The Sun.
London, England, 1858-02-27 00:00:00

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and the defences outside the city., considering the height,
of their wail a sufficient security against an sttack'by
emoted°. The main body of their troops were in that
quarter, and the guns ein 'the city heights, in newly-
constructed forts, bore in the same direction.
15. At the North Gate the enemy appeared •inclined
to a aka a stand. • Captain Key,:witt one half of the 2d
division, advanced-and took up a, poiition in an earth
battery in an elbow of the wallinside the gate, turning
the guns upon the Sailor's Fort, and the enemy's troops
to the westward, The restof the division, by order of
the general; passed through the North Gate, and drove
the enemy Weir. The 'services of Commanders Hood
and Slight, Lieut. A.-Bogle of the Sanspareils and Lieut.
Viscount Gifford of the Calcutta, Who wag severely
wounded, as well a. Lieut. W.' OS Butler, of the Hornet
were crinnecuous on this occasion. - • -
16. Occasienal gunit were fired from 'he forts outside
the walls, but the rocket-party ofelie•Ctuisereoinder Mr.
Armitage, midshipman; soon set on fire the buildings
round the Upper and Lower Bke Jacket Forts, and
compelled their e,scution ; whilstihe Ist division of the
Naval Brigade male a swim, and 'captured Getigh's Fort
and the Marines' Fort, the former seeunting nine guns,
and other 12, is ,svi. g up. the. magazines, and destroying
the guns and carriages.
• 17. In the-dinectionnf the Neat Gate, the enemy kept
up a sharp fire from the reverged gnus:on tharainparts,
and, notwithstanding the fire from• tbe-Caleuttaaiefivld-
pieces. in charge of Lieut -. Goodenough andsßeamish.
approached, unde'reshslter of taw wall.and- onsome brick
gu.rd-ocrostee, to within 50 yards e!. ale N mtlograte, when
Caestain Sir 11 •hert Tiure, a.sisted -by Captain Coch-
rane, made n sortie, Which effectuslly .disledged them.
The cevering buildings were'aliendestroYed, and severalguns spiked_ or for awn over the 'wail. sNxnept a desul-
tory fire, which was returned amtsaiozoillaseere•sufferect
no;lnt tberasehoyanaa aisdethe fireleateed'at nine f.01,-
18. I .would here "mention the zee displayed by Lieu-
tenants Good, nough and Beamish in bringing their gun.
to the front. Lisut. Goedenotigh's light 12-pounders
arrived at Lin's Fort on the-evening of the. 28th, and
were in time to do good -service e, the,North Gate.
Lieutenentelleamisa's task was mere difficolt, as his
twee heavy. 12-poinalers, with-limbers and spare 'wag-
gons, bad to be drawn up the wall, a height of 28 feet.
The good conduct and exertions of the junior officers and
guns' crews with the field pieces has been notified tome.
19. The 59. h Regiment, on scaling the wall, proceeded
to the sotith ward, and went' as far es the centre of the
south wall, where they sustained several casualities.
Amongst the rest Ensign Bowen, who was mortally
wounded, and died on the 10th inst. Having overcome
all opposition, they returned to the South-east Gate,
which they occupied and held as the earrerne left.
20. As a diversion, and with a view to carrying the
South-east Gate, Capt. Hall left the river, where he had
brOsn employed on important duty at 9 o'clock, with 100
marines and 600 officers and seamen, volunteers from the
gin boats. Their services, however, lad been anticipated
by the r Spid success that attended our force on other di-
rections of the city walls ; but the readiness and zeal
displayed by Captain Hall and the officers and men,
is not the less commendable..
21. As large bodies of armed mon were seen passing
into the city, through the West Gate, during the after-
noon, it led to the impression that an attack was con-
templated during the night, which induced Major.-Gen.
Van Straubenzee to give directions to burn the houses in
the vicini•a• of the North Gate. TWe duty was entrusted
to Capt.-Osborne, C. 8., who, with Lieutenants Browne,
Caton, and Davidson, of the Ravel Navy, and Lieut.
Pritchett, ReYal Marines, executed it, under a sharp fire
and with considerab.e difficulty, the houses containing
little inflammable material, .
22. I have avoided making prominent mention of the
services of the iniitary branob of the force, it being pecu-
liarly the province of my gallant colleague, Major-Gen.
Van Streubenzee, who having been in every position
where his onerous duties called him will be better able
to de justice to the merits of the gallant officers and men
under his orders.
The Royal Marine Battalions having been placed
under his Excellency's immediate orders, I also refrain,
from the same reasons, from particularisirig the good
services they performed in this important affair. The
pros-him-lad battalion of Royal Marines, from her
Majesty's ship*, composed an efficient feeee of 800 men.
23. It is hardly necessary for me to niention that our
brave allies took a conspicuous share in all the opera-
tions I have endeavoured to describe. Rear Admiral
Sir Rieault de Genondly showed a noble example, which
Was galantly emulated by the fine body of officers and
men under his command. It is but justice to add, that
the French were the first on the walls of Canton, Tee
rear admiral has beuged me to mention prominently the
Services of C!pitaitiee de Vaisseau Reynaud, of the
Nemesis, Jules Collier, of the Capriciense, and
D'Aboville of the Audacteuee, and that the whole of the
brigade seeder his coinaland, performed tn& duty with
zealous alacrity.
24. I am as-ured that their lordships will feel satin
faction in knowing that the most cordial good feeling
and perfect understanding have been maintained bet weeu
my gallant colleagues and myself; the one object, the
occupation of CAnton, agrveably to the instracions of
our reensoLive governments,u
_haying been steadily kept
in view;
• 25. On the morning of the 30th the enemy sent in a
flag of truce, begging permission to bury the dea4, which
was granted, In the afternoon the commanders-in-chief,
with their staff, accompanied by Lieut.-Colonel Weigh's,
battalion of Royal Marines, Captain Key's division of
the Naval Brigade, Royal Artillery with two guns and
Sappers and Miners, under Captain Knox, MA., also a
strong detachment of the Naval Brigade, under Captains
Jules Collier, proceeded to capture the West Gate. The
guns on the parapet were loaded, an I turned on our
position, but all the d-fences were abandoned, and not
the slightest opposition was offered. The guns, as far
as the West Gate, bearing on our lines, were spiked and
thrown over the walls. The force then made the circuit
of the city.
26. In the course of the day an inferior officer came
in with a message, stated to be from the Tartar general,
but he was informed that we could only treat with the
principal authorities.
27. The capture of the city having been now corn-
lordships' notice the good conduc(tinoftythten
plated, it becomes my pleasing to their
composing the naval brigade during the whole of these
opsrations. Though brought together from co many
ships, at short notice, they formed a most serviceable
body of 1,800 men, officersbring and men
Independent of 100 Royal Marines
and 600 seamen in the gun-boats, held in hand by the
flag captain for any emergency.
28. My thanks are particularly due to Commodore
the Hon. Chas y , Elliot, C. 13
and the captains of the
several divisions of the Naval Brigade. Commanders
Hamilton and Hood have been in the Canton river for
nearly 12 months, and Commander Fellowes is stated to
have been the first of the brigade on the wall, from a
Broad, have been brought to milyonn.otwice.
ladder planted by Lieut. Mares ieaux, of the Nankin.
above officers took part in the action in J.
The names of Liente. Currie,
on rbe 1 t June. I wouhlials
Jen-
kins, Alston, Reilly, Madden, Cator, F. Smith, and
tigilsVosaa
Dtr Ward,
fre
the
hk
mend el, tender, which
name of Lieut. Sholto Douglas, commanding the Coro-
in the river
since the commencement of the operations, and who has
conducted himself ent,rely to my satisfaction. Lient. F.
putbqveeu
ane
rtnoecufdeot
oofafrhofiiagn from
high
etore partinfof uf.
tett:
R. Purvis, senior lieutenant of the Acuson, was pre-
aclaarorlevdenmtuyrffeatgo mention the
epowahntoyii
gun
thugld: in
feheeethe
the
whilstivesmee2dpo7optrhet
ar
Dec.a operations o
snaesrliiinesteeicasnongnnsoteot
y a na
dismantling
efficient
their state.nH v several
participation
aTi h
oe
fi
we
ran-
d,-red by the gunboat squadron under the varied and
difficult circumstances iu which they were called upon to
act. Through th,e unwearied exertions of Mr. J. Davey,
the zealous and active inspector of machinery, they have
effective,b e
highlyen k e p
nearly
creditable,ai n
gun boats in the fire along the East Wall, was most
They had also been constantly employed in the convey-
ance of stores, ammunition eick, and wounded, and I
theht he gunneryt
gateways.
ae t F
ewr eawnycashs.
can most cordially recommend the lieutenants command-
ing and the second master, to their lordships' favourable
notice. Lieut. Colin Campbell, of the Opossum, an offi-
cer of lung service and merit, is, placed on the staff of
the maj ,r general commanding. I Should be glad if their
lordships would be pleased to place at my disposal a five
warrants for deserving petty officers, Whose good con-
duct may be brought to my notice,
29. The fire from the Dutch Foils, directed by Major
Schoenberg, was very effective, many of the shells ex-
ploding in the midst of the government buildings en the
city and Geueh's Heights. I may that the accurate
fire from the Cruiser, H rust, and Fusee com-
pletely demolished the Viceroy's yatnun. I have much
pleasure in noticing the services rendered by Captain
Shad well, who had charge of the gunboats, and also of
Comet:minders Dew and Cresswell, of the Nimrod and
Surprise, the fire' from whose heavy guns must have
materially assisted in disconcerting the enemy on the
distant part of the walls.
30. I enclose a list of the casualties in the Naval
Brigade, amounting to 5 killed and 34 wounded, and 17
men severely burnt by an accidental explosion of a
magaz ne. Five men have since died.
31. Every necessary arrangement had been made by
Jr. David Deas, C. 8., the medical inspector of the
fleet, for the comfort of the sick and wounded. The
Inflexible was stationed for their reception, with a staff
of medical officers and two " Chinese chops," or covered
junks, had been fitted up as hospitals and conveyed
near the landing place. Besides these vessels, the
Assistance, steam troop-ship, and Itnperador and Impe-
ratrice, steam transports, were also prepared, Happily
they were not needed. Mr. Dens makes favourable men-
tion of Dr. John Cotton, surgeon of the Inflexible; Mr.
Richard D. Pritchard, surgeon of the Racehorse ; Mr.
Forbes, surgeon of Cruiser ' • and Mr. E. T. Mortimer,
assistant surgeon of Helper. Commodore the Hon. C. G.
J. B. Elliot has also mentioned the assistance rendered by
Mr. W. Banes, surgeon of the Sybille; Dr, Richard D.
Mason, surgeon of the Sanspareil; and Mr. J. M'Swiney,
surgeon ea' the Furious.
32. The services rendered by Capt. Harry E. Edge'',
of H.M.S. Tribune, at Hong Kong, in forwarding our
supplies and guarding the colony, entitled him to my
warmest thanks and commendation.
33, I have on former occasions reported the great
assistance rendered by Captain Wm. K. Hall, say flag
greatest
captain, I cau only repeat that I am under the