T  R  A  N  S  C  R  I  P  T  I  O  N

SIXTEENTH COMPANY, FIFTH REGIMENT
SECOND BRIGADE, MARINE CORPS
ESTELI NICARAGUA
21 MAY 1928

REPORT OF PATROL COMMANDED BY FIRST LIEUTENANT HOWARD N. KENYON:
 
     The patrol consisting of sixteen enlisted, one hospital corpsman and two commissioned officers, left Esteli at about 3:30 P.M., 16 May, 1928, for Colon. I carried a list of the names of about twenty-two of the bandit group of Santa Maria Sevilla, with additional information relative to his stopping places and the people who furnished provisions. I took as guides the four sons of Pontencial Hernandez, who was killed in his home by the bandits on or about 14 May, 1928, in Colon. We arrived at the ranch of Alfonso Bilches [Alfonso Vilchez] at about 10 P.M., where we ate and where I left one squad and two provision mules while I proceeded with all others to Coyol to catch Adolfo Rodrigues [Aldolfo Rodriguez], butcher and food provider for the bandits while stopping in Colon. We arrived at about 6 A.M., and caught Adolfo, taking him back to Colon. On the morning of 19 May, proceeded with one squad to Zapote to seize some horses of Roto Rodriguez who belonged to Santa Maria's band and carries a Cold .45 automatic. Returned to Colon with one mule, one horse, one burro and three saddles which were taken to be held until the .45 is surrendered. Left Colon with one squad at about 4:30 P.M., same date, for San Lorenzo where Adolfo said group was likely to be. Learned while en route in night that bandits had been day before in house of one Tiladelfo Ruizo [Filadelfia Ruiz?]. Continued to house of Ruizo where I found a widower who said the group had left day before. Stayed at Tiladelfo's house from P.M. to 5:30 A.M. Proceeded toward Licoroy with Tiladelfo, who, upon being confronted by a native whose daughter had been raped and son beaten by bandits night before, admitted he knew where they were supposed to be. We arrived at Licoroy at about 9:45 A.M., and learned there that the bandits should be in a ravine nearby. I divided the patrol so that each part could take one side of the narrow valley in the ravine and comb the shaded areas for hiding bandits.

     We had scarcely proceeded 200 yards before a lively rifle fire broke out on my right. Three bandits with rifles jumped from a cane patch and were shot at by marines as they ran into the ravine and down the small river bed below us. All dropped their hats and one his machete but not their rifles while in sight. One fell from a rifle shot but got up at once and kept going. I joined the patrol at once and had Lieutenant O'Neil take one part to comb the cane patch where they were hiding while I took the other part to pursue the group around the nearby house of Tomas Miranda where the whole group had been having their washing done and preparing to eat a cow tied nearby. All ran in a panic, some on a parallel road to the one we had come in on with three men on horses unable to keep up to their comrades on foot. I pursued them running with the men firing off-hand but the distance was over 500 yards at this time [ p. 2 ] and I believe none of them were injured by this firing. The men on the horses left the road and quit their horses in the brush as we gained on them. We captured the animals, saddles, spurs, blankets and rolls they dropped. One saddle captured was identified by the natives as that of Santa Maria Sevilla. All animals appeared to have been stolen, from native information obtained. We hunted the immediate vicinity diligently for more men and horses but learned the other animals they were supposed to have had been carefully hidden to feed at different ranches in the close area. We found the bay horse of Anselmo Rizo, second leader of the band, in the corral of Pedro Vilches [Pedro Vilchez]. We ate at the house of Innocente Reyes [Inocente Reyes] and proceeded from there to Colon with all captured possessions. At about 8:30 A.M., 20 May, we proceeded en route to Esteli when we arrived at 3:30 P.M.

     The performance of the men on this patrol was excellent. The squad that participated in the contact with the bandits had marched between 60 and 75 miles in the two and a half days before overtaking the group and displayed excellent morale in rushing into the spot where they were and were known to be superior in numbers by three to one to our forces. I wish to mention in particular the able and commendable work of 2nd Lieutenant O'Neil in leading a small group of four men running through the cane field where the bandits were being chased out; the able and efficient work of Corporal Harry D. Hill throughout the patrol and in opening fire on the bandits in the cane field at once so that the entire group was taken by surprise and started running in a panic; the excellent examples of Private First Class John W. Winnicki and Private Willie D. Loyd [Lloyd] in pursuing and firing into the groups that fled from the house of Tomas Miranda until we overtook them and got the animals.

     On the way to Colon from Licoroy I met Adrian Vilches [Adrian Vilchez], owner of a ranch near San Antonio, who stated that less than three hours after the contact two men running bare-headed passed in the road to Concordia. One had a flesh wound in the back of his neck and was partly out of his head from excitement or injury. Both told the story of the contact and that they had quit their rifles en route. The name of the wounded man was Macario. They related that the group numbered twenty-five men at the time they were hit and that three men tried to escape on horses. The people at the house where the bandits were, stated that there were between twenty-five and thirty. The total actually counted as seen by us in the open when they ran was about fourteen. The others got away in the brush unseen.

/s/ HOWARD N. KENYON

127/212/1