The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-15 00:00:00

THE FIGIITING AT SRA.NGIIAE•

The following is a full account of the feat of arms
achieved by the foreign residents at' Shanghae, on the
4th and sth of April last :—The foreign settlement,
which is in form nearly a square, is situated on the
Shanghae river, between the Soochow and Yang-king-
pang creeks. On the fourth side it is partially covered
by a small creek, fordable at low but not at high water.
The Imperialist, camp was • situated on the bank of
this creek, on the opposite side from the settlement.
On the Shanghae river were assembled eight pirati-
cal junks, which bad been taken into the Imperial
service. The foreign residents had been occasionally
annoyed by individual marauders from the city, which
is in the possession of the insurgents ; but their chief
annoyance was from the Imperialists. Their complaints
to the magistrates of the district were answered by
representitions that it was impossible to control 10,000
irregular levies, he might have said 20,000 drawn toge-
ther from all the provinces. On the 3rd of April the
demonstrations of these insubordinate troops became so
alarming that intimation was given to the Taou-tae and
the district judge that the foreigners had resolved to
defend themselves by force. The men and marines
of the English ships of war Encounter and Gre-
cian, and from the American sloop of war Plymouth,
were landed on the afternoon of the 4th of April, and
joined by the enrolled volunteers of Shanghae. The
Americans had a field-piece and two howitzers ; the
English, one field-piece. When they neared the Im-
perialist camp, the Americans diverged to the right,
the English to the left, in order to place their ad-
versaries between two fires. After shelling the camp
for some time, both columns advanced with fixed
bayonets, and the Chinese took to flight. The details
of the action will be found in the subjoined extracts :
An article from the Herald of the Bth of April, nar-
rating the operations of the British ; and a letter
from an American, in the Herald of the 15th, nar-
rating the operations of his countrymen. For some days
the army which had retreated before 300 foreigners,
looked sulky and mischievous, but ultimately their
commander promised that no camp should be pitched
for the future between two le of the settlement, and the
discomfited heroes resumed their desultory skirmishing
with the insurgents. The patrols and sentries of the
settlement have, however,
inbeen increased, and their
communication improved, order that, should the
naval force in the river bo diminished in consequence of
the war with Russia, the defence of the settlement may
be cared for. Meanwhile the commanding British offi-
cer on the station has ordered up an additional war
steamer to Shangbae.
The best and most cordial spirit animates and
unites the American and English residents and seamen ;
it is pleasing to see the flags of England and the United
States waving side by side in the East asthose of France
and England in the West. These three great nations
united may defy the world in arms, and prove triumph-
ant champions of liberty and civilisation. The Chinese
Imperialists have got a warning which will keep them
civil for sonic time ; the insurgent general, who has had
some of his irregulars shot by the foreign residents, has
issued what we suppose we may call an " order of the
day," telling hia man that it " Neryed thew Tight.",