SC - lees wine

[Cindy M. Renfrow]

"Decker, Terry D." wrote:
> 
> Camerone.
> 
> IIRC, the officers and sergeants were dead and the unit which was being
> besieged by several thousand Mexican revolutionaries was down to 26 men and
> no ammunition.  Since they were about to be overrun (and had no hope of
> their enemies accepting their surrender), they fixed bayonets and attacked
> in the "best tradition of the Legion."  (You have joined the Legion to die.
> The Legion will send you where you can die.)  I know Camerone Day is a
> Legion celebration, but I didn't think it was a French holiday.
> 
> Bear

I may have been misinformed about the status of the aniversary, but I
was told it was by a French citizen whose accuracy I normally respect.
Still, that doesn't make it reality. Aaagh! Secondary Sources strike again!

Info from
http://www.info-france-usa.org/america/embassy/legion/history.htm ...

> Louis Philippe, "King of the French" created the French Foreign Legion on March 10, 1831. 
> 
> Composed exclusively of volunteers aged between 18 and 40, with or without means of
> identification, the Legion was immediately involved in the conquest of Algeria before passing
> under Spanish control in 1835. 
> 
> A second Legion was then created which fought in Algeria, in Crimea (1855), in Italy (1859)
> and in Mexico (1863). In Mexico, it won one of its greatest titles to fame: on April 30, 1863,
> at the Camerone Hacienda near Puebla, 3 officers and 62 legionnaires resisted 2,000
> Mexicans. After a day of heroic fighting the last five survivors fixed bayonets and charged. 
> 
> This battle, whose name adorns every Legion flag, remains the symbol of a mission carried  
> out to the bitter end.                                

As to the numbers, okay, it seems we both may be wrong. But, in keeping
with the original point of this discussion, note that the Legion Flag
doesn't read, "We lost."

Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com