1. Jean Danjou was a decorated captain of the Foreign Legion in the French Army.
14 Facts About Jean Danjou
1. 2.
Jean Danjou commanded the two lieutenants and 62 legionnaires who fought the Battle of Camaron during the French intervention in Mexico, in which he was killed.
3.
Jean Danjou was born in Chalabre, he enrolled in the Ecole Speciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr, the foremost French military academy, and graduated from the academy at the age of 20.
4.
Jean Danjou was assigned to the 51st Regiment of the Line.
5.
Jean Danjou was transferred to Algeria, to assist French colonization efforts, including the campaigns of Kabylie.
6.
Jean Danjou lost his left hand during a mapping assignment, on 1 May 1853, when his musket exploded.
7.
Jean Danjou designed a wooden prosthetic hand, which he used for the rest of his life.
8.
Jean Danjou was promoted to captain on 9 June 1855.
9.
Jean Danjou was the quartermaster of Colonel Jeanningros, who was in charge of the Foreign Legion regiment in Mexico.
10.
Jean Danjou decided to send a company to escort the convoy.
11.
Jean Danjou had the company take up a square formation and, even though retreating, he drove back several cavalry charges, inflicting the first heavy losses on the enemy.
12.
Jean Danjou's plan was to tie up the enemy forces to prevent any attacks on the nearby convoy.
13.
Jean Danjou went around to each of his men with a bottle of wine and made them all take a solemn oath not to surrender.
14.
Jean Danjou's soldiers continued to fight until 6 pm despite overwhelming odds and extreme heat.