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.
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