IN MEMORIAM

[Terry Murbach]

CAPITAINE DANJOU,
SIXTY LEGIONAIRES
AT CAMERONE.
30APR1863
WE DO NOT FORGET.

[pwl44m]

WE DON'T FORGET ANY
MORNIN TERRY

[awp101]

Had to look it up, very interesting!

[Rusty]

Thanks Terry, very interesting. I had to look it up as well.


The Battle of Camarón
Main article: Battle of Camarón

At 1 a.m. on 30 April, the 3rd company was on its way, with three officers and 62 men. At 7 a.m., after a 15 miles (24 km) march, it stopped at Palo Verde to rest. Soon after, a Mexican force of 2,000 soldiers (800 cavalry and 1,200 infantry) was spotted. Danjou had the company take up a square formation and, even though retreating, he drove back several cavalry charges, inflicting the first heavy losses on the enemy.

Looking for a more defensible position, Danjou decided to make a stand at the nearby Hacienda Camarón, an inn protected by a 10 foot (3 m) high wall. His plan was to tie up the enemy forces to prevent any attacks on the nearby convoy. While the legionnaires prepared a defense of the inn, the Mexican commander, Colonel Milan, demanded that Danjou and his men surrender, pointing out the fact that the Mexican Army was greatly superior in number. Danjou went around to each of his men with a bottle of wine and made them all swear not to surrender.

At noon, Danjou was shot in the chest and died. His soldiers continued to fight, despite overwhelming odds and the extreme heat until 6 p.m. The 60 men, who had had nothing to eat or drink since the day before, resisted many charges of the Mexican army. The last five survivors were all down to their very last bullet. Instead of dishonour, they decided to charge with fixed bayonets. When they did, the Mexican commander ordered his troops to cease fire. Out of admiration for their courage, he spared the surviving men and allowed them to form an honour guard for the body of Captaine Danjou. They were released to return to France. This story has become legendary in French military history.

Danjou was buried on 3 May 1863 in Camarón.

After the battle, a Mexican named Ramirez took Danjou's wooden hand. Ramirez was arrested and the hand retrieved by Lieutenant Karl Grübert of the Austrian army, which replaced the Foreign Legion in this conflict on 17 July 1865. Today, Danjou's wooden hand is paraded annually on April 30, Camerone Day.
[edit] External links

[FWiedner]

Hmph, Frenchies losing a fight. Who coulda guessed.

I wonder if they have the hand hold a sparkler or a vegetable or a French flag or a frog or something while they wheel it around saluting it. Maybe a frog.

Any excuse to tie one on...

[haterock 2]

For FWiedner

http://www.merlinsilk.com/2008/04/24/pa ... is-france/

[rjohns94]

Didnt know. thanks Terry.

[soon 2 retire]

Hmph, Frenchies losing a fight. Who coulda guessed.

I wonder if they have the hand hold a sparkler or a vegetable or a French flag or a frog or something while they wheel it around saluting it. Maybe a frog.

Any excuse to tie one on...

No matter what I think of the French; my hat's off to these brave men.

Bob in NE Indiana

[Hobie]

It is one thing to lose a fight where the odds are pretty good. It is another to struggle on against overwhelming odds and to do so in such a way.

[FWiedner]

Heck, nobody can say anything derogatory about those who fight 'til the end in a one sided fight, but paradin' around the the dis-located body parts of the guy who knowingly lead men into such a valley of death is not a monument to to the honor of men and warriors, it is a testament to the idiocy of machismo.

[olyinaz]

Very interesting. Very interesting indeed.

Thanks,
Oly

[Dave B]

I also found this to be very interesting.

Dave B

[piller]

I had always heard that the Foreign Legion were fighters. Even when outnumbered and lacking supplies, it seems that they were brave warriors. Almost sounds like the Mexican Army won a Pyrrhic victory there.

[sureshot]

The vast majority of soldiers in the French Foreign Legion.............are not French.

I thought everyone knew that.


Steve

[cas]

Contrary to the rumor, Terry WAS NOT at the battle.

He was only 4 at the time.

[RSY]

Despite their record of the last 70 years, the French military has a strong record of valiant and effective service to France. The fact of the matter is, they did most of the Allied heavy lifting against the Kaiser during World War One...so much so that they still had not fully recovered by the time the Second World War commenced, with predictable results against Nazi Germany.

As for Camerone, no I won't forget. The whole situation in Mexico at that time was a blatant violation of the Monroe Doctrine. It met its just end.

Scott

[RSY]

The vast majority of soldiers in the French Foreign Legion.............are not French.

Exactly. Danjou was likely the only Frenchman there that day.

[Terry Murbach]

The vast majority of soldiers in the French Foreign Legion.............are not French.

Exactly. Danjou was likely the only Frenchman there that day.

ALL THE OFFICERS WERE FRENCH, ALL THE LEGIONAIRES WERE FOREIGNERS[SP]. WHEN THE NUMBER OF MEN LEFT WAS DOWN TO FIVE LEGIONAIRES LT. MAUDET ORDERED THEM TO FIX BAYONETTES FOR THE FINAL CHARGE UPON THE 1500 MEXICANS LEFT FROM 2000. EACH LEGIONAIRE HAD ONE ROUND LEFT IN HIS RIFLE. THE LEGIONAIRES LEFT WERE CORP MAINE, AND LEGIONAIRE CATTEAU, WENZEL, CONSTANTIN, AND LEONHART. [ FIVE DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES ]
LT MAUDET AND TWO LEGIONAIRES WERE KILLED ON THE CHARGE. CORP MAINE AND TWO LEGIONAIRES WERE ABOUT TO BE KILLED WHEN THE MEXICAN COMMANDER RUSHED FORWARD AND STOPPED IT BY SCREAMING SURRENDER SURRENDER. CORP MAINE SAID " ONLY IF YOU PROMISE TO FIND AND CARE FOR ALL OUR WOUNDED AND YOU LEAVE US OUR WEAPONS ".[ A LEGIONAIRE NEVER NEVER EVER SURRENDERS HIS WEAPON ]
THE MEXICAN OFFICER REPLYED,
" WE CAN REFUSE NOTHING TO MEN LIKE YOU "

NOW THERE IS A MEMORIAL THERE TO THE LEGION AND THE MEN WHO FOUGHT THERE. ANY MEXICAN SOLDIER OF ANY RANK WHO PASSES BY MUST PRESENT ARMS TO THE MEMORIAL.

[Rafe Covington]

Not a big admirer of the French, courage is to be admired no matter who it is.

Rafe

[kimwcook]

The vast majority of soldiers in the French Foreign Legion.............are not French.

Exactly. Danjou was likely the only Frenchman there that day.

CORP MAINE AND TWO LEGIONAIRES WERE ABOUT TO BE KILLED WHEN THE MEXICAN COMMANDER RUSHED FORWARD AND STOPPED IT BY SCREAMING SURRENDER SURRENDER. CORP MAINE SAID " ONLY IF YOU PROMISE TO FIND AND CARE FOR ALL OUR WOUNDED AND YOU LEAVE US OUR WEAPONS ".[ A LEGIONAIRE NEVER NEVER EVER SURRENDERS HIS WEAPON ]
THE MEXICAN OFFICER REPLYED,
" WE CAN REFUSE NOTHING TO MEN LIKE YOU "

NOW THERE IS A MEMORIAL THERE TO THE LEGION AND THE MEN WHO FOUGHT THERE. ANY MEXICAN SOLDIER OF ANY RANK WHO PASSES BY MUST PRESENT ARMS TO THE MEMORIAL.

For some reason I got a lump in my throat. Honor upon the field of battle knows no nationality and the true value of a man is shown when he faces death. I salute these brave souls.