The Express.
London, England, 1858-02-26 00:00:00

?~A.

THE ; TAKING OF.. CArriV.-•-11UBJECTION
. OF, THE CITY To..Borrint,RULE.
THE CAPTURE OF COMMIkOiIIER YEH.
LIST OF CASUA4‘
•

y sot the

" HONG HONG, JAL 16.
" This, the drat number for the year of our ever-
had summary, is a peculiar paper—peculiar from
the circumstance that the facts presented in it to the
public have been for the most part obtained at the
actual scene of operatics. at Canton, the editor of
this paper being the only member of the local press
that has had his quarters within that long coveted
prize, the old city, since it has been in oar occupa-
tion. Time, since our return list night, affords
little opportunity, we regret, to furnish more than
the most concise narrative in oar power to give.
Briefly, the order of events hu been as follows :
" December 28.—Commencement of the Bombard-
ment, landing of the troops on the east, or French
Folly side of the city. Capture of Fort Lin ; skir-
mishing with the route of braves from the country
between the landing place and proposed point of
assault on the north east angle of the city—bivouac
for the night of the allied forces, in number between
five and inz thousand.

" Dec. 29.—Bombardment continued through the
night until the hour of nine, a.m. Death of
Captain Bate, R.N., shot in the right breast by a
small matchlock bullet, whilst in the act of indi-
cating the best position for the scaling ladders.
Narrow escape of Admiral Seymour from the same
volley from the walls. Escalade by the French
and Lieutenant Stuart, Royal Engineers, at half-past
eight, half an hour before the hour appointed for the
attack ; one French and one English private being
killed by shots from our own battery on Dutch
Polley, several others wounded. General escalade
earlier than intended, not half the scaling ladders
provided being ap in time. Determined stand of the
Tartar troops at the entrance of their quarter below
the North Gate ; charge. and route of them by the
Naval Brigade and Marines. Retreat of the Braves
from the vicinity of Gough's and the other forts on
the heights, when they saw the five-storeyed pagoda
in our possession—Capture of the high fort and tem-
ple on Magazine-hill, establishment there of head-
quarters and entrenchment
" Dec. 30.—March to the West Gate :—Circnmval-
lation of the walls of the Old City by a strong party,
headed by the Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Sey-
mour, Admiral Rigault de Genouilly, and General
Van Straubenzee—Submission of the people, and
their evacuation of the city through the West Gate.
" Dec. 3L—Engaged in quartering the troops,
and in landing provisions, for permanent occupation.
" Jan.l,lBo6.—Grand precession to head-quarters
'Of the Plenipotentiaries of France and England.
" Jan. 2.—Commencement of wet weather—gar-
rison occupied in securing themselves from its bad
effects.

~ Jan. 3.—Sunday, day of rest.
,' Jan. 4.—Continued rain.

" Jan. 6.—Grand Gbh.—Capture of the Viceroy
Yeh at the quarters of the Lieutenant-General of
the Tartar troops ; of Pih quei, governor of the city,
at his own palace ; of the Tartar general in his
palace adjacent ; and of 66,0001. sterling, in dollars
and ingots of silver, at the imperial treasury. Re-
moval of Yeh u a prisoner to H.M.S. Inflexible,
on board of which vessel, at the Bogue, he still re-
mains, contented and cheerful, being engaged
throughout the day generally in conversation on
trivial subjects with Mr. Alabsater, the interpreter
attached to the snits of the fallen magnate.
0 Jan. 6. Time afforded to Pih gun and the Tartar
general to consider the terms offered them by the
British and French, viz., the issuing of a proclama-
tion to the people, in which it is stated that they
now rule the province under the protectorate of the
city's captors.
" Jan. 7. Installation of Pih quei as the reinstated
Fo-ynen or Governor of the City, exercising also the
powers of the Tsung-takh or Viceroy, deposed.
Addresses on the occasion by the Earl of Elgin and
Baron Gros, both being to the effect of adjuring the
ne*ly installed officer to eschew all treachery or
underhand proceedings—warning him of the conse-
quences of doing so, and announcing that the protec-
torate would be continued until satisfactory terms
had been made with the Government at Peking—
Peh-qaei replying that he understood his position,
and would act with fidelity.
"Jan. 8. The Commissioners, viz ,Colonel Holloway,

M. le Capitaine de Chenez, and Mr. Harry Parkes,
charged with the enlist-vision of the government,
took up their quarters, with a strong guard, at the
Foynen's (Palace of the Governor), and proceeded to
the work on which they have since been engaged,
viz., the issuing of proclamations to the Barron-riding
country, inviting people to return, and assuring them
of protection in their persons and property.
" From the Bth to the present date everything has
proceeded with the greatest smoothness, and there
appears to be a fair prospect of the taking off of
the blockade, and the resumption of trade within
the next week. It only remains to be said that
in all the quarters of the city which, without escort,
we have visited, the people have exhibited sign.
of submission to our rule, and an apparent
relief from the incubus under which they have so
long laboured. It was expected that the East Gate
—the main artery of the old city—would be opened
coda
" Admiral Seymour arrived in Hong Kong. in the
Coromandel last night, and returns to the river to-
morrow morning. The pressure of business con-
sequent on the departure of the mail will alone
prevent the presentation to his Excellency of an
address of congratulation on the success that has
followed the whole of his plans—the public being in
doubt which most to admire, the excellent judgment
displayed in the concoction of them, or the gallantry
and address with which they' have been carried out-
" In our issue of the 10th instant we furnished the
particulars of the General Order, preliminary to the
landing for the assault of Canton. The marines ar-
rived in the gunboats about 11, and, after forming
with the Naval Brigade, proceeded towards the po-
sitions taken up by the 59th Regiment, French Bri-
gade, and Roal Artillery, in the open ground under
Fort Lin, they whole body being soon in collision with
parties of Braves, who evinced no particular wil-
lingness to let as traverse the ground without a con-
test. In the meantime an howitzer of Capt. Knox's
battery was speedily brought to play on Lin Fort,
then in the occupation of a party of Chinese, who
were keeping up an incessant fire on the advancing
allies. Our shelling soon told ; and the French
brigade being in a position for seeing the back
entrance, no sooner espied the braves pouring out
of it than they rushed io, and had the honour of
planting the tri-oolonr on its walls, as our men
were running up to escalade. The Marines
and Naval Brigade passing on to the little height
on the right, dislodged a large body of braves
found posted in a clamp of trees, and from
that hour 'till disk kept up t 1 continued firing

ono' chine of their antagonists from hillock to hil-
lock. During the afternoon the Braves came round
is tom I,:rid made a sortie with colours flying on the
North Pari.ltte
ground. Two companies of the 59th,
the Maths. Native Infantry, and a few shell, quickly
put them to ths`
then took up vositons for the night; the 59th
ric4v.ht about however. The troops
and Captains Know ant: Baton's Batteries of Artil-
lery in the rear of Fort I,:n i Marines in a wood to
the right ; and on Ole eZ
Brigades—the French on do height to the left
treme right the Naval
overlooking the Eastern faradsc7oll°°.
" The Provisional Battalion of .Mmes fintg
• that they were in an exact line ot • are from the
walls, Colonel Lemon, keeping lights ot,' the /Mon"
as a ruse, drew his men off into a differen‘' position
the Chinese, fancying they had the 1 of the
party, keeping up a continual pelt all t fr°l°
cool
large guns on the walls, not a shot from which, how-
ever, took a serious effect. By eight o'clock 'rig
from our side had ceased in this quarter, and *e
troops laid down in the open to sleep, Admiral Bar-,
mour and staff, who had landed at 2 p.m., finding
quarters in a temple. The casualties among the
troop. during this day's work were seven wounded.
" About half an hour before day light the Artil-
leght ry were advanced 0 n Icar
bi
eawßarstow s
li laws, *al bs *o
pounder howitzer on e eft, quickly tbllowed by
the Marines, Naval Brigade, and 59th Regiment
to a position closer to the walls—the French still
keeping the hill on the left. The part of the wall
selected for the escalade was from the northern
point of that line of it that runs down B. E. by S.
from the extreme north-east angle. Five storied
pagoda bearing west by north, with an open road- 1
way right up from the highest point, that taken by
the provisional battalion of marines, and about mid- 1
way between the Little North and East gates. i
_ .

" Thy wall at this part is high, no less than forty-
two feet from the base to the bottom of the emirs-
runs, a parapet of five feet topping this again. It
was at this highest point, at the northern extremity
of a little village, within a hundred yards or so of
the waifs, and between which there as a dyke and
running stream, that Captain Bate was killed.
o As soon as oar proximity was discovered every
gun, gingen, and rocket that could be brought to
play was made use of, sad as warmly replied to
with our better directed miles. Numbers and brick
parapets did it for • good hour, the only cover for
our men being little grave hillocks, some trete, and
ruins of houses. Indeed, it was-no boy's play this
hard pelting, the result of our firing in the end being
just as was expected, namely, that not a Tartar could
show his head but he was picked off with a dozen
bullets.

" Then as a prelude to breakfast—up went the
scaling ladders, in twenty or thirty different places
at once, and as quickly were our men up on the
top of them. The line escaladed, extended for
several hundred yards, and it is hardly possible
to say which party was up first—French or Eng-
lish. First with the French, as we have before
said, was Lieut. Stuart, ILE., and his henchman
Corporal Perkins—a fete so pleasing to Admiral
Oenouilly, who came up directly afterwards, that
he lost not a moment in assuring each of them
of some substantial mark of his gracious master's
favour. First of the Naval Brigade, we have been
told by several, was Commander Fellowea, of the
Cruizer. First of the provisional battalion of
Marines, Lieutenants Blake and Cooper ; of the
Line, Major Lnard and Colonel Graham.
" But we may be doing injustice to some, per-
haps, in mentioning names at all. All could not
be close to the walls at the same moment—that was
certain. Indeed, the Braves this time were not
idle in the open under Lin Fort; and great
was the fear that our ammunition would not hold
out. So hot was the fire from the gingalls
that the ground appeared ploughed up by it. Of
thirty kegs of cartridges under carriage by military
train Coolies from the fort to the position occupied
by our men, only eight could be got up; the Coolies,
several of them wounded, dropping them and run-
▪ Lieut. Henry, R.M., in charge of them, was
holding a man to his work when a gingall ball came
between the pair and actually knocked the head of
the keg in, without wounding either. But to the
walls, where one hearty cheer, making the welkin
ring again, was followed b 7 a pause ; the rattle of
loading and that indiscriminate dropping fire soon
telling the fall of many a fugitive.
" Another shout, andon our men went again helter-
skelter, the Naval Brigade and Marines for the
heights, the 59th and Native Infantry to the left to
the East and South Gates—a very hard conflict
coming off at the latter point, the place where En-
sign Bowen, since dead, was mortally wounded
through the lungs.
" At the North Gate, the entrance of the Tartar
quarter, the fight was very hard too, and well con-
tested; and here it was that Lieutenant Viscount
Gifford, R.N., and Lieutenant Butler, R.N., were
wounded. The number of dead bodies afterwards
found attesting to the severity of the action.
" At the hoisting of the British ensign on the Five
Storied Pagoda, the Chinese troops in Gough's Fort
hoisted a white flag as • token of submission, and
soon after left it with the rest of the ' braves', taking
their ways among the hills. Finally, as a corres-
pondent engaged observes:
" ' The conduct of all was undeniable from the
first shot of the Artillery, under whose steady and
unerring aim the Infantry advanced to the wall,
there breaching the top in one place to render the
escalade more easy, to the last shot fired by soldier
or sailor—the true British spirit was there dis-
played, showing that the same metal was in those at
Canton as in our brave soldiers of the Crimea or now
serving in India.'
" We conclude with the following list of casualties
in the operations on the 29th and 29th of December.
" Casualties among the naval and marine brigades
before and in Canton :
Bgdate,..dActLotka ;
AMBenry.,
sThybionmopeojn,.
jmuikd:
son, blacksmith's shipman
mate, Nankin ; J. Halley, captain of mast,
Hlghtlyer.
DANOIROUELT WOUNDID.—C. DOM. captain arms,
top., Be; J. Raton, marine, ElybMe W. Burton, matins,
Ist Walks.
Savearze WOUNDED.—Officas : Lieut. Viscount On-
feed, Calcutta; Lieut. Dadson, Ist Battalion R. M. brigade;
Lieut. Butler, Hornet. Nownommissiotted (Miters : Colour-
Sergeant Wise, K. M. Artillery; Gower J. Fury, 8.. M.
Artillery; Sergeant RES, R.M.Artillery; C. Fosset, A. 8.,
Calcutta; eanson. old., Calcutta ;J. Smith, A. 8.,
Sybille ; J. Bumbiscombe, aid., Mama ; J. Lane, ord.,
Sansparell ; C. Smith, boy. Niger ; J. Davis, A. 8., Bar-
met ; J. Manuel, A. B. BM; W. Tilbury, A. 8., Cruiser;
S. Polman, A. B. Infeerttlile ; J. Allwood, Marine, Provi-
sional Battalion ; J. Lures, Marine, lat Battalion.
SLIOHTLY WOUNDED.—Commander Follows', R.N.,
Cruiser; J. Fisher, master's assistant, Hornet; and Col.
Holloway, A.D.C. Witham,. A. 8.; J. Bar-
leish, A.R. ; P. Palmer, bandsman; W. Jeffria,
Calcutta's—W. Paine, ord. J. Holland, dB. Ititt—
C. Sullivan, ord. ;W. Bockbam. A.B. ;A. Charters, carpen-
ter's mate. SenspareiTs—A. Watson, tad.; J. M'Ciuirmess,
ord. •W. Crakes' ord. Highflyer'e—W. Bisadar, ad. ;B.
Stanfield, boy. Furious—W. Bendel], A.B. Racehone—
J. Herd, Amours'. Elk—P. Serenity, A.B. Cruiser—J.
Doss, Dugs, A.B. ; 0. A. Vigeold, A.B. Provisional Battalion
of Marines, Cakutta's--Privetes W. Meseta, F. Meade-
whits, W. Smith. Sybille—Private W. Beamed. Assiet-
ante—Privates T. BM, J. Porker, J. Adams and T. Cooke.
ROTEL YLIIII AILTILLIZT.—Civaner B. Hader. First
Battalion Royal Marinas--F. Mans, private.
Abetraet.
Of foregoing, killed 5
Ot troops, „
Of Frisch, ~

1,
TOW Una
oo°forrri°ll"FlirenchregCelereji6llll4o,llnatia "MI"
**********
:088

.0
of Troop._
Ka
Total ............
~ t;;ki bY a' 17
In addition to which are
plosion of Paryier'
118
Total Ironclad