The Necessity For This Measure
Would Be Hard To Justify, Especially As We Were Nominally At Peace With
China, For The People Of Amoy Had Inflicted No Injury On Our Trade, And
Their Chastisement Would Not Bring Us Any Nearer To Pekin.
Nor was the
occupation of Amoy necessary on military grounds.
It was strong only for
itself, and its capture had no important consequences. As the Chinese
determined to resist the English, the fleet engaged the batteries, and the
Chinese, standing to their guns "right manfully," only abandoned their
position when they found their rear threatened by a landing party. Then,
after a faint resistance, the Chinese sought safety in flight, but some of
their officers, preferring death to dishonor, committed suicide, one of
them being seen to walk calmly into the sea and drown himself in face of
both armies. The capture of Amoy followed.
As the authorities at Amoy refused to hold any intercourse with the
English, the achievement remained barren of any useful consequence, and
after leaving a small garrison on Kulangsu, and three warships in the
roadstead, the English expedition continued its northern course. After
being scattered by a storm in the perilous Formosa channel, the fleet
reunited off Ningpo, whence it proceeded to attack Chusan for a second
time. The Chinese defended Tinghai, the capital, with great resolution. At
this place General Keo, the chief naval and military commander, was
killed, and all his officers, sticking to him to the last, also fell with
him.
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