OFFICE OF THE DIVISION COMMANDER
DIVISION OF NUEVA SEGOVIA
OCOTAL, NICARAGUA.
6 December 1927.

   1.    The following preliminary report has been compiled from messages received to date from San Fernando and Jicaro, but is not intended to replace written report of patrol commander from Jicaro which will be forwarded as soon as possible.
 
   2.    At 0700 5 Dec. Lieut. Boyle, nineteen marines, one guardia enlisted, one navy enlisted and eleven bullcarts cleared San Fernando for Jicaro. At 0800, a patrol of ten marines and ten guardia in charge Sgt. Smith cleared Jicaro to meet bullcart train from San Fernando.
 
   3.    At 1110 on 5 Dec., before this Jicaro patrol had made a junction with Boyles column, they were surrounded and attacked by bandit group of about one hundred, near Sabana Grande. They fought their way thru and joined the bull-cart train. Cabo Marco Antonio Fonseca, G.N., number 39, was killed, body had to be abandoned but was recovered today and buried by bull cart guard enroute to Jicaro at about 1200.
 
   4.    Jicaro patrol reports thirty bandit casualties including two Jefes, one of whom was speaking English throughout the attack. One BAR [Browning Automatic Rifle] was captured by bandits but the trigger guard was removed before it was lost, and same was buried. No reason for loss of this BAR is yet known.
 
   5.    Raso Valentin Galeano, G.N. #5, who was originally reported as killed in action, reported in to Jicaro today unharmed.
 
   6.    McDonald sent additional patrol up and joined Boyle at 0700 today and accompanied bullcarts to within seven miles of Jicaro, when it returned and is safely back in San Fernando.
 
   7.    No other known casualties.

 - - - - - - - - - - R. W. PEARD - - - - - - -

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MARINE DETACHMENT, JICARO, NICARAGUA
23 December 1927.

   1.    On 5 December, 1927, I received verbal orders from Lt. Waterman to take charge of a patrol of 10 marines and 10 Guardias and proceed by the road to Ocotal to meet the bull cart train coming from San Fernando.
 
   2.    We cleared Jicaro at 0805 and passed thru SUSU CAYAN at 1000. We had just passed a ranch called San Pedro at 1040 when we heard a bomb explode. Very soon after this a guardia fired a shot at a man he saw in the underbrush. Immediately after this a bomb was thrown in the road in front of us and everybody took cover except one guardia who was killed.
 
   3.    This guardia's name was Raso Marcos Fonseca #39. After the others had taken [cover] he remained standing in the road and was immediately killed by a bullet thru his chest from rifle fire of the bandits that commenced immediately after the explosion of the second bomb.
 
   4.    The Marines and Guardia took advantage of what little cover was available. We were in a position in the shape of a V and were being fired on from two hills and a valley. It is estimated that about 40 bandits made the first attack but they were soon reenforced and the began to close in from all sides. We drove them out of the valley, by which they were endeavoring to get closer to us, by rifle grenades. The guardia were driven back from their position, but soon held the bandits in check. The fighting lasted in this place for about one hour and twenty five minutes, the bandits throwing a lot of dynamite bombs as well as firing their rifles. We decided to fight our way to a hill so rushed one in our rear. We gained this and the enemy withdrew, not attacking anymore.
 
   5.    In the first part of the battle Pvt M. Brown's B.A.R. failed to extract and the empty cartridge could not be taken from the chamber. He therefor put his B.A.R. and belt on the ground removing the trigger group and crawled over to the dead guardia to get his rifle. Pvt Brown buried his trigger group. The bolt of one Springfield broke near the end, another failed to extract, and two others were put out of commission by projectiles becoming lodged in the barrel due to faulty powder. All of this happened in the first part of the fighting.
 
   6.    After the fighting was over Raso Valentin Galeno [Valentín Galeano] #5 could not be found. He later reported back to Jicaro.
 
   7.    The bandits were all similarly dressed, wearing brown uniforms which afforded them excellent concealment in the underbrush. They seemed to be well armed with rifles and had a great many dynamite bombs which they threw often but which had no effect on our men. One of their leaders spoke English very clearly and could be heard to curse the Marines at different times saying "Kill those damn marines". I estimate that they had about 200 men. We know of 8 that were killed and saw several of our rifle grenades explode right where there were others so estimate about 30 bandits killed.
 
   8.    The Marines and Guardia on this patrol fought well and were calm during the entire fight. The guardia were inclined to fire too much at random but they all fought well. Discipline was excellent.
 
          /s/ Fred G. Smith

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