Battle of Camarón
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Camarón, which occurred 30 April 1863 between the French Foreign Legion
and the Mexican
army, is regarded by the Legion as a defining moment in its history. A small infantry
patrol led by Captain Jean Danjou
, Lt Maudet and Lt Vilain, numbering 62 soldiers and three officers was attacked and besieged by a force that may have eventually reached 2,000 Mexican infantry and cavalry, and was forced to make a defensive stand at the nearby Hacienda
Camarón, in Camarón de Tejeda
, Veracruz
, Mexico
. The conduct of the defence ascribed to the Legion a certain mystique—and Camarón became within Legion ranks synonymous with bravery and a fight-to-the-death.
, a French army commanded by the Count of Lorencez
, was besieging the Mexican city of Puebla
. Fearing a logistical shortage, the French sent a convoy with 3 million francs, matériel, and munitions for the siege. The 3rd company of the Foreign Regiment detachment was charged with protecting the convoy. As the company had no officers, Captain Danjou
, Regimental adjutant
, assumed command.
to rest and "prepare the coffee". Soon after, a Mexican Army force of 800 horsemen was sighted. Captain Danjou ordered the company take up a square formation
, and, though retreating, he rebuffed several cavalry charges, inflicting the first heavy losses on the Mexican army that suffered from the French long-range rifle.
Seeking a more defensible position, Danjou made a stand at the nearby Hacienda Camarón, an inn protected by a 3-metre-high wall. His plan was to occupy Mexican forces to prevent attacks against the nearby convoy. While his legionnaires prepared to defend the inn, the Mexican commander, Colonel Milan, demanded that Danjou and soldiers surrender, noting the Mexican Army's numeric superiority. Danjou replied: "We have munitions. We will not surrender." He then swore to fight to the death, an oath which was seconded by the men.
Around 11 a.m. the Mexicans were increased in size by the arrival of 1,200 infantry. The Hacienda took fire but the French had lost all water early in the morning when pack mules were lost during the retreat.
At midday, Captain Danjou was shot in the chest and died; his soldiers continued fighting despite overwhelming odds under the command of an inspired 2nd Lt. Vilain, who held for four hours before falling during an assault.
At 5 p.m only 12 Légionnaires remained around 2nd Lt. Maudet. Soon after by 18:00, with ammunition exhausted, the last of Danjou's soldiers, numbering only five under the command of Lt. Maudet, desperately mounted a bayonet
charge. Two men died outright, while the rest continued the assault. The tiny group was surrounded and beaten to the earth. A Belgian Legionnaire, Victor Catteau, leapt in front of Lt. Maudet in an effort to protect him from the Mexican guns when they were leveled at him but died in vain as both he and Lt. Maudet were hit in the barrage.
Colonel Milan, commander of the Mexicans, managed to prevent his men from ripping the surviving legionnaires to pieces. When the last two survivors were asked to surrender, they insisted that Mexican soldiers allow them safe passage home, to keep their arms, and to escort the body of Captain Danjou. To that, the Mexican commander commented, "What can I refuse to such men? No, these are not men, they are devils", and, out of respect, agreed to these terms.
Capitaine Danjou was a professional soldier and had lost his left hand while on a mapping expedition in the Kabyia campaign. He had a wooden articulated prosthetic hand made, painted to resemble a glove, strapped to his left forearm. Overlooked by both French and Mexican comrades who came to bury their dead it was found by an Anglo-French farmer, Langlais. Two years later it was sold and taken to the Quarter Viénot in Sidi bel-Abbés, the home of the Foreign Legion. When the Legion left Algeria Capitaine Danjou's wooden hand went with it to Aubagne where it remains in the Legion Museum at their headquarters. The hand is the most cherished artifact in Legion history and the prestige and honor granted to a Legionnaire to carry it on parade in its protective case is among the greatest bestowed on a Legionnaire.
April 30 is celebrated as "Camerone Day", an important day for the Legionnaires, when the wooden prosthetic hand of Capitaine Danjou is brought out for display and veneration in special ceremonies. That day officers prepare and serve all lesser rank Legionnaires coffee to celebrate the "...coffee they [The Legionnaires of Camarone] never had."
After hearing of the battle, French Emperor
Napoleon III had the name Camerone embroidered onto the flag of the Foreign Legion.
In 1892, a monument commemorating the battle was erected on the battlefield containing a plaque with the following inscription in French:
The railing from the common Legion grave at Camarone can now be found at the Legion village of Puyloubier near Aix-en-Provence.
In the village there is a monument erected by the Mexican government in 1964 honoring the Mexican soldiers who fought in the battle. There is also a memorial site and parade ground on the outskirts of the village. The memorial has a raised platform, which covers the resting place of the remains of French and Mexican soldiers disinterred in the 1960s. The surface of the platform has a plaque in Latin. Diligent search of the area has failed to locate the plaque with the oft quoted 1892 French language inscription referred to above. (See cited References below for description and photos of the monuments and memorials).
Every year on 30 April the Mexican government holds annual ceremonies at the memorial site, with political speakers and a parade of various Mexican military units. The village holds a fiesta on the same day. The ceremonies are sometimes attended by representatives of the French military, and the site is also visited by retired veterans of the French Foreign Legion. (See cited References below for description and photos of the ceremonies). It is also tradition that any Mexican soldiers passing by the area turn towards the monument and offer a salute.
The village of Adalberto Tejeda (also known as Villa Tejeda, Camarón de Tejeda, or simply El Camarón) is located on secondary roads about 25 to 30 km west of the town of Soledad de Doblado, Veracruz, and about 64 km. west of the city of Veracruz. The 1964 monument is in the center of town. The memorial and parade ground, known as El Mausoleo (the Mausoleum
), is a few blocks away on the edge of the village, near the town cemetery. The coordinates of the village of Adalberto Tejeda are Lat. 19.0216°; Long. -96.6154.
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
and the Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
army, is regarded by the Legion as a defining moment in its history. A small infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
patrol led by Captain Jean Danjou
Jean Danjou
Jean Danjou was a decorated captain in the French Foreign Legion. He commanded the two lieutenants and 62 legionnaires who fought the legendary Battle of Camarón during the French intervention in Mexico. He was killed during the battle.-Education:Jean Danjou was born in Chalabre into a family with...
, Lt Maudet and Lt Vilain, numbering 62 soldiers and three officers was attacked and besieged by a force that may have eventually reached 2,000 Mexican infantry and cavalry, and was forced to make a defensive stand at the nearby Hacienda
Hacienda
Hacienda is a Spanish word for an estate. Some haciendas were plantations, mines, or even business factories. Many haciendas combined these productive activities...
Camarón, in Camarón de Tejeda
Camarón de Tejeda
Camarón de Tejeda is a town in the Mexican state of Veracruz.It serves as the municipal seat for the surrounding municipality of the same nameIt is most famous for the 1863 Battle of Camarón at the town's Hacienda Camarón....
, Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. The conduct of the defence ascribed to the Legion a certain mystique—and Camarón became within Legion ranks synonymous with bravery and a fight-to-the-death.
Background
As part of the French intervention in MexicoFrench intervention in Mexico
The French intervention in Mexico , also known as The Maximilian Affair, War of the French Intervention, and The Franco-Mexican War, was an invasion of Mexico by an expeditionary force sent by the Second French Empire, supported in the beginning by the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Spain...
, a French army commanded by the Count of Lorencez
Charles de Lorencez
Charles Ferdinand Latrille, Comte de Lorencez was a French Army general under Emperor Maximilian of Mexico during the 19th century. He was a relative of the Empress Charlotte, who was the only daughter of King Leopold I, King of the Belgians and wife of Emperor Maximilian.Lorencez was born in...
, was besieging the Mexican city of Puebla
Puebla
Puebla officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Puebla is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 217 municipalities and its capital city is Puebla....
. Fearing a logistical shortage, the French sent a convoy with 3 million francs, matériel, and munitions for the siege. The 3rd company of the Foreign Regiment detachment was charged with protecting the convoy. As the company had no officers, Captain Danjou
Jean Danjou
Jean Danjou was a decorated captain in the French Foreign Legion. He commanded the two lieutenants and 62 legionnaires who fought the legendary Battle of Camarón during the French intervention in Mexico. He was killed during the battle.-Education:Jean Danjou was born in Chalabre into a family with...
, Regimental adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
, assumed command.
The battle
On the 30 April, at 1 a.m., the 3rd company—62 soldiers and three officers—was en route. At 7 a.m., after a 15-mile march, they stopped at Palo VerdePalo Verde
-Botany:*Palo Verde trees, several species of the genus Parkinsonia **Mexican Palo Verde **Blue Palo Verde **Yellow or Foothill Palo Verde gay-Places:...
to rest and "prepare the coffee". Soon after, a Mexican Army force of 800 horsemen was sighted. Captain Danjou ordered the company take up a square formation
Infantry square
An infantry square is a combat formation an infantry unit forms in close order when threatened with cavalry attack.-Very early history:The formation was described by Plutarch and used by the Romans, and was developed from an earlier circular formation...
, and, though retreating, he rebuffed several cavalry charges, inflicting the first heavy losses on the Mexican army that suffered from the French long-range rifle.
Seeking a more defensible position, Danjou made a stand at the nearby Hacienda Camarón, an inn protected by a 3-metre-high wall. His plan was to occupy Mexican forces to prevent attacks against the nearby convoy. While his legionnaires prepared to defend the inn, the Mexican commander, Colonel Milan, demanded that Danjou and soldiers surrender, noting the Mexican Army's numeric superiority. Danjou replied: "We have munitions. We will not surrender." He then swore to fight to the death, an oath which was seconded by the men.
Around 11 a.m. the Mexicans were increased in size by the arrival of 1,200 infantry. The Hacienda took fire but the French had lost all water early in the morning when pack mules were lost during the retreat.
At midday, Captain Danjou was shot in the chest and died; his soldiers continued fighting despite overwhelming odds under the command of an inspired 2nd Lt. Vilain, who held for four hours before falling during an assault.
At 5 p.m only 12 Légionnaires remained around 2nd Lt. Maudet. Soon after by 18:00, with ammunition exhausted, the last of Danjou's soldiers, numbering only five under the command of Lt. Maudet, desperately mounted a bayonet
Bayonet
A bayonet is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit in, on, over or underneath the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar weapon, effectively turning the gun into a spear...
charge. Two men died outright, while the rest continued the assault. The tiny group was surrounded and beaten to the earth. A Belgian Legionnaire, Victor Catteau, leapt in front of Lt. Maudet in an effort to protect him from the Mexican guns when they were leveled at him but died in vain as both he and Lt. Maudet were hit in the barrage.
Colonel Milan, commander of the Mexicans, managed to prevent his men from ripping the surviving legionnaires to pieces. When the last two survivors were asked to surrender, they insisted that Mexican soldiers allow them safe passage home, to keep their arms, and to escort the body of Captain Danjou. To that, the Mexican commander commented, "What can I refuse to such men? No, these are not men, they are devils", and, out of respect, agreed to these terms.
Aftermath
Finally, the French supply convoy made it safely to Puebla. The Mexicans failed to relieve the siege and the city fell on May 17.Capitaine Danjou was a professional soldier and had lost his left hand while on a mapping expedition in the Kabyia campaign. He had a wooden articulated prosthetic hand made, painted to resemble a glove, strapped to his left forearm. Overlooked by both French and Mexican comrades who came to bury their dead it was found by an Anglo-French farmer, Langlais. Two years later it was sold and taken to the Quarter Viénot in Sidi bel-Abbés, the home of the Foreign Legion. When the Legion left Algeria Capitaine Danjou's wooden hand went with it to Aubagne where it remains in the Legion Museum at their headquarters. The hand is the most cherished artifact in Legion history and the prestige and honor granted to a Legionnaire to carry it on parade in its protective case is among the greatest bestowed on a Legionnaire.
April 30 is celebrated as "Camerone Day", an important day for the Legionnaires, when the wooden prosthetic hand of Capitaine Danjou is brought out for display and veneration in special ceremonies. That day officers prepare and serve all lesser rank Legionnaires coffee to celebrate the "...coffee they [The Legionnaires of Camarone] never had."
After hearing of the battle, French Emperor
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
Napoleon III had the name Camerone embroidered onto the flag of the Foreign Legion.
In 1892, a monument commemorating the battle was erected on the battlefield containing a plaque with the following inscription in French:
ILS FURENT ICI MOINS DE SOIXANTE
OPPOSÉS A TOUTE UNE ARMÉE
SA MASSE LES ÉCRASA
LA VIE PLUTOT QUE LE COURAGE
ABANDONNA CES SOLDATS FRANÇAIS
LE 30 AVRIL 1863
A LEUR MEMOIRE LA PATRIE ELEVA CE MONUMENT
(They were here less than sixty opposed to a whole army. Its mass crushed them. Life rather than bravery departed these French soldiers at Camerone on 30 April 1863. In memory of them, the motherland has erected this monument.)
The railing from the common Legion grave at Camarone can now be found at the Legion village of Puyloubier near Aix-en-Provence.
Visiting The Site of the Battle
The site of the battle can be visited at the village of Camarón de Tejeda, in the state of Veracruz, Mexico. This village was formerly known as El Camarón, and later as Adalberto Tejeda, Villa Tejeda or Camarón de Tejeda.In the village there is a monument erected by the Mexican government in 1964 honoring the Mexican soldiers who fought in the battle. There is also a memorial site and parade ground on the outskirts of the village. The memorial has a raised platform, which covers the resting place of the remains of French and Mexican soldiers disinterred in the 1960s. The surface of the platform has a plaque in Latin. Diligent search of the area has failed to locate the plaque with the oft quoted 1892 French language inscription referred to above. (See cited References below for description and photos of the monuments and memorials).
Every year on 30 April the Mexican government holds annual ceremonies at the memorial site, with political speakers and a parade of various Mexican military units. The village holds a fiesta on the same day. The ceremonies are sometimes attended by representatives of the French military, and the site is also visited by retired veterans of the French Foreign Legion. (See cited References below for description and photos of the ceremonies). It is also tradition that any Mexican soldiers passing by the area turn towards the monument and offer a salute.
The village of Adalberto Tejeda (also known as Villa Tejeda, Camarón de Tejeda, or simply El Camarón) is located on secondary roads about 25 to 30 km west of the town of Soledad de Doblado, Veracruz, and about 64 km. west of the city of Veracruz. The 1964 monument is in the center of town. The memorial and parade ground, known as El Mausoleo (the Mausoleum
Mausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
), is a few blocks away on the edge of the village, near the town cemetery. The coordinates of the village of Adalberto Tejeda are Lat. 19.0216°; Long. -96.6154.
External links
- About the Legion and the Battle lalegion.de The official battle report
- French Foreign Legion Website with statistics about the battle
- :es:Camarón de Tejeda (Veracruz) Website of village of Camaron de Tejada, Veracruz (in Spanish).