Chapter 465: Necessary Communication

Monterrey is the capital of Nuevo León in northwestern Mexico, and it is also the largest Mexican city captured by the Confederate Army in the past month since the war began.

Compared with small towns, the Confederate Army has restrained its behavior after capturing big cities.

Although in big cities, the Confederate Army will also plunder Mexican civilians.

However, considering that big cities have a large population and domestic and foreign reporters, the officers of the Confederate Army will more or less restrain the behavior of their subordinates.

More importantly, big cities have warehouses with abundant supplies. Even if they rob less, as long as they can get the supplies in the warehouse, the soldiers of the Confederate Army can accept it.

Liang Yao rode through the streets full of Confederate soldiers and went straight to the Governor's Palace.

The Governor's Palace in Monterrey was built in the Spanish colonial period and is a Gothic-style building.

After occupying Monterrey, the Governor's Palace became the headquarters of Jackson, the commander of the Confederate Army, and also became the canteen for senior officers.

When Liang Yao arrived at the Governor's Palace, Jackson was having dinner with senior officers of the Confederate Army in the restaurant.

The meals for senior officers were always rich, with local specialties such as crushed stone eggs (a local dish made of dried chicken and eggs), roasted suckling lamb, and hummus on the table.

Since the eating habits in the southern region, especially in Texas and other places, are similar to the tastes of Mexicans, these officers love the local specialties of Mexico very much.

When the Confederate generals who were having dinner saw Liang Yao come in, they enthusiastically invited the deputy commander to have dinner together.

Longstreet even opened a bottle of champagne and invited Liang Yao to drink with him.

Liang Yao glanced at the Confederate officers who were feasting and toasting to celebrate the victory.

He pushed away the champagne handed over by Longstreet and declined Longstreet's hospitality.

Opening champagne at halftime is not a good sign. This behavior made Liang Yao involuntarily think of a football game that made him feel uncomfortable in later generations.

Now the Confederate Army has only achieved some initial results. They took Monterrey City, not Mexico City. It is too early to celebrate now.

"General Jackson, come here." Liang Yao waved to Jackson who was having dinner.

Jackson picked up the napkin and wiped his hands, then followed Liang Yao to the corridor outside the door.

"General Liang, what can I do for you?"

Jackson drank a little wine and was a little tipsy, but his mind was still clear at this time, and he was not drunk.

"According to the intelligence sent back by my spies, the main force of Mexico has set out from Mexico City to the north, and they have now arrived in San Luis Potosí, the capital of San Luis Potosí.

This main force of Mexico has more than 20,000 people, led by their president Santa Ana, and is now only 400 kilometers away from Monterrey in a straight line." Liang Yao said to Jackson.

"We should set out immediately to capture Victoria City in Tamaulispa and push the front line southward to gain a broader strategic depth, instead of celebrating here!"

"Your idea coincides with mine." Jackson smiled.

"I heard that Colonel Bell's Texas Regiment has set out to attack Saltee. This is a good idea. As long as we open up the traffic line between our Southern Army and the Western Brigade, our army will have more battlefield initiative.

Taking Victoria City and moving the front line southward can also ensure the safety of our traffic line and the rear."

Pushing the front line southward, it can be said that Jackson and Liang Yao thought of the same thing.

"Then why are you still wasting time here?" Liang Yao asked somewhat dissatisfied.

"Delaying time? No, General Liang, this is not wasting time, this is necessary communication." Jackson said helplessly.

"The Southern Army is not the Western Brigade. You can have the final say in the Western Brigade, but I can't in the Southern Army."

Jackson has his own difficulties. Compared with the last Mexican-American War, the army participating in this Mexican-American War is far less excellent than the last time.

The last Mexican-American War was a war fought by the United States with the whole country's strength. The participating army included regular troops from the North, and the logistics were more guaranteed.

This time, the Mexican-American War was fought by the South, and the logistical support was not as good as the last time.

Moreover, the number of regular troops participating in the war was small, and the main force participating in this war was mostly militia from southern states.

Unlike the North, northern soldiers had a relatively sound modern military system from conscription, service to retirement. The appointment and removal of officers was also more reasonable.

The South was more arbitrary in this regard. The soldiers were from the same hometown, and the commanders were from local families.

Compared with the North, the organization of the Southern Army was more like a medieval army. If Jackson wanted to win this war, he had to carry out some unnecessary social activities in Liang Yao's opinion.

"I hope you can go south as soon as possible." Liang Yao sighed.

It seems that if he wants to win this war, even if he has an intelligence advantage over Mexico and unilaterally opens part of the fog of war, judging from the current performance of the Southern Army, it will not be as easy as expected.

Liang Yao left Monterrey and rode his guard company to Salti, more than 70 kilometers away.

At this time, the Texas Regiment should be attacking Saltee, but the telegraph line between Saltee and Monterey has not been laid yet, and Liang Yao does not know how the Texas Regiment is progressing.

Halfway, Liang Yao met Fremont who was leading the communication company to lay the telegraph line.

Liang Yao attached great importance to communication, and this communication company was not the communication unit of the Western Brigade.

Instead, it was a communication unit that Liang Yao had temporarily formed from the telegraph company at a high price. Their main responsibility was to lay and maintain telegraph lines.

Mexico's industrialization level was very low, and telegraph lines were sparse. Even if the Mexican army destroyed the telegraph lines, Liang Yao could not use many ready-made telegraph lines directly.

"Mr. Bell has just led the Texas Regiment to capture Salty City."

Just after meeting Fremont, Fremont put down his work and told Liang Yao a good news.

"So fast?" Liang Yao was surprised by the rapid progress of the Texas Regiment.

The Texas Regiment was not well equipped, and it didn't even have a decent cannon. Liang Yao was somewhat surprised and surprised to be able to capture Salty so quickly.

"Monterrey fell, Salty was originally a small city, and there were not many defenders. When they heard that a large army of the Southern Army was going to attack Salty, the Mexican defenders of Salty fled south overnight." Fremont smiled.

"Mr. Bell just took over Salty with the Texas Regiment."

"Mr. Bell is a brave general of the Southern Army, but the current performance of the Southern Army always gives me a bad feeling." Liang Yao said.

"I hope this is just a premonition."

"What are your plans next?" Fremont handed Liang Yao a cigarette.

"If the Southern Army continues to advance at its current speed, it will be difficult to end the war before April."

Fremont, who was born and raised in the South, knows more about the South than Liang Yao.