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Today is Camerone Day, celebrated at French Foreign Legion posts everywhere. Though not Civil War related it’s connected and should/might have been a well known incident in the US by late 1863 or so. The French were emboldened to go into Mexico because the war would keep the U.S. from enforcing the Monroe Doctrine and, equally, a large part of their decision to leave was the end of the war and the U.S.’s huge standing army flushed with victory.
Just after 1 AM April 30th, 1863 near Puebla, Mexico, Captain Danjou led a company of the French Foreign Legion (the 3rd of the 1st) on a patrol to clear the way for a large convoy. Captain Danjou had lost his left hand several years earlier and wore a wooden hand and white gloves. He halted at dawn near a pond and per Legion practice the men emptied canteens into pots and one squad started coffee while another went for water. Minutes later they were surprised by Mexican cavalry and had to fall in with canteens unfilled, coffee poured out. The 3rd of the 1st had 63 officers and men, the Mexicans about 400 at that point with a larger group gathered nearby to ambush the convoy. Captain Danjou formed square and began retreating towards a large farmhouse, beating off several charges. The Mexicans reached the house first, and worse, moving through a cactus hedge the company lost cohesion briefly. The pack mules with all the food and extra ammo bolted and a group of 16 men were cut off and overwhelmed. The remaining 47 took shelter in an adobe walled corral behind the house. They had no loopholes and could only fire as men tried to come through openings. There was nothing to drink except for the captain’s small flask of wine which he shared out equally – a few drops for each man. By now there were over 800 cavalry and they sent a surrender demand. Danjou’s reply ‘Say that we have cartridges. We will surrender only when they have killed every one of us !’ He took an oath to fight to the death and about 11 AM did just that. Sous-Lieutenant Vilain took command and also swore to fight to the death, all of the men joining in. About 2 PM he was shot in the head and Sous-Lieutenant Maudet took over. Through a long hot day they fought without relief. They drank urine and blood, wounded men stranded in the sun drank their own blood. By mid afternoon 1,500-1,600 Mexican infantry arrived and they again offered surrender. “Merde!” was the answer. The house was set on fire and the small group remaining gathered in a ruined shed and shot down anyone trying to cross the corral. Just before dark they ran out of ammunition and Maudet and the four men still able to fight made a bayonet charge into several hundred Mexican infantry. Maudet and another were hit and the last three said they would surrender only if the wounded were cared for, they were allowed to keep their weapons and the Mexican Colonel would attest they had done their full duty. ‘One can refuse nothing to men like you !’ was the response and the battle was over. The 3rd of the 1st had fought against over 2,000 men for twelve hours, inflicted 300-400 casualties and saved the convoy from attack. Captain Danjou was buried in a mass grave with his men, his wooden hand taken as a souvenir. It was recovered later and returned to France and is today the most precious possession of the Legion.
Just after 1 AM April 30th, 1863 near Puebla, Mexico, Captain Danjou led a company of the French Foreign Legion (the 3rd of the 1st) on a patrol to clear the way for a large convoy. Captain Danjou had lost his left hand several years earlier and wore a wooden hand and white gloves. He halted at dawn near a pond and per Legion practice the men emptied canteens into pots and one squad started coffee while another went for water. Minutes later they were surprised by Mexican cavalry and had to fall in with canteens unfilled, coffee poured out. The 3rd of the 1st had 63 officers and men, the Mexicans about 400 at that point with a larger group gathered nearby to ambush the convoy. Captain Danjou formed square and began retreating towards a large farmhouse, beating off several charges. The Mexicans reached the house first, and worse, moving through a cactus hedge the company lost cohesion briefly. The pack mules with all the food and extra ammo bolted and a group of 16 men were cut off and overwhelmed. The remaining 47 took shelter in an adobe walled corral behind the house. They had no loopholes and could only fire as men tried to come through openings. There was nothing to drink except for the captain’s small flask of wine which he shared out equally – a few drops for each man. By now there were over 800 cavalry and they sent a surrender demand. Danjou’s reply ‘Say that we have cartridges. We will surrender only when they have killed every one of us !’ He took an oath to fight to the death and about 11 AM did just that. Sous-Lieutenant Vilain took command and also swore to fight to the death, all of the men joining in. About 2 PM he was shot in the head and Sous-Lieutenant Maudet took over. Through a long hot day they fought without relief. They drank urine and blood, wounded men stranded in the sun drank their own blood. By mid afternoon 1,500-1,600 Mexican infantry arrived and they again offered surrender. “Merde!” was the answer. The house was set on fire and the small group remaining gathered in a ruined shed and shot down anyone trying to cross the corral. Just before dark they ran out of ammunition and Maudet and the four men still able to fight made a bayonet charge into several hundred Mexican infantry. Maudet and another were hit and the last three said they would surrender only if the wounded were cared for, they were allowed to keep their weapons and the Mexican Colonel would attest they had done their full duty. ‘One can refuse nothing to men like you !’ was the response and the battle was over. The 3rd of the 1st had fought against over 2,000 men for twelve hours, inflicted 300-400 casualties and saved the convoy from attack. Captain Danjou was buried in a mass grave with his men, his wooden hand taken as a souvenir. It was recovered later and returned to France and is today the most precious possession of the Legion.
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