North America 1849, from Gold Rush to Warlord

Chapter 221: Drive straight in
"Then quickly relay my order: have the California troops launch a pincer attack on the garrison at Colón Harbor as soon as possible!"

Upon hearing Major General Harold Rich's words, Rear Admiral Paparo King's expression immediately turned strange.

“Harold…!” Paparo King asked with a strange expression, “Are you sure you can command the California troops?”

General Harold Richie raised an eyebrow: "Paparo, what do you mean by that?"

"What I mean is, has the president personally authorized you to command the California troops?"

General Harold Rich pondered, “Mr. President, you did not personally authorize me to command the California forces.”

"However, since I am the land commander-in-chief of this war, that naturally includes the California army troops!"

"No matter what, California is part of the United States. So the California Army, whether it's called the National Guard or whatever, should be under my command, right?"

Harold Rich raised an eyebrow and asked, "What? Paparo, do you think I can't command the California troops?"

"Heh!" Paparo King chuckled. "Harold, you can try and see if the California troops will obey your commands!"

Paparo King continued, "As far as I know, apart from that young Chinese governor, this California National Guard will not take orders from anyone."

“Harold, let alone you, even the president would probably be unable to command this California force without special circumstances.”

Harold Rich's face immediately darkened: "Paparo, this is war! In this emergency, I don't believe that the California troops would be so reckless!"

“Harold, if you really don’t believe me, you can try it.”

Paparo King's words ended there.

General Harold Richie turned around and continued to issue orders on his own: "Pass on my order to send out the entire California force to Cologne as soon as possible to encircle the New Grenada garrison."

"Once the encirclement is completed, the defenders of Colon Port will lose all reinforcements and logistical supplies, and will soon collapse without a fight."

"Yes, General!!"

……

Late that night, the California National Guard received orders personally issued by General Harold Rich.

Under the bright gaslight, Feng Zicai, Shi Dakai, Martinez, Robert E. Lee, and others looked at this sudden order, their expressions varying.

Robert E. Lee said in a deep voice, "This General Harold Ritchie was the former commander of the Northeast Command of the United States, and he was my superior."

"After the death of Commander-in-Chief Scott, General Harold Ritchie was promoted to Chief of the Army Staff."

"This major general is a highly senior member of the U.S. Army and is not a Freemason, which is why he became the Army Commander-in-Chief for this war."

Robert Lee paused, then continued, "Since this is General Harold Ritchie's personal order, shouldn't we follow the order and encircle the port of Colón as soon as possible?"

After listening, Feng Zicai remained expressionless, his gaze falling on old Martinez's face, and asked, "Old Martinez, what's your opinion?"

Old Martinez shrugged, looking nonchalant: "I'll follow Brigade Commander Feng's orders in everything! But...!"

"But what?"

“However…!” Old Martinez chuckled, “Our California forces, whether it’s the Coast Guard or the National Guard, have never had the habit of taking orders from outsiders!”

Feng Zicai remained unmoved, then looked at Shi Dakai and asked, "Dakai, what's your opinion?"

Shi Dakai said in a deep voice, "Besides seizing the Isthmus of Panama, our boss actually has another objective in this war...!"

"What purpose?"

Shi Dakai replied, "Use this war to purge the Freemasons from the American army...!"

"What...?" Robert E. Lee was immediately astonished upon hearing this: "Is...is this true?"

Shi Dakai nodded slightly: "This is the result of a joint discussion between our boss and the President of the United States."

"The Freemasons' influence in the military is far too great and has seriously threatened the security of the United States."

"As far as I know, the Freemasons even plotted to use the home fleet to sink President Lincoln's ship at sea."

“What…?” This time, Robert E. Lee was even more shocked: “Commander Shi…Commander Shi, are you serious?”

“Of course it’s true!” Shi Dakai nodded. “Don’t forget, I personally escorted President Lincoln back to Washington that time!”

"No one knows better than me how many assassination attempts President Lincoln faced and how many dangers he encountered on his journey back to Washington from California."

"Gulp...!" This was the first time Robert Lee had heard such a shocking secret, and he felt that his worldview had been completely overturned.

Robert E. Lee had neither a particularly good nor a bad impression of Freemasonry.

Because his wife's great-grandfather, the Founding Father of the United States, was one of the founders of Freemasonry and its first Grand Master. He never imagined that, just a century later, Freemasonry would become such a dangerous organization.

Shi Dakai continued, "So, the President and our boss discussed using this war as an opportunity to purge the lower and middle-ranking Freemasons. I am one of the few people who knew about this decision."

"Perhaps General Paparo King, and General Harold Richie, also knew something about it."

"At least, President Lincoln hinted at it to these two generals."

"The current battle at the port of Colón is fierce, which is the perfect opportunity to purge the Freemasons."

Shi Dakai added, "I don't know how many Freemasons have been purged in this battle for the port of Colón."

"But... I think we should let them fight for a couple more days and use that opportunity to purge more Freemasons...!"

"Besides, we've suffered considerable casualties ourselves and need to rest and replenish our ammunition...!"

"Slap...!" Feng Zicai slapped his thigh heavily: "Then it's decided...!"

“Report to General Harold Richie and General Paparo King.”

"By noon three days from now, my unit will have completed the encirclement of the port of Colón on time...!"

……

The next morning, upon receiving the reply from the California National Guard, General Harold Rich held the short half-page note and was so angry that he was trembling slightly.

"Three days later, at noon... Gamboa will be only thirty kilometers away from the port of Colón!"

"If they want to encircle the port of Colón as quickly as possible, it won't even take a day... Three days. How many more soldiers' lives will we have to throw into this small port?"

Harold Rich wanted to lash out, but found that he was completely helpless against that California unit!
Whether it's officer appointments and dismissals, weaponry, logistics, or the military merit system, the California National Guard is entirely self-contained and completely independent of the U.S. Army.

Left with no other choice, Harold Ritchie had to commit more soldiers to the battle for the port of Colón.

……

Meanwhile, the army of the New Grenada Republic, upon learning of Gamboa's capture, did not sit idly by.

An infantry division, a cavalry brigade, and an artillery regiment, originally deployed on the second line of defense, were also urgently sent to reinforce the port of Colon, attempting to establish another strong defensive line between the port of Colon and Gamboa to prevent the port of Colon from being encircled.
-
Three days later, the California National Guard launched its planned encirclement of the Port of Colomb.

At this time, the reinforcements who had just arrived at the port of Colón, more than ten kilometers away, had not even had time to set up a complete defensive line.

This fragile and incomplete defensive line crumbled at the first touch under the fierce attack of the California National Guard.

Before noon that day, the California National Guard completed the encirclement of the Port of Colomb as scheduled.

By this point in the war, all suspense had been lost.

Within the port of Colón, which spans only a few kilometers, both the U.S. Army and the New Grenada Army deployed a massive force totaling over 100,000 men.

Both sides suffered more than 17,000 to 18,000 casualties.

With the port of Colón completely surrounded and its sea lanes cut off by the American home fleet, the New Grenada Army finally lost its last fighting spirit.

The remaining 40,000-plus New Grenada army troops ultimately chose to surrender.

The war came to an end after the main force of the New Grenada Army surrendered in the port of Colón.

Because the U.S. Army and the California National Guard not only captured the vital Isthmus of Panama, but there was no longer a single organized army unit between there and Bogotá, the capital of the Republic of New Grenada.

In other words, from the port of Colon all the way to Bogotá, the U.S. Army and the California National Guard could easily drive straight in and attack the capital of the Republic of New Grenada!

In fact, the U.S. Army and the California National Guard also do this.

After the two sides successfully joined forces, they rested briefly and immediately dispatched an army of 40,000 men.

With 30,000 U.S. Army troops on the left and 10,000 California National Guard troops on the right, they marched without stopping directly towards the capital of the Republic of New Grenada.

Half a month later, the two armies finally arrived at the gates of Bogotá after encountering no significant resistance along the way.

At that time, Bogotá was only garrisoned by more than 30,000 militiamen.

Without artillery and cavalry, and unable to even carry a rifle, how could 30,000 militiamen possibly be a match for the U.S. Army and the California National Guard?

After a brief and relatively minor battle, Bogotá, the capital of the new Republic of Grenada, opened its doors to the U.S. Army and the California National Guard.

After an army of 40,000 men stormed into Bogotá, the government of the New Grenada Republic finally faced reality and had no choice but to surrender and negotiate.

(End of this chapter)