Jean Danjou

Jean Danjou (15 April 1828 - 30 April 1863) was a decorated captain in the French Foreign Legion. He commanded the 62 legionnaires and two lieutenants who fought the legendary Battle of Camarón during the French intervention in Mexico.

Education

Jean Danjou was born in Chalabre into a family with a great military history. At the age of 20, he enlisted in the École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr, the foremost French military academy. He graduated from the academy as Second lieutenant.

Military career

After graduation from Saint-Cyr, Danjou was transferred to Algeria, to assist French colonization efforts. It was here that he lost his hand in combat on 1 May 1853. He had a wooden prosthetic hand made, which he used for the rest of his life (see below). Danjou was promoted to full lieutenant on 24 December 1853.

As 1st lieutenant, Danjou was part of the French army that fought in the Crimean War, where Danjou served during the Siege of Sevastopol. He was promoted to captain on 9 June 1855.

His next campaign during the Austro-Sardinian War, where in 1859 he fought in the Battle of Magenta and the Battle of Solférino.

After serving in Morocco for some time, Capitaine Danjou was part of the French expeditionary corps sent to Mexico in 1862. He was quartermaster of Colonel Jeanningros, who was in charge of the Foreign Legion regiment in Mexico. It was the duty of the French Legion to ensure the movement and safety of French supply convoys.

On 29 April, Colonel Jeanningros was informed that an important convoy was on its way to Puebla, with a load of 3 million francs, and material and munitions for the siege. Captain Danjou decided to send a company to escort the convoy. The 3rd company of the Foreign Regiment was assigned to this mission, but had no officers available. Captain Danjou himself took the command.

The Battle of Camarón

On the 30th of April, at 1 a.m., the 3rd company was on its way, with its 3 officers and 62 men. At 7 a.m., after a 15 mile march, it stopped at Palo Verde in order to get some rest. Soon after a Mexican force of 2,000 soldiers (800 cavalry & 1,200 infantry) was spotted. Captain Danjou made the company take up a square formation and, even though retreating, he drove back several cavalry charges, inflicting the first heavy losses on the enemy .

Looking for a more defensible position, Danjou decided to make a stand at the nearby Hacienda Camarón, an inn protected by a 3m high wall. His plan was to tie up the enemy forces to prevent any attacks on the nearby convoy. While his legionnaires prepared for a defense of the inn, the Mexican commander, Colonel Milan, demanded that Danjou and his men surrender, pointing out the fact that the Mexican Army was greatly superior in number. Danjou went around to each of his men with bottle of wine and made them all swear to not surrender. They all promised to do so.

At noon, Captain Danjou was shot in the chest and died. His soldiers continued to fight, despite overwhelming odds. Until 6 p.m., these 60 men who had had nothing to eat or drink since the day before, in spite of the extreme heat, of the thirst and hunger, resisted many charges of the Mexican army. The last 5 remaining men all were down to there very last bullet.In stead of dishonour they decided to charge with bayonets. When they did the Mexican commander ordered his troops to cease fire. The remaining men were spared their lives and went back to France.

Capitain Jean Danjou was buried on 3 May 1863 in Camarón.

Trivia

After the battle, a Mexican named Ramirez took Capitaine Danjou's wooden hand. Ramirez was arrested and the hand retrieved by lieutenant Karl Grübert of the Austrian army, which replaced the Foreign Legion on July 17, 1865. To this day, the wooden hand plays an important role in the celebration of the anniversary of the battle.

External links

* [http://perso.wanadoo.fr/legion/ecameron.htm The Battle of Camerone]
* [http://www.legion-etrangere.info/spip/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=5 French Foreign Legion Website with statistics about the battle]