The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-01 00:00:00

GENERAL GARD3ALDI.

Yesterday his Grace the Duke of Sutherland, on
his return to England, waited upon the Lord
Mayor, at the Mansion-house, and presented to him
an address front the municipality of Santa Maria
Capua-Vetere, Southern Italy, in the province of
Terra di Lavoro, expressive of their grateful ac-
knowledgments to the English people for the
enthusiastic reception they gave to General Gari-
baldi. " The high state of civilisation," they say,
" existing in free England, the country which ap-
preciates all that is great and free in man, was a
promise of the cordial reception she would give to
the illastrioua Italian; but the maddening enthu-
siasm which burst forth from men more accustomed
to the serioua occupations of life than to the attrac-
tions of passing joys had surpassed every expecta-
tion and touched every heart." The address, of the
tine of which the above is a specimen, is written in
English, and is magnificently bound in purple
velvet, embossed and ornamented with gold. It
bears the seal of the municipality, and the signa-
tures of the Sindaco and of the municipal secretary.
Mayor, and his
It, was entrusted to the duke to deliver to the Lord
grace discharged the grateful duty
yesterday with evident D'easure. The Lord Mayor
expressed his gratification at the compliment paid
him in selecting
him as the medium for conveying
the sentiments of the municip alit to his country-
men, and at the visit of his connected with a matter with which he was so
honourably identified. rayce on an errand
The Lord 11Iayor, we regret
to add, has been confined to his room for the last
week, and is still, from an accident resulting in the
breaking of a tendon of the
right leg as he was
descending the steps of the railway
elation
Tun-
bridge, on Thursday week, on his
way to town
to attend a meeting of the Court of Common
at
Council.

The Repulse of Gordon at Chang-chow-foo.

The chief and almost only topic of political interest in
China coatinnes to be the Taeping war, the operations at
Chang-chow-foo occupyicg the most prominent part in
public attention. Chang-chow-foo is a city on the Grand
Canal, and lies on the route between Hang-chow and Nan-
king, being not very far from the latter city. Next to Nan-
king, it is the most important city in the possession of the
Taepings; it is, indeed, considered more important, strate-
gically speaking, than Nanking itself. It still holds out,
and the attempts to assault it hitherto made by General
Gordon and the Futae of Soochow have failed. Chung, the
commander-in-chief of the Taepings, commands the place,
and resists with much energy.
The following account of recent operations, resulting in
the defeat of Gordon, with heavy loss, is from the Shanghae
Recorder of May 2 :
" The rebels being driven from all their stockades and en-
trenchments to the west of the city, and then occupied by a
strong force of imperialists, Gordon moved round opposite
the south-east angle of the city, and commenced forming
his batteries of attack, while the imperialists placed their
guns on his left, facing the south of the city. A combined
attack was arranged for the 27th ; however, the imperialist
batteries being ready on the 24th, and the troops who have
been so long besieging the city being eager to storm and
averse to relinquish their hope of taking the city, the
Futae gave orders to his batteries to open fire, and by 3
o'clock in the afternoon a capital breach was formed. The
advance was sounded and the storming party rushed on
steadily to the city ditch, but were thrown into some confu-
sion by some defect in the bridges ; however they scrambled
across, and advancing through the stakes got to the footing
of the breach, where they maintained themselves for a con-
siderable time; but the rebels, notwithstanding a most de-
structive covering fire from the Imperial guns, and from a
battery of Gordon's enfilading the teree-plein, manned the
breach and wall in great numbers regardless of life, and
compelled the assailants to fall back with much loss.
During the night Gordon's guns being put in position,
and a pontoon bridge laid down over the city ditch, he
opened fire at daybreak, while the Imperialists' batteries
did the same, to knock away the barricades thrown up in
their breach in the night. Bang, bang, went the heavy
guns, as quickly followed by the boom of bursting shells
tearing up ponderous masses of the wall, and burying be-
neath them many of the defenders, while the smaller guns
laid along the parapet right and left with deadly effect,
wherever the rebels appeared, or opened fire. By half Tast
12 o'clock the breach was ready, and the signal was
given to the Imperialists to storm at their own
breach, while ou rushed the 14th Regiment, led by Col.
Reward, and on came the rebels to the breach,
determined and daring, to be mowed down by the covering
fire of the artillery, and no sooner down than their place
was filled up by their followers rushing on to the defence.
The edge of the city ditch was gained, and over went the
14th R giment's colours, accompanied by Colonel Howard,
Captain Cane, and Lieutenant Stackpole, and up the breach
through a shower of missiles and fire balls. Then came
that deadly pause, the colours waving on the breach de-
fended by a few brave men. The defenders and assailants
hesitated. They stood at bay for a moment ; the Celestial
nature shrank from the dread conflict hand to hand.
The officersjattempted to break it. They pushed them,
they pulled them, they beat them with their swords,
but in vain. The rebels fighting for life, desperate men,
sooner recovered their presence of mind, and every man let
fly his missile on the heads of the assailants. The colours
and their defenders were pushed off the wall down the
breach, and had to retire over the bridge on their column.
A murderous fire was poured from every loop-hole—men
were falling fast, yet they stood their ground, but hesitated
to advance to where they would be comparatively safe, and
too low for the enemies' fire. The retire was now sounded,
and the stormers fell back to cover. It was now discovered
that the imperialists' bridges having been carried away un-
known to them during the night, they did not attempt to
storm, consequently the whole of the rebel force was brought
to bear at one point.
The artillery fire was kept up and the walls cleared. The
imperialists laid down fresh bridges, and everything was
ready at both points of attack at half-past 2 o'clock, p.m.,
for a simultaneous movement. Up went the two rockets
of signal; a cheer burst from the ranks of the Quinsan
force, which NA as taken up and carried along the lines of
imperialists, and on went both storming parties at a rapid
pace. The 3d Regiment's colours were hoisted on the wall
with Chapman, Reynolds, Smith, Allen, Winstantly, and
others rallying around them, fighting hand to hand with
the defenders, The imperialists crossed their bridges,
crowded at the foot of the breach, and waved their colours,
but hesitated to mount it. Still the Quinsan force held their
ground on the wall. The defenders came on in great num-
bers ; while the advance of the assailants began to lag, their
opponents strained every nerve and muscle. The contest
every moment became more close, and was prolonged for at
least 20 minutes. At length the atormera, overpowered by
numbers, were driven from their gained ground, and hurled
to the bottom of the breach. All attempts to mount the wall
again were futile. The rear ranks of the stcrmers beim, under
the fire from the wall were now fe.irfutly thinned, while the
front ranks so desperately opposed could not advance. The
order to retire was given, and the party withdrew 50 yards
back to cover, while the guns swept the breach with canister,
shell, and grape. The imperialists all this time hurled
fresh columns on to the attack, but all seemed to be spell
bound at one point, and stood still, when the bravest of the
late General Ching's Mandarins was advanced with his
men, and though he passed the sticking point aad got his
colours partly into the breach, yet he too was brought to a
stand and was obliged to fall back. This ended the active
operations. The wounded and killed were all carried to
the rear, and found to number six officers killed—Colonel
Morton, Captain Smythe, Lieut. Greenlaw, Lieut. Williams,
Captain Rhodes, Lieut. Brown ; and 21 wounded—Lieut.
Reynolds, Captain Abbot, Captain Hendrickson, Lieut.
Maloney, Lieut. Johns, Captain Donald, Captain Maher,
Lieut. Donley, Captain Murphy, Captain Hammond, Lieut.
Robinson, Lieut. Matchet, Captain Rhodie, Captain
Graham, Colonel Howard, Major Coates, Captain Cane,
Lieut. Jones, Captain Bailey, Majot Doyle, and Captain
Dunn ; with rank an•: file 240 wounded, and 40 killed.
Gordon, at latest advices, was pushing on regular engi-
neering• operations, and it is declared that the garrison
must soon surrender. The China Mad of the 13th May
says, indeed, that something decisive would probably be
done in a fortnight, as upwards of a hundred thousand
men are encamped about Chang-chow- foo, the place closely
invested, every gate guarded, so that if the city be not taken
by assault, the garrison must eventually surrender for want
of food. It adds : " With the fall of Chang-chow-foo the
Taeping rebellion will be crushed, as Nankin is invested
by Tseng Kwoefan's forces and will soon be starved out.
Other places in rebel possession are of minor importance,
and only one or two in number. We are not, therefore,
surprised to hear that Colonel Gordon intends to retire
from the Imperial army after the fall of this city, dis-
banding, at the same time, the little force that has accom-
panied him through so many victories."