The Period Of Inaction Which
Followed The Occupation Of Ningpo No Doubt Encouraged The Emperor To Think
That The Foreigners Were Exhausted, Or That They Had Reached The End Of
Their Successes, And He Ordered Increased Efforts To Be Made To Bring Up
Troops, And To Strengthen The Approaches To Pekin.
The first proof of his
returning spirit was shown in March, 1842, when the Chinese attempted to
seize Ningpo by a coup de main.
Suddenly, and without warning, a force of
between ten and twelve thousand men appeared at daybreak outside the south
and west gates of Ningpo, and many of them succeeded in making their way
over the walls and gaining the center of the town; but, instead of proving
the path to victory, this advance resulted in the complete overthrow of
the Chinese. Attacked by artillery and foot in the market-place they were
almost annihilated, and the great Chinese attack on Ningpo resulted in a
fiasco. Similar but less vigorous attacks were made about the same time on
Chinhai and Chusan, but they were both repulsed with heavy loss to the
Chinese. In consequence of these attacks and the improved position in
Afghanistan it was decided to again assume the offensive, and to break up
the hostile army at Hangchow, of which the body that attacked Ningpo was
the advanced guard. Sir Hugh Gough commanded the operations in person, and
he had the co-operation of a naval force under Sir William Parker. The
first action took place outside Tszeki, a small place ten miles from
Ningpo, where the Chinese fancied they occupied an exceedingly strong
position. But careful inspection showed it to be radically faulty. Their
lines covered part of the Segaou hills, but their left was commanded by
some higher hills on the right of the English position, and the Chinese
left again commanded their own right. It was evident, therefore, that the
capture of the left wing of the Chinese encampment would entail the
surrender or evacuation of the rest. The difficulties of the ground caused
a greater delay in the advance than had been expected, and the assault had
to be delivered along the whole line, as it was becoming obvious that the
Chinese were growing more confident, and, consequently, more to be feared
from the delay in attacking them. The assault was made with the
impetuosity good troops always show in attacking inferior ones, no matter
how great the disparity of numbers; and here the Chinese were driven out
of their position - although they stood their ground in a creditable
manner - and chased over the hills down to the rice fields below. The
Chinese loss was over a thousand killed, including many of the Imperial
Guard, of whom 500 were present, and whom Sir Hugh Gough described as
"remarkably fine men," while the English had six killed and thirty-seven
wounded. For the moment it was intended to follow up this victory by an
attack on the city of Hangchow, the famous Kincsay of medieval travelers;
but the arrival of fresh instructions gave a complete turn to the whole
war.
Little permanent good had been effected by these successful operations on
the coast, and Taoukwang was still as resolute as ever in his hostility;
nor is there any reason to suppose that the capture of Hangchow, or any
other of the coast towns, would have caused a material change in the
situation. The credit of initiating the policy which brought the Chinese
government to its knees belongs exclusively to Lord Ellenborough, then
governor-general of India. He detected the futility of operations along
the coast, and he suggested that the great waterway of the Yangtsekiang,
perfectly navigable for warships up to the immediate neighborhood of
Nankin, provided the means of coercing the Chinese, and effecting the
objects which the English Government had in view. The English expedition,
strongly re-enforced from India, then abandoned Ningpo and Chinhai, and,
proceeding north, began the final operations of the war with an attack on
Chapoo, where the Chinese had made extensive measures of defense. Chapoo
was the port appointed for trade with Japan, and the Chinese had collected
there a very considerable force from the levies of Chekiang, which ex-
Commissioner Lin had been largely instrumental in raising. Sir Hugh Gough
attacked Chapoo with 2,000 men, and the main body of the Chinese was
routed without much difficulty, but 300 desperate men shut themselves up
in a walled inclosure, and made an obstinate resistance. They held out
until three-fourths of them were slain, when the survivors, seventy-five
wounded men, accepted the quarter offered them from the first. The English
lost ten killed and fifty-five wounded, and the Chinese more than a
thousand. After this the expedition proceeded northward for the Great
River, and it was found necessary to attack Woosung, the port of Shanghai,
en route. This place was also strongly fortified with as many as 175 guns
in position, but the chief difficulty in attacking it lay in that of
approach, as the channel had first to be sounded, and then the sailing
ships towed into position by the steamers. Twelve vessels were in this
manner placed broadside to the batteries on land, a position which
obviously they could not have maintained against a force of anything like
equal strength; but they succeeded in silencing the Chinese batteries with
comparatively little loss, and then the English army was landed without
opposition. Shanghai is situated sixteen miles up the Woosung River, and
while part of the force proceeded up the river another marched overland.
Both columns arrived together, and the disheartened Chinese evacuated
Shanghai after firing one or two random shots. No attempt was made to
retain Shanghai, and the expedition re-embarked, and proceeded to attack
Chankiang or Chinkiangfoo, a town on the southern bank of the
Yangtsekiang, and at the northern entrance of the southern branch of the
Great Canal. This town has always been a place of great celebrity, both
strategically and commercially, for not merely does it hold a very strong
position with regard to the Canal, but it forms, with the Golden and
Silver Islands, the principal barrier in the path of those attempting to
reach Nankin.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 103 of 188
Words from 104077 to 105118
of 191255
