The Sun.
London, England, 1841-10-07 00:00:00

EVEN ING- SUN

['Pe ssi Artillery Lieute-
3d. (A rti;lery) eant Spencer 2 31
trade under Capt. MadrasArtillery,includiag
Rnowles, ILA.— I Gun Lascars, Captain
• Ana:rather lO 231
Saapers and Miners, Capt
Cotton
pidnanee... 4 Cotton
howitzers.
4 nine-pounder field guns.
2 six. pounder ditto.
3 five-and-a-half-inch mortars.
132 thirty-teen pounder rockets.
or • - Ilst. Naval Battalion, Capt.
s• 2d •NaVal Brigade • Maitland, H.M.S. Wel-
, under Capt. Bour- a lesley ll 172
4,' chier, H. M. S. ) 2d Naval Battalion, Corn-
.. Blonde l. mender Barlow, H.M.S.
10 231
Nimrod
„Is-(Right)l'rigade 'Royal Marines, Captain
_„. (He:terve) Ellis 93, 2
.. under Major-Gen ' 18th Royal Irish, Lieut
rr Buell Col. Adams 25 495
L
-a G. The right column reached its point of attack before
*lt tire. P.M., and took possession of the factories, when
Ilia-N.4.10r Pratt mink the necessary arrangements to
.esSitrengthen his post, holding his men ready for offensive
wilor:defensive operations.
elleeir: The left column, towed by the
_Nemesis, from the
-c. digit unties of the passage. with such a fleet of craft as she
nollintin tow, did nut reach the Sulphur until dusk. which
biliVeSSel Captain Belcher had judiciously anchored close to
the point of debarkation, about
ladkise .villaes of Tying hae,
Isi•Aves miles by the. river line above the factories. I could,
b,z,therefore, only land the 49th Regiment, with which corps
lila made a reconnifiesance to some distance, meeting a few
mastragglin a• parties of the enemy. After placing the
~captequets, the corps fell back on the village of Taing-hae,
Lt.,to protect and cover the landing of the guns, which was
ieffected during the night by the zealous efforts of the
wd Artillery. The following morning the remainder of the
nseolumn landed, and the whole proceeded soon after day-
; e,light.
sh„.i a.. The, heights to the north of Canton, crowned by
,ilifextr,etrong forts and the city walls, which run over the
as!Aotithern extremity of those heights, including one ele-
-I,,,,Nated point, appeared to be about three miles and a half
distant ; the Intermediate grtiund, undulating much, and
sinteesected by hollows under wet paddy cultivation ;
enabled me to take up successive positions, until we ap-
proached within range of the forts on the heights and
„a the northern face of the city walls. I had takitit here
aomo.time, placing the men under cover, to bAtagiip the
.aasrocket battery and artillery.
4a,.J., 9. I have already informed your Lordship that I was
,HastOtallysenaequeinted with the country which I had to
,11.,pas3.over, the amount of the enemy's force, or •the diffi-
aliaeulties that might present themselves at every .step; but
••••1 had the proud consciousness of feeling that your Lord-
. ship had placed.under me a band whom no disparity of
numbers Qould dishearten, and no difficulty could check.'
They nobly realised, by their steadiness under fire, their
disciplined advance, and their animated rush, my warmest
.anticipations..
10. Ravin', at eight o'clock got up the rocket battery,
saawith two 5c inch mortars, two 12 pounder howitzers
and two 9. pounder guns, a well directed fire was kept
up on the two western forts, which had ninth annoyed
a, us by a heavy fire. I now made the disposition for
attack in echellon of columns from the left, and directed
s.:, .the 49th regiment to carry a hill on the left of the near-
est eastern fort, supported by the 37th Madras Native
Infantry and Bengal Volunteers, under Lieutenant-Colo-
1. - gel Morris, of the 49th Regiment. The 18th Royal
, Irish, supported by the Royal Marines, under Major-
., General Burrell, I directed to carry a hill to their front,
which was strongly occupied, and flanked the approach
• to the fort just mentioned. This movement was to cut
off the communication between the two eastern forts,
a and cover the advance of the 49th in their attack and
storm of the nearest. Major-General Burrell had three •
_taxis to push on, and take • the principal square fort,
- when the 49th made their rush. Simultaneous with
these attacks, the brigade- of seamen - was to carry the
two
.western forts, covered by a concentrated fire from
~,,the :whole of the guns and the rockets.
' all. During the whole of the advance, my right had
I,,been threatened by a large body of the enemy, which
14Aehouclied from the western suburbs, and just as I was
94 OM to commence the attack, a report was made that
advancingy columns were on the right; I was there-
'tOre compelled to detach the Marines, under Capt. Ellis,
. tu.aupport the brigade of seamen, and to cover my right
'- and rear.
12. At about half-Past nine o'clock, the advance was
sounded, and it has seldom fallen to my lot to witness a
more soldier-like and steady advance, or a more animated
•attack. Every individual, native as well as European, ,
steadily and gallantly did his duty. The 18th and 49th
- were emulous which should first reach their appointed
goals ; but, under the impulse of this feeling, they did
a, Slot lose sight of that discipline which could alone insure
• seecess. The advance of the 37th Madras Native Infan-
.: . try and Bengal Volunteers, in support, was equally praise-
L: Worthy.
13. The result of this combined movement, was, that
• the two forts were captured with comparatively small
7, :loss, and that, in little more than half an hour after the
sc order to advance was given, the British troops looked
;..cleysin on Caaton within 100 paces of its walls,
• • .14. The well-directed fire of the artillery in the centre
• was highly creditable, and did great execution.
at 15. In co-operation .with these attacks, I witnessed
no ordinary gratification the noble rush of the bri-
,r.fJ vide of seamen, under their gallant leader Captain Bour-
o,es„cliier, exposed to a heavy fire front the whole of the
...,,,:north-western rampart. This right attack was equally
..successful, and here also the British standard proudly
waved on the two western forts, while the British tars
looked down upon the north-western face of the city and
its suburb.
16. During the greate: part of the day a very spirited
fire front heavy pieces of ordnance, ginjalls, and Snatch-
loCks, was kept up on the different columns, occupying
the heights and forts. •
17. A strongly entrenched camp of considerable ex-
tent, occupied' apparently by about four thousand men,
l• ay to the north east of the city upon rising ground, se-
parated by a tract of paddy land from the base of the
beinins. Frequent attacks were made upon my kft by
sag bodies sent from this encampment, but were as frequently
,t': NAlised by the 49th. This, however, exposed the men
to a heavy fire from the walls of the city..
18. About two o'clock, perceiving that mandarins of
consequence were joining this force from the city, and
had occupied a village in rear of my left, I directed the
49th to dislodge them. This was instantly effected in
the same spirited manner that had marked every mave-
nient of this gallant corps. About three o'clock, it was
evident that some mandarin of high rank had reached
, • the encampment—(l have since understood that it
wltt Yang, the Tartar General)—and that preparations
• wern making for a fresh attack. I ordered down the
siletlBtll, therefore, with one company of the Royal Ma-
es, to reinforce the 49th, and directed Major-General
arr(ll to assume the command, to repel the projected
.1 tu tack, and instantly to follow up the enemy across a
u,icauseway, die only approach, and take and de-
stroy the encampment. This duty was well and gallantly
erfurined but I regret to say with rather severe loss
rma the difficulty of approach, exposed to a heavy fire
fie" the guns and ginjalls on the north-east face of the
city wall. The enemy were driven at all points, and fled
across the country ; the encampment was burnt, the
'll2gazines of which there were several, blown up, and
tliopernianent buildings of considerable extent set on
a
fir
nw-i as much pleasure in witnessing, as I hare in
.14311'4414011y approval of the spirited conduct of Captain
(Inman, Who ouunnanded the two leading companies or
the lath, aorosa the causeway. These companies were
closely followKl by the 49th, the remainder of the .18th
ahsd nd a company or Royal Marines, who paused along a
of the paddy fields to their left, The enemy not
ttlPakio4 tii.elieed to move out of the town to support
: , t Is point, 4iFepteri ilia Puree tt.i Tettnet fit the heights.
„, '4l 9H
• . aving reconnoitred the walls and gates, I de-
ettiod on taking the city by assault, or rather upon taking
• it 4i{4iti4 441140„ hpiaht of consulmhlc e7st.el witl,llll
wail: 104 s 'The 1:1441,9 9(440, !Ali Our rC!ir being pecAtriy ranged .tilict its base difficult
Lt) approach on account sa ut one path
UNtft Wi4 Paddy fields, I had only been enabled to
"•
tihtint-4 4 Yek7 ut' t!iP
and a moan 'plop of. lui4.4uoitteu. therefore
1, ,d(emea it right to await tho.vriyol of this ttect:4-7 4 arm,
)411 to make the assault;
2-' • sou. The folluwlng morning, the 90th, ut ten &cluck,
a Ng. of tense Wit 3 hoisted on the walls, when I deputed
ltr. Thom (whom Captain Allot had sent to me as has
tepreter) to ascertain the cause. A mandarin stated
they wished for peace. I had it explained that,
Sqt!ii:4l- tilviandios. the British, _I would treat
"'dingle 144 c hie (tel!t:ii,l Piliil4l4tl4lll4 thtt P.lin(k4o
Vs—that we gunge before Carton rattelt againstthe wishes of the British nation ; but that re-
rated insults and breaches of faith had Compelled us
of make the present movement, and that I would
▪ 44:10, frora hostilities for two hours to enable their Ge-
!H tz,tllL, to 111Cibt WO and Sir Le Fleming Senhouse, who
accompanied me throughout the whole operation,
• ertLto, whose judicious arrangements and unceasing ex-
.„ 4.14 1,13 fortho furtherance'd the united services (and I
6,04r,0ud- to say they are unitedin Iniiiiland heart), I
tiiia iitr9nly expreSii,' my sense of obligation, - I
Iliac"' ',Spiel:l4 that ClaPtitin- 'Lee Majesty's
sotlttpretent inv. was with the'advanced-squadron to the
nieati: the city, and that it' I did not receivea commu-
With thlifr"l or had not a satisfactory interview
General, I should at the ter.nination of the two
sae !,I..lirder the white Bag to be struck.
the General did not make • Ids appearance,
Neat,' time (tilki: numerous messages were received between this
leses2a.llaa. .14,ut noon) and 4, Ihatiled down the white
aany t•onaenle"P enemy, however, did not, which was rather
.aa 1▪
nunakanti ue it enabled me to get up my guns and am-
ti!
•%yithout exposing my men to fire,
FR'Aarthe night of the 26th, every thing was
eel ;c.,boato.'", e our side, with the exception of one twelve-
wolthid 7triihowitzer, the carriage of which had been disa-
audßuno, by the indefatigable exertion of the
'bry and ie men of the Royal artillery and .Mathais
.411(1 the appers, were placed in position. All was ready,
eces,ary orders were given for opening the bet-
a*: leff t;7 o'clock on the morning of the 27th, and for the
lata a'sats; frlip HituiPl4l
Polumn, composed of the Royal Marines
1141;f, e 4.30rt0
tohad directions to pass through al
th gittt? 0 neea the right of the north gate, to blow •
t0i)04144p3/4en powder.bags, if possible ; and, if not,
. to that gat: eircsalar work thrown up as a second defence
>< lilteatle offate,
Column on the right, consisting of the
L 4
, untlar Captain Bouchier, was directed
in'P") tho assault by escalade on the opposite side of
t • the circular
low d elier.aei where the wall appeared eQmpqr4-
hill within' ec!vered by a heavy fire of inUsltetry from the
be(nl peis.tol shut of the wall. This column would
__%rosed only to the fire of a few flanking
•-•' %_v ti_ch. I calculated would have been kept under by
the
The l'Sth.
coverin s
Irish, under Lieutenant-Colonel
Royai,i "'riy.

4 137

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