New World 1620

Throughout the long history of colonialism in North and South America, Indians have played a very bad image rather than a tragic one.

If it is said that Curtis used 600 people to destroy the Aztec Empire in Mexico, there may be a contest of courage and luck in it, then Pizarro overthrew the Inca Empire that ruled most of South America with only 177 people. The above is a complete historical farce.

The two Indian empires, one north and one south combined more than 1100 million people, were so puzzlingly dismembered and melted into history at a very fast speed, which is entirely due to the peculiar logical thinking held by Indians in Central and South America .Of course, historians have to bemoan the weight of Indian religious myths in this logical thinking process.

The religious prophecy of the return of the "White God" made the Indians in Central and South America show an extremely cautious and negative fighting consciousness from the very beginning.But in any case, these two wars that made the Spaniards boast for hundreds of years, the role of other Indian tribes who hated the two empires played a far greater role than the insignificant power of the Spaniards themselves.

The North American Indians have fought more than their distant cousins ​​for more than 300 years, but instead of doing better, they have always, more tragically, kept putting their own The future will be buried a little bit.

In the history of the spread of civilization, military technology is undoubtedly the fastest spread.The power of weapons from across the ocean from Europe is obvious, and the North American Indians also cleverly used the European demand for animal skins in exchange for a large number of weapons.

The North American Indians are therefore more willing to be close to those distant outsiders, always trying with an urgent attitude to rely on these foreigners to overcome their hated native neighbors.Even not long after being attacked by outsiders, the scars will be healed and the pain will be forgotten and continue to repeat the previous path.

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The morning mist gradually dissipated, and on the valley plain where the sun was gradually brightening, in the ruined Mohawk camp, there were huddled or mutilated corpses everywhere, and the blood had already penetrated into the soil or solidified into jelly-like spots. piece.Teams of ragged Pequots were sweeping the field in groups of two or three under the watchful eye of armed West Point residents.

The hellish scene in front of them did not allow He Yu and Guan Ruzhong to see the sad expressions of the rabbits and foxes from the expressions of these Pequots. What was more, it was a kind of indifference, or even a kind of relief like relief.

With the assistance of the armed residents of West Point Town, the officers and soldiers of the mixed company are now completely relaxed, sitting together in twos and threes, their flintlock rifles are set up in small triangles, their helmets and backpacks are thrown aside, and they are eating snacks and chatting happily. staring at the sky.

Whether it is Chinese soldiers, European soldiers or Delaware Indian soldiers who participated in a modern war drama not long ago, most of them are pretending to be smoking the kind of cigarettes that outsiders regard as precious.

The very few Delaware Indian soldiers who performed poorly a few hours ago still hung their heads, and the non-commissioned officers on the side spoke coldly.But more soldiers of the mixed company showed a kind of unscrupulous arrogance. At this time, there was hardly any act of racial exclusion. It seems to have returned to a certain time and space.

"Lieutenant! Sir...we found something!"

While several officers were discussing the next move, Sergeant Scott came over with a few armed residents of West Point Town, and several of them held a few parts that looked like musket wrecks.

Obviously, it was the parts of the matchlock gun that was blown up by the grenade. This discovery surprised He Yu and others.In order to prevent accidents, the Indian trade in the Manhattan community will never provide any hot weapons, but now there are traces of matchlock guns.

"There are letters engraved on it, but sir, we don't know them." Except for the sergeant who was forced to learn a few Chinese characters in the night school, he showed his illiterate feet in front of these European letters.

"Show it to Pastor Brest!" Guan Ruzhong knew that Pastor Brest knew many European languages.

"Sir, after investigation, the Mohawks have retreated across the small river in the northwest, and are stationed in the valley plain there."

On the map, the remnants of the Mohawk fled to the area west of the future town of Cornwall, which is still a primitive mountain river plain.

"We don't have enough troops to pursue in depth. Go back to West Point Town to rest! Feng Bin, you stay behind as the supreme commander." After discussing with several officers, they planned to leave all their troops to garrison West Point Town on the spot, and He Yu himself prepared Return to Manhattan to report back and decisively kick these follow-up issues to the community board.

A few hours later, large forces rolled into West Point.The men, women and children of West Point Town, who had long heard the news of a great victory, stood on the side of the street, throwing improvised twig garlands to the officers and soldiers of the Ground Guard who lined up neatly in double columns. .

"Hi! Sergeant Scott! Can we get something rewarding?"

Jonah, a Scottish-born private, still played the role of his follower, whispering to the non-commissioned officer beside him with his chest up.

"Maybe I will vacation here for half a year, rookie." Sergeant Scott looked at a shy English girl standing by a hut not far away, and replied absently.

"Oh? Jonah, you seem to have wasted those two bullets and didn't even touch the barbarian. Maybe the lieutenant will hang you up and whip you for a whole day!"

It was the Irish soldier who liked to play tricks on people again, and the whole queue burst into laughter.

"Who can prove that I missed the shot... Maybe I killed a chief..." Jonah blushed and hurriedly defended, and the team laughed again, even He Yu, who led the team, was happy.

At noon, all the housewives in West Point Town got busy, and pots of hot vegetable broth or soft bread were sent to the temporary camp, which greatly pleased some European soldiers whose families were settled in West Point Town.

At the mayor's house, several military officers and officials from West Point Town gathered together to discuss future arrangements.

"He Yu, I will send spies to continue to monitor the Mohawk people. You should go back to the community committee as soon as possible to see what the higher-ups plan to do." Guan Ruzhong looked to the northwest worriedly, frowning.

"Well, we withdrew with the front foot, and they came again with the back foot, which caused a headache. We can't toss about it for three days." Feng Bin, the lieutenant of the Chinese infantry platoon, also felt that things were more troublesome.

"Oh, officers and gentlemen, is it going to be troublesome to station troops in West Point?" Mayor William stood up while supporting his crutches, his face flushed, and he seemed a little excited. With good bread and broth, where soldiers can get the best of their lives, why isn't this country willing to actually protect her?"

"Lieutenant, maybe your officer has other considerations, but West Point Town cannot remain unsafe for a long time. Our residents, orchards, vegetable fields, and tile workshops all need protection." Pastor Brest also stood up, his tone Seriously, "There are also iron ore mines and coal mines, thousands of prisoners of war labor, and only a hundred of us townspeople can't take care of both."

"Old man, you're talking too much nonsense... I know that too, but..." He Yu was about to tell the truth about the lack of troops, but he swallowed it back in an instant, and just picked up the bottle and filled the wine in resentment.

"Those Pequots, can they be used?" Suddenly, Mao Jian, the tax official, muttered aside, and even Guan Ruzhong seemed to be thinking about this question.

The behavior of the Pequots as if they were surviving after a catastrophe made both Mao Jian and Guan Ruzhong think about it.These former opponents retreated to the middle of the Hudson River because of the continuous attacks of the Mohawks, but they suffered a double blow from the Land Guard and the Mohicans because of no fault of their own. It's not an extermination, but it's almost torn apart.

"They hate the Mohawks very much, but they are not strong enough. Now they can rely on us to survive, which is their most reliable way of life." Guan Ruzhong thought of the Pequot prisoner who voluntarily asked to participate in the battle yesterday. So he added cautiously, "And from the night before yesterday to today, those Mohicans are even more unreliable. It is no problem to live in peace with them and do business with them. If you want them to bleed and work hard, don't even think about it."

"Well... Mayor William and Pastor Brest can talk to those who have status among these people first." He Yu threw away the drained wine bottle and stood up, "I'll go back right away and let those who Guys who are full for the day will work harder and strive to open a short-wave radio station with West Point Town as soon as possible."

Radio?Mayor William and Reverend Brest looked at each other, as if they had heard something new that they had never heard before.But they no longer made a fuss. Although after long-term observation, these Orientals who call themselves "Americans" are not as numerous as they imagined, but the advanced nature of civilization has convinced every resident of West Point Town.

"By the way, Lieutenant, I have already seen the wreckage of the three muskets that were sent before. One was made by the Dutch, and the other two were made by the French." Pastor Brest seemed to remember something, and hurried He shouted at He Yu who was opening the door.

As soon as his hands stopped, the young ground guard officer slowly turned his head, with a look of disbelief.

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The Second Indian War in West Point made the leaders of the community committee even more frowning, because the traces of European hot weapons found in this war have revealed a very bad news: in the remote In the north of the country, the place called Quebec, the French colonial activities have already had considerable influence.

Although the distance of thousands of kilometers from Quebec is still the biggest security guarantee for Manhattan communities in this era, who can guarantee that one day a French army will not come from the north with the iris flag?

Now the regular land garrison force in the entire Manhattan community, even with the addition of the two newly formed foreign infantry platoons, is less than 200 people. How many troops can be invested to confront the Mohawks in the north?However, if sufficient troops are not invested, the safety of the transportation of industrial mineral raw materials in the upper and middle reaches of the Hudson River cannot be guaranteed, and there is even a danger that the safety range will be compressed to the doorstep.

The fierce debate and consideration of gains and losses lasted for almost three days, and on July 7, the day when the agricultural harvest work officially ended, the community committee made a final decision.

Continue to add two Indian infantry platoons, the main force is still composed of Delaware Indians, and absorb a small number of Pequots who have a deep hatred for the Moheks.

In order to show a gesture of turning hostility into friendship, the community committee agreed with the opinions of the Sheriff of West Point Township and the tax officer, and planned to move all the Pequot prisoners captured in the last West Point Township War to live in the plains northwest of West Point Township. Armed to a certain extent, to monitor the Mohawk forces on the northwest bank of the plain river, and began to hire their young labor to continue mining in iron ore or coal mines.

At the same time, in order to ensure safety, it was decided to establish a military fortress on the main road in the valley between West Point Town and the new Pequot village, with no less than two platoons of land garrison troops stationed there.

The garrison will consist of a Chinese infantry platoon plus a foreign mixed infantry platoon, which will be changed monthly.As for the establishment of short-wave radio stations in various places, the community committee temporarily delayed it under the pretext of overall planning, because the technical realization process not only involves repairing and using the radio parts dismantled from the ship, but also involves the construction of radio transmitting stations and training of operators These more troublesome things.

Soon after, more than 60 Delaware and Pequot Indian youths walked into the boot camp on Staten Island, and began another round of passionate and rough training, while the Mohicans were given certain warnings , their war with the remnants of the Pequot tribe was stopped, and they were also hired to participate in the mining work of various mines in West Point Town.

Two once-difficult North American Indian tribes, facing a far greater threat together, have finally come together to accept the protection of a Manhattan community.

Since then, for as long as a year, the several harassments of the Mohawks were defeated by the Pequot tribal villages on the other side of the river and the officers and soldiers of the land garrison stationed nearby. Blood almost stained the entire river valley plain, and finally adopted a retreat attitude.Not only did they completely lose their direct trade qualifications with the Manhattan community, they even lost a large piece of land they had acquired.