The Fox of France - Chapter 328: Rest Assured

Due to the cursed French, the first assault of the Spanish royal army ended in a heavy failure. The “rebels” chased the army, relentlessly following them into the trenches they dug, then continued pursuing when they emerged, only to be stopped when General Franco decisively ordered the artillery to fire grapeshot, scattering the fleeing cowards and the pursuing rebels, averting a complete disaster.

Even so, it remained a major defeat. According to later Mexican accounts, the Spanish army left behind over three hundred bodies, with more than two hundred taken captive, and countless others injured.

On the Spanish side, according to their records, they suffered few casualties, less than fifty dead, claiming to have killed thousands of rebel insurgents. But the sheer number of killings led to psychological issues among many soldiers. To pacify and console them, General Franco had to reluctantly order a temporary retreat. The Spanish royal army was, in their portrayal, a force of righteousness… whether you believed it or not, the Spanish chose to embrace that narrative.

Following this defeat, the morale among the Spanish dwindled. Many soldiers believed that attacking enemy trenches without trench guns was a death sentence, sparking discussions among them.

“Erelera, let me tell you, those trench guns, they can fire continuously, up to eight rounds at once. Pull the trigger and you fire a shot, each packing the punch of a revolver. One shot equals a dozen bullets, spreading wide and deadly accurate. Without those, storming trenches is suicide.”

“Really, Romero? I heard these guns were meant for us, but the folks back home said they were too expensive. They figured our rifles were good enough… and then the rebels got wind of it, bought up all those things we didn’t.”

“Ah? That happened?”

“Absolutely, heard it from Gusman, his brother-in-law’s in supply. He ought to know.”

“If you don’t charge, the officer will shoot you dead.”

…

With morale plummeting, the royal army couldn’t muster an attack for several days. On the other side, despite their victory, the Mexicans were equally troubled.

“In this battle, we’ve depleted nearly half our broadswords and a third of the muskets. Plus, a significant amount of shells, especially those for rifled cannons, we can’t produce ourselves; we have to buy,” General Alande reported with a frown to President Idalgo.

“So, if the enemy attacks again like this, our supplies won’t suffice?” Idalgo inquired. “Why has the consumption risen so drastically compared to our previous estimates?”

“When planning, we didn’t account for the soldiers’ state. They were too charged up, using these items recklessly… plus, the enemy’s attack method differed from our projections.”

Silence befell the room.

After a while, President Idalgo spoke, “Alande, my friend, tell me, with the enemy potentially launching another attack, do we have enough supplies to repel them?”

“Perhaps, but… Mr. President… I believe we need more supplies.”

Anticipating the revolutionary army’s hardships, after a two-day rest, the Spanish royal army launched another attack. This time, they attacked from multiple directions simultaneously. Though repelled again, the Spanish suffered considerable losses. Alande had to urgently seek more supplies from Idalgo. Meanwhile, due to the heavy casualties, the Spanish soldiers mutinied, forcing General Franco to promise a halt in attacks until the soldiers were equipped with trench guns.

In the spirit of ‘better safe than sorry’, President Idalgo, leveraging mining rights in Northern Mexico, approached various banks again for loans. Simultaneously, the Spanish reached out to the Bonaparte Armaments in Louisiana, hoping to purchase trench guns promptly.

The Bonaparte Armaments readily agreed, stating that military-grade trench guns needed to be shipped from mainland France, requiring at least two months. However, if the Spanish were willing to pay extra, they could sell them civilian pump-action shotguns used for hunting.

“We have three thousand civilian pump-action shotguns here, though civilian arms tend to be pricier than military ones,” explained Olt, the manager at Bonaparte Armaments in Louisiana. “Although they perform similarly, civilian ones are more refined, especially the stocks. Military ones are basic wood, while civilians boast authentic black walnut. Hence, the price difference. If you order, we’ll ship them immediately.”

The Spanish hurriedly paid for the French offer of three thousand shotguns. Truth be told, they didn’t need so many trench guns, but buying only half might result in the rest falling into the hands of those unscrupulous French, wouldn’t it?

To ensure these civilian firearms wouldn’t end up with the rebels, the Spanish reluctantly purchased the entire stock at the “discounted price” offered by the French.

“Ah, if only we’d known before the expedition began, we could have bought these at a much lower cost,” lamented Governor Gomez.

Meanwhile, Bonaparte Armaments deposited the received payment into the Louisiana Development Bank. Moments after, this money was withdrawn and loaned to the “Mexican Republic Government.” Then, it circled back as owed funds to Bonaparte Armaments, which again found its way back to the Louisiana Development Bank.

“My friend, our debts weigh heavy on my mind. I can barely sleep,” complained President Idalgo to a confidant. To this, the confidant smiled and reassured him, “Mr. President, you can rest assured now. Consider, the French have lent you so much; they wouldn’t allow your venture to fail unless the Spanish repay their debts, wouldn’t they?”