Bloodiest Battle of Nicaragua’s War Leaves 302 Dead at Las Perlas

Final reports of last week’s three-day battle at Las Perlas, or Pearl Lagoon, show it was the bloodiest of the war between Nicaragua’s Conservative government under Adolfo Diaz and the Liberal government under Juan Sacasa, the Associated Press reported from Managua on Monday. Of about 1,860 Liberals and 1,300 Conservatives engaged, 302 were killed and about 150 wounded.

No attempt was made to bury the dead, and many of the wounded crawled into swamps to die, with thousands of vultures over the field. Frank R. Mitchell, a veteran of Central American revolutions, called the scene indescribable.

Earlier dispatches had said the Liberals won and the Conservatives withdrew to El Bluff, where American naval authorities disarmed them. Diaz, whose government the United States recognizes, again accused Mexico, which backs Sacasa, of aiding the rebels and said another arms expedition was expected. Liberal spokesmen have denied receiving Mexican military help.