Chapter 112: Los Angeles Massacre
Additional chapter for Master Yimengweima!
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Not long after Colonel Mason set out, he met an envoy sent by Liang Yao. Google Search Reading
The envoy brought Liang Yao's letter, the land deed signed by Colonel Mason himself, three bills of exchange for $10,000, and 2,000 ounces of gold, and persuaded Mason with his emotions and gold.
Problems that can be solved with money are not problems for Liang Yao, but problems that cannot be solved with money are more troublesome.
Liang Yao used courtesy before force. Although he was on guard against Mason, he had no grudges against Mason and did not want to fight with Mason.
Liang Yao made it clear in the letter that Mason was a very good commander of the U.S. Army. His duty was to defend the territory and people of the United States, not to degenerate into a free thug and consumables for the chaebol.
It was a pity that Colonel Mason still declined Liang Yao's kindness and declined Liang Yao's dollars and gold in the eager eyes of officers and soldiers.
This is not because Mason is not greedy for money. Mason had also accepted gold from Sartre's early immigrants.
It's just that this time Mason has a mission. He is a man of principles and pursuits. He can't accept Liang Yao's gold at this time and leave a handle for others.
The envoy was not disappointed. He just needed to show these dollars and gold in front of Mason's officers and soldiers, and the purpose of this trip would be achieved.
Maybe Colonel Mason doesn't love money, but can he guarantee that his officers and soldiers will not be tempted by gold?
Obviously, he can't.
These guys who only earn eight or ten dollars a month can't resist such temptation.
Those officers and soldiers watched the envoy take the gold back unwillingly, and there were many brave officers who plucked up the courage to persuade Colonel Mason.
"Sir, this is Colonel Liang's good intention. Besides, Congress did not approve the military funds for this operation. Since we are going to San Francisco and Sacramento to help them eliminate the Indians, I think it is understandable to accept Colonel Liang's good intention."
A second lieutenant looked at the gold being taken away by the messenger eagerly, and couldn't help swallowing his saliva.
What greeted the second lieutenant was Mason's cold eyes. The second lieutenant immediately closed his mouth and lowered his head.
The other officers also looked like they wanted to say something but stopped, and they were very tempted by the US dollars and gold that were delivered to their door.
After a short stop, Colonel Mason ordered to continue the march.
When they were still twenty miles away from Los Angeles, half of Colonel Mason's regiment was exhausted, and Colonel Mason himself was exhausted after days of marching.
He felt that it was time for these tired soldiers to stop and rest and recuperate before setting off again.
There was no special logistics unit to provide him with supplies for this operation. Except for a few major settlements, the southern part of California was sparsely populated. Even the Indians who were easily encountered here four or five years ago were hard to hide.
According to the predetermined plan, Mason would purchase supplies in Los Angeles and requisition local ships to sail to San Francisco.
In order to save time and not delay the journey, Mason decided to send a capable and energetic young man to Los Angeles to carry out this mission.
Captain William Tecunam Sherman took the initiative to volunteer and said that he was willing to carry out this mission with his first company.
Colonel Mason smiled and nodded at Sherman with a very approving look.
Sherman was indeed a capable general under his command. He graduated from the West Point Military Academy with the sixth-best score in the same period and made great contributions in the Mexican-American War and was promoted to captain.
Except for some impulsiveness and violent tendencies, this outstanding young man was almost perfect.
Among all the officers under his command, Mason thought that the young man named Sherman had the most promising future, and he was very optimistic about this young man.
"Sherman, you take the first company to Los Angeles first, and be sure to requisition some local ships. This is very important."
Colonel Mason ordered the quartermaster to bring a small bag of gold coins and a large bag of Spanish and Mexican silver coins to Sherman.
"Sherman, you must control your temper and don't conflict with local residents, understand?"
After handing the gold and silver coins to Sherman, Colonel Mason repeatedly warned him, hoping that Sherman would remember his words.
"Yes, Colonel!"
Sherman saluted Colonel Mason and led the first company out of the exhausted large team and headed towards Los Angeles in the west.
Sherman's first company was the most elite company among the ten companies under Colonel Mason. The physical fitness of the soldiers in the first company was generally better than that of the soldiers in other companies.
More importantly, the first company was also the only cavalry company under Colonel Mason.
This cavalry company was established by Mason at great expense after the war.
Sherman rode his horse and arrived in Los Angeles soon.
At this time, more than half of the residents of Los Angeles had left, and only more than 700 residents were unwilling to leave their hometown for San Francisco and remained in Los Angeles.
The bill passed by Congress was to accept the land donated by the Mexican government in the California region, which naturally included Los Angeles.
The residents of Los Angeles had learned about this news in the California Daily, and they were not friendly to the American soldiers entering the town.
The residents of Los Angeles were even more unwilling to cooperate with Sherman's procurement of food and fodder.
In addition to their reluctance to sell food to Sherman, there was another more important reason: Sherman's purchase price was too low.
In the past, when the mayor bought food from them on behalf of Colonel Liang, Colonel Liang's price was more than seven times that of Sherman, and Colonel Liang's people always paid directly in gold, and spoke nicely and kindly.
Unlike these rude people, not only were they arrogant, but they even wanted to buy their food with silver coins.
In California, where gold was flooded, no one was willing to accept worthless silver coins.
"A bunch of guys who don't eat toasts and drink for punishment! We are American soldiers! Is this how you treat American soldiers? The land under your feet was originally exchanged for the lives and blood of our brave soldiers!"
The furious Sherman fired a gun into the air in the square of Los Angeles Town and ordered the purchase of food and fodder from house to house.
After receiving Sherman's order, Sherman's soldiers rushed into the homes of Los Angeles residents like wolves and tigers, forcibly collecting their food and fodder.
"Captain, this is peacetime. You have no right to forcibly collect our supplies, and the residents of this town have no obligation to cooperate with your actions."
After hearing the news, Los Angeles Mayor Deng Wenshun rushed to the square in the center of Los Angeles with a dozen members of the Loyalty Society and fifty or sixty armed civilians with live ammunition.
"Look! What are you doing! How dare you guys brandish swords and guns in front of us? Don't you see who we are! We are American soldiers! The regular army of the United States! Put away those toys in your hands! Otherwise, I will not be polite!"
Sherman threatened, waving the six-shot revolver in his hand.
Sherman's face reminded Deng Wenshun of the Qing Dynasty's officials and soldiers. After following Liang Yao for so long, Deng Wenshun knew that only with the gun in hand could the waist be strong, so he naturally refused to put down his weapons.
The Los Angeles residents behind Deng Wenshun were also unwilling to put down their weapons, and the two sides just confronted each other with guns.
At this moment, gunshots suddenly rang out in the town, followed by the screams of a woman with a Mexican accent.
"Oh! My God! They shot and killed people! Oh my God! They shot and killed people!"
Soon, the men in Los Angeles took up their guns and drove those annoying soldiers out of their homes. Even women and children picked up brooms, rakes, stones and even cow and horse dung to greet these soldiers.
For a while, gunshots rang out in Los Angeles.
Deng Wenshun and Sherman looked at each other, and in a flash, the two of them had no time to think about it, and instinctively pulled the trigger.