Chapter 243: Deploying Troops

The work plan for the colonization group has been prepared, and the next step is to clear the obstacles for the colonization group to colonize the Oregon area.

That obstacle is Bernat.

Of course, this matter still needs to be coordinated with the Indian tribes.

Although Burnat was a private soldier, he was once the territorial governor of the territory and a well-known Democratic politician.

Burnat must be killed, but the federal government and the East cannot know that Burnat was killed by him, otherwise it will bring unnecessary trouble to themselves.

The majority of the soldiers in the California Infantry Regiment are Chinese. The Chinese are not much different from the Indians in appearance. It is a good choice to have your soldiers dress up as Indians and directly annihilate Burnett's armed forces in the Oregon area. .

Didn't Burnett like to suppress Indians?

He deserved to die at the hands of the "Indians". He asked for it. It has nothing to do with me, Liang Yao.

As long as things are done cleanly enough, even if the federal government suspects that he did it, it can only stare blankly without providing evidence.

Moreover, Liang Yao is now responsible for the expedition to Japan. He is recognized by everyone in the United States from top to bottom as an American hero and an expert in the Far East. His reputation in the American military, political and business circles is not low.

If the California Railway (San Francisco-Los Angeles) progresses smoothly, it will not be officially opened to traffic until mid-February. Deng Yan cannot catch up with the opening of the California Railway. The fastest way to return to San Francisco from San Diego on the US-Mexico border is to take a boat. .

After several days of hard work on the boat, Deng Yan arrived in San Francisco on January 24, 1852, and went straight to report to Liang Yao.

According to Liang Yao's order, only two of the five companies originally stationed in San Diego remained, and the remaining three companies were all brought back to San Francisco.

"I heard that Mexico recently sent an additional infantry regiment to Tijuana. Are the Mexican troops stationed on the border still honest?"

Seeing Deng Yan, Liang Yao directly asked Deng Yan about the security issues at the US-Mexico border.

He was now solely responsible for the border between California and Arizona, and he didn't want anything to go wrong along the border.

"They are just soft-footed shrimps. Even if a standing brigade is mobilized, it will not be able to do anything to us. The Mexican army is weak, and those Mexican soldiers are no better than the Qing Dynasty's green battalion soldiers."

Deng Yan said with disdain on his face.

"The Mexican army, from officers to soldiers, smokes heavily while on duty. This way the army has nothing to fear. After you came back, you sent additional Arizona Infantry Regiment to the Arizona Territory. Mexican ghosts don't dare to act like monsters."

So far, Liang Yao has not had direct contact with Mexican officers and soldiers. The only ones he has had contact with are those Mexican veterans who joined the Coal and Steel Alliance.

The Mexican army was so miserable that Liang Yao couldn't help but get excited.

Elvis, who was promoted by Liang Yao and transferred to the Arizona Infantry Regiment as regimental commander, was employed by the Mexican government during the U.S.-Mexican War before being hired by Liang Yao to help the Mexican government train its troops.

Elvis also had a very negative opinion of the Mexican army.

Mexico is simply a big fat piece of meat. It just wants to get involved in Mexico. The biggest obstacle is not the Mexican government and army, but the two colonial powers of Britain and France.

Britain and France will not allow the United States to continue to devour Mexico and watch the United States grow bigger and ignore it, unless they are too busy and encounter more imminent threats to take care of matters in North America.

"Having said that, we still need to be more vigilant and not underestimate the enemy." Liang Yao said seriously.

"Respect the teachings of Your Majesty the Colonel!"

Deng Yan stood tall and straight in military posture, saluted Liang Yao with a military salute, and then asked.

"Did something happen when the colonel asked me to take three companies back to San Francisco this time? San Francisco needs troops?"

"Nothing happened in San Francisco." Liang Yao pointed to the sofa beside him and motioned for Deng Yan to sit down.

"The place to use troops is not San Francisco, but the Oregon Territory."

"Oregon?" Deng Yan was very surprised.

"Yes, in the Oregon Territory, it stands to reason that we only need to take care of our own one-third of an acre, and there is no need to interfere in Oregon's affairs. It's just that Burnett went too far and killed the Indians indiscriminately, causing our California The caravan was also implicated."

Liang Yao said slowly.

“Many Chinese caravans were just robbed of their goods, but some white caravans were thought to be Burnett’s men by the Indians when they passed through Indian territory. Not only did their goods be robbed, but their lives were also lost.

Sutter also complained to me that if this matter was not properly settled, there would never be peace in the trade between California and Oregon.

White people in California have already voiced their opinions about forming an armed team to go to Oregon to exterminate the Indians. If you continue to let it go, something big will happen sooner or later. "

Not long after the West Coast region was annexed to the United States, there were quite a large number of Indian tribes on the West Coast, and the activities of each tribe were also very scattered.

Furthermore, the state boundaries of California are drawn by the American government, and the Indians have no regard for the state lines drawn by the American government.

Some relatively primitive Indian tribes still maintain the habit of living in pursuit of water and grass. After the resources in the original territory are exhausted, they will move to other places.

For example, an Indian tribe's territory is in Oregon this year. After the resources in the Oregon territory are exhausted, it is common for them to go south to California to find a new territory to settle and live.

Besides, the Indian tribes are not only at war with the extreme white rightists like Bernat, but also have internal conflicts among the tribes.

Liang Yao does not want California's precious 9 years of development to be dragged down by the war with the Indians.

"If the situation has developed to this point, then we really have to intervene." Deng Yan nodded after sitting down.

"But how do you plan to solve this matter?"

"If you want to resolve the disputes with the Indians and make the West Coast region stable again, there is only one way, that is to destroy Bernat's armed forces!" Liang Yao said firmly.

"Destroy Bernat?" Deng Yan's expression gradually became solemn, "Bernat is not an ordinary ghost old man. Killing him may also bring us a lot of trouble."

"What if Bernat was killed by the Indians?" Liang Yao asked with a smile.

"That's his own fault. He deserves it. For him, it's a good death. It has nothing to do with us." Deng Yan slapped his thigh and quickly understood what Liang Yao meant.

Given the strength of the Indian tribes and their loose state of fighting on their own, they certainly have no ability to annihilate Bernat's armed forces.

In the entire West Coast region, only the regular army under Liang Yao has the strength to annihilate Bernat's armed forces.

"Do you want our California Infantry Regiment to pretend to be Indians?"

"Yes, this is a matter of great importance. I don't want this to leak out, leaving handles and evidence. I can only give it to the person I trust most." Liang Yao looked at Deng Yan, who was the person he could trust 100%.

"I want not only to defeat and crush Bernat's people, but to annihilate them all, leaving no one alive!"

"I have also heard of Bernat's group of people. He has three or four hundred desperate people under his command. It is easy to defeat them, but it is still difficult to annihilate them all. His people are not a mob."

Deng Yan thought of the Brandon gangsters at the time. The people under Bernat's command were the same as those under Brandon's command.

They all have military experience and have received complete military training. They are not a mob.

Moreover, compared with Brandon, Bernat has his own bases in Portland, Oregon, and along the Columbia River. Their supplies are much more sufficient than those of Brandon's bandits, and there is no worry about shortage of supplies.

"Except for the two companies stationed in San Diego, the remaining soldiers of the California Infantry Regiment, including the training company, cavalry company, and artillery company, will be transferred to you. The entire regiment will also be equipped with new Delais needle guns, and you will be given three weeks of training to let the soldiers adapt to the new guns." Liang Yao said.

"I have sent invitations to the Indian tribes to invite them to Sacramento for a talk. I will also persuade these Indian tribes to cooperate with your actions. I still have only one request, that is, to completely wipe out Bernat and his team, and not let anyone go!"

Deng Yan's eyes lit up. With new quick guns, cavalry companies, newly formed artillery companies, and the cooperation of Indians, it is not impossible to completely wipe out Bernat's team with such a big advantage.

"Leave it to me! If you can't annihilate that guy Bernat, I'll bring my head to you!" Deng Yan promised Liang Yao.

"I want Bernat's scalp, not your head." Liang Yao laughed, "You haven't been back to San Francisco for a long time. Let's go to the city for a walk."

After being transferred to the border in San Diego, Deng Yan has never been home.

He is now a soldier, without a superior, that is, Liang Yao's transfer order, he can only stay in San Diego to perform his duties, and Deng Yan has no complaints about this.

He was originally just a fugitive from the Qing Dynasty, and he was very satisfied to be able to get to this point in America.

"I heard that you are back, and I was planning to give you a report leave before the Chinese New Year next month, and go back to San Francisco to celebrate the New Year."

Deng Yan said as he rode the big foreign horse brought to him by the servant in Tingtao Garden.

"After annihilating that guy Bernat, I will give all the brothers in the California Infantry Regiment a half-month leave." Liang Yao said.

The Gregorian calendar date of the Spring Festival in 1852 was February 20, 1852, and it is now January 24.

After three weeks of training, the period of entering the Oregon region to annihilate the Bernat armed forces happened to be the Spring Festival. It was unrealistic to give the officers and soldiers of the California Infantry Regiment a year off.

However, after the mission was completed, it was still possible to give them a half-month vacation.

Unlike the loose management model of other U.S. Army infantry regiments, Liang Yao managed the troops under his command very strictly.

Even if you are stationed in San Francisco, your home is in San Francisco. Without approval, you can only stay in the barracks and wait for orders, and you cannot leave the barracks at will.

However, the requirements for the militia regiment as a reserve training will be more relaxed. After all, the militia regiment only has a fixed subsidy, no special military pay, and is not a professional army.

But Liang Yao's management of the militia regiment is still stricter than that of other U.S. Army infantry regiments.

Actually, it is called a subsidy, and you can get 8 dollars a month, and the meals in the barracks are completely free, and the clothing and equipment are also provided free of charge.

This treatment is better than the treatment of professional soldiers in other regular U.S. Army regular infantry regiments.

The U.S. militia in some remote states and territories is required to provide their own clothing and equipment, and even their own weapons. What's more, they are required to purchase these necessary military supplies from designated suppliers.

These suppliers are basically friends and relatives of the local colonel, and the military supplies they provide are all substandard counterfeit products.

It is not uncommon for the soles of shoes to fall off after only two days of wearing, and for military uniforms to be worn out after only a few days of training.