Battle of San Francisco de Macoris
Battle of San Francisco de Macorís | |||||||
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Part of the Banana Wars | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
United States | Dominican Republic | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Lt. Ernest Williams | Juan Perez | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
13 marines |
300 militia 1 fort | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
8 wounded[1] |
100 prisoners 1 fort captured |
The Battle of San Francisco de Macoris took place on 29 November 1916 during the early stages of the
Background
On 13 May 1916,
In the town, some 30 miles southeast of
The Battle
During the night of 29 November Lieutenant Williams along with twelve Marines crept as close to the entrance of the fort as was possible without arousing suspicion. On a signal from Lieutenant Williams, the Marines made a dash for the open gate. The Dominicans, taken by surprise, were unable to slam the gate closed. The rebels were able to let loose with a fusillade from the fort which cut down eight of the Marines in their rush for the gate. Williams and the remaining four men pushed their way through the entrance, firing their weapons as they burst into the fort. After a fierce, ten-minute firefight the fort was secured, and the fight was over. During the battle some two hundred of Perez's followers were able to escape the fort but another one hundred were forced to surrender inside the fortaleza. Eight of the twelve US Marines were wounded during the battle. First Lieutenant Williams received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the battle.[1]
This engagement was the last organized resistance which the 4th Marine Regiment encountered in the Dominican Republic, although minor patrol actions continued to occur for some time.[1]
See also
Notes
- ^ a b c "A Brief History of the 4th Marines" (PDF). Marines.mil. Retrieved 2015-05-21.
- ISBN 0025882104
- ^ a b c d e "Armed Conflict Year Index". Onwar.com. Archived from the original on 2011-11-28. Retrieved 2015-05-21.
- ^ Jowett, Philip (2019). Liberty or Death: Latin American Conflicts, 1900–70. p. 184.
References
- Langley, Lester D. (1983), The Banana Wars: An Inner History of American Empire, 1900-1934, Lexington: ISBN 0-8131-1496-9