Descending On France 1780
Chapter 262 - 255 rushing to the battlefield as if going on a date with a beautiful girl

Chapter 262: 255 rushing to the battlefield as if going on a date with a beautiful girl

The brigade commander of the 68th Battle Line Infantry Brigade, Clay Bell, did not receive the order to attack until six in the evening.

He was stunned by the order: "Go... to Babi Village? Now? Damn, I don’t even know where that village is."

The sergeant who delivered the message replied with a stern face: "The acting commander orders you to leave immediately and to march through the night."

Clay Bell: "The acting commander had just been urging us to quickly chase down the enemy’s fleeing soldiers to the east, and now just as we’ve stopped to rest, we haven’t even warmed our seats, and we’re asked to turn back? Are they messing with us?"

The sergeant: "To my knowledge, no. You had better depart quickly, Mr. Brigade Commander."

After saying that, the sergeant saluted and turned to leave.

Clay Bell frowned, his face scrunching up.

His adjutant came running over: "Brigade Commander, dinner is ready."

"Tell them to eat quickly, we have to depart again once they’re done."

The adjutant was stunned: "Depart? We’ve only just set up camp to rest."

"Yes, depart, and it’s an urgent order. We probably won’t have time to take down the tents, tell the cooks to hurry. As for me, I need to get some torches, relying just on the torches we carry definitely won’t suffice."

Saying that, Clay Bell headed straight for the quartermaster’s tent.

Just as he arrived at the tent, he ran into the brigade commanders of the 66th and 67th Brigades.

Upon seeing the distinctive dark face of the 66th Brigade commander, Clay Bell greeted: "Hey, writer, I’m guessing you’re also here to get torches for your troops?"

Ju Zhongma: "I’m not a writer."

The 67th Brigade commander Moro teased: "Just resign yourself to it, being a writer is not so bad. I heard the recently appointed commander of that new brigade is a painter, named Karto."

Ju Zhongma: "No, to avoid any misunderstanding, I will correct it each time I hear it, even if the General himself started it."

Moro shrugged his shoulders and then switched the subject: "So you also received the order to turn around and head to Babi Village overnight?"

"Yes," Ju Zhongma nodded, "That place is a junction, and there is a path there leading to Verdun. I’m guessing coalition troops are making a rapid assault."

Clay Bell: "Alright, so we are being sent to defend a key point, but why didn’t we leave enough troops to defend it before?"

Moro shrugged his shoulders: "Don’t know, perhaps previously the acting commander didn’t believe it was possible for the enemy to bypass Verdun and send forces south."

"So how many enemy troops will we be facing?" Clay Bell posed another new question.

Ju Zhongma thought for a moment and said, "If I remember correctly, the road to Verdun is a secondary route, probably can supply about 20,000 men."

Clay Bell took a sharp breath: "20,000 men! Our three brigades together barely make over 10,000, and they’re all new recruits, the commanders are lawyers, writers, and architects! This battle is unwinable!"

"I’m not a writer."

"Alright, you’re not. So, Mr. Private, in your view, what do you make of this mission?"

"Like lambs to the slaughter," said the black man seriously, "unless we can march forcefully, seizing favorable terrain before the enemy. How fast we can move tonight will determine whether this battle turns into a horrific rout."

Moro: "But our troops have just marched for a whole day, their physical strength hasn’t recovered yet."

Ju Zhongma was about to speak when someone lifted the tent curtain, and a colonel from the logistics department emerged, looking at the three lined up men and asked with confusion: "What can I do for you?"

"We need torches," said the three in unison.

Moro added: "Enough to equip a brigade."

Clay Bell: "Three brigades, enough to equip three brigates."

"There aren’t that many torches, just transporting food and ammunition is keeping us busy, where would we have the spare efforts to transport torches?"

Clay Bell: "Give us whatever you have. We’ll split of it among ourselves. The Commander has ordered us to force-march overnight back to defend Babi Village. If we’re delayed, you’ll bear the consequences!"

After Clay Bell finished speaking, Moro also stepped forward: "We’re going to defend a very critical point. If we fail our mission, it could lead to complete defeat of our troops. You wouldn’t want to face General Frost’s blame afterward, would you?"

Moro is a lawyer indeed, quite adept at intimidating others.

The quartermaster turned pale and shook his head: "Perhaps we can get some fire torches from a nearby town."

Moro made a fist-pumping gesture.

Clay Bell urged: "Quick, take us to get them!"

Quartermaster: "Over here. Call your soldiers to fetch them. We will pay the villagers."

As Anning had set the rule, the troops must pay for the local villagers’ materials at the market price, or write an IOU if unable to pay.

Thus, the matter with the torches was settled.

About twenty minutes later, the 66th Picardy Infantry Brigade took the lead, lighting torches and started to sprint back along the way they came.

Following closely was Moro’s 67th Infantry Brigade, and finally, Clay Bell’s 68th Picardy Infantry Brigade.

As Clay Bell marched with his troops, he yelled out to encourage the soldiers: "I know you’re all exhausted! But if we don’t hurry to this place called Babi Village tonight, we might lose the battle.

"Everyone knows the situation of the Republic is very precarious right now. We cannot afford to be defeated! Think of your wives and sons, think of your elderly fathers and mothers at home!

"The Republic is precious, we can’t let those damned Prussians and Austrians destroy it!"

As Clay Bell finished speaking, he felt the soldiers’ pace quicken around him.

— It must have been effective.

After walking a bit longer, Clay Bell decided to lead by starting a song, to use the song to help everyone forget their physical fatigue.

So he called out loudly for the best singer among the young people in the brigade: "Philip, can you hear me?"

Someone in the front of the column replied: "I’m here, Colonel sir!"

"Philip, start singing, perk everyone up!"

"Alright!"

Then a youthful and vibrant voice began to sing in an exuberant tune: "I remember a small provincial town,

"Desolate, remote, and sorrow provoking.

"The tree-lined paths in the town, the market, and the church,

"And the faint mist over the water lingering.

"I see—

"Dear familiar figures,

"Blue caps,

"Blue overcoats;

"Dark skirts, the silhouette of a young girl,

"My transient romance..."

After the solo, the marching column joined in, singing loudly this song extolling love.

It was as if they weren’t heading to war, but on the road to a date with beautiful girls.