He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 334

(334) North America: The War Between America and the Natives

The only truly unclaimed land on Earth is Antarctica.

-Bang!

So, it’s not surprising that a gunshot rang out in Cow Ford, in northeastern Florida.

Also, since this area was once a British colony, it’s not entirely unexpected that a white man of British descent is holding a gun.

However, it is strange that the target he’s aiming at is a native with feathers in their hair.

“What are you doing, white man!”

A native with feathers in their hair, reddish skin, but blue eyes shouted in fluent English.

It’s a rather bizarre sight.

However, John Bull, the British-descended white man holding the gun—or rather, a citizen of Georgia, just north of Florida—was not at all flustered.

Instead, he grinned as he reloaded his gun.

“Shut up and get off our land, you uncivilized Indian.”

“We only came to this area for trade. We even received permission to reside here from the King, so there’s no reason for us to be treated like this!”

“King? What nonsense are you talking about? There’s no king in this land! Indian!”

Of course, John’s words are derogatory but seemingly justified.

The king the native is talking about is actually King Carlos IV of Spain.

However, Florida is now French territory, and John is a resident of Georgia, not a subject of the king.

However, there is one problem with John’s words.

There is no king in this land, but there is a Viceroy [a ruler exercising authority in a colony on behalf of a sovereign].

Furthermore, according to the treaty passed in parliament not long ago, Florida is French territory.

So, the American settler, John, shouldn’t be aiming his rifle at the native like this and shouting.

“If you don’t get out of here right now, I’ll put a hole in all of your heads! Ah, leave all the goods behind!”

The blue-eyed, red-skinned native gritted his teeth.

However, John Bull is not alone but with 30 settlers.

Moreover, the group that came with the natives and trade goods was virtually unarmed.

Because they came to trade with a friendly white village.

Gritting his teeth, the native party left behind the trade goods, namely furs.

“Wow, how much is all this worth?”

“It seems like furs traded from the north? You don’t see this in the south.”

“We’ll make a lot of money if we go to Virginia and sell it!”

John Bull and the other settlers laughed, looking at the natives’ furs.

This place is Cow Ford, originally a British settlement.

However, as the British withdrew from Florida, Americans were taking their place.

Later, in history, it becomes a city called Jacksonville.

John, who was standing guard by the bonfire, said to his colleague, Tom.

“Hey, did you hear? Politicians stupidly gave all this land to the French.”

“That’s ridiculous. Our settlers are advancing while dealing with British fortresses and even Indians!”

“We pioneered this land and are exploring it! We must drive out all the Indians and realize a great mission in this land!”

The settler, Uncle Tom, nodded his head greatly and shouted.

“God gave us this land, so we will repay God by pioneering this land!”

This is the so-called Manifest Destiny [the 19th-century doctrine that the U.S. was destined to expand across the North American continent], the creed that Americans put forward when they were pioneering the West.

It’s not yet the Western era of history.

However, since the East Coast is where most Americans live, the West is still an undeveloped area in this era.

Furthermore, only the coast of southern Florida has been developed, and the inland is empty.

This is the result of Britain, Spain, and France vying for Florida.

Most of the natives who originally lived in this land died from diseases brought by the Spanish.

Also, when the British took over Florida, the Spanish evacuated friendly natives to Cuba.

As a result, the problem arose that the inland was empty.

Of course, empty doesn’t mean that no one lives there.

The settler John Bull gritted his teeth.

“Yes, uncivilized natives, who knows where they came from, crawled all the way here and took over the land. Do you even know that they’re incorporating black slaves into their tribes?”

The natives from the north are flowing into Florida.

Even the native that John Bull just chased away, judging by the fact that he could speak English, is definitely from a tribe that negotiated with the United States.

Perhaps their origin is the Great Lakes, near the five Great Lakes on the eastern border of the United States and Canada.

Of course, John Bull didn’t care where the natives came from.

“Let’s drive them all out, bring back slaves again, and set up a large plantation here. Huh?”

Uncle Tom chuckled and leisurely took a puff of his cigarette before stopping.

Dust was rising in the distance from the south.

It looked like dust raised by horses.

The settlers tensed up and stood up.

“What, was there another pioneering expedition near us besides us?”

“I heard that the president sent people named Lewis and Clark to explore the West.”

“This is the south, and it’s nominally French territory, right? Maybe it’s Indians?”

Originally, there were no horses in the New World until the Europeans arrived.

However, the horses that the Spanish lost turned into wild horses and spread across the North American continent.

Thus, by this era, the early 19th century, the natives were already riding horses.

Just then.

-Doo-doo-doo!

Hundreds of cavalrymen lined up in front of John and Tom’s exploration team, who called themselves the Florida Exploration Team but were actually looters.

They weren’t just riding horses.

They were in uniform and lightly armed, but fully equipped, and above all, their stern momentum was clear.

If they were Europeans, they would have immediately recognized what uniform this cavalry was wearing.

Blue, the uniform of the French Revolutionary Army.

However, what caught Tom’s eye was something else.

Tom blinked and muttered, looking at the military flag.

“Bees and a lion?”

The letter drawn in the center is none other than N.

The French imperial flag symbolizing Napoleon.

Under the fluttering bee flag, a hearty man shouted in clumsy English.

“Well, this is French territory! So, Americans, get out of here!”

“What? Who are you to tell us to get out? Who are you!”

“Hahaha, me, you ask?”

The man, Lasalle, laughed heartily and picked up his rifle.

-Bang! Click, bang! Click, bang!

It was truly a rapid-fire burst.

An early model breech-loading rifle.

Also, the rapid percussion lock ignition was dazzling.

It was the Boarner-style 2 rifle, breech-loading, which Samuel Polly had recently developed and delivered just before departing for the New World.

“Ugh!”

“As for me, I charged through Italy with 10 men, participated in the conquest of Egypt, and liberated Constantinople!”

“Wow, didn’t you just participate, Lasalle?”

Champot teased from behind, and Lasalle snorted.

“Shut up, Champot! You didn’t even get to go to Constantinople because you caught a plague! Hey, you bumpkins. Aren’t you going to get out of here right now? Or will our French army’s new Boarner-style rifles be aimed at you?”

John Bull and Uncle Tom’s exploration team were furious and picked up their guns.

However, they are just a group of 30 settlers.

On the other hand, the opponent is 100 trained elites.

Unless the Federal Army cavalry is mobilized, they can’t be a match.

Above all, John and Tom knew that this land was legally French territory.

“Just you wait, French bastards!”

Lasalle chuckled and turned his head, watching Tom and John flee in a hurry.

“Well, who are those red-faced friends over there?”

Only then did the natives walk out of the still undeveloped forest.

They were the natives who had been threatened by John and Tom earlier and had all their goods taken away.

Originally, they were trying to recover their trade goods by taking advantage of the settlers’ carelessness, but the Nouvelle France cavalry appeared out of nowhere.

Of course, all the Nouvelle France Royal Guard cavalry soldiers except Lasalle were shocked.

“Natives! Barbarians! Everyone, prepare for battle!”

Champot shouted in a hurry.

It’s been a month since they crossed Florida and traveled at the behest of Viceroy Eugene.

During the journey, they saw countless Americans who were encroaching on the Florida border and creating settlements at will.

But this is the first time they’ve seen natives.

Lasalle’s Royal Guard cavalrymen all raised their muzzle-loading percussion muskets.

The breech-loading rifle is still literally for testing, so only daring men like Lasalle carry it around.

If an error occurs, not only will the bullet misfire, but you may also get burned.

However, instead of being surprised to see 100 muskets, one of the natives stared blankly at the Lasalle cavalry and asked.

“Are you Arcadians [French colonists in North America]?”

Champot was surprised and asked when he heard very clear French.

“Oh, you know how to speak French? How do you know how to speak it?”

It’s been 5 years since this place became an official French colony, but it’s only now being developed on the east coast of Florida.

Although they acquired Louisiana, the reality is that even Florida is not completely controlled.

So, Nouvelle France Viceroy Eugene decided to explore Florida first before developing Louisiana.

Usually, America or Britain would send an expedition first, but France is currently an Empire led by soldiers.

As a result, the exploration is also being led by the military first.

The reason for choosing Lasalle is twofold.

One is because Lasalle was too bored, and the other is because Lasalle has experience in the Egyptian expedition.

In a word, he is a soldier with experience dealing with foreign underdeveloped civilizations.

Nevertheless, Lasalle was a little surprised this time too.

Because he didn’t expect the natives to be able to speak French.

The native youth, Micanopy, replied in very fluent French.

“My name is Micanopy, we are called Seminoles [a Native American people originally from Florida]. We are the descendants of those who were defeated by you and chased away from the Great Lakes in the north.”

Lasalle and Champot looked at each other.

The history of the New World, which they had never known, suddenly began to rush towards the French Revolutionary Army, or rather, the Imperial Army.

But when you think about it, isn’t this also part of what the Viceroy ordered?

Lasalle thought for a moment and asked Micanopy.

“Seminole tribe? How many are you? Also, where do you live? Do you know that this land is French territory?”

Micanopy stared at Lasalle and replied.

“The land has no owner. But we have been granted residence by the King.”

“What king? Who? Surely not the King of England?”

“The King of Spain.”

Considering that this land was originally a Spanish colony, it is not wrong.

But now it is clearly French territory, and no one in Paris has recognized the Seminoles.

Suddenly, Lasalle twisted his lips as he looked at Micanopy.

“Not our Viceroy. In that case, I’ll have to meet your leader.”

“Wait, Lasalle, what are you talking about?”

“Champot, don’t you remember Egypt and Syria? Wherever you go, there’s a head, and you have to talk to that head to get anything done.”

Lasalle winked from horseback, patting Champot’s shoulder, who was speechless.

“When I talk to him, he speaks the same language and knows the concept of a king. It seems like we can have a conversation? Guide us to your tribe. Our France will not kill you in the name of the Emperor!”

Before Champot could stop him, the Lasalle Royal Guard cavalry headed to the Seminole territory.

To the land of exiles who had fought bloody battles in the Great Lakes and the mid-southern United States in the past and were chased away.

Or, towards the tribal coalition that would fight bloody battles with the United States over Florida in later history.

February 1802, in the era when whites and natives were still fighting in the New World.

It was the moment when the French Imperial Viceroy’s Guard first encountered a native group.