These Officers, Who
Possessed No Claim To The Dignity They Had Received, Assumed The Yellow
Dress And Insignia Of Chinese Royalty, And Looked Down On All Their
Comrades, Especially The Triad Organizers, Who Thought Themselves The True
Originators Of The Rebellion.
Irritated by this treatment, the Triads took
their sudden and secret departure from the Taeping camp, and hastened to
make their peace with the imperialists.
Of these Triads one chief, named
Chang Kwoliang, received an important command, and played a considerable
part in the later stages of the struggle.
The defection of the Triads put an end to the idea of attacking Canton,
and the Taepings marched to attack Kweiling, where the Imperial
Commissioners still remained. Tien Wang's assault was repulsed with some
loss, and, afraid of discouraging his troops by any further attempt to
seize so strong a place, he marched into Hoonan. Had the imperial
commanders, who had shown no inconsiderable capacity in defense, exhibited
as much energy in offensive measures, they might then and there have
annihilated the power of the Taepings. Had they pursued the Taeping army
they might have harassed its rear, delayed its progress, and eventually
brought it to a decisive engagement at the most favorable moment. But the
Imperial Commissioners did nothing, being apparently well satisfied with
having rid themselves of such troublesome neighbors. The advance of the
Taepings across the vast province of Hoonan was almost unopposed. The
towns were unprepared to resist an assailant, and it was not until Tien
Wang reached the provincial capital, Changsha, that he encountered any
resistance worthy of the name. Some vigorous preparations had been made
here to resist the rebels. Not merely was there a garrison in the place,
but it so happened that Tseng Kwofan, a man of considerable ability and of
an influential family, was residing near the town. Tseng had held several
offices in the public service, and, as a member of the Hanlin, enjoyed a
high position and reputation; but he happened to be at his own home in
retirement in consequence of the death of a near relation when tidings of
the approaching Taepings reached him, and he at once made himself
responsible for the defense of Changsha. He threw himself with all the
forces his influence or resources enabled him to collect into that town,
and at the same time he ordered all the militia of the province to collect
and harass the enemy. He called upon all those who had the means to show
their duty to the state and sovereign by raising recruits or by promising
rewards to those volunteers who would serve in the army against the
rebels. Had the example of Tseng Kwofan been generally followed, it is not
too much to say that the Taepings would never have got to Nankin. When the
rebels reached Changsha, therefore, they found the gates closed, the walls
manned, and the town victualed for a siege. They attempted to starve the
place into surrender, and to frighten the garrison into yielding by
threats of extermination; but when these efforts failed they delivered
three separate assaults, all of which were repulsed.
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Words from 112556 to 113078
of 191255