by guardia commanded by Cabo (Corporal) Guillen, 24 June 1930 at La Monta?a de los Gilgueros.  PIO - MEZA - Ocotal.  FRANCISCO HERRERA - la fundadora.  JUAN MENDOZA."  These are the same three decapitated heads that appear in the next photograph (Photo 66).

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Photo 66.  Lt. Guillen, GN, with Decapitated Sandinista Heads.

Writing on upper left-hand corner of photo:  "3 victimas de los bandoleros Matagalpa agosto 1930."  Writing on the scrapbook page:  "Writing on reverse of the above photograph:  'Given to me in Jinotega.  The note in the corner was there when the picture was given to me.  Signed J. C. S.  [GN Col. Julian C. Smith].  Meza-Herrera and Mendoza, bandits killed by Guillen 24 June 1930'."

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Photo 67.  Matagalpa Guardia Garrison.

Caption:  "Matagalpa - Nicaragua Cuartel and Municipal building, Two story part occupied by Municipal Committee.  The wall in front of the Cuartel is of stone and mortar.  It has a thickness of 18 inches.  Along the front there are twenty loop holes and on the northern end (left looking at at) there are six loop holes."

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Photo 68.  Sandino's Destroyed Cooperative at Wiwil?.

Wiwil?.

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Photo 69.  Wiwil?.

Writing on photo:  "Sandinos living house at Wiwili."

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Photo 70.  Wiwil?.

No caption, no date.

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Photo 71.  Wiwil?.

No caption, but accompanies other photos of Wiwil?.

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Photo 72.  GN Officers Rigoberto Reyes and Leo Salazar, Wiwil?.

Two copies of the same photo, with a crop of each.  Writing on second photo reads:  "#1 - Col. Rigoberto Reyes.  #2 - Capt. Leo Salazar - Wiwili."  These photos present something of a puzzle, because the destruction and occupation of Sandino's cooperative at Wiwil? took place in the days and weeks after Sandino's assassination in Managua on February 21, 1934, by which time the Marines had been gone from Nicaragua for more than a year.  How, then, did these photos get into the US National Archives?  Unknown, but it does seem clear that they were taken after the occupation of the cooperative.

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Photo 73.  Marine Expedition Across River.

No caption.  Clearly taken from muleback.  What river is this?  The R?o Grande in Chinandega?  This and Photos 74 and 75 taken the same day and depict the same river crossing.

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Photo 74.  Marine Expedition Across River.

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Photo 75.  Marine Expedition Across River.

Evidently after they'd crossed.

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