North America 1849, from Gold Rush to Warlord

Chapter 103 My Cannon, It's Huge (5,000 words)

During the gold rush period, it was actually the time when Ah Zu was most idle.

Apart from mechanical malfunctions that others can't handle, there aren't many things to bother him, and Ah Zu has a lot of free time.

Using this time, Azu began translating the major works of the Enlightenment period from English into Chinese.

Voltaire's Philosophical Letters, Montesquieu's The Spirit of the Laws, Rousseau's The Social Contract and The Origin and Foundations of Inequality Among Men, etc.

After translating these works into Chinese using the most accessible vernacular language, Azu also wrote several letters and handed them to Victoria, who had come to deliver supplies and intelligence.

After Victoria retrieved the books, she published them in the Standard and then sent them, along with letters, to distant China via the East Asian shipping company's ocean-going sailing vessels.

When Victoria returned to the gold rush camp, it was already May, and as before, she brought the latest intelligence.

After reviewing the intelligence, Azu fell into deep thought.

Walking up to the map of California hanging on the wall, Azu used a red pencil to sketch the advance routes of several American army units on the map, based on intelligence.

Several U.S. Army units, originating from different towns and advancing from different directions, were all heading towards the same target—Mount Elephant, where their gold-mining camp was located!
Looking at the map, Azu pondered, "Victoria, have the independent artillery battalions at the eighteenth location, which have never participated in combat before, also been deployed?"

“Yes!” Victoria also came to the map, glanced at it briefly, and pointed to one of the red advance routes, saying, “The independent artillery battalion commanded by Brigadier General George Phillips set off from Monterey five days ago.”

"The artillery battalion has traveled by water and should have reached Auburn by now. It is about eighty miles from the Elephant Mountain."

"In Auburn, there are also two cavalry companies from the 6th Independent Cavalry Battalion. Under the protection of these two companies, they will be able to reach Mount Giant Elephant within a few days!"

As she spoke, Victoria pointed to the location of Auburn on the map.

"Ha, even the artillery battalion has been mobilized!" Azu sneered. "They're up to no good!"

Azu continued to point out two more red lines on the map with a pencil, saying, "In addition to the independent artillery battalion and the two cavalry companies, there are also two battalions of the 13th Infantry Regiment approaching us from different directions."

"Although they harassed various Native American tribes along the way to conceal their ultimate goal, the fact that they were getting closer and closer to us could not be hidden at all."

Victoria asked, "Boss, after reviewing the intelligence, we also believe their target is the gold mining camp, specifically you, Boss, but we don't have any concrete information...!"

"We don't need any more precise intelligence. In this direction, besides the Blackfoot Clan, it's us!"

Azu continued, "If the target is the Blackfoot tribe, they don't need to use heavy and slow artillery battalions. The Indian tribes don't have any decent defenses at all."

"Therefore, their target will definitely be us!"

"Two infantry battalions, one artillery battalion, plus two cavalry companies, totaling more than 1,200 men!"

"Heh, to deal with our little gold-mining camp, our Brigadier General George Phillips is really willing to spend a lot!"

Azu added, "According to the intelligence we have gathered, the main equipment of the independent artillery battalion is the M1841 6-pound field gun, as well as 8-inch mortars suitable for mountain warfare."

"And neither of these two types of cannons has a range exceeding two thousand meters...!"

As he spoke, Azu drew a small circle on the map indicating the location of Giant Elephant Mountain.

"The biggest threat to our gold mining camp is this artillery battalion. Once fighting breaks out, we need to find a way to eliminate or suppress them first...!"

Victoria said, "Perhaps we can have the Blackfoot cavalry launch a surprise attack from behind and wipe out their artillery!"

Azu shook his head: "No, there's no need for our Blackfoot tribe friends to risk the regular army's artillery fire to attack the artillery positions. Even if they succeed, they will suffer heavy casualties."

"Boss, how do we take out the enemy's artillery?"

Ah Zu smiled slightly: "Hehe, it's not like they're the only ones with cannons!"

"We have cannons too?" Victoria exclaimed in surprise.

Want to see my cannon?

"Of course I want to!" Victoria nodded without hesitation, her dark golden hair surging like waves, her pretty face full of anticipation.

"follow me!"

Wow, it's huge...!
-
Meanwhile, between Auburn and Elephant Mountain, more than 30 miles from Huamei Industrial Company, the Sierra Nevada Mountains are now fully in sight!
A team of several hundred people is making a difficult journey through the majestic mountains.

Mountain roads are inherently rugged and difficult to travel, let alone the desolate Sierra Nevada Mountains, where there are no roads at all!

What's more, this team also has more than twenty heavy cannons!
As night fell, the already exhausted team set up camp beside a mountain stream.

The camp had just been set up when a lieutenant colonel intelligence officer, dressed in an ordinary soldier's uniform, lifted the curtain of a large tent and went inside.

"General, these are the 1st and 3rd Battalions of the 13th Infantry Regiment. They just delivered intelligence."

Inside the large tent, Brigadier General George Phillips, dressed in ordinary cavalry uniform, was hunched over a table, carefully studying a battle map.

Upon hearing the staff officer's voice, Brigadier General George Phillips, without looking up, asked, "Where are the First and Third Battalions now?"

The lieutenant colonel intelligence officer unfolded the intelligence report and read aloud: "Currently, the First Battalion has moved to forty miles east of Oroville, and is still more than twenty miles from Giant Elephant Mountain!"

"Order them to slow down and make sure they arrive at Giant Elephant Mountain before the evening of the day after tomorrow, at the same time as us!"

"Yes Sir!"

The intelligence officer picked up another intelligence report: "The Third Battalion has now moved to a position fifty miles northeast of Jackson, and is still more than forty miles away from Elephant Mountain!"

"Why is the Third Battalion so slow?" Brigadier General George Phillips asked, frowning.

The intelligence officer quickly replied, "The day before yesterday and yesterday, the Third Battalion encountered harassment and attacks from small numbers of Indian cavalry, forcing them to slow their march!"

Brigadier General George Phillips straightened up: "Order the Third Battalion to ignore those damned Indians and speed up the march. If they don't reach Elephant Mountain by the day after tomorrow, they will be court-martialed!"

"Yes Sir!"

Brigadier General George looked at the battle map and said coldly, "Our marching speed along the way has been half a day slower than planned!"

The lieutenant colonel replied, "Our artillery battalion is in such a mountainous area that marching is extremely difficult! Even with troops leading the way, the marching speed is still slow."

"Pass on my orders: breakfast at 4:30 AM tomorrow, break camp and set off at 6:00 AM. We must catch up with the battle plan by tomorrow!"

"Yes, General!"

Brigadier General George Phillips continued, "Any new discoveries in the last two days?"

"A new discovery?" the lieutenant colonel intelligence officer asked疑惑地. "General, do you mean...?"

"Has that Huamei Industrial Company, and the surrounding Native Americans, made any moves?"

The lieutenant colonel replied, "According to the latest intelligence, Huamei Industrial Company's mining camp in Giant Elephant Mountain has just undergone its second resupply."

"Apart from that, there were no other actions. The surrounding Native American tribes also did not make any unusual moves."

The brigadier general pressed on, "Can your intelligence department ultimately confirm that there are only three hundred armed miners in the mining camp?"

"And is that damned Chinese guy really in the mining camp too?"

The lieutenant colonel replied, "According to our informant within Huamei Industrial Company, the two supply replenishments to the mining camp were roughly in line with the consumption rate of three hundred people." "Furthermore, that Chinese guy hasn't shown up in San Francisco during this period. Within Huamei Company, no one has seen him since the end of February."

"This timeframe roughly matches the construction time of the mining camp, so it's fairly certain that the Chinese guy is in the mining camp."

"Well done!" Brigadier General George Phillips rarely praised his subordinate: "Lieutenant Colonel Wharton, if we can completely eliminate that Chinaman and Huamei Industrial Company this time, you will deserve the most credit!"

"Thank you, General!" The lieutenant colonel intelligence officer quickly snapped to attention.

"After avenging Major Daniel and the Northern California Rangers, I will recommend you to my superiors to be my chief of staff!"

The lieutenant colonel staff officer was genuinely excited now. He snapped to attention with a "snap," his voice brimming with barely suppressed excitement: "Thank you for the promotion, General!!!"

Brigadier General George Phillips patted him heavily on the shoulder: "Keep up the good work, and in a few months you might be Colonel Wharton!"

"Yes Sir! Thank You Sir!!!"

"Come on, come with me for a walk, let's go see my soldiers!"

Brigadier General George Phillips stepped out of the large tent and surveyed the temporary camp, occasionally greeting the soldiers and chatting amiably with them.

Upon reaching the field artillery company of the artillery battalion, Brigadier General George patted the dark barrel of an M1841 6-pound field gun and remarked, "These are guys who fought in the war against the Mexicans and made outstanding contributions!"

The brigadier general called out to the artillerymen surrounding him, “My soldiers, you must take good care of these old buddies; they are the decisive force on the battlefield!”

"Yes Sir!"

When he reached the 2nd Field Artillery Company and the 3rd Company equipped with mortars, George Phillips repeated his words almost verbatim twice.

The two field artillery batteries were equipped with eighteen M1841 6-pounder field guns, which were muzzle-loading smoothbore guns with a range of 1,500 meters, firing solid shot or grapeshot.

A mortar battery is equipped with nine lightweight 8-inch mortars with a range of 2,000 meters. They fire high-trajectory high-explosive shells, which can be transported by mules after being disassembled. Their high-curve trajectory is more suitable for mountain warfare.

Under the personal command of Brigadier General George Phillips, this mixed force of artillery and cavalry maintained high morale despite the arduous and rugged terrain of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Meanwhile, two other infantry battalions, one to the south and one to the north, were also continuing their march through the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Three teams, totaling more than 1,200 regular troops, are all well-trained and experienced professional soldiers. Having experienced the Mexican-American War two years ago, as well as the numerous battles, large and small, against Native Americans over the years, this army definitely possesses top-notch combat power in this era.

In Brigadier General George Phillips's view, this operation was absolutely a case of a lion hunting a rabbit, going all out.

The mere three hundred armed miners were utterly no match for the powerful force of twelve hundred well-equipped men and artillery battalion!
But that was Brigadier General George Phillips's style of warfare: to achieve operational objectives at all costs and not allow any accidents to occur.

Moreover, the closer a major battle is to coming, the calmer and more composed he becomes, a stark contrast to his usual volatile and irritable persona.

According to that old man Brosnan, George Phillips became a general because of his connections and luck.

But only those who know Brigadier General George Phillips best understand that his rise to become one of the few generals in the entire United States was not solely due to his background and luck!
Throughout his long military career, George Phillips never suffered a major defeat. Even if he experienced a minor setback, he would quickly regain his footing in subsequent battles.

Including the loss suffered at the hands of the Native Americans a few days ago, once that damned Chinaman and the Huamei Industrial Company are dealt with, Brigadier General George Phillips will take the opportunity to sweep through all the Native American tribes on the list.

This is the confidence and strength of a general. A small setback cannot affect him at all. He still has plenty of cards to play!

The following evening, the general personally led the artillery battalion and two cavalry companies to within a dozen miles of Elephant Mountain.

The majestic silhouette of Mount Giant Elephant had already appeared in the general's sight from afar.

Meanwhile, two other infantry battalions had advanced to a position a dozen or twenty miles from Mount Giant Elephant.

The three armies, like three arrows, were pointing simultaneously at Mount Giant Elephant, and the distance between them was only a few miles.

Meanwhile, reconnaissance teams dispatched by the three armies have already arrived at the foot of Giant Elephant Mountain and are conducting pre-battle reconnaissance of the surrounding area.

The gold mining camp, located halfway up Elephant Mountain, seemed completely oblivious to all of this, and everything continued as usual!
The continuous explosions from the two mine shafts continued, but the little train kept running happily, clattering along.

In the workshops of the gold mining camp, a continuous stream of ore was fed into a crusher, where it was pulverized into powder. The powder was then mixed, stirred, and precipitated in a cyanide pool, eventually forming a compound of sodium cyanide and gold.

After these compounds are adsorbed by activated carbon, they are then processed in a high-temperature refining furnace to reduce the sodium cyanide and gold compounds back into gold and sodium cyanide.

A continuous stream of gold is being refined on this production line.

Construction began in early March, production started in early April, and now it's early May. The efficiency and reliability of this process, personally designed by Azu, have been fully verified.

Every day, six or seven thousand ounces of gold, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, are refined and turned into a huge gold mountain piled up in the vault of Huamei Industrial Company, made of gleaming gold ingots, which keeps getting taller and bigger!

Making a fortune every day is no longer enough to describe how fast Ah Zu became rich!

In this day and age, such a speed at which one can make money should rank among the top in the world!
Therefore, Ah Zu absolutely will not allow anyone to affect or even interrupt his path to wealth!

Even knowing that the regular troops of the U.S. Army were gradually approaching his gold mining camp, Azu did not stop mining for gold.

Every day of delay means losing tens of thousands of dollars in earnings. How can we tolerate such a thing happening?

It wasn't until another day had passed, and all three American Army units had advanced to the foot of Mount Elephant, and the three enemy forces merged into one and began to set up camp, that Azu suspended mining production and summoned everyone for pre-battle deployment and mobilization.

"Brothers, I'm sure you've all seen that army at the foot of the mountain. What do you think they're here for?"

In the camp, Azu stood on two layers of wooden crates and shouted loudly to the three hundred miners.

"Those damned white soldiers, they're here to kill us all and steal our gold!"

Ah Yan spoke first, shouting loudly.

“That’s right!” Azu replied, “That white army came to kill us all and steal our gold and gold mines!”

"Then what should we do?"

"What else can we do? Fuck them to death!"

"Yeah, fuck them to death!"

"Fuck them to death! No one can take our gold and gold mines away!"

"Fuck them to death! No one can take our gold and gold mines away!"

The three hundred miners were filled with righteous indignation, showing no regard whatsoever for the regular American army they were facing.

With Chinese laborers making up the vast majority of the workforce, it didn't matter whether they were bandits or regular white soldiers; anyone who dared to rob gold was an enemy to be fought to the death!

For no other reason than that Azu gave them so much!

For every 10,000 ounces of gold produced, each of them would receive one ounce. At the current rate of gold production, each of them would receive at least half an ounce of gold per day.

Unlike panning for gold along rivers, their hard rock gold mines can produce almost year-round unless there are special circumstances.

In other words, over the course of the year, each of them would receive at least a hundred ounces of gold, worth at least three or four thousand US dollars!

For white people in the gold rush, a year of hard work could earn them enough to buy a typical three-story commercial property in downtown San Francisco or even downtown New York City!

For the Chinese laborers in the gold rush, as long as they worked for a full year, based on the exchange rate between US dollars and silver, three or four thousand US dollars would be roughly equivalent to two thousand taels of silver!
If they took this silver back to their hometown across the ocean, the price of an acre of fertile land would only be seven or eight taels of silver. These two thousand taels of silver would be enough for them to buy a hundred acres of fertile land, build a three-courtyard house, and become a small wealthy man!

Moreover, just like last year, Azu promised a high amount of disability compensation and pension!
Therefore, everyone was filled with righteous indignation and vowed to fight the white army at the foot of the mountain to the death!
(End of this chapter)