The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 684: Dead people can’t vote, only those who win the war can be considered as good masters of America!

Mouth of the Sacramento River.

The floating bridge on the river swayed in the sea breeze, the creaking of the wooden planks mixed with the snorting of the war horses, like the sound of the god of death sharpening his knife. Sherman stood on the high ground on the north bank, the copper ring of the telescope pressed his brows blue. The woods on the other side of the river were quiet, as if there was nothing, but... too quiet, not even a flying bird!

"Let the First Cavalry go first!" he shouted to the messenger, "Tell those Texans to be ready to turn around at any time. If the yellow monkeys on the other side open fire, they must retreat immediately!"

After giving the order, Sherman rode down the hill and headed towards his artillery position.

As the first troop of California militia cavalry stepped onto the pontoon bridge, the horses shook their manes nervously and the air on both sides of the mouth of the Sacramento River became tense to the point of freezing.

"boom--!"

A 9-pound artillery shell from the California militia suddenly shot out from the bushes on the north shore, arcing towards the woodland where the Free Army was hiding. The impact point was only thirty or forty yards away from the California Free Army's artillery position, and the splashing mud almost hit the gunner Wang Ahfu in the face. The Cantonese boy trembled all over, and the torch in his hand "clicked" and fell on the gunpowder box.

"Fuck your mother!" The rookie who had only been in the army for two months got so excited that he completely forgot that he was setting an ambush. He actually picked up a cleaning rod and poked the ignition hole. The fuse of the 12-pound gun was burning with a hiss. The gunner next to him just wanted to stop him, but the shotgun had already swept across the river like an iron broom. Several cavalrymen who were crossing the river were beaten to a bloody pulp, and the remaining California militia cavalrymen turned their horses around and ran to the north bank.

"There is an ambush!" Sherman excitedly drew his saber from the California militia's artillery position, "Fire! Fire everyone!"

"Boom boom——!"

The roar of the 24 12-pound and 9-pound cannons hidden in the woods shook the gravel on the riverbank. The exposed artillery positions of the Free Army on the opposite side were instantly shrouded in smoke. The gun carriage of a 12-pound cannon was smashed by a solid bullet, and the cast iron barrel rolled down the slope, crushing the loader's left leg.

Chen Yucheng was a little annoyed when he realized that his ambush was "tricked" by the opponent's random shot - these new recruits from the American True Treaty Party were no match for the real Taiping Army!

Chen Yucheng looked back, then kicked over a cowering recruit and said, "Pull out all 48 guns! Replace the shotgun shells with solid bullets and blow up the trees on the other side!"

The artillery positions of the Free Army were boiling with excitement. The gunners went into battle shirtless, poking open the residue of the firing port with iron rods, and took out vinegar jars to pour on the hot barrels to cool them down. The veteran Wang Mazi grabbed a six-pound gunpowder bag and stuffed it into the muzzle, and a solid lead ball slammed heavily into the rifling.
"put!"

The roar of 48 cannons firing in unison shook the river surface three times, and the earthworks of the California militia in the woods on the opposite bank collapsed like paper. Sherman's military cap was also blown away by the blast of a 12-pound bomb, but he was not panicked at all, and gave the order with a grim smile:

"Retreat! Retreat to the high ground in the north! Leave the pontoon bridge to these yellow-skinned pigs!"

Chen Yucheng looked at the backs of the American soldiers fleeing north in panic, and said to Lai Wenguang beside him with a gritted teeth and a smile: "Bishop Lai, these California guys are running away after being attacked. They want to trick us into crossing the river and forming a battle array with our backs to the water, so that they can fight with the federal cruiser on the sea and attack us from both sides, right?"

Lai Wenguang said with a smile: "General Chen, you are the Prime Minister's favorite general, just tell me how you want to fight!"

Chen Yucheng said: "Bishop, please take the Mexicans and four infantry regiments across the Black Water. We are going to beat them to death!"

"Good! Kill him till there's not a single piece of armor left!"

Lai Wenguang grinned and jumped on his horse. Murrieta's Mexican cavalry was already ready for battle behind the woods on the shore.

At the same time, Bigler and Sherman had led their troops to a high ground on the north bank and quickly reorganized their formation. He rode back and forth on his horse, saber raised high, roaring at the top of his lungs:

"White supremacy! Kill the yellow monkeys! Kill the Mexicans!"

"White supremacy."

The California militia also gasped and shouted together, all pointing their guns to the south.

Seeing that the California militiamen under his command were all in high spirits, the commander of the California militia, Bigler, also felt that victory was in sight, and shouted orders: "Fire rockets and signal rockets!"

In the San Francisco Bay, the steam engine of the Susquehanna gave a rumbling wheeze. Captain Dahlgren put down his telescope and took a few deep breaths of the "sweet" air of the San Francisco Bay.

"Thirty degrees to port, full speed ahead!" he roared at the messenger, "Destination: The mouth of the Sacramento River!"

The paddle wheel of the 2400-ton Susquehanna stirred up turbid waves, and the bow split the waters of San Francisco Bay. As the ship headed for the narrow waterway at the mouth of the Sacramento River, the first mate of the "giant ship" suddenly shouted, "That iron bastard is coming!"

When Dahlgren turned around and looked back, he saw the ugly "patch boat" belching black smoke and staggering behind his "Susquehanna" like a little mouse chasing an elephant. It was extremely funny.

"Don't worry about it for now," Dahlgren retracted his gaze and pointed to the river mouth, "Let's go kill the yellow monkey!"

Zhang Bao's "patch boat" was like a crocodile "lying" on the water and struggling to move forward. This ironclad boat, converted from an inland tugboat, had a displacement of less than 300 tons, and its hull was covered with the latest armored steel plates produced by the Xuzhou Iron and Steel Plant. The thin barrel of the 70mm breech-loading gun protruded from an open gun port at the bow.

"Add more shovels of coal." Zhang Bao stood beside the 70mm gun, staring at the "giant ship" that he had been chasing all night without success, and loudly ordered the boiler operator to add more effort.

At this moment, the Susquehanna in front suddenly slowed down. It turned out that the big ship had entered shallow water and had to sail carefully. This gave Zhang Bao's "patch boat" the opportunity to catch up.

"Fire!" Zhang Bao personally aimed the gun at the rear of the Susquehanna. "Reload!"

Gunner Lao Wu cursed in Cantonese as he pushed the picric acid shell into the breech: "You bastard, eat shit!"

"boom!"

The first shell penetrated the stern cabin of the Susquehanna, and the picric acid ignited the canvas rigging, and flames instantly shot up the mast.

"How is this possible?" Dahlgren couldn't believe his eyes. The guns of the "patch boat" were too accurate. They were still 400 to 500 yards away, but they hit the target with their first shot!

"boom!"

Less than a minute after the first picric acid shell hit the stern cabin of the Susquehanna, another picric acid shell exploded on the transfer deck of the Susquehanna, instantly knocking down several sailors who were fighting the fire.

"Two rounds in one minute, damn, it's a breech-loading gun!"

Dahlgren no longer cared about the California Freedom Army and the California Militia who were lined up on the shore, and hurriedly ordered his "giant ship" to turn around and engage in a firefight with the "patch boat" - if a breech-loading gun capable of firing picric acid shells had to keep aiming at the "Susquehanna" and fire dozens of rounds, the "giant ship" would have to sink!
But how could Zhang Bao give the Susquehanna a chance to comfortably use its large-caliber artillery to hammer itself? He took advantage of the opportunity when the Susquehanna slowed down and turned in the shallows, and commanded the "patch boat" to bite the Susquehanna tightly, continuously firing picric acid shells with the 70mm breech-loading gun. In less than 40 minutes, this unfortunate 2400-ton wooden hull ship was hit by at least 20 picric acid shells! It was beaten all over, and yellow-green poisonous fire came out all over!

Although the "Susquehanna" also fired dozens of large-caliber shells, and two solid bullets hit the steel plate of the "patch boat", the result was two loud "bangs" and it bounced off directly!
"This, this is an iron ship!" When Dahlgren exclaimed, the "giant ship" under his feet suddenly shook violently, followed by a muffled "rumbling" sound, and then it could not move.

The Susquehanna ran aground on the beach!
Now I'm going to become a sitting duck!
"Abandon, abandon ship." Dahlgren said with a trembling voice the words he was most reluctant to say in his life.

Bison Slope, north bank of the Sacramento River.

Sherman, who was commanding his California militia to launch wave after wave of attacks under the fierce artillery fire of the California Freedom Army, was standing on the high ground at this time, watching the "Susquehanna" burst into flames and run aground on the river beach. He was completely numb.

What happened? Such a big ship was damaged like this by a small broken ship covered with patches.
"Colonel, the commander asked you to lead the cavalry to the rear to block the yellow monkey's flanking troops!"

A messenger came on horseback and told Sherman another bad news.

"Detour." Sherman looked back and saw a large group of Mexican cavalry rushing towards them under the dust!

"Damn it!" He drew his saber and roared at the top of his lungs:

"White California will never fall! Cavalry—Charge!"

Six or seven hundred California cavalrymen followed Sherman, sabers raised high, and galloped with him through the already chaotic battlefield, charging towards Murrieta's Mexican cavalry. The two steel torrents collided fiercely on the river beach, the swords flashed, and blood splashed. Sherman slashed the throat of a Mexican cavalryman with his sword, and the hot blood sprayed on his face, but before he could catch his breath, another scimitar chopped him on the head -

"when!"

He parried the blow with his saber, his knuckles numbed by the shock. Murrieta rode closer with a grin, his saber blade slashing Sherman's cheek, leaving a bloody streak.

"Long live Mexico!" Murrieta roared, his knife flashing like lightning.

Sherman gritted his teeth and fought back, and he and Murrieta fought in a ball, but he and his cavalry tried their best and could only stop Murrieta's Mexican cavalry.

When the infantry led by Lai Wenguang appeared on the west side of the battlefield, Bigler was shouting at the artillery position: "Load grapeshot! Blast those yellow monkeys in the waist!"

"Sir! We are surrounded..."

Bigler's eyes were red and he was breathing rapidly. He suddenly felt hot all over and ripped open the buttons of his military uniform, revealing his hairy chest: "Guards muster! For the glory of white California!"

More than 70 elite men from white California families gathered around him, holding rifles with bayonets fixed, stepping on the bodies of their comrades, and charging towards the flood of Freedom Army infantrymen.

The slogan "White California will never fall" temporarily drowned out the sound of cannons and gunfire on the battlefield.

Lai Wenguang's infantry was forced back a full two hundred yards by this suicide charge. By the time they had regrouped, Bigler's intestines had flowed to his knees - three lead bullets had ruptured his abdominal cavity.

As the setting sun dyed the Sacramento River bloody, Sherman fled to Sacramento with his last 300 cavalrymen, only half of his saber remaining, with Mexican blood clotted on the blade.

"Chase them! Chase them!" Xianfeng (Zhao Si) shouted on the battlefield while riding his warhorse, "Dead men can't vote! Kill one more, and there will be one less vote against them in next year's parliament!"

Chen Yucheng pulled the reins and looked at the piles of corpses on the battlefield, his face full of confusion - what kind of country is this America? What is going on with killing people and voting?
The wreckage of the Susquehanna floated on the river, and the charred federal flag slowly sank to the bottom of the water. Zhang Bao's "patch boat" was salvaging prisoners, and a white non-commissioned officer suddenly struggled and shouted: "You are rebelling! Article 5 of the Constitution..."

"Bang!" He was answered by a gunshot.

(End of this chapter)