Battle of Camarón: The French Foreign Legion Earns its Legendary Status
The French Foreign Legion is an interesting branch of the French military. Composed of foreign troops with French officers and some other French troops, it stood out from other regiments. From the beginning, the Legion was known for its harder-than-average training and discipline as well as their strong sense of unity. Though this may not be considered a tactical victory, it was certainly a victory for the reputation of the French Foreign Legion and a look at the casualties of the Mexicans shows that the French fought exceptionally well.
Coming from a wide array of nations they all had their service to the Legion in common. They were already famous when they fought in several key engagements during WWI, largely because of one key battle against all the odds in the middle of Mexico.
The French intervened when a civil war broke out between a Mexican Republican faction and the Mexican Empire. Supporting the Empire, the French invaded and got a surprise when they were defeated in the battle of Puebla in 1862. The next year they would lay siege to the city.
A small group of the 3rd company, 65 men, was sent to escort supplies to the French at Puebla. On the way, they were attacked by several hundred Mexican cavalry. A walled Hacienda (villa) was nearby and the Legion under the volunteer command of Captain Danjou repelled two cavalry charges before they entered the walled courtyard, despite being outnumbered by the cavalry almost four to one
As the Legion entered the Hacienda, more Mexican troops arrived and they sent a request that the French surrender saying: “You will be needlessly slaughtered”. Captain Danjou was an experienced officer, sporting a wooden hand from when he had a musket explode on him. Resolved to fight to the death he had his men swear an oath to do the same. He sent a message back to the Mexican commander, Milan, saying “We have enough ammo and shall continue the fight.”
When the main assaults began, the 65 men faced over 1,000 Mexican troops determined to win a quick victory. Furious attacks lasted about an hour as the gates to the courtyard were breached but the Mexicans were eventually repulsed, though at the cost of Captain Danjou, who was shot in the chest and killed around noon.
Lieutenant Vilain took command and was offered another surrender when Mexican reinforcements put their total at 3,000. Vilain refused and fighting resumed. By 2:00 in the afternoon, half the Legion remained and soon after Vilain was killed.
Lieutenant Maudet took command as evening came and about a dozen men remained. About a dozen more were captured and of these, nearly all had serious wounds. When five men were left, the legion had finally run out of ammunition but they were not about to run away from the fight. They decided on a bayonet charge.
Two of the five men were gunned down before the Mexicans held their fire and the three remaining legionaries stopped. Commander Milan requested their surrender one last time. To this, Lieutenant Maudet agreed on the condition that they keep their equipment and that the wounded receive immediate attention from the Mexican doctors. When Milan saw the three survivors of the charge he exclaimed “These are not men! They are demons!” These words cemented the legacy of the French Foreign Legion.
The Legion today has 7,700 men from over 140 nations. They commemorate the Battle of Camarón every year and proudly display the wooden hand of Captain Danjou. It may have been a defeat on paper, but the Legion did cause about 500 Mexican casualties by refusing to surrender, that’s over seven men per Legionary, a ratio seldom seen in any age or style of warfare.