Chapter 66 Selling Water to Save Lives

Vienna, public cemetery.

An unnamed tombstone is carved with a portrait of the Virgin Mary. This tombstone is dedicated to the women and children who died in childbirth.

Franz placed a bouquet of flowers on the unmarked tombstone.

"That's all I can do. I hope the tragedy won't continue."

Franz left in the royal carriage, and Austria's maternal mortality rate continued to decline, finally falling to 1% a year later.

St. Stephen's Cathedral.

In a special small room, the thirteen most powerful bishops of the Austrian Catholic Church gathered together. Light spilled through the stained glass at the top, making it difficult to see the faces of the bishops.

"I thought our days of selling holy water and indulgences were over."

"As long as you can help people, why bother with these false names."

"Can these powders and alcohol really save people's lives?"

“You won’t know until you try it, but the benefits are real.”

"agree."

"agree."

Sometimes in order to spread science, we have to use some unscientific methods.

Mexico, Texas.

May 10, 1836.

After a period of repair, Tasan Anna once again gathered his forces and marched towards Austin.

This time, what stood in front of Tasan Anna was the El Paso Legion. Although the self-proclaimed legion actually consisted of less than a thousand Texans, 500 American volunteers, and 300 mercenaries. military.

Before the Alamo and San Jacinto, Texas and Mexico claimed victory.

Mexico publicized that it had captured U.S. Congressman Crockett at the Alamo, forcing the Alamo garrison to surrender, and out of humanitarian spirit made them confess and repent of their sins, and then released those people.

Crockett escaped all the way back to Tennessee and closed his doors to all visitors, while the other captives were nowhere to be found.

The United States claimed that the Texans held off the Mexican army for 16 days, using less than 1/40 of the Mexican troops, and killed Mexican troops several times their own.

At the Battle of San Jacinto, the Americans even claimed that the Texans had wiped out Tasan Anna's main force. Tasan Anna himself had to cross the river to escape, abandoning countless weapons and baggage.

The Mexicans claimed that they had annihilated a Texas cavalry brigade and found evidence that the Texans colluded with the Indians to attack the whites.

In fact, both sides hired Indians and desperadoes to attack the other side's logistics supplies, but both sides lost the blame to the other side.

The result was that El Paso commander Anthony had undue self-confidence. He felt that with nearly 2,000 men under his command and having undergone two months of military training, he was fully capable of defending the enemy from outside the country.

Anthony did not accept Houston's suggestion and joined forces with him to defend Austin.

Anthony did this for two reasons. One was that he had confidence in himself and his troops, and the other was that the El Paso Army and Houston's Army should have a equal relationship. He did not want to be commanded by Houston.

Houston didn't want to fight an entire Mexican army in the middle of the road, so he handed over his troops to his lieutenants.

Houston decided to go to the United States in person to meet with President Andrew Jackson and ask him to send troops. The total number of Mexican troops in Texas had reached 12,000, twice the number in history.

Historically, Tasan Anna led an expedition to Texas with 8,000 soldiers. Although the troops were supplemented after the Battle of the Alamo, due to too many deserters, the total strength was only 6,000.

The El Paso Regiment was now equipped with America's newest Hawken rifle, a rifled rifle known for its accuracy and power.

If the Mexicans and the soldiers of the El Paso Legion were to shoot at each other, Anthony would be very happy. After all, the hit rate of rifled guns is no joke.

He would welcome the Mexicans to charge. He had dug countless potholes in the middle of the road to restrict the advance of the infantry, and even built a parapet for himself.

Anthony, who had never experienced a war, really didn't know how he could lose, but on the first day of the war, his jaw dropped.

Tasan Anna followed Franz's advice to hold on to the fortification and fight the war, and began to build fortifications as soon as he came up.

The skirmishers on both sides could only shoot at each other from a distance of 300 meters. Even rifled guns had a very limited hit rate at this distance. The main Mexican troops began to camp a few hundred meters away from the fortifications, and the tents instantly formed a jungle. Smoke curls from kitchen stove

Anthony looked at the situation in front of him and punched the parapet.

"Are they here to fight or have a picnic?"

On a hillside, Miss Jenny served freshly cooked lamb to Tasan Anna's two guests, Gablenz and Stadion.

Tasan Anna opened the newspaper and said.

"I love this editor so much. He scolds Americans every day. I really admire how many tricks he has."

Gablenz and Stadion were a little dismissive. After all, tabloid editors like this are just chasing rumors.

"Your Excellency, General, should we fire two cannons before we eat?"

Tasan Anna called Gablenz and Stadion generals. Gablenz and Stadion did not want to be involved in a coup in Mexico one day, so they called Tasan Anna the general. To show that he is just a subordinate of Tasan Anna.

"That's right, sir, ordered the artillery to fire." Tasang Anna nodded.

Gablenz ran to the edge and waved the small flag in his hand. He found that this flag language was easier to use than talking.

The artillerymen at the foot of the mountain were playing cards under the trees. When they saw the flag signal on the mountain, they immediately dropped the cards in their hands and ran towards the cannon.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Several shells landed on the defensive positions of the El Paso Corps. People fled in panic, but they soon discovered that these shells were either too far or too close. What was even more terrifying was that many of the enemy's grenades did not explode and just stayed there quietly.

This is no wonder. Texas is too hot in the summer, so the artillerymen often water to cool down, and sometimes they will accidentally wet the fuse of the shells.

In addition, the shrapnel shells at this time still have a fuse, which often depends on the experience of the artillerymen to cut and fire. As for the pin-blasting shells, they were not developed until 1835. Even in the European battlefield, it was rare to see them. It was not until 1860 that they were equipped on a large scale.

"Damn it! Stop running! Push our cannons up too."

General Anthony also brought some cannons, but they were worse than the Mexican artillery. The first time they fired too close, and the second time they overfilled with gunpowder and directly scrapped two cannons.

General Anthony had to let the soldiers stop and rest, preparing for the full-scale attack of the Mexicans the next day.

However, on the third day, after a brief exchange of artillery fire, both sides began to sit in silence.

General Anthony looked at the curling smoke rising from the opposite side, took out his dry food and took a bite.

"Damn it, eating like this every day, let's see how long they can last."

At this time, a burst of smoke suddenly rose in the distance, and the Mexican cavalry dragged a group of bison corpses back to the camp.

Anthony was so angry that he threw the dry food aside.

In the evening, Tasan Anna's six heavy siege cannons were finally delivered.

"It really made our friends wait for a long time"

After two replenishments, Tasan Anna's troops already had 46 cannons, including 40 field guns and 6 siege guns.

This kind of firepower is unique in the Americas. Of course, the United States can always close the gap and surpass it if it wants, but for the Texas Army, it is still overwhelming firepower.

The battle that determines the fate of Texas is about to begin.

Feeling that the pace is slow, I will continue to speed up after writing this battle, but I may miss some historical plots.

Thanks to Feng Xiaoxiaoxiyoujianke, Book Friend 160307120545342, Fireworks Daofan, Book Friend 2020526094618467, World-weary Little Scumbag, Jiuming 7, Ask Jun Heneng Your Heart is Far Away and the Land is Biased, Flying Leaf r, Su Fangyue, Book Friend 2019061190303995, Flame, Tao Taomu, Flame Dust for the monthly tickets, and the support of all readers.

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