"At that ti, I was still an infantry captain. After the Aricans suddenly launched an attack, we only fought one battle, and then began to retreat constantly."
With Major Marcal’s narrative lacking in rhetoric and monotonal, Baron Leothal seed to be in the midst of the battle by the Mississippi River...
"Commander, we can’t continue to waste ti here!" Captain Marcal risked violating military discipline, pushed aside two guards, and strode in front of Napoleon, looking northward, "You know, once the Aricans occupy Baton Rouge, New Orleans will be hard to hold.
"We should hurry back now, it might still be in ti!"
Yes, after the French Army was "defeated" in Woodville, Napoleon constantly avoided battle and retreated, even abandoning the key town of Baton Rouge, now having retreated to a wilderness downstream of the Mississippi River.
Marcal suspected that if the dense forest to the east hadn’t blocked the marching route, Major Bonaparte would likely have fled directly back to New Orleans.
Staff officer Soudet, standing beside Napoleon who appeared indifferent, cautiously added:
"Commander, those native soldiers are clearly affected by our constant retreat, with people secretly deserting the army every day..."
"Don’t mind it, those who remain are the true warriors." Napoleon said, putting down the telescope, glancing at the solemn-looking Marcal, "Your post shouldn’t be here."
"I am very sorry, Commander, but..."
Napoleon waved his hand and said, "You don’t need to worry about Baton Rouge. Wayne won’t attack there."
"Ah? Why?"
Napoleon gestured around:
"He pursued us for more than half a month, and now he finds us caught in a ’quagmire’, he will certainly put everything aside to annihilate us."
Following his gesture, Marcal looked into the distance. At this mont, to the south was a sharp bend of the Mississippi River where engineers were building a pontoon bridge, to the east was a vast forest that was impassable. Retreating westward would be akin to opening the road to New Orleans.
A cold sweat imdiately broke out on his forehead.
This place was simply too dangerous. If the Aricans suddenly launched an attack, his side would have no choice but to fight a decisive battle.
And at this ti, there were only two thousand European soldiers, and less than 1700 Indian soldiers - originally there were over 4,000 Indians, but more than half had fled during the previous retreat.
This was not enough to repel the 7,000 regular Arican troops.
"Then... we should imdiately abandon the supplies and procure civilian boats to cross the river!" Marcal said urgently, "Otherwise, once the Aricans arrive..."
Napoleon smiled:
"I am waiting for that mont."
Sure enough, the Arican forces did abandon Baton Rouge, and they ca quickly, with their vanguard appearing within the French Army’s view by 2 p.m., clearly having marched swiftly.
The Indian battalion on the north side imdiately began to panic, retreating back in a manner that almost caused confusion with the rear French soldiers.
The Arican main commander, Anthony Wayne, looked at the surrounding terrain and excitedly said to the officers beside him:
"Look, exactly as I predicted, the bend of the Mississippi River has slowed the French down."
Several officers nodded, laughing:
"Finally caught these cowardly guys."
"It’s great to catch them before they escape back to New Orleans!"
"This is the best reward for our hard march these past days..."
A cavalry scout wearing a felt hat ca to report to Wayne:
"General, the French are building a pontoon bridge on the river to the south, but they have only completed two-thirds."
Wayne was imdiately delighted, pointing to the wilderness on the west side of the French forces, loudly saying:
"Colonel Green, imdiately lead the cavalry to cut off the French retreat to the west."
He then turned and waved to a middle-aged officer with well-defined facial features:
"General Arnold, have the soldiers ready, we will launch the general attack in half an hour."
"Yes, Commander!"
Soon, the six Arican cannons roared.
Several iron balls flew past the French formations, causing the Indian soldiers, barely organized under the French officers’ rebukes, to once again fall into chaos.
Imdiately, about 3,000 Arican infantry assembled in lines under the urging of the drums, stepping quickly toward the opposing positions.
anwhile, more than 600 Arican cavalry circled to the French left flank, followed by 500 infantry tasked with intercepting.
Only at this ti did the French side finally have two six-pound cannons start their retaliation.
Arican staff officer Major Lincoln looked through his telescope at the chaotic French Indian soldiers and frowned, saying to Wayne, "General, although the enemy is very disorderly, they never scatter completely. Could there be a conspiracy..."
Wayne snorted disdainfully, "We have overwhelming combat power superiority. The French can’t withstand a frontal assault, and any conspiracy is futile."
Lincoln hesitated, saying, "General, I heard that the French commander Bonaparte once defeated 100,000 Austrian troops on the Italian battlefield."
"That battle was commanded by General Demobin." Wayne looked proudly at the other side of the battlefield, "Bonaparte is nothing but an exile."
As the Arican infantry lines and Indian soldiers continuously approached, the latter couldn’t hold back and started shooting first.
Without volley fire, random fire sparks flared everywhere, finally causing Lincoln to breathe a sigh of relief, "I guess I was overthinking it, General."
But he hadn’t noticed that although the Indians’ shooting was chaotic, it caused real damage.
On the advancing Arican infantry lines, soldiers kept falling with muffled grunts.
They soon retaliated with volleys, but many of the Indians hid among weeds and trees, significantly diminishing the effectiveness of their shooting.
When the Indians finished loading their rifles – with three or four months of training, their reloading speed was very close to that of the Arican soldiers – they jumped out from their hiding places to shoot. They continuously backtracked according to the whistles of their leader "Ororo."
Even without drums, without standard units and officers at all levels, and no uniform military attire, these Indians fought with traditional tribal combat thods, achieving about seventy to eighty percent effectiveness of European skirmishers.
However, as Wayne said, the Arican advantage was simply too great.
Under the cover of the cannons, they quickly pushed the Indian "skirmishers" up to the front of the French soldiers ford in lines.
The drumbeats mixed with the Indian leader’s shouts, the Indian soldiers moved to the sides, revealing the main French force holding Chaleville Flintlock Guns.
As well as, on the eastern hill, the three twelve-pounder cannons and three six-pounder cannons.
As a "cannon enthusiast," how could Napoleon not prepare cannons? His only request to the Governor of Saint Louis Louisiana was to buy a batch of cannons at high prices from the Spanish Army in xico.
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