Bannerman Spencer with the US Navy in Vera Cruz, 1914

[Roscoe Coles]

The other day my old pard Gordon Frye and I were talking history and he told me that he had come across an interesting picture of a US Navy Sailor with a Spencer shotgun during the US occupation of Vera Cruz, Mexico in 1914.  For those of you not up on your banana wars history, the Navy and Marines took Vera Cruz after an incident where several sailors were arrested for being in the wrong place.  The Mexicans released them but failed to give the American fleet a 21 gun salute, which was taken as an insult, which prompted Wilson to order the seizure of the town. A disorganized resistance arose which led to a sharp fight, including shelling of the town. The Americans held Vera Cruz for a number of months before giving it back.  You can?t make this up. 

The picture, included below, shows three Americans with some Mexicans.  The Sailor on the right has what looks like a web belt of shotgun shells across his chest like a bandolier and he is holding a pump shotgun.  Blowing the image up shows that it is a Spencer type pump gun with a long grooved Bannerman style forearm. 

I know that a number of Spencer shotguns were purchased for military service, but I understood that they were primarily for foraging.  This photograph seems to show that some Bannerman guns may have been purchased for military service, or that Bannerman parts were used to repair Spencer guns in service.  It also seems to indicate that Spencer?s may have seen some service for purposes other than foraging, though this does not appear to be a combat scene.  It is also possible that the gun was seized from a local and put into service.  It is unlikely that it is privately owned. 

This picture makes me want to look into the Spencer?s history with the Navy and it?s use in the banana wars. 

[Two Flints]

Scroll down to a similar photo of the Spencer Shotgun and my comments. in this link:

https://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php/topic,50274.msg615972.html#msg615972

Two Flints

[Roscoe Coles]

Sorry I missed that post, I should have known you had seen it.