The Legion has a fabled past and most know of it because the Legion provided a home for
misfits and deserters. This is true. Even soldiers who deserted from the regular French
Army could join the legion. The only requirements were that a recruit would learn how to
soldier and could understand orders given in French. Other than that, there was little in
terms of requirements to join the Legion.
In 1863, the Legionnaires were still heavily involved with fighting in Algeria but
those battles were ending and the Legion found itself patrolling and building
roads...hardly work for a fighting force.
In Mexico, a revolution and Civil War was occurring. Benito Juarez was leading the
charge for the new government. The United States, currently embroiled in their own Civil
War, had little interest in stepping in to help the Mexican government. This fact made the
Mexican Revolution an interesting proposition for the European Powers as they saw their
chance to gain a foothold in the New World still.
But the Monroe Doctrine was in effect and the United States was proving itself to be a
valuable ally and no countries wanted to overstep their boundaries. To enter Mexico, the
world powers needed a reason and a good one.
Mexico gave them one. In the midst of revolution, Mexico cancelled all of its debts to
foreign countries...including England, Spain, and France. The world powers realized that
this was their opportunity. Napoleon III, Emperor of France, put his nephew, Archduke
Maximillian of Austria as the new leader of Mexico. France, England, and Spain all sent
troops under Maximillian to secure the country. Mexico would be settled, repay its debts
and the three world powers would decide what to do with it.
Soon, however, Spain and England withdrew. The price for Mexico was too high and the
United States’ civil war was heading for an end. The US would not permit such an open
insult as a foreign invader in their hemisphere of the world. France, however, felt it
could take Mexico...and keep it.
Mexico, which has always been at a disadvantage in seemingly every situation, had an
advantage over the French Army. Because of its close proximity to the US, it was equipped
with the latest in weapon technology such as repeating riles, colt revolvers, and better
tool weapons. The French were still armed with their single shot muskets which were
already near obsolesce.
The most crucial aspect that the French had to control was the use of the roads in
Mexico, primarily the one that led from Veracruz to Mexico City. When the Legionnaires
arrived, that was their assigned task.
The regiment that arrived was a new one. It was formed out of number of regiments and
was referred to as a Marching Regiment which meant that it wasn’t permanent but
assembled for a specific purpose and a limited time. It was 2,000 strong.
But it wasn’t the Mexicans that inflicted the heaviest damage on the newly arrived
force, it was the land of Mexico. Swamp lands, high altitude, and diseases such as
malaria, cholera, yellow fever, and others quickly decimated the Legion with over 800
dying in the first year alone.
The diseases not only killed many of the men but disabled most of them. A convoy was
set up to transfer the gold from the coast and the Legion was ordered to protect it. A
call went out to muster enough men to form the convoy escort.
Only 65 men were well enough.
Led by Captain Danjou, the escort marched out. Danjou, a brave soldier who had earned
quite a bit of respect from his men, was only 35 yet had proven himself time after time in
battle. His left hand had been lost in Algeria and was replaced with a wooden one.
Unknown to them, the Mexicans were aware of the convoy and were waiting. Colonel Millan
led the Mexican Army which was some 2,000 men and 800 cavalry.
The Mexicans attacked the convoy but surprisingly, the Legion beat them off. However,
the open road would enable the Mexicans to surround them so Danjou ordered his men to the
small hamlet of Camerone so they could make a defensible stand. As the Mexicans tried to
stop them, Danjou lost some 15 men, so he arrived in Camerone with less than 50 troops.
The Mexicans also ran off the supply mules so each Legionnaire was done to about 60
rounds.
The Legion dug in and awaited the onslaught. It came. Hour after hour it came.
Charge...and recharge. Cavalry sweeping in while the infantry fired from afar...but kept
moving closer. And the legion beat them off each time, but each time, they would look
around and find more dead legionnaires.
The Mexican commander, Colonel Millan, offered surrender terms a couple of times but
the Legion would hear none of it.
When the situation seemed desperate, Danjou charged up his men with his brilliant
bravado....inciting the men to continue. Then a sniper’s bullet went through his
head. Danjou was dead. And the Mexicans attacked again.
Finally, the Legionnaires had run out of ammunition. They had dug through the pockets
of the dead, salvaged cartridges on the ground, but each only had a single round left. The
Mexican Army knew by the lack of firing that the Legion was exhausted of ammo. They slowly
moved in.
The remaining six legionnaires fixed their bayonets for the last time. They formed an
assault line and marched out....they meant to attack the Mexican Army. They did their last
charge and were cut down by the Mexican hail of bullets. Before one of the soldiers fell,
the legionnaire had been shot by 19 bullets.
When the reinforcements arrived at Camerone, they found nothing but a smoking ruin and
a pile of the dead. But a momento was taken back to France...and put into the French
Foreign Legion Museum. And since that year, every year on April 30, the parade of Camerone
is held and the momento is taken out as the symbol of the epic battle.
Danjou’s wooden hand.
