Battle of Agua Carta

Battle of Agua Carta
Part of the Nicaraguan Civil War, Occupation of Nicaragua, Banana Wars
Chesty Puller (center left) and Ironman Lee (center right) in Nicaragua, 1931.
Date 26 September 1932 Location Agua Carta, Nicaragua Result American-Nicaraguan victory
Belligerents
Nicaragua	Sandinistas
Commanders and leaders
1st Lt. Lewis Puller GySgt William A. Lee	Augusto César Sandino
Strength
2 marines 42 national guard	150 guerrillas
Casualties and losses
2 killed 4 wounded	10 killed 10 wounded

The Battle of Agua Carta, or the Battle of Lindo Lugar, was an engagement between the National Guard of Nicaragua and the rebels of Augusto César Sandino in 1932. It was fought near Mount Kilambe at the Agua Carta, a river in Sandino territory, as part of the American occupation of Nicaragua and a long lasting civil war.

Battle

Following America's return to Nicaragua in 1926, the United States Marines took command of the Nicaraguan National Guard to fight Sandino's rebels and an occupation began which lasted for several years. In early September, First Lieutenant Chesty Puller discovered a trail which seemed to be the route used by the rebels in their southward thrusts. Chesty Puller returned to Jinotoga and with Gunnery Sergeant William "Ironman" Lee organized a strong force of forty guards for a Raid (military) like patrol against the rebels. Because both Puller and Lee were technically part of the National Guard, Puller assumed the rank of captain and Lee a first lieutenant. The Nicaraguan national guard force under the command of Puller and Lee left on September 20. After traveling a distance, the patrol moved northwest from the bank of the Auyabal river. The patrol was ambushed by a volley of rifle fire. Ambushes at river crossings were very common during the occupation so Captain Puller and his guards had no trouble in fending off the attack. A quick charge sent the attackers scurrying, for this was merely an attempt to harass the patrol. Lieutenant William A. Lee using a Lewis machine gun kept the enemy pinned down while the Nicaraguan guard worked their way up the slope opposite the rebel ambush party. When they gained the crest, they were able to fire directly into the rebel emplacements.

The main engagement began with the rebel militia attempting to flank the guards but this attack was repulsed largely due to Lee's fire from his Lewis machine gun. Because of this Lee became a target and was one of the first men wounded by enemy fire. With two bullet wounds Lee managed to free his jammed machine gun and charge the ridge where he and a handful of other guards flanked from the left. Puller then advanced with the remaining men and flanked the rebels from the right and they were routed from the field. The battle was long and the rebels were found to have a large cache of ammunition available. Ten rebels were counted dead and at least ten others escaped wounded, of the guards two men were killed and four wounded. Captain Puller received his second Navy Cross of five and later became a general in the United States Marine Corps. First Lieutenant Lee survived and also received a Navy Cross. On the return to Jinotega, Puller's patrol was ambushed twice on September 30 and both attacks were repulsed with heavy losses on the rebel forces.

Bibliography

• Alexander, H. Joseph; Don Horan (1999). The Battle History of the U.S. Marines: A Fellowship of Valor. Harper Collins Publishing.