I Became The Crown Prince Of The Mexican Empire - Chapter 130



Only Noblemtl

Mexican-American War (3)

Even though I was busy commanding the war, I took some time to greet a long-awaited guest.

“You must be the famous Tom. Nice to meet you, Tom Freeman.”

I shook hands with the black boy who was standing nervously in front of me.

The boy barely managed to grab her hand with trembling hands.

“It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty.”

“Oh, your pronunciation is so natural. You must have studied Spanish hard.”

I smiled contentedly.

“Yes, I am very grateful that Your Majesty has provided me with a teacher.”

‘Your eyes are nice, and your brain doesn’t seem bad either.’

It had been more than ten years since slavery was abolished in the Mexican Empire. During that long period, no slave had escaped to Mexico, but this black boy was the first to try and succeed.

It may be a coincidence that you obtained the information, but it was not a coincidence that you decided to actually put it into practice, made a plan, and succeeded.

“Yes. I heard that you want to help freed slaves in the future. Is that right?”

“Yes, that’s right. But if Your Majesty so orders, I will put on my military uniform and go to battle right away.”

He also knows that the war with the United States has begun. He must have known, because the city of Trinidad where he arrived was full of soldiers. The conflict between the United States and Mexico that started with his escape eventually led to war.

“Haha, that’s good, but I expect something else from you. Like it or not, you’re already the most famous freed slave in the world. Now that you’re here, why not make use of it?”

I said to Tom, who was making a face that said he didn’t get it.

“First, go to college.”

“···Are you talking about college?”

He asked as if he had never imagined it, but if that were not the case, then there would be no reason for me to assign a teacher to you.

“Yes. There is something you need to do. Don’t worry, it will end up helping freed slaves.”

Tom has already become a symbolic figure of freed slaves in this era. Every newspaper reader in the United States and Mexico knows his name, and there is no one who does not know him when it comes to freed slaves. Even black slaves in America are said to know Tom’s name.

That is why I intend to raise him as a social activist and politician. He will encourage not only freed slaves but all black people to integrate well into our Mexican society, and he can also serve as a role model who can achieve success if he does well, depending on his performance.

***

When the government of New Granada declared war on the Mexican Empire, most of the population was not convinced.

The president and the Congress who decided on war were not convinced by this situation, so how could the people who were dragged into a war they had nothing to do with and ended up dying be convinced? From the people’s perspective, it was like a bolt from the blue.

The most bewildered were the people of the border region, the state of Panama, who knew very well the power of the Mexican Empire.

“We’re at war with the Mexican Empire? Don’t be crazy.”

“I might as well go now rather than end up dying like a dog.”

They knew all too well the riches of the Mexican Empire, which, despite being at the farthest reaches of the empire and the most remote, had an abundance of low grain prices, plentiful jobs, lenient working conditions, and the benefits of land and homes for those who immigrated.

As you know, isn’t it a situation where a huge number of people have crossed the border and immigrated? In that situation, how can there be war? It was like pushing them to go.

The response of the local elites was also cold. They were already conflicted about not wanting to be subject to government interference, and now they were being told to send soldiers to fight a war.

“The government has gone mad. Tell them we can’t send a single person from our side!”

“yes!”

The government of New Granada was only able to recruit an army of about 20,000 men, mainly from the capital Bogotá and its surrounding areas.

Almost every province refused to comply with the conscription order.

“I would like to take this force and beat up those Federalist bastards.”

The hearts of the president and the central army generals who wanted to do so were like chimneys, but war had broken out at that moment.

In a situation where public sentiment in the capital was at its worst, attacking the provinces rather than blocking the enemy was the same as wanting to die in a military coup disguised as a revolution.

“First, let’s quickly send these troops to the Panama region. Even though New Granada may not be the main target, we don’t know when they might attack.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Combined with the original garrison, the army numbered only 25,000. That was all that existed in the state of New Granada.

Even if the country was poor, if it had been a war that was acceptable to the people and local elites, it would have received much greater support than this, but public sentiment toward the war was the worst.

Anti-war protesters were demanding accountability for those who started this useless war, and covert contacts were being made with local power brokers.

***

The Mexican Empire’s fleet, gathered in the Cuban port of Havana, began to sail north.

Havana, Cuba, a major port and military and shipyard of the Mexican Empire, is located not far from the mouth of the Mississippi River.

Of course, the US Navy was also conducting reconnaissance every hour and capturing the movement.

“Admiral, the Mexican fleet is on the move! Their course is northwest, as expected!”

“It’s moving as expected.”

If I were the Mexican Empire, I would have targeted Mississippi.

Admiral David Connor thought so. If the Mississippi River were blocked, it would be fatal to the United States.

During the War of 1812, the British Navy imposed a powerful blockade on the American coast.

Although the blockade dealt a major blow to American trade and economy, the transport capacity of inland waterways, including the Mississippi River, enabled the United States to overcome some of the blockade and maintain economic stability during the war.

The Mississippi River, the longest, widest, and deepest river in the United States, was the heart of the nation’s inland waterways. Its size allowed it to accommodate not just one or two ships, but an entire fleet.

“We are also moving according to plan.”

“yes!”

As soon as the admiral’s order was given, the American fleet began to move quickly to their respective positions in tense silence. On the sea, the heavy iron doors of the monitors creaked shut, and preparations for the operation were hastily carried out.

It was not intended to block the entry into the Mississippi River, but rather to lure the Mexican Empire’s fleet deeper into the river.

This strategy was based on preparing ambush attacks using the complex waterways and riverine fortifications of the Mississippi River, allowing the United States to disperse the enemy fleet and strike at it individually.

After the Mexican Empire proved the power of ironclad ships, the era of sailing ships ended. The United States also quickly began researching ironclad ships and succeeded in building them, but was unable to build them in large numbers.

Because they were too expensive. Ironclad ships costing $600,000 each were difficult for the U.S. government, which was relatively poor for its size, to afford.

Instead, the United States built a large number of monitor ships, which, although small in size, had decent defenses because they were armored, and their attack power was comparable to that of armored ships because they were equipped with large main guns. They decided to accept the disadvantage of not being suitable for ocean voyages.

‘The Mexican Empire cannot leave all its ports undefended. It will have to leave its defensive fleet behind. If so, with the coastal defenses along the Mississippi River expanded over the past year and the offensive power of dozens of monitor ships, it has a chance of winning.’

The Mexican Empire’s massive fleet of ships entered the Mississippi River, smoke billowing from their chimneys.

***

New Orleans, a representative city in the American South that developed along the Mississippi River, was the first target of the Mexican Empire’s navy.

“The coastal defenses are stronger than previously surveyed!”

“Well, the Americans must have prepared too. I didn’t think they’d enter New Orleans unscathed, so let’s just crush them.”

“yes.”

Although Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip were much more heavily fortified than was reported, Admiral Sandro Castillo ordered the attack without hesitation, for there was still a grand plan of action ahead, and it would not make sense to return to the coastal defenses.

Boom!

Before the fleet could fire its main guns, the coastal guns opened fire.

They have already started to gauge the range to engage in battle.

From the defensive structures lined up along the coastline, heavy cannons began to rotate toward their targets, one by one.

The soldiers’ tense breathing made the winter riverside air even colder.

‘The coastal grapes have sprouted.’

According to our investigation, these cannons were fortunate enough to only dent an ironclad ship, but now we see that they have been replaced with larger-caliber cannons.

The United States was also greatly shocked by the appearance of ironclad ships and so prepared for it.

“Strike those large-caliber coastal guns first.”

“yes.”

This point, surrounded by Fort St. Philip to the north and Fort Jackson to the south, was America’s first line of defense.

Boom!···Boom!

The Mexican Empire’s fleet began to subdue the fort by deploying ironclad ships along the edge and firing their main guns.

The two fortresses, made of thick brick, were guarded by thousands of defenders, visible to the naked eye.

Love love love-

“damage!”

Bam!

“Eww!”

The bullets from the 300mm main gun that hit the fort scraped the ground and passed by, hitting the soldiers. The American soldiers, who saw their comrades turn to blood, fired coastal guns in return.

It was made to be recklessly large to deal with ironclad ships, and its reload speed was ridiculously slow, but its power was truly amazing.

Love love love-

Thud!!

Wood crack!

The ironclad ship, with its wrought iron armor, barely deflected the bullet, but the people on board heard the wood inside snap. There had definitely been a hit.

Boom!

Although the fortresses and fleets were competing against each other, the ironclad ships were still very powerful.

The forts began to crumble with each blow and were quickly chipped away, but the ironclad ships appeared to be unharmed, even though their men were spitting blood from the impact and the timbers within their armor were snapping a little.

If he attacked the fortresses with his ironclad ships, he would be able to take over both fortresses without suffering much damage. However, Admiral Castillo also knew that this was not the end.

“American fleet appears in the east!”

All eyes turned to the east at the sudden shout. Beyond the coastline, the silhouette of the American fleet appeared, further heightening the tension in the battlefield.

Kwakwakwang!

Soon, the American fleet opened fire. The American fleet, which had come running at full speed upon hearing the gunfire, struck the back of the Mexican Empire’s fleet.

The fleet was much smaller.

While the Mexican fleet consisted of 16 ironclads, 24 armored frigates, 26 monitors, and dozens of small and medium-sized ships, the American fleet had only eight ironclads, no armored frigates, and 42 monitors.

Unlike the Mexican Empire, the United States brought ships of the line and frigates, but they did not seem to have high expectations and were waiting in the rear.

The U.S. Navy’s fleet, similar to the Mexican Empire, began firing the main guns of its monitor ships, with ironclads leading the way.

Wedge!

Thud!

“Cough!”

Surrounded and battered by two forts to the north and south and an American fleet to the east, the Mexican Navy was caught off guard.

It was true that they had overwhelming naval power. Even this fleet of 80 ships was only a little over half of the Atlantic Fleet’s strength.

The rest of the fleet was engaged in defensive and other operations, but the existence of the ironclads had already been known for nearly seven years.

The enemies were also aware of the overwhelming defensive power of the ironclad ships and had prepared thoroughly for it. The environment was prepared for a full fight.

Admiral Castillo also realized that he and the senior officers of the Mexican Navy had let their guard down.

‘We can win like this. However, if we continue like this, the damage to our fleet will be greater than expected.’

New Orleans is only the primary objective. There is still a long way to go, and if the fleet suffers heavy losses here, even if we win, it is not a victory.

Boom!

The main gun of his flagship passed over the enemy ironclad and hit an enemy monitor ship.

Boom!

The monitor box, which had been loading for a long time, swayed violently from side to side as if it was about to tip over.

The shortcoming of the monitor ship with a low freeboard was revealed. However, unfortunately for the Mexican Empire, it was not enough to overturn with a single main gun hit.

Admiral Castillo looked at the monitor ship barely maintaining balance and made a decision.

“Flagship and Libertador, charge the enemy fleet! The rest of the fleet, hold your ground and take control of the fortress!”

There was no backlash.

This ramming tactic was something that was planned to be used when the two new ships were being designed.

In a fleet battle where the ships were cutting each other down, only two ironclad ships remained unscathed.

“Let’s go! Show the power of the ‘Steel’ ironclad! Overturn all the enemy monitor ships!”

The two ships, which appeared to be no different from other ironclads at first glance, were clad in steel armor rather than wrought iron.

In an era where the defense power of ships was stronger than their attack power, this ship was even clad in steel. It was not unreasonable to think of ramming tactics.

Admiral David Connor also noticed as he saw the two ships rushing towards him, exchanging cannon fire.

“Stop it! Stop it even if it means ramming the armored ship! Don’t allow it to collide with the monitor ship!”

Kwaaaaang!!

They succeeded in blocking the Libertador on the left by ramming two ironclad ships, but

Squeak!

The flagship of the Mexican Imperial Fleet, Cuauhtémoc, managed to escape by scraping the side of an American ironclad.

“Retreat! Retreat!”

“No, don’t retreat! If the monitor disappears from here, it’s over!”

The battle grew more intense as confusing orders were exchanged between the captains of each monitor ship.

The first victim has appeared.

The Mexican flagship, the Cuauhtemoc, rammed a U.S. military monitor ship.

Kwaang-

“Hey hey hey!”

“Oh, no!”

“It’s over!”

Even though he had to change direction quickly and hit at an angle, he was overturned with shocking ease due to the huge weight difference.

“Shoot it! Break it!”

Boom! Boom bang! Boom!

The soldiers on the monitor ship, who saw the ship capsize before their eyes, fired their main guns in fear for their lives, but it was in vain.

Despite the heavy fire from the main guns, the Cuauhtémoc advanced forward and rammed the second monitor ship.

Kwaang!

In the blink of an eye, two monitor ships were taken out of combat.

Although the soldiers in the fort were desperately firing their cannons, the Mexican fleet still stood strong.

This was thanks to Admiral Castillo’s bold decision to deploy only two ironclads, successfully drawing the attention of 42 monitor ships mobilized by the U.S. Navy.

The response plan prepared by the United States Navy began to completely fall apart.