1850 American Gold Baron

Chapter 371 In what name

The island of Borneo, later known as Kalimantan.

With so many forces crowded on a small island, it is destined to be an unstable place.

There have been constant conflicts on the island since the 18th century.

There are conflicts between different chiefs’ gangs on the island, as well as conflicts between the Chinese and chiefs’ gangs, and conflicts between Chinese corporate gangs with different interests.

After the expansion of the Dutch East India Company, under the instruction of the Batavia colonial government, the Dutch East India Company occupied trading strongholds along the coast of Borneo Island.

After the Dutch East India Company got involved in the island of Borneo, it was very wary of the strength of the local Chinese company gangs.

The Dutch East India Company was worried that these Chinese groups would become too powerful and threaten its rule in the East Indies.

However, the paradox is that the Dutch want to grab more wealth in the East Indies, but they have to rely on the local Chinese to create more wealth to provide tax revenue for the Dutch Indian Company.

After all, the local indigenous people cannot create much wealth. Most of the wealth in Southeast Asia is not in the hands of local chiefdoms, princes and nobles, but in the hands of the Chinese who have immigrated and settled in various parts of Southeast Asia since Zheng He's voyages to the West.

This pattern has not changed in the 21st century. Half of the modern history of Southeast Asia is the history of pioneering and blood and tears of Chinese immigrants.

After experiencing countless anti-Chinese riots, the Chinese in Southeast Asia have intentionally or unintentionally downplayed their Chinese identity and sought to localize themselves.

I hope to integrate into the local culture to avoid being poisoned again.

Even in Singapore, where Chinese immigrants account for more than 75%, they are clearly the majority group there, but they have always been vague about their Chinese identity.

The attitude towards the Chinese in Southeast Asia, whether it was the Spanish colonial government, the Dutch colonial government or the British colonial government, was the same, which was to use and suppress them.

Use the Chinese to create wealth for their colonial government, once the Chinese show signs of becoming big.

The colonial government instigated local chiefdoms to suppress the Chinese, but in many cases these chiefdoms were not very effective.

In the end, these colonial company governments still wanted to take advantage of the conflicts between different Chinese gangs and provoke infighting between different Chinese interest groups.

If you still can't suppress the increasingly powerful Chinese forces, or if the conspiracy goes bankrupt, then you can take action directly.

In 1850, the Dutch East India Company government dispatched troops directly from Batavia to support the Dutch and Indian Company's colonial forces on Borneo Island in attacking the Heshun General Hall (an alliance of Chinese company gangs headed by the Dagang Company) in Dalu.

The two sides began a four-year corporate war.

This was also the first time that Chinese forces on the island of Borneo united to fight against Western colonial forces.

When the war started, the two largest local Chinese forces, the Lanfang Company in Dongwanlu and the Santiaogou Company, chose to stand on the same front as their compatriots to fight against the Dutch.

The Chinese Alliance had a good record at the beginning of the war, and even took back Bangga, which was occupied by the Dutch Indian Company in the northwest of Pontianak.

However, after three years of war, the Chinese gradually became unable to do what they wanted.

The Dutch East India Company had a steady stream of blood transfusions from the local people, but these Chinese did not.

Luo Fang of Lanfang Company has been to Qianlong since the Qianlong period, hoping that the Qing Dynasty can send officials and troops to directly administer the Pontianak area in western Borneo controlled by the Chinese, as the gateway to the Qing Dynasty's Wanli Shitang (Nansha Islands).

Advancing can intimidate the natives and Westerners in Nanyang and protect the safety of the Chinese people in Nanyang; retreating can protect the southern seaboard of the Qing Dynasty.

However, due to the short-sightedness of the Manchu rulers, Robofang's request was naturally rejected, and he was not even willing to accept the Lanfang Republic as a vassal state of the Qing Dynasty.

In the eyes of the Manchu rulers, the Qing Dynasty was so good, but you unscrupulous people still moved overseas, weren't you slapping the Qing Dynasty in the face?

The Manchu rulers had always had a very bad attitude towards overseas Chinese, believing that all overseas Chinese were either pirates and thieves, or remnants of the former Ming Dynasty who wanted to rebel against the Qing Dynasty and restore the Ming Dynasty just like the Ming Zheng and the Tiandihui forces.

Although the Manchu Qing Dynasty rejected Lanfang's request to become a vassal state, Robo Fang and others still claimed to be a vassal state of the Qing Dynasty.

This indeed frightened many forces in Borneo in the early days, and even the Dutch East India Company was afraid of it.

But with the Qing Dynasty's disastrous defeat in the Opium War, the colonists of the Dutch East India Company became more active.

"There are so many of them and they still want us to provide protection? Are they still being bullied like this by Hong Mao?"

Deng Wenqi, who was confused, couldn't figure out the joints.

The total number of Chinese in California is only four to five hundred thousand, which is not much more numerous than the Chinese on the island of Borneo.

"They are different from us. We have a strong army, our own arsenal and industry, but they don't." Liang Yao said with a bitter smile.

But Fremont saw what Liang Yao was thinking: "Do you want to provide protection for your local compatriots and then plant rubber on the island of Borneo?"

"If there is a place suitable for growing rubber in the United States, I would be very willing to plant it directly here." Liang Yao said.

"Although the United States has a large territory, it's a pity that there is no place suitable for growing tropical crops." Fremont smiled. "Rubber has great commercial value. I also want to set up several plantations in Southeast Asia. Count me in."

"You are not a staunch abolitionist? Why do you also want to start a plantation?" Liang Yao teased Fremont.

"For the US dollars." Fremont said frankly, "I just oppose those Dixie guys holding slaves and setting up plantations in the United States."

"Those workers in the Yankee factory may not have a much better life than the Dixie slaves." Liang Yao said with a smile.

"But at least they are free people and have freedom." Fremont said.

"In what name do you plan to get involved in the island of Borneo? The last time you went to Japan, Japan was a regime not recognized by the United States. The country can give you a lot of support, but this time, you want to get involved with the power of the Dutch East India Company.

scope.

Behind the Dutch East India Company is the Netherlands. The Netherlands is a country on the continent of Europa. Even the federal government wants overseas colonies, but I know very well those members of Congress. They dare not openly communicate with the continent of Europa.

The country is torn apart.

I'm afraid this time, the support you can get from the federal government is very limited, at least the navy will not come directly."

Fremont himself is a senator from California. Fremont knows very well the virtues of the senators and representatives in Congress.

"In the name of the Colonial Company, I own the Umbrella Company. It just so happens that I have to carry out military reform recently and reorganize the troops. The retired personnel can reorganize an armed force and serve as mercenaries for the Umbrella Company," Liang Yao said.

The California Infantry Regiment was established in the early days of the gold rush. In the early days of the gold rush, gold in California was not as valuable as it is now. In order to win over people, Liang Yao initially paid very high wages to these soldiers.

Although Liang Yao has adjusted the salary of the California Infantry Regiment in various names in the past four years, the salary of California Infantry Regiment soldiers is still very high.

The average soldier in the California Infantry was paid $70 a month.

This is higher than the salary of an ordinary infantry captain-level officer in the United States.

Liang Yao could not afford such a high cost, even though this army was an American army in name only.

But the War Department paid the California Infantry Regiment the normal American Infantry Regiment salary, which was $8 per month.

The remaining gap of 62 US dollars is naturally filled by Liang Yao himself, which means that Liang Yao's salary for the top soldiers of the California Infantry Regiment next year will be about 750,000 US dollars.

This is just the salary, clothing, weapons and ammunition, food and drink, daily training and other miscellaneous expenses added up. The annual expenses must be more than one million US dollars.

Even the weapons were solved by Liang Yao himself.

He originally disliked the outdated Springfield M1842 provided by the War Department, not to mention having to queue up to get these weapons approved by the War Department.

It wouldn't be a big deal just to raise a California infantry regiment. The key is that Liang Yao now has the establishment of four regiments. He also wants to form specialized artillery, cavalry, and engineering units.

If every soldier in the infantry regiment was offered such a high salary, he wouldn't be able to afford it.

The Arizona Infantry Regiment also expressed its dissatisfaction when they learned that the California Infantry Regiment's salary was much higher than theirs.

Although the current price level in California is still higher than that in the eastern United States, it is much more normal than it was in 1850.

If Liang Yao wants to form a Western Brigade, the problem of excessive pay for the California Infantry Regiment must be resolved.

The average soldier in the Arizona Infantry Regiment is paid $25 a month, which is a more appropriate California military salary.

The original elements of the California Infantry were now divided into two parts.

Five companies became the garrison at Nagasaki, and five companies were garrisoned at San Francisco.

Moreover, the employment contract Liang Yao signed with these soldiers is about to expire, and the Arizona Infantry Regiment has also formed combat capabilities. Now is a good opportunity to solve this problem.

Liang Yao had also thought about how to place these people. The outstanding non-commissioned officer Liang Yao would naturally stay. These people could not move as the skeleton of their California Infantry Regiment.

What Liang Yao wants to eliminate are ordinary soldiers.

After all, Liang Yao still has feelings for these soldiers after having been with him for so long. He doesn't want to simply dismiss them. He still hopes to give them a good arrangement and home.

These retired soldiers want to work locally.

Liang Yao plans to assign them to police stations in various places. Currently, California's police force is still relatively lacking.

California's current police system is relatively crude, with three levels of police departments established in towns, cities, and states.

Police salaries in each police station are borne by local finances.

As for those who still want to be soldiers and continue their old profession, Liang Yao plans to let them join Umbrella Company in the name of Umbrella Company's mercenaries and become Umbrella Company's mercenaries.

Of course, this military reform Liang Yao did not simply lay off the California Infantry Regiment and reduce their wages.

Liang Yao also needs to make some adjustments in the organization.

The California Infantry Regiment followed the organization of the United States Army.

The organization of the American Army in the mid-to-early 19th century was relatively simple, using a four-level organization of squad, company, regiment, and brigade.

This organization is the organization most suitable for the American Army determined by American generals in the online private era.

All of Liang Yao's troops have been equipped with more advanced, more efficient breech-loading single-shot rifled guns.

The organization of the line infantry era may not be suitable for his current weapons and equipment.

Seeing how prodigal Liang Yao was, even the Prussian instructors he hired from Prussia to help train the troops could not stand it.

Kruger once told him directly that the money he spent on raising the California Infantry Regiment was more than enough to raise a standing brigade or even a standing division in Prussia.

Kruger suggested that Liang Yao could refer to the Prussian military system and establish a battalion-level organization between companies and regiments.

Moreover, there is no need to maintain a 100% full strength rate in peacetime. Just maintain a full strength rate of between 50% and 60% like the Prussian Army.

This not only saves money, but also maintains good combat effectiveness when recruiting soldiers during wartime. It is a very cost-effective choice.

Krueger only saw the current driving in California. As a Prussian, he did not understand the current situation in the United States. The judgments and suggestions he gave based on his own experience were quite reasonable.

In fact, among the nineteen infantry regiments of the U.S. Army, the only ones that maintain full strength all year round are Liang Yao's California Infantry Regiment and Arizona Infantry Regiment.

Although the mobilization system of the United States was not as perfect as that of Prussia, which had been preparing for war all year round, it still had the mobilization capabilities of a modern country. After the outbreak of the civil war, both the North and the South quickly mobilized hundreds of thousands of troops.

However, the quality of the U.S. military's conscripts was definitely not as good as that of Prussia at the same time.

The national conditions of the United States and Prussia are different. The advice of these Prussian instructors can be used as a reference, but cannot be copied blindly.

Liang Yao is not sure whether the civil war will quickly spread to California after it breaks out.

But one thing is certain, that is, he will definitely not be able to defeat either of the North and the South with his manpower.

He was unable to organize a large-scale army on the corner of the west coast. The strategy of elite troops was more suitable for him.

Liang Yao's idea is to allow his battalion-level troops to compete with other US military regiments, and even have the ability to defeat the opponent's regiments.

In this case, one of its own regiments can handle the combat mission of one brigade of the remaining US military.

Now that he had the rank of brigadier general and the organization of four regiments, he could legitimately and slowly figure out an army organization that suited him.

"It's a good idea to enter the island of Borneo in the name of a colonial company hiring armed forces. The two colonial companies are at odds with each other, and there is still room for maneuver at the government level." Fremont agreed with Liang Yao's approach, but

He still has doubts.

"Can your mercenaries deal with the Dutch East India Company's army?"

(End of chapter)