I'm the Dauphin in France

Chapter 1237 Napoleon's Unexpected Gain
"Nearly 8 people?" Napoleon frowned and said to his staff, "Please send back those who do not have an adult male under the age of 35 in their household first."

"The rest of you run eight laps around the training field. Anyone who doesn't understand the instructions or runs around aimlessly is out of the question."

"Only the first 4000 runners will remain."

He had visited various tribes in the past few days and knew that due to the frequent famines, many natives were in very poor health, and these people had to be weaned off.

Of course, the most important factor in his decision to limit the size of the army was the number of officers.

The French and Spanish in the colony combined had only 22 officers of mid-ranking rank and above, and fewer than 190 non-commissioned officers.

These officers can manage a maximum of 3 people, and even if some are promoted through training, the total number of soldiers should not exceed 5.

As for the Native Americans, who had never been exposed to modern warfare, they were simply not qualified to serve as officers.

Three days later, the selection process was completed, and 4 young Native Americans excitedly joined the "Holy Knights"—a name given by Father Verne to enhance the ritualistic significance of the campaign against heresy.

The following morning, these Native American warriors began their first joint training exercise with the white soldiers of the colony.

Then, Napoleon, the commander who was most skilled at using new recruits, almost broke down.

At least half of the people wore their military uniforms incorrectly—some wore them backwards, and many more buttoned them wrong.

By noon, the company of several thousand people still hadn't stood in place.

To be precise, they haven't figured out what "taking sides" means yet.

A few days later, Napoleon simply left the training to his deputy, Major Brasser, and went to the banks of the Mississippi River to daydream.

Even the dumbest Pyrenean soldiers he had ever met seemed like geniuses compared to these natives.

Currently, Native American groups will huddle together after walking only a hundred steps or so.

Napoleon had a premonition that he would likely end up fighting the Americans with his 1800 white soldiers.

The young Native Americans also suffered greatly.

During dinner, many people kept looking at their hands and muttering "turn left" and "turn right".

Inside the officers' tent, Major Brasser said with a pained expression, "Even ropes can't get them to line up in a neat row... They always seem to be waiting for the moment when they all rush in."

Napoleon sighed: "If all else fails, let them serve as rangers. Their horsemanship is quite good."

“But we don’t have that many horses. And cavalry requires a higher level of formation, but they just charge out in a swarm…”

As the two were talking, the attendant appeared at the tent entrance with a short Indian man who had five colorful feathers in his hair and wore the insignia of a second lieutenant: "Commander, he says he has something to report to you."

"Please let him in."

Brasser glanced at the native and said sternly, "I remember saying it many times, feathers are not allowed in the military camp!"

“But this is a break time, Major.” The Indian lieutenant quickly skipped the topic and said in fluent French, “Actually, I think some of your training methods are not quite suitable for my people.”

Napoleon was somewhat surprised by his standard pronunciation, and the fact that he had been granted the rank of second lieutenant also indicated that he was not an ordinary native.

"What is your name?"

“Serge Otto. But you can also call me by my Native American name—Little Turtle.”

Napoleon and Brasser laughed at the same time: "What an interesting name."

"So, what problems do you see in the training?"

The little turtle bowed politely: "As you can see, most of our people are not good at queuing."

“I know it’s a very effective combat method, but everyone is used to running through dense forests and open fields, and in a short period of time…” “Please just give your suggestion.”

"Have the youth team gather in the middle, with the adult teams positioned behind and on both sides... When marching, there will be no need for war drums; the captain, i.e., the sergeant, will lead the movement using call signs. The only skill that will require extensive training is volley fire..."

Early the next morning.

Napoleon watched as the little turtle commanded hundreds of Indian soldiers, shouting "Orororo!" and "Ugh!" as they charged haphazardly toward the distant highlands, and his brow furrowed instantly.

But soon, he was surprised to find that these seemingly chaotic Native Americans maintained a constant distance from each other, and their movements in advancing and turning were remarkably synchronized. Even when they entered the woods, they did not get separated.

This is very much like...

Major Brasser, who was standing nearby, suddenly said, "They're like trained skirmishers."

“That’s right, skirmishers!” Napoleon’s eyes lit up. “But their positioning is not conducive to shooting, and they need to be adjusted according to the skirmisher manual.”

He looked at Brasser: "Perhaps we can directly use the latest skirmisher tactics."

In the afternoon, Napoleon began explaining the coordination between skirmishers and infantry lines to a dozen or so Native American officers, including Little Turtle.

The tribal leaders listened and nodded repeatedly. Their comprehension was clearly far superior to that of the ordinary natives.

An aide came to report to Napoleon: "Commander, Governor Elcano has sent word that due to funding issues, the remaining uniforms will take another four months to be provided."

Military uniforms are not cheap. The colonial government currently only has 3 sets of uniforms, and the rest must be purchased from the United States.

Napoleon looked at the indigenous soldiers in the distance, still dressed in Native American clothing but wearing tricorn hats, and smiled: "Please tell the Governor that uniforms are no longer needed."

……

Northeast of the Netherlands.

Emden.

Lefebvre encountered a tough battle here.

Ten thousand Prussian soldiers joined Moore's four thousand remaining British troops and built a defensive line along the east bank of the Ems River.

The French army attempted to cross the river twice, but were forced back by the enemy's heavy artillery fire both times.

Gayal looked through his binoculars at the Prussian artillery across the river and said to Lefebvre with disappointment, "Perhaps we should go back to Groningen; it's hard to find an opportunity here."

The latter shook his head: "We've tied down almost twice as many enemy troops, so it's worth it even if we do nothing."

"You see, the Dutch will keep sending supplies."

With British and Prussian troops stationed on the border, the Dutch government is now worried that Lefebvre might suddenly leave, so it has taken over almost all of the French army's logistical supplies.

"Okay, I'll do whatever you say."

Lefebvre continued, “Many new soldiers have been recruited from all over Wallonia recently. Perhaps our reinforcements will arrive soon. Then we will be able to cross this damned river.”

……

Northwestern Switzerland.

Northern foothills of the Jura Mountains.

Massena looked down at the foot of the mountain and said with a frustrated expression, "I never expected that the Allied forces would abandon Blücher as if he had thrown away a worn-out boot."

"Damn it, we left him too much food..."

(End of this chapter)