The Battle of Camerone (also known as the Battle of Camarón) was one of the key episodes in the Second French Intervention in Mexico. It took place in late April 1863, when a company of only 65 men from the French Foreign Legion faced nearly 2,000 Mexican infantry and cavalry. The battle is widely regarded as a striking example of bravery and the determination to fight to the last man.
Background
In 1861, Mexico emerged from a four-year civil war between Liberals (backed by the United States) and Conservatives. That same year, Liberal President Benito Juárez suspended interest payments on Mexico’s foreign debt. In response, French Emperor Napoleon III – with support from Britain and Spain – launched a military intervention aimed at protecting European creditors. Thus began the Second French Intervention in Mexico, in late 1861.
The alliance quickly unraveled, and by April 1862, both Britain and Spain had withdrawn their troops. Napoleon III, however, pressed on – backed by Mexican Conservatives – and aimed to overthrow Juárez. The campaign soon proved more difficult than expected. In May 1862, French forces suffered a surprise defeat near Puebla, a major city on the road to the capital, Mexico City. Reinforcements were required, and they began arriving in late 1862 to prepare for a renewed offensive in early 1863.
As part of these efforts, the French Foreign Legion – then based in Algeria – was approved for deployment to Mexico. At the time, the Legion was officially known as the Foreign Regiment (formerly the 2nd Foreign Regiment until early 1862). In February 1863, two battalions, totaling nearly 1,500 men and led by Colonel Pierre Jeanningros, departed Algeria. They landed in Mexico at the end of March.
Meanwhile, in mid-March, French troops had begun the Siege of Puebla. Their objective was to retake the city and open the way to Mexico City – President Juárez’s last major stronghold.
French Foreign Legion in Mexico
In Mexico, legionnaires of the Foreign Regiment were assigned to support French forces besieging the city of Puebla. Their main task was to guard French supply convoys moving along the Royal Road – an important historic route connecting Veracruz, the French-occupied port city on the Gulf Coast, with Puebla. These convoys were frequently targeted by Mexican guerrillas – irregular fighters loyal to President Juárez.
The legionnaires were responsible for protecting a 40-mile (65-km) stretch of the Royal Road between the towns of Soledad and Cordoba. This was the most dangerous part of the route. Situated in the tropical lowlands, the region was plagued by disease – most notably vomito negro (yellow fever) and typhus. In 1863 alone, these illnesses would claim the lives of most legionnaires deployed to Mexico.
The Foreign Regiment’s battalions were based in Soledad, with their headquarters in Chiquihuite – a small village in the foothills of the Chiconquiaco mountain range, east of Cordoba. Companies from the regiment were posted at intervals along the road, each assigned to guard a specific sector.
Important French Convoys for Puebla
In late April 1863, two major French convoys were en route to Puebla, which remained under siege by the forces of General Forey. The first convoy, assembled in Soledad, included around 60 vehicles and 150 mules. In addition to mail and ammunition, it carried artillery pieces and engineering equipment for siege operations. The second convoy, departing from Veracruz, was tasked with delivering general supplies and 3,000,000 francs in coin – intended as payroll for the troops.
At the same time, plans were already underway to intercept and destroy the artillery convoy before it could reach Puebla. The operation was overseen by Colonel Francisco de Paula Milan – a senior officer in the Liberal forces loyal to Juárez. Milan also served as the governor and military commander of Veracruz state, which was partly occupied by the French at the time. His force, assembled for the ambush, numbered nearly 2,000 men – infantry and cavalry combined.
According to a report written in August 1863 by the Foreign Regiment’s second-in-command, Major Regnault, such a concentration of enemy troops in the area had not been anticipated. However, to be fair, the legionnaires had only been in Mexico for four weeks. Until then, they had encountered nothing larger than small bands of mounted guerrillas. Milan’s force was clearly assembled as a final effort to shift the balance – to prevent the fall of Puebla. If the French had received their artillery, Puebla would likely have been lost – and with it, Mexico City and the presidency of Benito Juárez.
A Planned Reconnaissance Mission
On Wednesday, April 29, 1863, at the Foreign Regiment’s headquarters in Chiquihuite, Colonel Jeanningros ordered a reconnaissance mission to support the artillery convoy advancing from Soledad. A company was to march to Palo Verde – a prominent elevated point and a key stopover for French convoys along the Royal Road. Located some 15 miles (25 km) northeast of Chiquihuite, the site was known for its nearby fountain, which offered what was described as “delicious water.” A large wooden shelter had been constructed there to provide rest and shade for passing French troops.
At Palo Verde, the legionnaires were tasked with scouting the surrounding area within a radius of about 2.5 miles (4 km). Their objective was to ensure that no Mexican guerrillas were operating nearby and posing a threat to the artillery convoy – as had happened three months earlier, in late January 1863, when a French convoy had been attacked at the same spot. That earlier attack, however, had been successfully repelled.
3rd Company, 1st Battalion, Foreign Regiment
In the afternoon of April 29, the 3rd Company of the 1st Battalion, Foreign Regiment was assigned to the reconnaissance mission as the designated company on duty that week. The company was stationed in Chiquihuite, which served as the headquarters of both the regiment and the battalion.
However, the unit was in poor condition. After just four weeks in Mexico, nearly a third of the 3rd Company had already been hospitalized with yellow fever. The company commander, Captain J. Cazes, had been reassigned to lead a smaller outpost near Veracruz, where he was recovering from a wound sustained while boarding ship in Algeria. His deputy, Lieutenant Adolphe Gans, was ill with malaria. The third officer, Second Lieutenant Jean Vilain, had been temporarily reassigned to serve as the battalion’s paymaster.
As a result, only 62 combat-ready men remained in the company: 5 non-commissioned officers, 6 corporals, and 51 legionnaires – the equivalent of two understrength platoons.
The unit was characteristically diverse. Among the ranks were 20 Germans, 16 Belgians, 8 Swiss, 7 native Frenchmen, and single individuals from Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, Italy, and Spain. Some of the Belgians and Swiss may have in fact been Frenchmen serving under altered identities. In addition, six men had been born to foreign fathers seeking asylum in France – some with French mothers, others without.
Officers Leading the Mission
The reconnaissance mission to Palo Verde was entrusted to Captain Jean Danjou, adjutant to Colonel Jeanningros, who had volunteered to lead it without hesitation. At 35 years old, Danjou was a veteran officer with more than a decade of service in the Legion. He had joined it in 1852 and lost his left hand the following year during a topographical expedition in Algeria, when the barrel of his musket exploded. Refusing to leave military service, he continued his career with a precisely crafted wooden prosthesis. Promoted to captain during the Crimean War (1853-56), he later fought in the Italian campaign (1859), including the battles of Magenta and Solferino. He had been serving as regimental adjutant since 1858 and held the Cross of the Legion of Honor – France’s highest military distinction.
He would be accompanied by two junior officers, also volunteers. The first was Second Lieutenant Jean Vilain, a 27-year-old Frenchman who had joined the Legion as a simple soldier at the age of eighteen, shortly after leaving a military academy. With nine years of service, including deployments in Crimea and Italy, he had only recently been promoted to officer – just four months earlier – and was officially part of the 3rd Company, though temporarily serving as battalion paymaster.
The second officer, Second Lieutenant Clément Maudet, was the longest-serving member of the 65-man unit. Now 34 years old, he had enlisted in 1848 – during the revolutionary upheavals in France – and had seen combat in Algeria, Crimea, and Italy. Decorated with the Cross of the Legion of Honor, Maudet had been promoted only three months prior. Due to his seniority and distinction, he had been entrusted with carrying the regiment’s colors.
April 30: Mission to Palo Verde
From Chiquihuite to Paso del Macho
Shortly after midnight on Thursday, April 30, at 1:00 a.m., Captain Danjou and his 3rd Company set out from Chiquihuite. Marching in two close files along the Royal Road, they began a 15-mile (25-km) journey toward Palo Verde. Each legionnaire wore a Mexican sombrero (preferred over the traditional képi for sun protection), a dark blue jacket with colored epaulettes (yellow for skirmishers, green for line infantry), a red sash, and beige field trousers. In addition, he carried an updated 1851-model French Minié rifle (rifled musket), along with a sword bayonet and sixty rounds of ammunition. Two mules accompanied the company, loaded with food supplies.
By 2:00 a.m., they reached Paso del Macho, a small village about 4 miles (6.5 km) from their starting point. The site housed a French post and an old watchtower, originally built between 1836 and 1838, used by the Legion to monitor the road and surrounding terrain. A company stationed there was commanded by Captain Saussier, a friend of Danjou’s and a future military governor of Paris (1884–1898).
The 3rd Company paused briefly. After a short rest, Captain Danjou exchanged a firm handshake with his old comrade. Then the column moved on. Captain Saussier and his men would be the last French soldiers to see them alive.
Camerone and Palo Verde
Three hours later, around 5:30 a.m., the 3rd Company passed through Camarón (Camerone in French) – a small, abandoned indigenous settlement consisting of several ruined huts. Nearby, along the road, stood two or three other dilapidated structures. Opposite them, across the road, loomed a long-abandoned hacienda – a Spanish colonial villa with a large enclosed farmyard, known as La Trinidad Hacienda.
The legionnaires searched both the hacienda and the farmyard to make sure no Mexican fighters were hiding there. Once the area was cleared, Captain Danjou ordered the men to divide into two platoons. Each would be responsible for scouting one side of the road, which was overgrown with dense tropical vegetation, as they continued toward their destination. Danjou himself, accompanied by a group of skirmishers acting as a vanguard and followed by the mules, pressed on toward Palo Verde – the French convoy stopover – located about 2.5 miles (4 km) east of Camerone.
Alarm at Palo Verde
Around 7:15 a.m., the company regrouped at Palo Verde after completing their 15-mile (25-km) march from Chiquihuite. They paused to rest at the wooden shelter built for French troops and transport columns. The men emptied their field bottles into a pot to make coffee, while Corporal Magnin and his group set off toward the nearby fountain to collect fresh water for the entire unit. The sun was rising, and a number of legionnaires lay down to sleep. It seemed like just another quiet morning in Mexico – but not for long.
Between 7:45 and 8:00 a.m., a sentinel spotted movement in the distance – a cloud of dust rising about 1.5 miles (2.5 km) away, between Palo Verde and Camerone. Captain Danjou raised his field glass, looked toward the road, and confirmed the worst: Mexicans. He shouted, “Enemy! To arms!”
Within five minutes, the company was ready for combat. The coffee was abandoned. Corporal Magnin and his men had to return quickly, without water. Meanwhile, the Mexicans had vanished from view. Danjou gave the order to leave the site and advance to determine what had just occurred.
Back to Camerone
Over the next hour, the 3rd Company marched back toward Camerone. To avoid direct contact with the enemy, the men bypassed the village by circling north of the road, moving through dense vegetation that offered some protection against cavalry. Legionnaires serving as skirmishers led the way, occasionally using their sword bayonets to hack a path through the undergrowth.
Shortly before 9:00 a.m., the company returned to the road, approximately 250–300 yards (about 250 meters) west of Camerone. The area appeared quiet – no enemy cavalry were in sight. Then, without warning, a shot rang out – likely fired from within the village – and struck a legionnaire in the leg. The company responded immediately, sweeping the ruins and the hacienda in search of the shooter, but found no one.
Mexicans
At that point, Captain Danjou and his men still had no clear idea of the size or nature of the force they had seen earlier. Most likely, they expected to face an ordinary guerrilla detachment – perhaps 30 to 70 mounted irregulars – similar to those who often operated in the region. Such groups frequently harassed French units but rarely posed a serious threat to the disciplined and battle-hardened legionnaires.
But April 30 would prove different. That morning, at a field headquarters located roughly 3 miles (5 km) northeast of Camerone, between two local rivers, a sizable force had been assembled by the aforementioned Mexican military commander, Colonel Francisco de Paula Milan. His force included three infantry battalions – each around 400 men – supported by some 500 regular cavalry and 300 irregular mounted guerrillas. In total, nearly 2,000 men were preparing for battle.
The first to confront the 3rd Company were the mounted guerrillas. According to a report written in May 1863 by Colonel Milan himself, he personally led this detachment, which had been tasked with a reconnaissance mission in the area. However, he admitted that he and his men were caught off guard by the presence of the French. From that point, the mission shifted – the legionnaires were to be “removed” so they could not interfere with Milan’s plans to ambush the artillery convoy.
First Mexican Charges
As they moved away from Camerone, the legionnaires spotted the enemy for the first time. A group of mounted Mexican guerrillas was advancing from the northeast, preparing for a charge. Captain Danjou immediately ordered his men to form an infantry square, placing himself and the mules at the center. But the two mules panicked and ran away.
Moments later, a mass of shouting guerrillas launched their first attack. The cold-blooded legionnaires responded with a precise volley, halting the charge and forcing the enemy to retreat under a follow-up salvo.
Afterward, the company moved through a natural barrier of cacti to their left – a dense line of vegetation running along the road near Camerone. It provided some protection against the mounted enemy. Danjou briefly considered taking the unit into the wild tropical undergrowth to the southwest, about 500 yards (450 m) away, and continuing toward Paso del Macho that way. However, part of the Mexicans began appearing from behind the hacienda, cutting off the route.
After weighing his options, Captain Danjou decided to make a stand at the nearby hacienda and defend it until reinforcements could arrive. The company re-formed into a square and repelled another wave of guerrillas. Then, with bayonets fixed, the legionnaires launched a counter-charge. The guerrillas fell back, and the company successfully entered the farmyard.
La Trinidad Hacienda
La Trinidad Hacienda, where Captain Danjou’s men sought shelter, had been constructed between 1814 and 1817 by a Spanish landowner named Lord Ferrer. It later became the property of the Alarcón family, but was abandoned during the Reform War in Mexico (1858–1860). The hacienda was a classic Spanish colonial structure, featuring a square farmyard enclosed by stone walls roughly 55 yards (50 m) long and about 10 feet (3 m) high. Its northern facade, facing the road, was whitewashed and slightly raised, with at least one open entry near the western corner. Inside the yard, on the other side of this wall, stood a three-room house with a ground floor and attic of unspecified dimensions.
On the western side of the compound, the wall was broken by two large, gateless gateways. The legionnaires entered and immediately began barricading themselves inside. Groups of 6–8 men were assigned to defend each gateway.
The original plan had been to occupy the house itself and hold it as a strongpoint. But this was no longer possible – two of the rooms had already been seized by Mexican troops, possibly by breaking in through an alternate entrance. Instead, two groups of legionnaires – 14 men in total – took control of the last remaining room, located in the western section of the building. This room opened to the road via the uncovered entry, and to the farmyard through a single window. A large, closed interior door connected it to the two rooms already under enemy control.
Meanwhile, Sergeant Morzycki – a French-born son of a Polish officer – climbed onto the roof with a small group of men to monitor the surroundings.
In the southeast corner of the farmyard, on the eastern wall, there was an old breach – an opening about 3.3 feet (1 m) wide. Around it stood the remains of a former shed, partially collapsed. Another group of legionnaires was assigned to defend this point.
The remaining men took up positions along the wall between the two western gateways, forming the reserve force. Their task was to keep watch over the house – ready to fire at any Mexican who appeared in the windows – and to cover the upper wall sections in case of scaling attempts.
According to Colonel Milan, he and a small group of men returned to his field headquarters to inform the rest of his force of the situation and call in reinforcements.
Preparing for the Battle
At 9:30 a.m., Captain Danjou took out his bottle of wine and shared it among his men. Each legionnaire received just a few drops in the palm of his hand – the only liquid they would consume that entire sweltering day.
A Mexican envoy soon arrived: Lieutenant Ramon Lainé, 22 years old and of French origin. He offered the 3rd Company a chance to surrender. Still positioned on the rooftop, Sergeant Morzycki translated Captain Danjou’s defiant reply:
“We have munitions. We will not surrender!”
Afterward, Danjou asked his men to fight bravely to the last man – and they pledged to do just that. A few minutes later, at approximately 9:45 a.m., the battle began.
Battle of Camerone – April 30, 1863
9:45 – 11:00 a.m.
The fighting broke out with full force. The legionnaires came under attack from all sides. The worst pressure was concentrated on the house, specifically the room facing the road, which had been secured earlier by two small groups of men. These defenders were now under direct fire.
During this phase of the battle, the Mexicans were likely reinforced by Colonel Milan’s regular cavalry.
11:00 a.m.
Captain Danjou killed. At 11 o’clock, the defenders lost their commander. Captain Danjou was shot in the chest while returning to the reserve after checking on the house positions. He collapsed almost instantly and died within five minutes.
His death came unexpectedly, early in the battle, less than ninety minutes after the first shots were fired. It was a heavy blow to his legionnaires, both tactically and symbolically. Danjou had been more than a commander – he was their example of courage, discipline, and absolute determination. He had chosen to lead the mission voluntarily, knowing the risks, and had already asked his men to fight to the last man. Now, they would fight on without him – in his spirit.
Command passed to Second Lieutenant Vilain.
11:05 a.m.
House abandoned. At nearly the same moment, the house had to be abandoned after over an hour of intense combat. Mexican troops had broken through the closed interior door connecting the rooms. Out of the 14 legionnaires who had been stationed inside, only five remained. These survivors withdrew and reinforced other positions within the farmyard.
Despite this, the enemy gained no real advantage. The remaining legionnaires maintained line of sight on the house and fired at every Mexican who appeared in the windows.
12:00 p.m.
Mexican reinforcement. At noon, the fighting briefly paused. Mexican forces were reinforced once again – this time by three infantry battalions from Veracruz, Córdoba, and Jalapa. Together, they added approximately 1,200 men to the attack. Notably, the Jalapa infantry wore kepis instead of the more common sombreros.
12:15 p.m.
Second proposal to surrender. Lieutenant Lainé returned with a second offer for the legionnaires to lay down their arms. Sergeant Morzycki, still acting as interpreter, rejected the offer in blunt terms and returned to his position. His sharp tone reportedly infuriated the Mexican attackers – and the battle resumed immediately.
12:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. (14:00)
Mexican assaults and terrain modification. After the second rejected offer to surrender, the Mexicans resumed their assault with renewed intensity. Waves of attacks targeted the two western gateways and the narrow breach in the southeastern wall of the farmyard.
At the same time, Mexican forces attempted to breach the building from within. They began chiseling a hole through the eastern wall of the house, seeking access to the farmyard from inside. The outer wall on the eastern side was also attacked: the defenders reported that it was gradually perforated, with multiple small battlements appearing. Eventually, the attackers managed to break through a large section of the wall, creating a gap roughly 10 feet (3 meters) wide.
This development directly threatened the position of the Legion’s reserve, which had until then been stationed between the two gateways. Their location had suddenly become exposed.
2:00 p.m. (14:00)
Reserve changes position. Due to the new breach in the eastern wall – directly across from their line – the reserve repositioned. The group, the largest in the farmyard, withdrew southward and took up new positions between the southern gateway and the southwestern corner.
There, two sheds offered partial shelter. One was in good condition: a wooden structure with intact walls, adjacent to the southern gateway. The other, situated in the very corner, was severely damaged – little more than a collapsed roof supported by a few wooden beams resting on a low brick base. This open, ruined shed was where the reserve, now under the command of Second Lieutenant Maudet, would take position.
Around the same time, their numbers were reinforced by the group that had previously held the southern gateway. According to later accounts, that section was “no longer under attack,” though no specific reason was given for the shift in enemy focus.
2:30 p.m. (14:30)
Second Lieutenant Vilain killed. Second Lieutenant Jean Vilain was killed shortly after visiting the southeastern breach. While crossing the farmyard on his way to the northern gateway, he was shot in the head. He died instantly.
Like Captain Danjou before him, Vilain had made it a point to personally visit the posts to encourage the men. With his death, command passed to the third and final officer, Second Lieutenant Maudet.
Terrible conditions. By this stage, the defenders were reaching the limits of endurance. The tropical sun was unrelenting, and the air had become oppressively hot. The men were exhausted, hungry, and – above all – dangerously dehydrated. Since early morning, the only liquid they had consumed were a few drops of wine shared before the battle.
Their tongues were swollen, their lips cracked. Several wounded legionnaires became delirious and began harming themselves in desperation – trying to suck their own blood. Others resorted to drinking their urine. On top of that, the men fought surrounded by the bodies of fallen comrades, which no one was able to remove.
Still, they had no thought of surrender.
3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. (15:00 – 16:30)
Fire. After 3:00 p.m., the situation deteriorated further. Mexican forces had surrounded the hacienda entirely, and crossing the farmyard had become impossible. Then, the attackers set fire to an outdoor shed on the northeast side.
For an hour and a half, the fire consumed the shed and part of the hacienda. Thick smoke filled the air, making it even harder to breathe. Visibility dropped, and the defenders’ already unbearable thirst grew worse.
4:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. (16:30 – 17:00)
Mexican advance. The fire gave the attackers a clear advantage. Using the cover of smoke and destruction, they advanced into the farmyard and took up forward positions, allowing them to fire directly on the defenders.
The last two forward posts – the northern gateway and the southeastern opening – came under increasing pressure. The defenders there suffered heavy losses. Soon, only a single legionnaire remained at the northern gateway, and four at the southeastern breach.
5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. (17:00 – 17:30)
Pause. At five o’clock, the Mexican forces pulled back briefly, and the fighting paused once again. By this point, only 12 combat-ready legionnaires remained, under Second Lieutenant Maudet. The rest had been killed or wounded – 2 officers and 50 legionnaires in total.
Colonel Milan’s call to Mexicans. Colonel Milan arrived at the scene and addressed his troops. In a passionate speech, he urged them to finish the fight and take the surviving legionnaires by force. To fail in this final assault, he warned, would be a “great shame for all Mexicans.”
Third (and last) proposal to surrender. A third and final offer to surrender was extended to the defenders. This time, the legionnaires didn’t even respond. The silence spoke for itself – the battle resumed.
5:30 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. (17:30 – 17:45)
Severe Mexican attacks. Renewed attacks targeted all remaining openings. The northern gateway was overrun shortly after the fighting resumed. Corporal Berg, its last defender, was captured. The reserve, however, maintained their firing line and killed over 20 attackers who tried to force their way in.
Old opening seized. Simultaneously, the southeastern breach was also captured. Its four defenders – Corporals Magnin and Pinzinger, and Legionnaires Gorski and Kunassek – were attacked from behind by Mexicans coming from the north and taken prisoner.
5:45 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. (17:45 – 18:00)
Last defenders. With both forward positions lost, only the reserve remained. Over the next fifteen minutes, three more legionnaires were killed: Sergeant Morzycki, and Legionnaires Bertolotto and Leonhard. Now just five men were left: Second Lieutenant Maudet, Corporal Maine, and Legionnaires Cateau, Constantin, and Wensel. Their ammunition was nearly gone.
6:00 p.m. (18:00)
Final assault. At six o’clock, Mexican troops surged forward once more. From every direction, they advanced toward the open shed in the southwestern corner – the final stronghold of the 3rd Company.
Second Lieutenant Maudet ordered a final volley. With the little ammunition left, the legionnaires fired one last fusillade. Then came the signal for a bayonet charge. Despite their exhaustion, the five remaining men fixed bayonets and rushed forward. During this final attack, Legionnaire Cateau threw himself in front of his officer to shield him, taking nineteen bullets. He was killed instantly. Despite his sacrifice, Maudet was gravely wounded, and Legionnaire Wensel was also hit. Within moments, the remaining men were surrounded by Mexican troops with fixed bayonets. The Battle of Camerone was over.
Colonel Ángel Cambas, another Mexican officer of French origin and Colonel Milan’s right-hand man, intervened immediately. He ordered his troops to cease fire and spare the last three surviving legionnaires. They were allowed to keep their weapons and equipment, and Cambas personally assured care for the severely wounded Maudet. Under his protection, the three were escorted to Colonel Milan’s provisional field camp nearby.
Fifteen minutes later, accompanied by Cambas, the legionnaires arrived at the camp. Colonel Milan, upon seeing the last defenders, was stunned. He is said to have exclaimed:
“That’s all that is left? These aren’t men – they are devils!”
The survivors were given food and water while their wounded comrades were tended to. Around 8:30 p.m. (20:30), the Mexican troops and the captured legionnaires left Camerone for La Joya, the main camp of Colonel Milan, located about 3 miles (5 km) to the northeast, between two rivers.
3rd Company: Results of the Battle
The 3rd Company of the 1st Battalion, Foreign Regiment paid a terrible price at Camerone. Two of its officers were killed, and a third – Second Lieutenant Maudet – was gravely wounded. Among the legionnaires, exact figures vary between sources, even those published soon after the event. However, Jean Brunon – an honorary member of the Legion and a respected military historian – stated in his 1963 account of the Battle of Camerone that the following figures, originally presented by General Zédé in the 1930s, were in his view the most reliable:
– 30 legionnaires were killed or fatally wounded during the battle
– 19 more died from their wounds
– 12 legionnaires, most of them injured, survived captivity
Another survivor was Drummer Casimir Lai, an Italian legionnaire. On May 1, the day after the battle, he was discovered near the hacienda – naked, badly injured, and barely alive – by a passing column of the Foreign Regiment. He had been stabbed seven times with a lance or saber and shot twice. Having regained consciousness during the cold night, he realized he had been left for dead and crawled away from the battlefield. Lai was the only member of the company to escape Mexican captivity, and he lived to tell his story.
Second Lieutenant Maudet, despite receiving medical care after his capture, succumbed to his wounds on May 8.
The majority of the captured legionnaires were eventually released in mid-July 1863.
1863 Battle of Camerone: Aftermath
The Legion’s 3rd Company had been annihilated. Yet the price paid by the attackers was high as well. According to estimates, at least 300 Mexicans were killed or wounded during the battle. Among the dead were Lieutenant Colonel José Ayala, Colonel Milan’s chief of staff; Captain Francisco Zaragoza and his brother Lieutenant Vicente Zaragoza; and Peréz, one of the guerrilla leaders.
The Mexican plan to intercept the French artillery convoy was ultimately abandoned. Fearing retaliation, Colonel Milan and his forces withdrew from the region.
The road was now clear. The French convoys and their valuable cargo reached Puebla safely. Two weeks later, the city – still under siege – fell to French forces. The path to Mexico City was open. On June 10, 1863, French troops under General Bazaine – a former colonel of the Foreign Legion – entered the capital. President Benito Juárez fled and his republic was replaced by a pro-French monarchy.
The sacrifice of a single, isolated company of legionnaires – cut off, outnumbered, and determined to fight to the last man – thus played a decisive role in the French campaign.
Camerone: Symbols, Traditions, and Legacy
Battle honor and Legion colors
The Battle of Camerone became a defining episode in the identity of the French Foreign Legion. It came to symbolize the Legion’s values in their purest form – bravery, self-sacrifice, discipline, and the determination to obey the orders. The expression “Let’s make Camerone” (On va faire Camerone) entered the Legion’s vocabulary, used to evoke unflinching determination in the face of overwhelming odds.
In recognition of this extraordinary stand, Emperor Napoleon III ordered that the name Camerone be inscribed on the regimental colors of the Foreign Regiment. Today, this battle honor is present on all flags and standards of the Legion.
It is also worth noting – though rarely discussed – that the green and red colors officially associated with the Foreign Legion may well have their origin in the Mexican Expedition Medal issued in 1863, which bore the national colors of Mexico. The theory aligns with the enormous symbolic weight that Camerone came to carry. In addition, the design of that medal continues to be part of the insignia of the Legion’s “Motherhouse” – the 1st Foreign Regiment.
Camerone Day
In the decades that followed, the Battle of Camerone gradually faded from public memory. The French withdrawal from Mexico in 1867, the national trauma of the Franco-Prussian War (1870–71), the colonial campaign in Indochina during the 1880s, and the devastating experience of the First World War all contributed to this shift in focus.
That changed decisively in 1931. General Paul-Frédéric Rollet – a popular officer and the first commander (“Father”) of the Foreign Legion – sought to restore a strong sense of identity and pride within the institution, which had suffered a deep crisis of morale following the Great War. As part of this effort, he chose to make Camerone the central pillar of the Legion’s esprit de corps.
April 30, 1931, was officially designated as the first public commemoration of the Battle of Camerone. It also marked what was symbolically presented as the 100th anniversary of the Legion’s founding – even though the Legion was originally established on March 10, 1831. In General Rollet’s view, the battle carried far greater meaning than the formal creation date, and that perspective has endured ever since.
The 30th of April – Camerone Day – has since become the most important day of the year for the French Foreign Legion. It is proudly commemorated by every Legion unit, no matter how small or remote. At the heart of the ceremony is the Narration of Camerone (Récit de Camerone) – the solemn retelling of the battle, spoken aloud in front of the assembled men. In this ritual, the values of sacrifice, loyalty, and endurance are reaffirmed.
It was through this deliberate revival of memory that the legend of Camerone was reborn.
Captain Danjou’s Wooden Hand
In early May 1853, during a topographical expedition in Algeria, then-Second Lieutenant Jean Danjou lost his left hand. While giving a signal shot with his musket, the barrel exploded. Rather than resign his commission, he chose to continue serving in the Legion. A precisely crafted wooden prosthesis replaced his lost hand – and he carried it throughout the rest of his military career.
After the Battle of Camerone, Danjou’s wooden hand was taken from the battlefield by a Mexican soldier as a war trophy. It disappeared for two years.
In 1865, the hand resurfaced. An Austrian officer serving with the allied Austrian Legion, Captain Grueber, discovered it at a local ranch. Recognizing its significance, he purchased it and passed it to Marshal Bazaine, commander of French forces in Mexico at the time and a former Legion officer himself. From there, it was transferred to the Legion’s headquarters in Algeria.
Today, Captain Danjou’s wooden hand is one of the most revered relics in the French Foreign Legion. Each year on April 30, during the Camerone Day ceremony at the Legion’s headquarters in Aubagne, the hand is paraded in a glass case, carried by a selected veteran – a legionnaire, NCO, or officer. To be chosen for this role is regarded as the highest honor within the Legion.
What was once a simple instrument of necessity has become an enduring emblem of sacrifice and the spirit of Camerone.
Camerone: Historical Notes & Legacy Sites
War Memorial at Camarón
Soon after the battle, the Foreign Regiment marked the site with a simple wooden cross. In 1892, a more permanent tomb was erected on the spot by the French ambassador to Mexico. During the 1960s, this was replaced by a large, formal war memorial site built near the village, as a tribute to those who fell at Camerone.
Camarón: La Trinidad Hacienda
In November 1864, a French-built railway reached the area of the battle site. A new village of Camarón soon grew up around the station, located a few hundred yards/meters from the original abandoned village. When the railway was modernized in the 1890s, the location of the village shifted slightly again. The original La Trinidad Hacienda is believed to have already been demolished by that time.
Today, visitors to the town of Camarón are shown a colonial-era building in the town center, presented as the historic La Trinidad Hacienda occupied by Captain Danjou and his men during the battle. If this building truly stands on the same foundations, then its current outer facade would have once faced inward to the farmyard. Additionally, the structure is significantly smaller than the original – which was described as having walls about 55 yards (50 meters) in length.
Whatever its exact provenance, the site remains a meaningful stop for anyone interested in the history of the battle and its enduring legacy.
3rd Company: Forgotten Officers
Captain J. Cazes. Captain Cazes was the official commander of the 3rd Company, 1st Battalion, Foreign Regiment in April 1863. At the time of the Battle of Camerone, he was detached to command a smaller outpost at Medellín, southwest of Veracruz. In his absence, the company was led by Captain Danjou – a decision that would shape Legion history. By a strange twist of fate, Captain Cazes would later meet a similar end. A career officer since 1852, he went on to serve as adjutant of the 2nd Battalion in Mexico. In March 1866, he was killed in action at the hacienda of Santa Isabel. The tragic encounter led by Major Brian would later be remembered as a kind of “second Camerone.”
Lieutenant Adolphe Gans. Lieutenant Gans was also one of the three original officers of the 3rd Company, alongside Captain Cazes and Second Lieutenant Vilain. He was absent from the battle, having been sidelined by malaria. In 1865, Gans distinguished himself during the defense of a remote post at Tepeji, where he and 22 men held off an attack by some 300 Mexican troops. Two years later, in February 1867, as the Foreign Regiment prepared to leave Mexico, the legionnaires visited the battlefield at Camerone one last time. Deeply moved, Gans told a friend that his place should have been among the fallen. Shortly after returning to Algeria, he died from a disease contracted during his service in the tropical lowlands of Mexico. By then, he had served for 14 years, taken part in numerous campaigns, and been wounded twice.
Camerone: Legend Was Born
What more is there to say? The Battle of Camerone was not a victory in the traditional sense. The 3rd Company was surrounded, outnumbered, and ultimately overrun. Yet it is precisely this hopelessness – and the refusal to surrender in the face of it – that made Camerone timeless.
A handful of legionnaires, far from home and outnumbered thirty to one, facing impossible odds, made a choice that still resonates more than 160 years later: to stand firm, to fight with honor, courage, and discipline, until the very end. Shoulder to shoulder, they faced the certainty of death.
What began as a common reconnaissance mission became the foundation upon which the identity of the French Foreign Legion would be built. Camerone became more than a battle. It became a legend. And that legend endures – not just in memory, but in tradition, in ceremony, and in every legionnaire who chooses to serve. It is a living spirit, passed from generation to generation.
Each April 30, from Aubagne to the farthest Legion outpost, that spirit rises again – the spirit of Camerone.
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Main information sources:
Testimony of Louis Maine (Revue des Deux Mondes, III. period, 1878)
Official report on the battle by Major Regnault, August 1863
Report on the battle by Colonel Milan, May 1863
Camerone by Jean Brunon (France-Empire, 1963)
Képi blanc magazines
Vert et Rouge magazines
The Mexican Adventure 1861-67 by René Chartrand (Osprey Military, 1994)
Camerone by Pierre Sergent (Historia, 1981)
Sur le Camerone by Pierre Sergent (RHA, 1980)
Veracruz State bulletin (July 2007)
Google Maps
Wikipedia.org
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Learn about other Foreign Legion units:
1911 Battle of Alouana
1882 Battle of Chott Tigri
Franco-Prussian War 1870-1871
Second Franco-Dahomean War 1892-1894
Foreign Legion in Madagascar 1947-1951
1954 Battle of Dien Bien Phu
1978 Battle of Kolwezi
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The page was updated on: April 28, 2025