In the Beautiful Lands: the American Foreign Legion in the Anglo-American War

By Spencer Xiao, published in San Francisco, California

"... With the invasion of the American South underway, Secretary of Defense Lucius Bonapart made a critical decision in withdrawing the American forces stationed in Oregon to the east. On January 13th of 1834, the order for the withdrawal of 25,000 of the 30,000 US troops in California and the Oregon Territory arrived in San Jose (the temporary territorial capital of California after a raid on San Francisco destroyed a portion of the city). Additionally, this order was accompanied by another notice that authorized the creation of the American Foreign Legion in the West to replace the American soldiers that were returning east. This notice famously stated that Chinese immigrants were to be "the primary targets of the recruitment drive to fill the ranks of the American Foreign Legion." To this day, there is some controversy on this particular matter, but there is no doubt that Chinese immigrants were the most numerous foreign-born residents in California and Sierra at the time. Thus, it was unsurprising that Secretary Bonapart sought to fill the ranks of the proposed American Foreign Legion with Chinese immigrants, especially with the incentives involved in enlisting for the Legion. In conjunction with the first two orders, a third decree declared that American citizens were to be recruited to create new regiments in the region. As such, it was clear that the veterans that once protected the Californian territory and other nearby American territories were to be replaced with fresh recruits, many of whom had no previous experience in combat. At least, that was what the Cabinet believed at the time. The president and his secretaries, along with his military advisors, "wrote off the west" in order to "save the east." This resulted in the American Foreign Legion receiving inferior equipment (not out of racism, but due to the difference in priority and difficulties of supplying the western territories) and working with relatively few seasoned veterans to protect the vast expanses of the American West. The federal government had relatively low expectations for the American Foreign Legion as well, as many of the members rushed through training to quickly fill the vacant ranks of the withdrawing units...

However, the American Foreign Legion (of the West, as the east was primarily filled with Irish immigrants) transformed into a contingent to be reckoned with within a year. As Secretary Bonapart proposed, propaganda was spread around California and Sierra to attract Chinese immigrants into joining the American Foreign Legion. Promises of steady pay (despite the government's finances shaking under the strain of the wartime economy, the blockade, and an expanded military) in times of economic uncertainty, citizenship after serving for two years (if the enlistee passed the citizenship test), and a fee waive of any family members that wished to immigrate to America after the war were desirable offers for the Chinese immigrants. The result was that thousands of them joined the American Foreign Legion in droves. It reached a point where the military capped the number of Legion members in the West to 10,000 due to a shortage of equipment and fear of logistical strains (as a small Army division raised alongside the Foreign Legion). While numerous Chinese immigrants planned to return to China after earning money, many others were adamant on remaining in?Meiguo?after establishing new businesses and homes in California and Sierra. Not only that, but Chinese immigrants were received positively during the Gold Rush, which helped convince many that remaining in the United States was a viable option for their future. Many sought to bring their families over from China, and thus, fee waives and promises of citizenship were highly appealing to numerous immigrants. As one Foreign Legion veteran wrote in a letter to his wife in China, "Meiguo?is a foreign land even now, but I am fighting so that it will be our home in the future."

Unlike what the Cabinet assumed of the Chinese immigrants in California and Sierra, many of them had some combat experience. Around seven hundred Chinese migrants formed a militia unit early on in the war (the famous "Dragon Militia Regiment"). Most of the members of the said unit fought in several skirmishes and battles alongside American soldiers, serving with valor despite their initial inexperience. Furthermore, many of the Chinese settlers were from the Guandong Region, which was strafed with violence and instability (which caused many of these said immigrants to flee China in the first place). Rebellions and banditry were not uncommon in the region, especially after the beginning of the British opium trade. Since a large majority of the expats were peasants, they had some experience in fighting against rebels or/and bandits to defend their livelihoods. Thus, the Chinese that enlisted in the Foreign Legion were not all "green-horns" like the government assumed.

Regardless, there?were?numerous obstacles that the Foreign Legion of the West had to overcome. Firstly, almost all the new enlistees (except the former members of the Dragon Militia Regiment) had never shot a firearm in their life. The possession of firearms was heavily restricted in the Qing Empire, and it was difficult for peasants to buy, use, and maintain them. Thus, it was unsurprising that the unit suffered heavy casualties during the early parts of its existence (in 1834 alone, nearly 3,000 Legion members lost their lives fighting in the war, with approximately 6,000 total casualties). Discipline was also another critical issue, as America's enemies in the West often employed strategies to pick off American forces using ambushes and lightning strikes. Fighting off bandits was entirely different than combating an enemy that remained nearly invisible in the woods and exploited any opportunities to cut down American soldiers. The Native Americans that sided with the British often employed fear tactics, such as war cries, scalping, and melee combat, to grate American morale and discipline as well. While the Foreign Legion adjusted after several months of constant harassment, guiding the Legion to be an effective fighting force against the enemy in the beginning was a critical problem (which contributed to the casualty rates of the unit).

Despite all odds, the Legion was trained for a period of fifty days to become the most proficient soldiers that America had to offer in the West. Numerous American and Mexican soldiers served as trainers for the legion and in the early days, most of the Legion's officers were Americans (with a few of them being Chinese-Americans). Several veterans were weaved into the Legion to serve as NCOs and to assist the Chinese soldiers in adopting new strategies and tactics. Brigadier General Andrew Jackson, who was reinstated in the Army due to a lack of capable commanders in the region, remarked that he could, "take the entire North American continent with just 10,000 Chinese soldiers." And while his claim was nowhere near the truth, the Legion became a remarkably well-adjusted unit despite its inferior equipment (given only Lee Rifles, iron helmets, and uniforms to combat the enemy) and relatively short training period. By the end of the war, the American Foreign Legion of the West would become one of the most formidable units (toughened by years of combat and brutality). Serving with distinction and holding the enemy back for two years without any reinforcements from the eastern United States, fifteen members of the Legion would be rewarded with the Medal of Honor for their exemplary courage and valor. In fact, there were numerous accounts of Legion members sacrificing themselves in order to protect civilians or hold back the enemy, especially since the war was a violent ordeal in the West (just as much as the debacle in the East). Over 4,000 Chinese migrants lost their lives during the Anglo-American War, a tenth of the former Chinese population in California, with numerous more sporting various injuries from combat...

Every single surviving member of the Foreign Legion during the Anglo-American War would go on to become American citizens after serving their two years. President Napoleon would play a critical role in this development, as he would create the policy of "American by spilled blood," in which any serving personnel of the Legion would be qualified to become American citizens if they were wounded by hostiles in combat...

Meanwhile, the American Foreign Legion of the East (filled with Irish immigrants that sought for vengeance against the British) served just as impeccably..."