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Today, April 30th, is Camerone Day. French Foreign Legion posts everywhere will pause to honor the memory (even under heavy fire at Dien Bien Phu in 1954). Though not Civil War per se, it would have been a well known incident in the US by mid or late 1863. The French were emboldened to go into Mexico because our war would keep the U.S. from enforcing the Monroe Doctrine and were forced to leave with the end of the war and the U.S.’s huge standing army, flushed with recent victory, beginning to mass troops at the border.
Just after 1 AM April 30th 1863, Captain Jean Danjou led the half strength 3rd Company of the 1st Battalion of the French Foreign Legion on a patrol to clear about 20 miles of road for a convoy bringing supplies and 3 million in gold bullion from Vera Cruz. Danjou had lost his left hand years earlier and habitually wore white gloves to hide its wooden replacement. At 6 AM the company halted at a pond a mile east of the village of Camerone and per Legion custom the men emptied all canteens into pots, one squad starting coffee while another went to fill the canteens. Minutes later they were surprised by Mexican cavalry and had to pour out their coffee and fall in with canteens unfilled. The 3rd of the 1st had 65 officers and men, the Mexicans about 200 in the immediate vicinity with more coming from the main body under Colonel Milan gathered nearby waiting to ambush the convoy. Captain Danjou formed square and began retreating towards the shelter of a two story hacienda, beating off several charges. Unfortunately the Mexicans reached the building first, and worse, while moving through a cactus hedge the company lost cohesion briefly. The pack mules with food, water and extra ammo bolted and a group of 16 men were cut off and overwhelmed. The 49 remaining, several wounded, took shelter in the adobe walled corral attached to the hacienda. The walls were ten feet high without loopholes and the legionnaires could only fire as men showed themselves at the hacienda’s windows, tried to come through gates or over the wall. Sergeant Morzycki was ordered to climb to the 2nd story roof to scout the situation. He saw Mexican strength now at over 600 cavalry and the approach of a messenger from Colonel Milan demanding immediate surrender to avoid certain slaughter. Morzycki climbed down to ask the Captain how to reply: “Réponds simplement que nous avons des cartouches et que nous ne nous rendons pas” – (“Just say we have cartridges and we don’t surrender”). It was approaching 9 AM and the heat was already stifling. There was nothing to drink except for the Captain’s small flask of wine which he shared out equally – a few drops per man - asking each to take an oath to fight to the death. Near 11 AM the Captain kept his oath, shot through the chest, and Sous-Lieutenant Vilain took command. A distant bugle at midday gave a brief hope of rescue but turned out to herald the arrival of 1,500 Mexican infantry and surrender was offered a second time. This time Morzycki replied on his own: “Merde!” Hour after hour they fought under a blistering sun without relief. They drank urine and blood, wounded men helpless in the open stuck fingers in their wounds and drank their own blood. Vilain was killed with a shot to the forehead and the last remaining officer, Sous-Lieutenant Maudet, took command and fought on with no false hopes. Being told that Morzycki was dead he replied coldly “Bah! One more ! Soon it’s our turn.” The house and outbuildings were set on fire and the handful remaining gathered in a ruined stable and shot down anyone trying to cross the corral through the smoke. 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. All but Corporal Maine were hit immediately. Fusiler Catteau was shot nineteen times trying to shield Maudet, but to no avail, the Sous-Lieutenant was fatally wounded. With bayonets aimed at their chests the three men standing shouted defiantly they would surrender only if they were allowed to keep their weapons and their wounded were cared for. The battle was over. Said Colonel Milan: “Pero non son hombres! Son demonios!” – (“These are not men! They are demons!”)
The 65 legionnaires had fought 2,000 men for twelve hours, inflicted over 300 casualties and saved the convoy from attack. Danjou’s wooden hand, taken by the Mexicans as a souvenir, was later returned to France, the Legion’s most precious possession.
Captain Danjou and the 3rd of the 1st lie in a mass grave near the site of their struggle.
Rickards, Colin
“Camerone And The French Foreign Legion In Mexico, 30 April 1863”
Marlborough, GB, The Cromwell Press, 2005
Ryan, James W.
“Camerone, The French Foreign Legion’s Greatest Battle”
Westport, CT., Greenwood Publishing Group, 1996
Sergeant, Pierre
“Camerone, La Campagne Héroique de la Légion Étrangère Au Mexique”
Paris, Fayard, 1980
‘Le combat de Camerone: vu par le Caporal Maine’
“Vert et Rouge: Revue de la Legion Etrangere”
May 1945
Reprinted from:
‘Cameron, 30 avril 1863:Episode de la guerre du Mexique’
“Revue des Deux Mondes, 28”
July 1878
Just after 1 AM April 30th 1863, Captain Jean Danjou led the half strength 3rd Company of the 1st Battalion of the French Foreign Legion on a patrol to clear about 20 miles of road for a convoy bringing supplies and 3 million in gold bullion from Vera Cruz. Danjou had lost his left hand years earlier and habitually wore white gloves to hide its wooden replacement. At 6 AM the company halted at a pond a mile east of the village of Camerone and per Legion custom the men emptied all canteens into pots, one squad starting coffee while another went to fill the canteens. Minutes later they were surprised by Mexican cavalry and had to pour out their coffee and fall in with canteens unfilled. The 3rd of the 1st had 65 officers and men, the Mexicans about 200 in the immediate vicinity with more coming from the main body under Colonel Milan gathered nearby waiting to ambush the convoy. Captain Danjou formed square and began retreating towards the shelter of a two story hacienda, beating off several charges. Unfortunately the Mexicans reached the building first, and worse, while moving through a cactus hedge the company lost cohesion briefly. The pack mules with food, water and extra ammo bolted and a group of 16 men were cut off and overwhelmed. The 49 remaining, several wounded, took shelter in the adobe walled corral attached to the hacienda. The walls were ten feet high without loopholes and the legionnaires could only fire as men showed themselves at the hacienda’s windows, tried to come through gates or over the wall. Sergeant Morzycki was ordered to climb to the 2nd story roof to scout the situation. He saw Mexican strength now at over 600 cavalry and the approach of a messenger from Colonel Milan demanding immediate surrender to avoid certain slaughter. Morzycki climbed down to ask the Captain how to reply: “Réponds simplement que nous avons des cartouches et que nous ne nous rendons pas” – (“Just say we have cartridges and we don’t surrender”). It was approaching 9 AM and the heat was already stifling. There was nothing to drink except for the Captain’s small flask of wine which he shared out equally – a few drops per man - asking each to take an oath to fight to the death. Near 11 AM the Captain kept his oath, shot through the chest, and Sous-Lieutenant Vilain took command. A distant bugle at midday gave a brief hope of rescue but turned out to herald the arrival of 1,500 Mexican infantry and surrender was offered a second time. This time Morzycki replied on his own: “Merde!” Hour after hour they fought under a blistering sun without relief. They drank urine and blood, wounded men helpless in the open stuck fingers in their wounds and drank their own blood. Vilain was killed with a shot to the forehead and the last remaining officer, Sous-Lieutenant Maudet, took command and fought on with no false hopes. Being told that Morzycki was dead he replied coldly “Bah! One more ! Soon it’s our turn.” The house and outbuildings were set on fire and the handful remaining gathered in a ruined stable and shot down anyone trying to cross the corral through the smoke. 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. All but Corporal Maine were hit immediately. Fusiler Catteau was shot nineteen times trying to shield Maudet, but to no avail, the Sous-Lieutenant was fatally wounded. With bayonets aimed at their chests the three men standing shouted defiantly they would surrender only if they were allowed to keep their weapons and their wounded were cared for. The battle was over. Said Colonel Milan: “Pero non son hombres! Son demonios!” – (“These are not men! They are demons!”)
The 65 legionnaires had fought 2,000 men for twelve hours, inflicted over 300 casualties and saved the convoy from attack. Danjou’s wooden hand, taken by the Mexicans as a souvenir, was later returned to France, the Legion’s most precious possession.
Captain Danjou and the 3rd of the 1st lie in a mass grave near the site of their struggle.
THERE WERE LESS THAN SIXTY OF THEM
OPPOSED TO A WHOLE ARMY
IT’S MASS CRUSHED THEM
LIFE RATHER THAN COURAGE
ABANDONED THESE FRENCH SOLDIERS
April 30, 1863
OPPOSED TO A WHOLE ARMY
IT’S MASS CRUSHED THEM
LIFE RATHER THAN COURAGE
ABANDONED THESE FRENCH SOLDIERS
April 30, 1863
Rickards, Colin
“Camerone And The French Foreign Legion In Mexico, 30 April 1863”
Marlborough, GB, The Cromwell Press, 2005
Ryan, James W.
“Camerone, The French Foreign Legion’s Greatest Battle”
Westport, CT., Greenwood Publishing Group, 1996
Sergeant, Pierre
“Camerone, La Campagne Héroique de la Légion Étrangère Au Mexique”
Paris, Fayard, 1980
‘Le combat de Camerone: vu par le Caporal Maine’
“Vert et Rouge: Revue de la Legion Etrangere”
May 1945
Reprinted from:
‘Cameron, 30 avril 1863:Episode de la guerre du Mexique’
“Revue des Deux Mondes, 28”
July 1878
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