The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-16 00:00:00

THE -LIGHT IVlill 2'llE REBELS NEAR

11111VG-HONG.

On Thu(rFsdroaiyn,tlitha ON°2r;it':Thionfa:Zivar;)ry, Admiral
Sir James Hope, 1i.C.8., Commander-in-Chief of
the Naval Forces in China, proceeded up the Wong-
poo River above Shanghai in her Majesty's steam
tender Coromandel, with a detachment of Royal
Marines from her Majesty's ship Impericuse, under
Captain Holland, for the purpose of reconnoitring
on the Pootung side of the river. Information had
been previously obtained that a well-armed band of
Taiping rebels were located within a village some 20
miles from Shanghai.
The Admiral was joined on the spot by Colonel
Ward and a detachment of his disciplined Chinese
troops. A reconnoitring party of about 100
Marines and Chinese then landed under command
of their officers, when they marched towards a small
village called Seaou-dong, which was said to be an
outpost of the rebels, and strongly fortified, their
main body being located at a large village or un-
walled town a few miles further on, called Nan-
jaou. They had been committing great depreda-
tions in the country around, and had recently
defeated a large Imperial force sent against them.
As the reconnoitring party approached the place
they found it strongly fortified, and the rebels, in
great numbers, very bold, advancing towards them,
shouting and inviting them 'to come on, at the same
time opening a brisk fire upon the party. The
leaders, having effected their reconnaissance, re-
turned to the boats, with two of Ward's soldiers
slightly wounded.
A gunboat was immediately despatched to Shang-
hai for reinforcements, and the Chinese soldiers re-
turned to Sungkeong for assistance.

Next day, Friday, the 28th of February, the ex-
pected reinforcements arrived, and mustered at
Ming-hong, consisting of 350 British sailors and
Marines, 300 French soldiers, 35 artillerymen, and
about 700 Chinese, with four howitzers from Brad-
shaw's battery, one from the Imperiause, and two
belonging to the French.

A boat had just been intercepted by Le, the Chi-
nese commander-in-chief at Ming-hong, conveying
a rebel despatch requesting a thousand men to be
sent from some head-quarters, so that they were
evidently preparing to resist an attack.
It being too late in the day to commence opera-
tions on Friday, nothing was done until the follow-
ing morning. Saturday, March 1, when the whole
farce was landed, and they marched to the fortified
village, accompanied by a number of coolies bearing
litters and stages for constructing bridges. The place
lay about two miles inland, directly opposite to
Ming-hong, and was approached by a tolerably
wide road, rather better than usual, which rendered
the transport of the artillery comparatively easy,
the only delay being caused in crossing one or two
rough bridges.
Notwithstanding all these impediments, the ex-
pedition arrived before the place of attack at 8 a.m.,
and halted at about 500 yards' distance. Few flags
were shown by the rebele, and only one or two men
could be seen moving about. It was evident that
they were keeping very close, and reserving their
fire until the troops got nearer. At first it was sup-
posed that they had evacuated the place,'when parties
of skirmishers from Ward's corps sent to the right
fearlessly crept up under cover of the graves, and
soon began to exchange shots with the enemy, upon
which all doubt as to their having evacuated the
place was removed.
In the meantime the remainder of the expedition
had a sufficient opportunity of surveying the work
which was before them, and which presented de-
fences of a very formidable nature. In front there
was a mass of bricks and tiles, the debris of a few
houses which were standing the day previous. Be-
hind this barrier appeared ro'n of atnkes drircn
into the ground, thick and close—about 3ft. high,
interspersed with short pointed bamboo sprigs.
Then came a trench about 7ft. deep, the sides of
which were completely studded with these small
bamboo spikes. On the opposite side were more
stakes very thickly set in the ground, and beyond
these rose an earthwork some 15ft. high, sur-
mounted by three cavaliers, each pierced with three
ports, but containing only one gun, the intermediate
space being filled up with strong barricades of red
boxes filled with earth and stones, coffins, bags of
cotton, sandbags, tables, and furniture—in fact,
everything that could be stuck together to form a
barricade, thickly loopholed for musketry—a place
that could not be stormed without the loss of a
great many men, unless assisted by artillery.
The fire on the right now became more frequent.
It was evident that the enemy were being roused
up. A shell or two was thrown in, which proved
to the rebels that their foreign asailants were in
earnest, at which they opened fire with gingalls,
muskets, rifles, and small guns. The action then
became general, and for about an hour an incessant
fire was kept up on the enemy from small-arms,
with an occasional shell. The fire of the enemy was
stubborn, and continued up to the last moment,
when the marines had got close up to the barricade,
only waiting the admiral's orders to enter the in-
trenchments.

At this time the enemy were observed to be re-
treating in great numbers from the rear, when the
shells from Bradshaw's artillery were thrown ra-
pidly among them, committing fearful havoc.
Numbers also fell under the fire from the rifles
of the French and English sailors who were ex-
tended out on the left to cut them off; but the na-
ture of the country precluded this, so they kept up an
incessant fusillade on them as they ran away. Some
of Colonel Ward's soldiers had got round on the
other side, and were in hot pursuit. The fire from
the earthworks being pretty well silenced, the
British Admiral waved his cap, when the Marines
under Captain Holland and Lieutenant Sturt, and
the blue-jackets under Commanders Gibson, Fawkes
and Richardson, entered in front through a breach
which was soon made by an extempore company of
sappers and miners—blue-jackets—under Lien- 1
tenant Bosanquet, of her Majesty's guntioat Plainer,
who seemed to enjoy the work exceedingly. A
severe contest then took place in the main street of
theth e
they
could village,
nwo ht er e the
withstand rebels
eb et lhs e
bayonet
charge of the
Marines and the
heavy fire
vpoured among them.
Many fell, and some hand-to-hand conflicts took
place.
From inquiry and
observation,
Taiping rebels holding
than 6,000 ;of these the place could not be less
kiled, and Upwardsbetween
of 300 taken prisoners. The
and holm
The bodies in es presented an awful spectacle.
some places lay in heaps, and the
plain beyond the village was strewed with those
who were shot down in the flight. The practice of
Bradshaw's mountain
howitzers was good, as soon
as the range was obtained, but
the rockets were a
failure.
The French guns also played with great
effect. Every ono engaged behaved with coolness
and courage, advancing gradually, and getting
through the before-mentioned formidable obstacles
forming the outer defences, through the trench, and
right up the breastwork, long before the guns were
silenced.
As for the Chinese organized under Colonel Ward,
they seemed to know no fear, and perhaps exposed
themselves too much. The loss of this force was
one officer very badly wounded, about tell rank and
file killed and 40 wounded, some severely. Two or
three English Marines were badly wounded ; but
from their being kept better under cover, the
foreign portion of the force suffered slightly in com-
parison. ompanied by
The British Admiral himself, ace
Mr. Alabaster, the Consulate interpreter, was right
in front directing the attack in that part, while
Ward and his men vigorously assailed the enemy on
the left. After all Was over the village was set on
fire, and the foreign trolls embarked for Shanghai.