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28.04.18. Galt, Patrol
Report, Matagalpa
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T R A N
S C R I P
T I O N
HEADQUARTERS, THIRD BATTALION, FIFTH
REGIMENT
U. S. MARINE CORPS, MATAGALPA,
NICARAGUA.
18 April, 1928.
From: |
First Lieutenant Alexander Galt,
Marine Corps. |
To: |
The Commanding Officer, District
of Matagalpa,
Fifth Regiment, Second Brigade,
U.S. Marine Corps |
Subject: |
Patrol Report. |
1. In obedience to verbal
orders from your office, I, on April 10
took charge of a patrol of 30 men and
proceeded at 7 p.m. by truck to San
Ramon. 5 miles proceeded under charge of
Sergeant Monteith to San Ramon the same
evening arriving about 9 p.m. I cleared
San Ramon at 8 a.m. and marched for six
hours via Monte Grande. At 2 p.m. the
mules carrying spare ammunition and
rations gave out so I made camp on a
hill beside a creek about 3 miles
southeast of Bavaria. This is the end of
the road which is rough trail from
hereon. This is a good camp site. As
soon as lunch was over I with ten men
patrolled to the north returning about 6
p.m. having found all quiet and visited
Bavaria. The following morning April 12
in order to lighten the load on the
mules and thereby gain speed I buried in
three holes about two hundred pounds of
rations and marched for 6 hours making
better time than the day before, but as
the mules appeared exhausted I halted at
a small river called the Jicaro. Here I
sent out a small patrol who reported
after 4 hours that all was quiet and no
signs of bandit activity. The following
morning April 13 I cleared camp with 18
men who were in best shape physically at
about 4 a.m. being delayed until then by
mist which made visibility too poor to
proceed. I left at the Jicaro river 8
men under Sergeant Monteith, the mules,
rations, and packs. I arrived at
Sebadilla about 10 a.m. and patrolled
that area. The country was very poor
economically there being few houses and
they of very poor quality. The natives
were friendly and reported no bandit
activity. We slept that night at a
native house from whom I obtained rice
and beans.
2. April 14 I returned to
the Jicaro river but as the cook
reported rations as too low to wait a
day the patrol rested for two hours and
at 12 noon started for the camp where I
had buried the rations arriving about 5
p.m. I found that two of the holes in
which they were buried had been found
and cleaned out. April 15 I marched to
San Ramon and thence for Matagalpa being
met by trucks about four miles outside
of that place.
3. After passing a point
about 12 miles east of San Ramon the
country through which I passed was in
general thinly inhabited and arid but
small streams occur every few miles that
that camp sites are easily found. Food
appears to be scare, only one house
being found in the vicinity of Sebadilla
where enough rice and beans for 20 men
could be found. Live stock also appears
to be very scarce. The inhabitants all
stated that there had been no bandits in
that vicinity for a long period.
/s/ ALEXANDER GALT
127/43A/20
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Summary & Notes:
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The rolling, arid, overgrazed, thinly
populated, mostly indigenous zone between
Matagalpa & San Ramón; roads good enough for
truck traffic; not much EDSN support here.
•
Poverty ubiquitous, food scarce, livestock
few, houses poor, economic conditions poor.
•
Humorous episode: burying 200 lbs. rations
in holes in the ground to save time; locals
quickly find and take it.
•
Thick night fog prevents patrolling.
•
"Friendly natives" in this zone: a public
face, a mask, rooted in long-term structural
subordination in hierarchical patron-client
relations; outwardly friendly, inwardly
watching for a chance to dig up your buried
rations when you're not looking! No
useful information from locals.
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