The San Rafael del Norte girl, Blanca Arauz.
Augusto César Sandino.


I already knew Blanca Arauz, telegraphist of the town of San Rafael del Norte. (She was a very nice girl, nineteen years old).

The cold of the Yucapuca plains is almost polar.

After the three referred combats of that place, I was forced, because of the cold, to vacate the possessions of Yucapuca, reconcentrating my Forces in San Rafael del Norte. From there I deployed new activities.

We had reestablished the telegraphic communication of the two Departments, with the exception of the own city of Jinotega.

I stayed at Blanca's home with my general staff. Rigth there was installed the Telegraphic Office.

I would remain long hours of the day and even of the night in front of the table in which Blanca worked. My conferences were a lot by telegraph. In her place worked a brother of her, who is also a telegraphist.

I gave my horse to an assistant and I passed without assistants into the room, believing to find Blanca in it. But she was not and in her place Lucila received me, one of her sisters. I asked her for Blanca, and she invited me to take a dinner that she personally was preparing for me.

Blanca received me with a kiss, telling me that Lucila had offered the virgin of May a troop mass the day I arrived without news. I thanked her for her sister's good feelings and I offered her that the second day, at eight in the morning, my Army would be ready in order to go to the temple to hear the offered mass by them.

We sent the priest of the town in order to expose him our purpose, and he accepted pleasant to celebrate the mass. He was a hardly twenty-two year-old priest.

The mass costs were made by my bill and in the second day, at time, my Army was respectfully hearing mass . During the mass ceremony, there were musketry and machine guns salvos.

The mass was regal. I was hearing it.

The following day of having taken place, I ordered certain mobilizations and I remained in the population like in times of Peace.

The 18th of the same month I reached my 32th birthday, and that same day I got married with Blanca in the San Rafael del Norte Temple.

At two in the morning of the 18th I was gpoing to the temple with Blanca and the godfathers, amid a family accompaniment.

The inhabitants of the town didn't know that we married. I only ordered the day boss not to intervene if he saw opening the temple doors during the first hours of dawn.

At the agreed hour, in which I was going to the temple, the atmosphere was cold and hazy. We found the church profusely illuminated. I breathed the incense and the candles scent that were burning. The flowers scent that adorned the temple and the diverse perfumes that filled the air, reminded me my childhood days.

The priest invited me to the confession. I confessed. I made it sincerely.

The godfathers and we prostrated before the altar.

Blanca dressed white suit and veil and an orange blossoms crown .

I had my weapons to the belt and I dressed mounting uniform, brown color gaberdine and dark color high boots.

Six of my assistants accompanied me to the church.

We left the temple and I felt as new in the street. I looked like going walking in the air. In the church atrium there were ten saddled horses. They belonged to the boss day and their assistants. In the corner of a street there were already many boys of my army who congratulated us while our passing. When we entered Blanca's house musketry, guns and machine guns shots were listened in the whole town, done without my consent, but I understood that they were motivated by my boys' enthusiasm, and I didn't say anything.

Enthusiasts vivas were listened, and we received countless congratulations.

I didn't announce my marriage to the public, because we wanted it to be an absolute intimacy act.

Two days later I abandoned my wife in order to go into the Segovian forests, where I have remained fighting in defence of my Homeland's honor.

(May 18th, 1927)

Taken from "Pensamiento Político", Augusto César Sandino, Editorial Ayacucho Español

Most recent revision: June 15th, 2002