Datang Club campsite

Located in the lower reaches of the American River, it is very lively because of the arrival of a large number of reinforcements, and the neat rows of marching tents are lined up, and the armed personnel of the Tang Dynasty are armed with loaded guns, which adds to the atmosphere of solemnity.

This is the first comprehensive display of military strength in the nearly month since the establishment of the Datang Society, and there are more than 340 Chinese armed personnel, which is convincing enough.

What's more, this battle was also supported by more than 50 white cavalry in Yerba Cauadows, which attracted everyone's attention.

In a tent in the center of the camp

In the tent hung a hand-drawn topographic map of the River of America, around which Richard and several capable generals of the Tang Dynasty, William Richardson and British explorer Ronald Evenson, who had come from afar to help, but no one was paying attention to the map, but considering possible military plans.

The sand-rich River of the Americas meanders downward, mainly in the middle and lower reaches of more than 160 kilometers.

The area is also a dense area of gold diggers, and the geography is similar, with wide or narrow beaches along clear rivers and shrubs or dense forests further down the sides.

The Alexander-Madison gang is entrenched in the middle and upper reaches of the American River, a wide estuary where the river makes a 45-degree turn, and is rich in the resources of Sands.

The Datang Hui camp is located in a river bay in the middle of the downstream, less than 20 kilometers away from the former, and the two sides are in a situation of armed confrontation, and neither of them is willing to take the lead in bowing their heads and giving in, and armed conflict is inevitable.

"According to the latest information we have received, John Sutter has sent a large number of armed men to join the Madison side, and with the support of other white bandits, the military force that can be mobilized in Riverbend Village has reached 260 to 270 people, basically cavalry with their own weapons, plus the relatively complete defense facilities of Riverbend Village, this is a hard nut to crack."

Mike Rabiot, a military instructor of the Tang Society, introduced with a solemn face, he is the most experienced French retired officer who participated in large-scale wars among all the people present, and he saw the core point of the current stalemate at a glance, and continued;

"The special terrain of the American river beach means that it is difficult for both of us to attack first, and whoever attacks will suffer.

The width of the riverside beach varied, but it was generally between thirty or forty meters, and the objective conditions led to a narrow front of the attack, and the army could not carry out the attack.

On one side is the surging river, and on the other side is the forest, which neither cavalry nor infantry can use.

In light of this

After the arrival of the Datang Musket Team, he actively built two French-style breastwork defense lines, relying on the chest wall to fight, which could effectively make up for the lack of training of the Musket Team and deal a heavy blow to the invading enemy.

In the same way, the wooden camp in Hewan Village lies in the middle of the river, and it is also a hard bone for us to overcome.

We now lack a well-trained attacking force, and if we had 30 French cuirassiers, all these problems would be solved, but unfortunately we don't.

We also lack artillery capable of breaking through the enemy's camps, and the prospects are not optimistic! ”

With that, Mike Rabiot sat down with a heavy face.

William Richardson, seeing the dreary atmosphere in the tent, coughed lightly, and after everyone had looked at him, he pretended to be relaxed;

"You're one thing wrong, Mike, we have a sufficient number of guns, but they're all on ships in the bay.

I have ordered the unloading of two 9-pounder guns and two 12-pounder guns, but the guns are bulky and will take time to reach the front, and it will take about two days to arrive with the logistical baggage.

When the time comes, the gang of Alexander Madison can taste the power of cannons. ”

As soon as these words came out, everyone in the camp immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Zheng Laosi couldn't help but shout with joy; "That's great, as long as the cannon arrives, we'll be happy, I don't believe the Madison gang can handle it?"

"That's right, it is the duty of our brothers in the horse team to take the lead in the battle and keep the head of the thief chieftain." Cavalry captain Gao Yi Shiheng also said excitedly.

The two of them can understand and learn English to some extent, but under the excitement, they speak Chinese.

This made William Richardson stunned to listen, and judging by their performance alone, he was so excited that he didn't know what to say.

Richard volunteered to help translate, and then said;

“……

This is the first battle of our federation (Datang Club and Fangcaodi), which can only be won, not lost. It is necessary to fight with prestige, morale, and the name of the federation.

Therefore, all of you here must step up your training and not slack off in preparing for battle.

When the artillery arrives, the attack is immediately launched.

At that time, all units need to work together to be the first, and reward 20 ounces of gold for killing a white bandit, 100 ounces of gold for killing a bandit leader, and 500 Gu Division gold for killing Alexander Madison.

The whole army strictly disciplined, orders were forbidden, and the enemy was afraid of the enemy, and there was no forgiveness for killing him.

The personal guards led by Liu Wu are responsible for supervising the battle, and whoever dares to play with a sloppy belt at a critical time and fish in troubled waters will all come to see him. ”

"We will obey the order." Everyone stood up in unison and replied with awe-struck fists.

Seeing Richard's majesty, as soon as the order came out, everyone was intimidated, and William Richardson had mixed feelings in his heart;

Is there any mistake? Obviously, he is the chairman of the Joint Military Council.

Only then did Richard turn around, clasp his hands into fists, and bow; "Grown, look at ......"

"Just do what Vice President Li said, and dismiss the meeting." William Richardson waved his hand a little approvingly, signaling to do whatever he had to do.

The people in the tent dispersed in a hurry, and the enemy was present, and everyone had a bunch of things in their hands, and no one could be idle.

The British adventurer Ronald Evenson, although he sat in a tent with the title of vice president, was a little transparent from beginning to end. Not only did these Chinese captains ignore him, but even the white cavalry captains in Yerba Buenadowa did not approve of him, and directly treated him as air.

His identity has only been recognized by the upper echelons of Fangcaodi and Datang Meeting, and he has no prestige among the captains and grassroots soldiers, including those white militiamen in Fangcaodi.

Ronald Evenson was deep in thought and didn't show his displeasure on his face.

Seeing that William Richardson was deflated, he immediately felt a heartfelt relief and said generously;

"Your Excellency, this is a battle led by the forces of the Tang Society, which will be of great help to end the current chaotic situation in San Francisco, if you can win in one fell swoop, it will be much easier to integrate the forces of the new town in the next step, and you should fully support it."

Hearing him say this, as if in a commanding tone, Richard glanced at Ronald Evenson with deep meaning, thoughtful in his heart.

William Richardson, who was originally an old fox, not a bloody thorn, understood that if he wanted to integrate the current situation in the new town, he had to rely on the strength of the Tang Society, and forced the slightest unhappiness in patience, and said;

"Lee said it well, it's the first appearance of the federation and we have to win this fight.

Parkview Green will provide strong support with supplies and artillery fire, defeat the current enemy, and establish the Federation's dominance in the region, on which both sides have the same interests.

Dear Lee, this battle will be commanded by you, what kind of general plan do you have? ”

"That's what I think about, Lord...... Richard thought for a moment, and then said in an orderly manner;

"In the past two days, our side will adopt a solid defensive posture, rely on the French chest wall to fight, resolutely repel the enemy's harassing attacks, and will not pursue or fight.

After the arrival of artillery

Our side will adopt a step-by-step pressing posture with infantry in front and cavalry in the rear, advance in a strict array, and enter Hewan Village.

It is planned to arrive at Hewan Village in one day's time, and establish a parapet defense line near Hewan Village to blockade it.

At that time, it will be possible to close the door and fight the dogs, eliminate the Madison white bandit forces entrenched in the American River in one fell swoop, and establish the absolute superiority of the federation in controlling the situation.

As long as this step is done, the situation in São Francisk will become clear, and the initiative will be firmly in our hands. ”

"Good, good...... That's right, this battle plan is very feasible, so let's do as you say. "Captain William Richardson was an expert in naval warfare, and although he was not familiar with land warfare, he still had some knowledge.

There is nothing surprising about this battle plan, but it is stable and solid, and it is a step-by-step operation, which naturally reduces the possibility of mistakes.

This first appearance of the federation can't afford to lose!