Chapter 498: Target: 49° North Latitude Border Line!

"Elliot asked us to withdraw our warships from the main waterway of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the garrison besieging Bellingham must also be withdrawn within two days. Any unfriendly military actions by the American army and other armed forces in the Oregon region will be regarded as a provocation to the British Empire. These are the original words of the British envoy." Elvis looked worried.

A 3,000-ton Julang-class steam battleship and two 1,000-ton Daring-class steam battleships of the Oregon and Umbrella fleets have surrounded Bellingham from both land and water.

After two and a half months of siege, the British illegal immigrants who illegally settled in Bellingham sent a distress signal to the Governor of British Columbia, Elliot.

These British illegal immigrants sent a distress signal to British Columbia in a hurry, not because their stored daily necessities were exhausted.

In fact, under the instruction of the Governor of British Columbia, Elliot, these British illegal immigrants stockpiled a large amount of food and other daily necessities in Bellingham, and made plans to settle in Bellingham for a long time.

These abundant supplies are enough to sustain the consumption of more than 600 British illegal immigrants in the Bellingham stronghold for two years.

In terms of water sources, Bellingham, which is built on the river, naturally has no shortage of water sources.

However, Bellingham is not a military fortress, but an economic colonial stronghold. The British illegal immigrants in the stronghold are all members of the colonial company.

It is not that they can stay as long as there are sufficient supplies. When all economic activities are forced to stop, and it is not known how long this situation will last, it is impossible for these colonists not to be anxious.

"That is because they crossed the border and settled illegally first. I will add another artillery battalion for you. As long as the British do not withdraw from Bellingham, Bellingham will be the base of the Oregon Regiment!" Liang Yao gave a death order to Colonel Elvis, the commander of the Oregon Regiment.

The three main regiments of the Western Brigade, except for the California Regiment, which still stayed in the base in Jinshan Bay, the other two regiments have been transferred to northern Oregon.

Due to the existence of the Oregon border issue, Liang Yao had to slow down the plan of immigration to the northern Oregon region and let the remnants of the Democratic Party occupy this area as a buffer between him and the British.

However, this is a different time. At that time, the Chinese were not the main citizens of California. California had nothing but gold, and could not even build a cannon or a steamship.

Liang Yao could only choose to accumulate strength first and develop with his tail between his legs.

Now the situation is different. After the first five-year plan, the West Coast region has a population of at least 1.5 million and has its own industry. The military industry and shipbuilding industry are second to none in the country.

Although this size cannot touch the British mainland, it is still possible to touch the British colonies as long as the scale is right.

"All the soldiers of the Arizona Regiment have been assembled. Please give instructions, General!" Kruger, the head of the Arizona Regiment, asked Liang Yao for instructions after assembling the troops that disembarked.

"I want to review the troops in person!" Liang Yao said.

"Yes, General!" Kruger saluted Liang Yao.

"Please follow me to review the California troops." After Kruger left, Liang Yao turned around and invited the members of the California consortium who were accompanying him to inspect northern Oregon.

The railway network in the West Coast region only extends northward to Portland, Oregon, and has not yet been built to the Puget Sound area.

The Arizona Regiment is stationed in Los Angeles. They took a train from Los Angeles to Portland, and finally took a steam transport ship from Portland to Bellingham.

Even so, with the blessing of trains and steamships, the Arizona Regiment traveled from Los Angeles, 2,000 kilometers away, almost across the entire West Coast, and it only took five days.

This is the benefit of industrialization.

If it were five years ago, not to mention starting from Los Angeles, even if it was starting from San Francisco and taking the sea route to the vicinity of Puget Sound, it would take ten days and a half a month. The premise is that the weather conditions are good.

This is the confidence of Liang Yao to solve the border problem now.

Liang Yao mounted his horse and walked towards the assembly point of the Arizona Regiment.

"Everyone! Get ready!" Kruger drew his command sword and shouted to the soldiers of the Arizona Infantry Regiment.

Hearing the commander's order, the soldiers of the Arizona Regiment looked forward, and in unison, they quickly raised the Walter M1851 rifles in their hands to their shoulders, then quickly stepped forward, completing the standard "forward step" action, and finally put down the rifles in unison.

"Salute to His Excellency the General!"

The officers and soldiers of the Arizona Infantry Regiment raised their guns to their chests with both hands, looked at Liang Yao, and saluted Liang Yao.

"1,320 soldiers of the Arizona Infantry Regiment have been assembled! Please give instructions, His Excellency the General!"

After doing this, Kruger walked in front of Liang Yao and asked Liang Yao for instructions.

There is no limit to the number of soldiers over a thousand; there is no edge to the number of soldiers over ten thousand.

The scene of a fully staffed infantry regiment, especially an elite infantry regiment with strict military appearance, tempered by the fire of war, and murderous eyes, is still very spectacular.

Liang Yao inspected his troops on horseback, and he could not help but feel excited.

"Everyone! At ease!" Liang Yao drew his sword and shouted loudly on horseback.

After receiving the order to stand at ease, thousands of soldiers of the Arizona Infantry Regiment put down their guns, returned to their normal posture, and continued to wait for the next order or instruction.

"Go north! Target the 49° north latitude border!" Liang Yao pointed the command sword in his hand to the north.

After the order was issued, the entire regiment officers and soldiers set off north on the spot.

After reviewing the soldiers of the Arizona Infantry Regiment, Liang Yao put his sword back into its sheath and told Kruger: "Yi Lu has sent letters several times to put pressure on me, and today I will use the Arizona Regiment to put pressure on Yi Lu.

After you arrive at the border, the British army will definitely come to confront you. If the British did not act excessively, you would have stayed at the border to put pressure on the British before receiving the order to retreat.

If the British open fire, you don't need to ask for permission, just respond tooth for tooth, eye for eye. "

"Yes, General." Kruger nodded and set off.

After Kruger left, Liang Yao smiled and asked the California consortium members behind him: "How about the California soldiers?"

The California Consortium is a new consortium with Liang Yao's America Group as the core. The main forces include Robinson's Boston Group, various chaebols in the Chinese Chamber of Commerce headed by Wu Yuanhua and Pan Zhengwei, Fremont's Gervin's Pacific Group, Sutter's The Sacramento Group and other small and medium-sized chaebols.

In terms of the funds, political resources and influence at hand, the California consortium in 1856 was no longer a small consortium.

"As expected of the elite of the United States, the British were so frightened that they drove the Arizona Infantry Regiment to the border." Wu Yuanhua said with emotion.

With such a strong army as the backing, it is not impossible to resolve border disputes.

What's more, this is just the Arizona regiment, not the most elite California regiment of the Western Brigade. Liang Yao hasn't revealed his trump card yet and put it on the card table.

"I saw my grandson." Pan Zhengwei, chairman of Tongfu Group, said with a smile.

"It's good to be a soldier, it's good to be a soldier. This boy has become much more energetic after becoming a soldier. He's almost the same person as before."

Pan Zhengwei has two grandsons. The eldest grandson, Pan Baohuang, was finally admitted to Yale University to study law two years ago. The second grandson, Pan Baolin, just graduated from West Point Military Academy and is now serving in the Arizona Infantry Regiment.

"You have also seen that I mobilized troops this time and transferred the two main regiments to Northern Oregon. Firstly, it shows the British that I have the confidence and determination to resolve the border dispute. Secondly, it allows you to invest here with peace of mind. "

As Liang Yao spoke, he led everyone on horseback toward Duwamish Harbor in the Puget Sound area.