On February 5, the Minister of the Interior and Justice, Dr. José Ángel Zúñiga Huete, asked businessmen, bankers and other Honduran and foreign merchants for the sum of US$200,000 in order to crush the proclaimed revolution and lift the country. Some of them refused to grant loans and a few others voluntarily gave money. The U.S. Ambassador to Honduras,
Franklin E. Morales, left Tegucigalpa in order to meet with Carias Andino and propose a solution.
Western Honduras On February 7, the city of
Gracias fell to rebel forces commanded by Generals Vicente Tosta Carrasco and Gregorio Ferrera, who then continued to
Santa Rosa de Copán.
Battle of Jacaleapa The battle was fought on February 9 outside
Jacaleapa, near the Nicaraguan border, between the revolutionary forces commanded by Generals José Innocente Triminio and Camilo R. Reina Rivera, Colonels Pedro Francisco Triminio, Constantino S. Ramos, Manuel Valladares Núñez, Ricardo Lozano, and Armando B. Reina; and the government forces, under the command of Generals Sánchez, Teófilo Cárcamo, Cámbar, Fonseca and Mejía. Although details are lacking, it is known that there were many deaths and injuries. General Cárcamo was wounded and taken prisoner by the Revolutionaries. The Revolutionaries had to withdraw after running out of ammunition. Among the heads of the revolutionary forces were officers, including General José Innocente Triminio and General Camilo R. Reina Rivera, officers Colonel Pedro Francisco Triminio, Colonel Constantino S. Ramos, Colonel Manuel Valladares Núñez, Colonel Ricardo Lozano, Colonel Armando B. Reina, and others. In the thick of the battle the revolutionaries have done feats of courage and recklessness. Colonel Armando B. Reina has been mortally wounded in the fighting, when he threw himself on a machine gun of the dictatorial forces. Colonel Pedro Francisco Triminio has been seriously wounded, Colonel Ricardo Lozano has received four bullets that have left him in serious condition, despite their inferior weapons, the revolutionary forces are in good shape.
Western Honduran front Feb. 10. The Plaza of the city of
Santa Rosa de Copán is taken at the hands of the rebel forces under the command of General Vicente Tosta Carrasco and General Gregorio Ferrera. The Plaza of the city of Ocotepeque voluntarily joined the revolutionaries.
Central Honduras Feb. 10. Honduran government espionage detects that in the vicinity of the town of Lamaní, there is a rebel barracks with 2,000 men ready to take Tegucigalpa under the command of General Bertrand Anduray. The ruler López Gutiérrez sends forces to the outskirts of the capital, placing machine guns and cannons on the Cerro "el Picacho", the hill "el Berrinche", the hill "Sipile" and the hill "Juan A. Laínez" in order to protect and detain an attack. Northwest February 13. The city of Santa Bárbara falls, without much resistance to the rebel generals Tosta Carrasco and Ferrera. General Tosta continued through the Valleys of Quimistan in order to reach
San Pedro Sula.
Eastern Honduran front February 13. The city of San Marcos de Colón is attacked by the rebels under the command of General Francisco Martínez Fúnez, around 45 were killed, the garrison in the Plaza resisted and repelled the attack, the rebels fled to the border with Nicaragua. Puerto Cortes The USS "Rochester" cruiser of the US Navy is anchored in Puerto Cortés awaiting orders.
Southern Honduras February 14. The American cruiser USS "Milwaukee", of 7,200 tons and 110,000 horsepower, has anchored in the Amapala bay. 18 February. General Leonardo Nuila has recovered the square of the city of La Paz, after a short shootout against the revolutionary forces under the command of Colonel Moisés Nazar, who the next day, in a counterattack
Battle of "El Pedregalito" February 20. The government troops under the command of General Peralta arrive at night at the place "Alauca", four leagues from "Pedregalito" and "Sabana Redonda", where General Tiburcio Carías Andino is with his army. At about 5:00 a.m., a fierce combat began that lasted all day, from which many dead and wounded on both sides have emerged. The revolutionaries despite their dangerous shortage of ammunition, sustained the long and continuous fire of the government army. Among the revolutionary leaders were General José Innocente Triminio, General Mariano Sanabria and General Camilo R. Reina, and Colonel Pedro Triminio, Colonel Calixto Carías, Colonel Constantino S. Ramos, Colonel Manuel Valladares Núñez and others. Colonel Carías was seriously wounded. After the battle, and due to lack of a park and sufficient weapons, the revolutionary forces had to withdraw from the site, taking the dictatorial forces.
Battle of Comayagua February 21. General Gregorio Ferrera attacked in the early hours and by surprise the Plaza of the colonial city and former capital of
Comayagua, the government commander has ordered the counteroffensive. February 22. They continue fighting fiercely in the city and surroundings, General Ferrera's forces are gaining ground. On February 23, after two days and one night of terrible fighting, Comayagua has fallen into the power of the revolutionary army headed by General Gregorio Ferrera, the informative part also assures that the Commander and Dr. José María Ochoa Velásquez, former vice president of the nation and Colonel Salomón Sorto Z., who were defending the town hall and the plaza, have escaped unharmed and fled to Tegucigalpa, Colonel José María Navas Gardela, died in combat.
Center 26 of February. The "Gutierrista" government sent a strong contingent to the town of "Zambrano" with orders to stop General Ferrera's advance on the capital. The day after, on (February 27), more troops leave for “Zambrano”. The Military Red Cross is organized.
North Coast General Vicente Tosta Carrasco met in Buffalo with the officials of the government troops that were defending San Pedro Sula, as there was no surrender agreement for the latter and the threat that said forces would attack the revolutionaries of Tosta. 27 February, the governmental General Carlos Lagos, commanding 6,000 men, plans the attack on the 2,000 rebels commanded by General Vicente Tosta Carrasco -a military academy- who devised the following strategy: He left in "Calpules" around 60 men and flags with the In order to deceive the enemy, meanwhile he with the bulk of his forces moved by forced march to the heights where he could dominate the site, and attack the "gutierrista" troops in an enveloping movement, in effect, at 8:00 am the forces Dictatorials attacked the diminished revolutionary positions located in “Calpules” (Agua Prieta), assaulting and taking them without any apparent difficulty. At that time, General Tosta ordered the attack on his army, surprising the officers and enemy troops, the fight spread through "Trinchera" (Choloma) where Colonel "Chicho" Matute lost his life, in "Cerro Will", " Cofradía ”,“ Palmar ”and“ Choloma ”, are fought hard for three days (February 27, 28 and 29), the dictatorial Army gradually loses ground, until, realizing that it had lost the battle and seeing itself in danger of being completely annihilated, he began to retreat to the northwest, leaving San Pedro Sula at the mercy of the Revolution, the defeated officers were: Carlos Lagos, Salvador Cisneros, Luis Mejía Moreno, Gonzalo Navarro and José María Escoto in whom the dictator Rafael López Gutiérrez had a lot of faith . February 28. In the city of La Ceiba there is another meeting between the government and revolutionary forces, all due to the fact that the banana transnational
United Fruit Company gave its support to Doctor and General Tiburcio Carias Andino. On March 1, the squares of the port city of Tela also fell. The United States breaks diplomatic relations with Honduras and sends the USS Denver6 to the shores of the Honduran Caribbean, to safeguard its own interests.
San Pedro Sula March 3. General Vicente Tosta Carrasco enters the city of San Pedro Sula in triumph and without any opposition. General Gregorio Ferrera, then marched towards the center of the country to attack the cities of Siguatepeque and Zambrano
Battle of Zambrano In March 4 the battle of Zambrano took place between government forces and those of General Ferrera. The revolutionaries triumphed and the army had to hastily retreat to the capital, abandoning a cannon and many supplies. Giving an account of this combat, General Ferrera says: “Yesterday, at 4:30 p.m., we suddenly collided with a strongly entrenched enemy in these fields. Our cavalry was surprised and almost defeated; but was immediately supported by the brave colonels Cristóbal Gutiérrez, Pedro G. Domínguez, Fulgencio Machado and Blas Domínguez. The gunfire started with extreme violence. At 5:30 it was ordered to Colonels Pragedes García and Juan Z. Pérez an attack from our right, which was done with energy. This attack began to make the enemy hesitate. At 7 pm, a machete charge was ordered. Thus we managed to remove from the forces of the dictatorship their first positions; but the fight continued during the night and hopefully it varied until today at 8 in the morning, which we definitely succeed. One thousand three hundred men were lost, equipped with artillery, machine guns and abundant cartridges, Commanded by Generals Máximo B. Rosales, Julio Peralta, Francisco Cardona and Fonseca and several colonels who constantly received aid in men and weapons from the capital. We captured 2 Thompson machine guns and part of the war train .Among our dead is the ill-fated Colonel Cristóbal Gutiérrez, and Colonels Machado and Domínguez (Pedro G.) and several others whoI will nominate in due course. Our wounded have already been brought to Comayagua. The disaster of the dictatorships has been complete; but we have necessary to make great efforts, since the elements that we fight constituted the essential and select for the Dictatorship''.
Center 7 of March. General Ferrera has advanced with his army to the heights of the town of Santa Cruz, two leagues from the Honduran capital Tegucigalpa.
Sabotage in Tegucigalpa March 9, 1924. The Honduras Post Office building, the National Warehouse and the General Revenue Administration building have been destroyed by a voracious fire, allegedly caused by spies of the revolution. The representatives of the diplomatic corps of the countries with which Honduras has a relationship, order their compatriots to close their offices and protect themselves from an imminent attack on the Honduran capital. US Ambassador Franklin E. Morales requests the possible intervention of his country's military. President Calvin Coolidge ordered the
USS Milwaukee to be stationed in the
Gulf of Fonseca. On March 11, 1924, about 200 marines disembarked, and at 11:00 hours they arrived in
Tegucigalpa (110 km) and besieged it.
Ultimatum of general Gregorio Ferrera While an armistice was being resolved between the parties and some diplomats interested in resolving the war situation, the revolutionary general Ferrera urged the parties for an Armistice that would end on March 13 at 5:00 p.m., the Dictatorial Government did not he would resolve to hand over the
Tegucigalpa plaza to the rebels; consequently, hostilities would break out and the total attack on the Honduran capital would begin. President López Gutiérrez, leaves the administration in charge of a Council of Ministers headed by Doctor and General Francisco Bueso Cuéllar, who governs from March 10 to April 30, 1924, after which he hands over General and politician Fausto Dávila who governs from March 27 to 31. Although the doctor and general Tiburcio Carias Andino had proclaimed himself president when he took Tegucigalpa between February 9 to March 24 and from this date to April 28, 1924, in parallel to the Council of Ministers that López Gutiérrez had indicated before his departure outside Honduras and that he would find death due to his illness (diabetes mellitus) on March 10 at 4:00 p.m. The Council of Ministers that exercised the Executive Power of Honduras requested a truce from the rebels, in order to carry out the funeral of Rafael López Gutiérrez, in the General Cemetery, on Tuesday, March 11, in the afternoon. Ferrera's ultimatum was taken seriously by the citizens of the Honduran capital who did not sleep through the night waiting for the aforementioned attack, although there was none, the rebels did prepare to the teeth to do it in a more tactical way. Meanwhile, on March 13, General Vicente Tosta Carrasco attacked La Ceiba together with General Filiberto Díaz Zelaya, the fall resulted in many deaths and injuries and a part of the city destroyed. == Aerial bombardment of the Honduran capital ==