Today in Manhunting History -- July 2, 1927: "The Sandino Affair" Begins

Initially, U.S. officials did not perceive Sandino to be a significant threat. Sandino had not attempted to stop the occupation of Jinotega, San Rafael, and Ocotal as the Marines restored civil government throughout Nicaragua. Combined with his requests for an American military governor, U.S. officials believed persuasion could still work on Sandino. Even if persuasion failed, General Feland viewed Sandino’s band as only one of several groups of “bandits operating near the Honduran border, none of which were seen as a substantial barrier to peace and the elections of 1928. Moreover, since Tititapa, desertions had left Sandino with less than 30 men under arms, and Feland was confident the rebel’s force would eventually disintegrate altogether

On May 31, 50 Marines under Major Harold Pierce left Managua to establish control over Nueva Segovia and to “peaceably disarm everybody.” Yet there was no desire “to make heroes out of a copule of cattle thieves by chasing them through the jungles with a squad of Marines.” Thus, Feland instructed Pierce to “secure information that will facilitate the coming supervision of elections, but do not fire a shot inless imperatively necessary; and conciliate with firmness, tranquilize without force of arms, avoid combat.” There were no immediate plans for military action against Sandino, and even Captain Hatfield confined his garrison’s activities to disarming cooperative Nicaraguans and collecting information on Sandino.

U.S. Marine Corps Brigadier General Logan Feland and staff in 1928

During this period of Marine restraint, however, Sandino began plundering mines and kidnapping Europeans for ransom, attracting new recruits in the process. On June 30 word came to Managua that Sandino had seized his old workplace, the American-owned San Albino gold mine. On July 2 Rear Admiral Julian Latimer – commander of the Special Service Squadron in Nicaragua – ordered General Feland to commence operations to disarm Sandino as soon as possible. Feland subsequently detailed Major Oliver Floyd to command a force of 75 Marines and 150 Nicaraguan volunteers with the mission of disarming Sandino.