Chapter 1289: The Correct Use of Indian Soldiers
At this moment, American artillery shells were already falling a kilometer away.
The American infantry, full of confidence, watched the thin French Line Formation before them, preparing to crush them with a few volleys, as cannons to their side unleashed thunderous roars.
While the artillery skills of the Louisiana colony were generally mediocre, all gun positions had been personally calibrated by Napoleon. They simply needed to fire continuously at pre-set angles, and the cannonballs would accurately tear through the densest American formations.
As flesh and gore flew, the previously unstoppable Americans were instantly checked. Some of the infantry in the foremost Line Formation even fell prone to the ground in terror.
Emboldened, the French forces retaliated with their own volleys.
Under a dense barrage of cannon fire and Flintlock Musket rounds, 3,000 American soldiers were forced to retreat by fewer than 1,400 French and Spanish troops.
The Indian Skirmishers, who had previously scattered, regrouped and continuously took potshots from both flanks, whittling down the Americans.
Wayne, observing the front-line battle through his Telescope, couldn't help but mutter a string of expletives beginning with "F."
He hadn't expected the French to have so many hidden cannons, or for their firepower to be exceptionally fierce.
"And tell those artillerymen that if they don't enter firing range within ten minutes, I'll have them all court-martialed!"
"Yes, General!"
As Wayne's orders were executed, the American forces on the main battlefield swelled to 5,500 men.
When Wayne saw swarms of soldiers surging towards the thin French lines, a satisfied smile finally touched his lips. Even if the French cannons posed some threat, their defensive line could never withstand the charge of nearly triple their numbers.
Once these few thousand French troops were routed, the Governor of Louisiana would have no choice but to surrender. America's sphere of influence would, for the first time, cross the formidable Mississippi River and extend into the vast plains of central North America.
Coupled with the aid promised by the British, after several years of development, America's national power could even approach that of first-rate European powers!
And he, Wayne, as the architect of all this, would win the next presidential election with almost no suspense.
Major Brasseur, deputy commander of the French corps, reported to Napoleon, "Commander, the enemy has committed all their forces.
"Additionally, over 600 American cavalry are circling on our left flank."
Napoleon rose from his small chair and first gestured to Captain Macard, who stood nearby: "You must immediately go to the left flank to assist in the defense. Hold the Americans for at least forty minutes."
Macard quickly approached, coming to attention with a grim expression. "Yes, Commander."
He was the commander of the French cavalry battalion, with 270 French cavalrymen and over 100 Indian soldiers under his command. Dealing with over 600 American cavalry would be a considerable challenge.
Moreover, he knew that their main defensive line would soon be overwhelmed by the surging Americans, and he was being sent on a one-way mission.
As if sensing his worry, Napoleon declared loudly, "I can assure you, the Americans will be routed in forty minutes."
He no longer paid attention to the cavalry commander, turning instead to Brasseur and gesturing: "Order Captain Otto to commence operations."
Otto was the French name for the Indian officer, Little Turtle.
As Brasseur ordered the standard-bearer to relay a series of flag signals down the hillside, two cavalrymen, who had been waiting there, immediately galloped towards the dense forest on the east side.
The American forces skillfully exploited their numerical superiority, pushing the front line forward by one kilometer in just over twenty minutes. The French seemed on the verge of being driven into the Mississippi River.
Just as Arnold was preparing to order a final column charge to utterly crush the French, he suddenly heard bursts of gunfire from the left flank.
He initially thought it was just harassment from French Skirmishers, but the gunfire grew increasingly dense, indicating at least a regiment's worth of troops.
He frowned in confusion. To the east lay a vast, dense forest, making it impossible to deploy so many troops.
Before he could understand what was happening, he saw his left flank corps falling into disarray. He hastily ordered a general halt to the advance and detached two battalions to reinforce the left flank.
At this moment, in the dense forest on the eastern side of the battlefield, Little Turtle stood on a tree branch five or six meters above the ground, observing the battle beyond the treeline through his Telescope and letting out a succession of war cries.
Around him, over 1,700 Indian soldiers peered out from between the trees, aiming their firearms at the American troops outside the forest.
Inside the forest, with distances of just three meters rendering visibility impossible, flag signals couldn't be used for command. However, as the familiar Indian whistles echoed through the trees, these soldiers maintained their spacing over a 1.5-kilometer-wide area and acted in unified coordination.
The American soldiers under attack outside the forest could barely see their enemies, firing wildly into the dark, dense thicket.
After dozens of men were cut down by the "ghosts" in the forest, the American left flank began to rout.
Fortunately, the reinforcements sent by Arnold arrived in time, barely managing to stabilize the situation.
The American officer commanding the reinforcements frowned at the forest flickering with muzzle flashes. After a moment's hesitation, he gritted his teeth and ordered his soldiers to form a Line Formation and advance.
However, when the American troops reached the edge of the forest under a hail of bullets, they didn't know what to do.
In this cursed place, let alone fighting, they'd be completely separated in minutes if they entered.
But standing here only made them sitting ducks—the vast majority of their volleys struck tree trunks.
As dozens more soldiers fell, struck by bullets, the American officer reluctantly ordered a retreat.
Yes, this was the "Franco-Indian Combined Tactics" that Napoleon had improvised based on the actual conditions in Louisiana.
Though these Indians couldn't even learn to form ranks or understand the purpose of corps and company banners, they possessed an ancestral ability to move and fight within the forest.
They had indeed ambushed Americans from the forest before, but back then, they lacked the concept of modern corps warfare and firearms, so they could only wait for the Americans to draw close before rushing out from the trees to strike.
If the American forces reacted quickly and swiftly organized a Line Formation defense, the Indians would likely achieve little, often suffering heavy losses.
However, after several months of training under Napoleon, the Indians learned coordinated warfare and were equipped with numerous Flintlock Muskets. This allowed them to continuously fire from within the dense forest, instantly maximizing their advantages.
Nearly a hundred more American soldiers outside the forest were killed during their retreat, which quickly devolved into a frantic flight.
Combined with the units already broken, the American left flank suddenly descended into chaos.
At this point, Arnold had personally arrived. After quickly ascertaining the situation, he hastily told his adjutant, "Order everyone to stay 300 feet away from this cursed thicket!"
'If these Indians only dare to snipe from cover in the forest, then we'll just keep our distance.'
A frantic drumbeat immediately echoed across the American left flank, and over two thousand soldiers hastily converged towards the center.
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