An 1863 French Foreign Legion Battle of Camerón Medal

Silver, maker marked "DRAGO" on the reverse, obverse Captain Jean Danjou leading his French Foreign Legion soldiers, inscribed "CAMERONE 1863" above and "MON CAPITAINE JUSQU'A LA MORT NOUS EN FAISONS LE SERMENT" below, reverse illustrating the French Foreign Legion insignia surrounded by the inscription "HONNEUR ET FIDÉLITÉ", 34.3 mm, contact marks and surface wear, very fine. Footnote: The Battle of Camarón (French: Bataille de Camerone) which occurred over ten hours on April 30, 1863 between the French Foreign Legion and the Mexican Army, is regarded as a defining moment in the Foreign Legion's history. A small infantry patrol, led by Captain Jean Danjou and Lieutenants Clément Maudet and Jean Vilain, numbering just 65 men was attacked and besieged by a force that may have eventually reached 3,000 Mexican infantry and cavalry, and was forced to make a defensive stand at the nearby Hacienda Camarón, in Camarón de Tejeda, Veracruz, Mexico. The conduct of the Legion, who refused to surrender, led to a certain mystique: the Battle of Camarón became synonymous with bravery and a fight-to-the-death attitude.