He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 341

(341) The Imperial Grandees Conquer the New World with Steamships

Once slaves of the white man, they now stood on New World soil in crisp blue uniforms.

“Everyone, line up! Is the march preparation complete!”

This was the Miami Division, composed entirely of black soldiers.

This division’s forces were originally comprised of troops who had fought against the British in Saint-Domingue, reinforced by slaves who had fled to the South.

The commander was Jean-Pierre Boyer, commander of the Miami garrison.

He knew nothing about Napoleon’s blitzkrieg tactics, but he was a soldier who had thoroughly learned the organization of the French Revolutionary Army.

The mulatto general saluted Dumas, the commander of the Florida Corps, as he reviewed the lined-up black division.

“Yes, Commander!”

“Where is the Alachua [Sub-Duke, a title of nobility among certain Native American tribes] ?”

“He is currently leading the Alachua Division on a march. According to the plan, they will arrive within three days!”

Dumas nodded and asked again.

“Good. Prepare the slogan. What is our [Empire]’s motto?”

At that moment, the Miami Division troops shouted in unison.

“Liberty! Equality! Fraternity!”

The division was named Miami, but they were currently in the suburbs of Pensacola.

They had marched literally through the peninsula from Miami to Alachua, and then to Pensacola.

Of course, the land was French territory, but it was not a land where administrative power was fully exerted.

So, in fact, it was a march that combined pioneering and training.

Dumas turned, looking at the division that had the appearance of soldiers, though not quite comparable to the elite divisions from Europe.

“Your Royal Highness, the inspection preparation is complete.”

Eugene, wearing his vice-royal attire, surveyed the division and then turned his gaze.

“Report the current strength.”

“Yes, centered on the Vice-Royal Guard Division, the Florida Division originally commanded by General Toureau, and the newly formed Miami Governorate garrison division.”

“What about the newly formed troops?”

Dumas unfolded the marching orders and reported again.

“There are 10,000 from the Alachua Division, 10,000 newly conscripted from New Orleans, and the [Vendée] Division, which was conscripted from immigrants in Pensacola. In addition, the [Saint-Domingue] Division dispatched from Saint-Domingue is organized as the Miami garrison.

Total strength is 60,000.”

The organization followed the division organization of the French Imperial Army that Eugene knew.

Of course, the level of training varied greatly, and combat experience was almost zero, except for the Vice-Royal Guard Division and the Florida Division.

However, their weaponry was unmatched by any force in the New World.

However, Dumas, who did not know the Imperial Army organization intimately, misunderstood a little and continued the report.

“It’s a bit different from the organization of the home country that I knew, but each division is capable of independent combat.”

“Maybe it’s changing like this in the home country as well. A form in which artillery, cavalry, and infantry regiments are all combined.”

“Yes, that’s right, Your Highness.”

Here, Napoleon creates a [Corps, a military formation consisting of two or more divisions] of 3 to 5 divisions.

The one who commands this corps is the [Marshal, the highest rank in many armies].

There was no special news from the home country, but perhaps the first 13 marshals had been appointed by now.

There was no marshal in the New World, but if one had to be chosen, Vice-Royal Eugene would be it.

Eugene thought about naming the Vice-Royal Corps Headquarters the [Marshal Office], and then turned to Chief of Staff Jomini.

“Good. Who is in charge of supply and logistics fortress construction? Jomini?”

“Y-, yes. For now, in Florida, the Dupont Société [a type of business partnership] will help, and from New Orleans, the [Chouteau] Société will help. We plan to increase the number of businesses participating in logistics in the future.”

“It seems like the preparations are complete. We just need one more thing.”

Eugene frowned, looking north of Pensacola.

“We need a [ship] to go up the Mississippi River.”

So, Eugene was now preparing for the Louisiana [Reclamation War, a campaign to secure and develop the territory].

After coming to New France, Eugene proceeded with three main objectives.

One was diplomacy to secure the line connecting Louisiana, Florida, and Saint-Domingue.

Second was domestic affairs to subjugate the natives, indigenous people, and freedmen, and to build a cooperative system.

But the most important thing was the last, the organization of the army.

No matter how much you build up domestic affairs and diplomacy, the New World colony is ultimately a process of securing land that is not empty.

Even if you minimize friction, engagement with indigenous people or vested European powers is inevitable.

Eugene was planning to break through this situation with an overwhelming [advanced] European-style army.

To do so, a military force was most needed.

That is, [naval] power to control the Mississippi River.

Commander-in-Chief Desaix carefully reported to Eugene.

“It is difficult to mobilize the Spanish Caribbean fleet. But, our fleet might be able to do it. Shall we call the Horus?”

“A ship of the line going up the river? The general transport ships have returned to the home country for the third immigrant fleet. We need another ship.”

“It seems like you have something in mind.”

Eugene shrugged lightly and replied.

“I do, but we have to militarily conquer the Mississippi River area within this year. If it’s too late, we’ll have to request a support fleet from the Spanish Viceroyalty as a matter of urgency.”

It was already autumn of 1803.

If Eugene had 20 years to spend in the New World, he could proceed with everything slowly.

But Eugene didn’t think the Old World would wait that long.

Even if Napoleon stayed still, Pitt of England would not.

It was then.

“Eugene! No, Your Highness! Urgent news has arrived from Miami! Fulton has succeeded!”

The moment Adjutant Hippolyte ran up and reported, Eugene jumped up from the chair on the platform.

The news he had been waiting for had finally arrived.

***

Looking at the fleet heading powerfully towards the horizon, Dupont scratched his head.

“I didn’t think that thing would actually float.”

The smoke was still filling the entire port.

The entire Miami port was filled with the acrid smell of coal, confirming that this situation was real.

Then, the Marquis de L’Hôpital, a white man boasting tanned skin, whistled and patted Dupont on the shoulder.

“Yo! Excellent! This is entirely the achievement of the Dupont Société!”

“Oh, you flatter me, Chief Administrative Officer L’Hôpital. I just operated the factory equipment, and besides, Brunel made the machine, didn’t he?”

“But there’s no Brunel Société yet, right? All this is to the credit of the superiors. Oh, where is Monsieur Brunel?”

No sooner had he finished speaking than a man in British work clothes with a thick beard appeared.

“Are you guys just playing around here? Both of you?”

This was Marc Brunel, an engineer working in Miami, having passed through New York, London, and Paris.

Eugene had recruited him with a huge annual salary in the past, and he came to the United States to oversee the machine tool equipment.

In particular, the [engineer team] that moved with Brunel was almost the best in Europe.

The ‘smoke-spewing ship’ that disappeared into the horizon was conceived by Fulton, planned by Dupont, but actually made by the Brunel [team].

However, Brunel, a practical engineer, looked more tired than accomplished and shouted.

“There’s no time to be doing this. Monsieur Dupont, and Marquis de L’Hôpital. That ship is just for show; we have to fill the next shipment of weapons that His Royal Highness demanded.”

The steamship, the first power ship to be introduced in the New World.

In fact, even in the Old World, there had been several test pieces, but the one that had been commercialized was the ship that had just left for the sea.

However, Brunel, a practical technician, was more concerned with practical problems than the success of the invention.

“In particular, the construction of the manual [conveyor belt] is still not complete!”

This was the conveyor belt process that would later become famous as the Ford system in the original history.

Of course, it was still a long way from the 20th century, so it wasn’t an automated process.

However, even if you turn the belt manually, a division of labor production method was possible even in the early 19th century.

It’s just that the idea of dividing and producing the manufacturing field in this way did not yet exist widely.

Anyway, Europe was dominated by craftsmen, and Eugene’s Beauharnais Cartel was not much different.

Weapons, gunpowder, and products were all made by employing more craftsmen.

However, after coming to the New World, Eugene ordered a new system.

Divide all processes, put in workers in charge of each part, and proceed with the entire production.

This was inevitable in the New World, where there were few craftsmen and unskilled workers who had just arrived as immigrants had to be put to work.

Nevertheless, Dupont and Brunel, who were familiar with the European method, struggled, and it was only introduced for the first time in this steamship process.

Dupont licked his lips.

“Can’t we just turn the conveyor belt for the fertilizer process and leave out the gunpowder process? There are quite a few semi-professionals in the gunpowder field, so there’s a lot of backlash.”

“You can do that if you get permission from His Royal Highness.”

“No, why are you forcing this method? It seems less efficient.”

L’Hôpital laughed at Dupont’s complaint.

“Instead, more immigrants can get jobs, right? Now, work harder.”

“You didn’t even listen to me, did you? Marquis. There are tons of problems you need to take care of. The list of new immigrants who just arrived hasn’t come out yet. I can’t hire workers!”

“Eek, that’s an instruction to the subordinates…”

Brunel scolded L’Hôpital, who was trying to avoid the situation quickly.

“Please complete the list creation by today! Only then can we send uniforms, ammunition, and guns by the delivery date when His Royal Highness proceeds with the [expedition]!”

Behind the scenes where the Vice-Royal and generals were doing a great inspection.

Amidst the joys and sorrows of businessmen, administrators, and technicians who actually supply the materials, the smoke from Miami Port cleared.

With the steamship and the escort fleet disappearing beyond the horizon.

The fleet was heading to New Orleans.

***

A strange thing floated in New Orleans, where the Mississippi River flows and meets the sea.

-Peeep!

A ship spewing smoke.

There were no sails; it burned coal, and it moved forward on its own.

All 11 New France battleships were mobilized to bring this ship to New Orleans.

Anyway, it wasn’t yet able to cross the sea entirely on its own.

Nevertheless, everyone admired and looked at this ship.

“It only took three months to make it. Hahaha!”

Fulton, the builder of the steamship [Bonaparte], burst into laughter.

Eugene was a little surprised because he hadn’t thought it would be this fast.

Looking at the smoke-spewing ship, Eugene turned to Fulton.

“You already had the technology, Mr. Fulton.”

“Well, didn’t I tell you? I was making a submarine. The submarine failed, but that was not because there was no steam engine, but because I failed in waterproofing and air treatment.”

“That’s not all, is it?”

Fulton shrugged.

“His Royal Highness’s Beauharnais Cartel has many excellent technicians. It was very helpful in making prototypes.”

Of course, it was precisely the power of British machine tools.

Not only New France, but also France itself did not yet have the technology to make all precision machines.

However, the British engineer team that Brunel brought made Fulton’s ideas a reality.

Eugene turned his gaze.

Many of the highest-ranking officials of the French Vice-Royal Palace could be seen.

But the first person Eugene walked towards was not Duchess Marie, Russian son-in-law Philip, or Pauline, who dreamed of becoming the government.

Unexpectedly, Eugene stood in front of a blue-eyed Native American soldier.

“Now, Sub-Duke of Alachua. Can you see it, the ship?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“That ship is a symbol of European civilization. Lead the ship of civilization and spread the fire of Prometheus to the Mississippi River and the Great Plains. Can you do it?”

The Native American Sub-Duke, the one who received the Alachua castle from Eugene.

Micanopy de Alachua took a salute in a firm posture.

From behind Eugene, [friend] Lasalle, whom he met when he first encountered France, could be seen winking.

The Native American Grandee, Micanopy, shouted powerfully.

“I will spread the glory of the French Empire throughout Louisiana. Viva Bonaparte!”

At the same time, Chouteau Margrave of St. Louis, Commander Toussaint who ran from Miami, and Governor Salcedo of Spain all paid their respects at the same time.

“Viva, Bonaparte!”

December 12, 1803.

The steamship Bonaparte reached New Orleans.

That day, the Miami Division and the Alachua Division of New France advanced north at the same time.

It was the first day that the Mississippi River area came under the direct control of New France.