I'm the Dauphin in France

Chapter 1088 The Future of North America
Christie frowned again.

Today is Monday, and there are still 6 days until the weekend.

Baron Lespes noticed his hesitation and gestured again to the opposite bank of the river: "Look, there are thousands of ferocious Indians over there. They could emerge from the bushes at any moment and shoot poisoned arrows at your soldiers."

“But if I can convince them to accept the debt settlement, you can take over the place without losing a single person.”

He leaned forward again and lowered his voice, saying, "The ammunition we saved is worth thousands of dollars."

Christie narrowed his eyes. Indeed, as the Frenchman had said, it was normal for him to report three or four thousand dollars in ammunition consumption after defeating a large tribe like the Cherokee. If the Indians actually withdrew on their own, that money would be his.

He looked at Lespe and nodded, saying, "Alright, I'll cross the river promptly at 8 a.m. Sunday. Also, if the Indian army makes any unusual movements, I'll launch an attack immediately."

“I believe such a thing will not happen.” Lespe bowed slightly and gestured for his attendant to bring over a small wooden box. “This is some black tea I brought from Pondicherry. I hope you will like it.”

On the Cherokee side, after Chief Hasai made the third cross following the movement of the long bull horns, he looked up at the opposite bank of the Hortamarho River.

Under the thin mist, the American militia column was still slowly converging on the pontoon bridge.

Hasai sighed, shook his head, and said with a self-deprecating laugh, "I've become a coward, actually praying to some God..."

He was only halfway through his sentence when his eyes suddenly widened. He saw the Americans suddenly hang the cannons, which they had just adjusted to fire at, back on the draft horses, and the infantry began to turn.

A Cherokee soldier who was praying pointed at the Americans and shouted excitedly, "The prayers...the prayers worked! Look, God has appeared to us!"

Other Native Americans also noticed this and began to cheer, "God is truly protecting us!"

"The Americans have retreated!"

"The prophecy is true, we are saved!"

"Thank God..."

Immediately afterwards, those who had previously scorned the long bull horns joined the ranks of those praying, becoming incredibly devout.

Longhorn held the Gospel of the Indians high and said to the Cherokee people in a trembling voice, "Everything is as prophesied! When our tribe was on the verge of destruction, God sent down a miracle and drove away the demons!"
"Thanks be to God! In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen!"

Other Native Americans had heard the prophecies in the Gospels many times while he was preaching, and now that they had been fulfilled, they were deeply convinced that Jesus was the savior of the world, and they all shouted, "Amen!"

Of course, these so-called prophecies were written by Father Vigne in the Gospel of the Indians at the instruction of His Highness the Crown Prince.

Joseph's basis for this was intelligence obtained by the Security Service that the United States was amassing troops in preparation for further westward expansion.

The expansion of the Americans would inevitably lead to the encroachment on Native American lands, which the Americans, with their current strength, absolutely could not resist.

So he had the Gospels "prophesy" that the Cherokee tribe would suffer annihilation in the next year or the year after, and that a demon from the east would destroy everything they had and kill all their people—of course, the prophecy would also mention the disasters of the Creek, Choctaw, and other tribes.

Joseph then sent diplomats to Alabama, Georgia and other states to cultivate relationships, preparing to lend a helping hand to the Native Americans at a crucial moment.

The latter part of the prophecy is that "God performed a miracle, drove away the devil, and saved the Native Americans. Then a 'guide' will appear and lead the tribes to a happy and peaceful life."

Yes, Joseph did not intend for the Native Americans to hold Alabama and Georgia to the death. These places were too close to the heart of the United States and had no natural barriers, making them extremely difficult to defend.

The Native American tribes were also fragmented. The largest Creek tribe alliance had less than 5 people, and the Cherokee tribe with 8 people was already considered top-tier. Many smaller tribes had only a few hundred people.

With their primitive tribal army, they were nothing more than chickens to be slaughtered in front of the Americans.

For Joseph, the most valuable asset right now is human resources.

St. Louisiana boasts a rare, high-quality plain in the American Midwest, with ample arable land, but its population is extremely small—only about 3 people, including French immigrants, former Spanish settlers, and their slaves.

Even if the French government spares no expense in local immigration and investment, it will be difficult to exceed 6 people in a short period of time.

This small population is absolutely no match for America's westward ambitions.

Therefore, it was necessary to gather a large number of Native Americans and direct them to build numerous towns on the west bank of the Mississippi River in order for St. Louis to have the power to rival the United States.

Joseph was completely unconcerned about the fact that the large number of Native Americans would cause France to lose its control over the area.

With an area of ​​over 200 million square kilometers, Saint Louisiana is difficult to effectively control no matter how many French immigrants come.

It would be better to lead the Native Americans to work with France from the beginning, make them France's "little brother," and guide them to establish a nation on this vast land.

Yes, Joseph also planned to support the establishment of separate nations by Native Americans, Mexicans, and mixed-race groups in western and northern North America, as well as California.

Even in the worst-case scenario, if the United States does cross the Mississippi River, there will still be a series of tough challenges ahead.

When France supported local powers, it could more easily obtain mining rights and trade and financial privileges from various countries, which was far more advantageous than direct colonial control.

Another key objective was to concentrate the limited number of French immigrants in North America and control important ports, such as the New Orleans area at the mouth of the Mississippi River.

This area is only about 100,000 square kilometers. With 200,000 immigrants, it's enough to prevent anyone from coveting it.

Foreign trade throughout the central North America relies on the Port of New Orleans.

In other words, at that time, both the newly established Native American nation and the states east of the Mississippi River would have to be mindful of France's position.

France reaped the benefits of port trade without incurring the enormous costs of managing its vast colonies.

And then there's Los Angeles on the West Coast.

When Mexico goes on a movement for independence, France can also find an opportunity to take over the territory.

This allowed them to reap substantial profits from California, the richest state in North America.

Only after the American troops had completely disappeared from sight did the Cherokee tribe finally breathe a long sigh of relief, and then burst into even more enthusiastic cheers.

A tribal officer approached the chief, looked at the empty opposite bank of the river, and asked:
"Hassey, what do we do now?"

(End of this chapter)