1850 American Gold Baron

Chapter 460 Methods other than war

Liang Yao took the cigarette from Fremont's hand, but he had no intention of smoking at this time. He just played with the thin cigarette in his hand for a while, and then he put the wrinkled cigarette into his pocket.

"This is exactly what I am worried about. If we cannot achieve a quick victory on the battlefield, we can only disintegrate them from within Mexico, thereby indirectly ending this war as soon as possible and ending it with a result that is beneficial to us."

"Santa Ana has served as the president of Mexico for more than a dozen times intermittently. Although he does not have the name of a king, he has long been a dictator. He also has many opponents in Mexico, so this move is not a bad idea." Fremont

He nodded and continued to ask.

"Who are you going to break through from?"

"General Ignacio Comes, this guy participated in the uprising against President Santa Ana two years ago. He has differences with Santa Ana. Moreover, he is well-known in Mexico." Liang Yao

After thinking for a while he said.

"More importantly, this guy is frustrated now. If we give him a hand now, he will have to thank us."

Ignacio Comes was born in Salina Cruz in southern Mexico in 1812. He was a local powerful man.

Comes served in the Mexican army and participated in the Mexican-American War. His prestige in the Mexican army is second only to Santa Ana.

Comes participated in the uprising against Santa Ana two years ago and wanted to replace Santa Ana. However, due to insufficient preparation, the uprising ended in failure.

Although Santa Ana took into account Comes's influence in the military and his influence in Salina Cruz afterwards, he did not physically liquidate Comes, and Comes survived.

Since Mazatlan has a port, after landing, Kruger left the Los Angeles Militia with more than a thousand men to defend this small fishing village and used it as the main supply point for the Western Brigade.

After the fall of Torreon, the local Mexican defenders did not burn or destroy their warehouses.

In more than a month, the Western Brigade attacked the three cities of Casatlan, Durango and Torreon. Durango is still the state capital, not a small city.

The Western Brigade led by Kruger had captured Torreon ahead of the Texas regiment.

Although it is said to be a port city, it is actually just a small fishing village with a population of only a few thousand.

"After the war broke out, the unit price of iron ore increased a bit. In order to make a fortune, Mexican mine owners increased their iron ore exports to us, fearing that this would be the last time they would do business with us."

"Where are the guns?" asked Bell.

Moreover, Liang Yao's next combat plan does not depend on the Western Brigade itself, but on the results achieved by Jackson's Southern Army on the Eastern Front.

"If everything goes well, the artillery will not arrive in Mazatlan until next week." Deng Wenshun said truthfully.

The materials in the warehouse have also been completely preserved.

"Third brother, if you want cannons, you only need to buy new cannons for our Los Angeles militia. Our militia has eight three-inch cannons. They are all serious cannons with rifling! As long as Mr. Bell doesn't mind.

It's an old artillery piece. Our Los Angeles militia can bite the bullet and use it first to support our brother troops in Texas."

In order to quickly establish effective rule in the occupied areas after the war, Liang Yao had given the Western Brigade a death order before the war. After the city was captured, no looting was allowed, and the assets of the local gentry were not allowed to be looted. Anyone who wanted to

When locals purchase supplies, they must pay market prices.

"Then pack up the artillery carts and ammunition and give them all to Mr. Bell." Liang Yao waved his hand and said.

I couldn't even find a few pairs of shoes. The guns and three rusty smoothbore cannons in the ordnance warehouse were nothing more than the United States. They were just a pile of scrap metal.

"Your supplies are indispensable. You first go to the Mexican arsenal in Torreon to see if there are any junk that you like. Take a few first. I will take you to Mazatlan to get the rest."

Yao said impatiently.

The Texas regiment is not obsessed with the issue of whether the cannon is new or old, but whether it is available or not. As long as there are cannons, Bell will not be obsessed with the newness of the cannon.

"Torreon has been captured, where are my arms and supplies?" Seeing that Torreon had been captured, Bell impatiently urged Liang Yao to fulfill the supplies he had originally promised to the Texas Regiment.

Military supplies transported by steam cargo ships from California are currently being stocked in Mazatlan.

Liang Yao's artillery unit was first equipped with Napoleon cannons, but after the Sacramento cannon entered service, these Napoleon cannons were eliminated by the regular army.

"Has Mexico's trade embargo caused substantial losses to California? Has the import of iron ore been affected?" Liang Yao asked rhetorically.

"Wenshun, are there any artillery pieces in the warehouse?" Liang Yao asked Deng Wenshun, who was in charge of managing the warehouse.

After bidding farewell to Fremont, Liang Yao came to Salty and Bell's Texas team round.

"I don't mind, of course I don't mind," Bell said hurriedly.

"The Walter rifle and the rifles currently equipped by the soldiers of the Texas regiment are very different in how to use them. I do not recommend that you change to this rifle during wartime." Liang Yao said.

This also touched the bottom line of Britain and France.

Mexico is not a small country and is very considerate. It is unrealistic for the United States to swallow up Mexico in one go.

Damn it, the Mexican warehouses are outrageous, not to mention the military rations in the warehouses are at the bottom.

However, he was stopped by Kruger.

Therefore, after the Western Brigade captured the Mexican city, the local residents' lives continued as usual, and there was no resistance to the Western Brigade and the California militia.

As a breech-loading rifled gun, the Walter rifle is not only very different from the front-loading gun in terms of use, but also in the structure of the gun.

"One more thing. The letter from Gervin and Strauss asked me to ask you that Mexico has unilaterally imposed a trade embargo on us. Should California take countermeasures?" Fremont asked with his hands behind his back.

What's more, these Confederate light artillery regiments temporarily formed by Jackson were also equipped with three-inch Napoleon cannons. These guns were valuable in the Confederate army.

The Western Brigade's march route this time was to land in Mazatlan, and then advance inland along the road, reaching Durango, the capital of Durango, and Torreon.

After capturing Sarti, Bell left only one company to guard Sarti, and the rest of the main force went straight to Torreon.

Mazatlan is a small port city in the state of Sinaloa on the Pacific coast of Mexico.

"Send them together." Liang Yao said very magnanimously.

"It is better to rely on oneself than rely on heaven and earth." Liang Yaoshen agreed.

"This is a suitable candidate. It's always good to be prepared." Fremont also thinks that Comes is a good candidate.

"Leland Stanford, Stanford has business dealings with Comes, so it would be most appropriate to send him there." Liang Yao said without hesitation.

"There are no instructions yet. All ministries are ordered to rest where they are." Liang Yao said.

"Where are the mules and horses that pull the cannon?" Deng Wenshun asked.

"Who are you going to send to contact Comes?" Fremont took a puff of cigarette, and when he saw that he was almost done with it, he threw the butt of the cigarette to the ground and stamped it out.

However, Liang Yao was worried that the native pigs of the Texas Regiment could not eat fine chaff. It was wartime and there was not enough time for the native pigs of the Texas Regiment to adapt to a brand new weapon.

"Then there is no need to take countermeasures against Mexico. This also shows that the free trade advocated by us in California is not just rhetoric." Liang Yao said clearly.

If a gun malfunctions during war, soldiers who have just started using this rifle will not know how to quickly troubleshoot the problem.

An angry Bell was about to lead people to raid the homes of Mexican military officers and local landowners, hoping to seize some good things from their homes.

High-intensity combat consumes a lot of physical energy of the soldiers of the Western Brigade. The soldiers of the Western Brigade are not American supermen, but mortal beings.

In line with the principle of not wasting anything, these Napoleon cannons were given to militia groups across California for use.

Bell wants to seize the home of a local landowner, which puts Kruger into a dilemma.

I don't know whether it was because Mexico was already poor or because Mexican military officers were extremely corrupt. Bell quickly walked out of Torreon's warehouse cursing.

"This reason is reasonable. You owe the Texas Regiment the guns first, but you have to give me a few cannons, right?" Bell said persistently.

"As long as Mexicans do not buy smuggled arms from California, all trade will continue as usual. Stopping trade with Mexican mine owners now will not be worth the gain, but will push them against us."

Liang Yao also came to Torreon with Bell. As soon as they arrived at the gate of Torreon, they saw the familiar Stars and Stripes Banner and Bear Flag from a distance.

After arriving in Mazatlan, Liang Yao gave every soldier in the Texas regiment a pair of brand new leather shoes, a water bottle, and a belt with an ammunition box, but Bell was still not satisfied.

When the local Mexican people discovered that the Western Brigade was stationed in their city and their lives were more comfortable than before, the local residents even cooperated with the work of the Western Brigade.

But the failure of the uprising also pronounced the death of Comes's political and military career. As long as Santa Anna is still in the position of president, Comes has no possibility of turning over.

Since Liang Yao had promised Bell in advance that after opening up the communication line, he would give Bell priority in providing a batch of arms and other military supplies that the Texas Regiment was in short supply. The Texas Regiment fought very hard.

"I've given it all away, I've given it all away," Bell said while rubbing his hands excitedly, while not forgetting to express his emotions.

In desperation, Kruger had no choice but to find Liang Yao.

With a population of just over a thousand, it is already considered a large settlement in the vast and sparsely populated northern region of Mexico.

"General! My subordinates have been ordered to capture Torreon. Please give me your instructions, General." Kruger stood in a tall military posture and gave a military salute to Liang Yao.

On one side are friendly forces who have a special relationship with Liang Yao, and on the other side are Liang Yao's military orders.

Since Mexico cannot be swallowed up in one go, it would be a good choice to start supporting a pro-American Mexican talker after the war.

"In short, our interests in California cannot be entirely pinned on the South. The South may not be reliable."

"Not only that, but the import volume of iron ore has actually increased." Fremont laughed.

If you want to continue to maintain combat effectiveness in the coming battle, proper rest and recuperation is necessary.

In the mid-19th century, the core population and cities of Mexico were in central and southern Mexico, while the north was the wilderness of Mexico.

As the largest supply base of the Western Brigade in Mexico, Mazatlan obviously has no shortage of rifles.

Liang Yao learned that Bell found nothing in Torreon's warehouse, so he took him to Mazatlan.

When the Western Brigade recruited workers from these occupied areas to level the dilapidated roads to facilitate the subsequent transportation of materials on the east and west fronts, they learned that the wages paid for the work were considerable, and local Mexicans enthusiastically signed up.

"How wealthy is California? Can even the militia afford artillery?"

"Artillery is not as good as guns. I heard that when General Jackson established the artillery regiment, he removed the veterans who knew how to operate artillery from each regiment. Are there any veterans who know how to operate artillery in the Texas regiment now?" Liang Yao asked with some worry.

.

"Don't worry, there must be one. I specially saved it." Bell smiled slyly.

"Veterans who are good at artillery are all treasures. How could they all form a light artillery regiment for Jackson?"

(End of chapter)