The Sun.
London, England, 1842-09-07 00:00:00

AT CIIINIIAE.

55th Regiment-1 rank and file severely.
Name of Officer wounded—Lieutenant-Colonel Mont-
gomerie, C. B.
(Signed) A. S. H. MOUNTAIN, Lieut.-Col. Deputy
Adjutant-General Expeditionary Force.

Ningpo, March 11, 1842.
Sir—Agreeably to your wish, I beg to report the cir-
cumstances which occurred yesterday morning under my
immediate direction, previous to your joining us beyond
the west gate.
On the first guns from the ships of war I got the ar-
tillery under arms, and repaired to the ramparts, the
alarm-post for the artillery at this time (about three
o'clock), the whole of the river to the east of the
town appeared covered with fire-rafts, and heavy firing
was kept up from the Modeste and Sesostris.
Being anxious to know how matters stood, I directed
Captain Balfour, my staff-officer, to proceed with a small
patrole round the ramparts to the east gate, to bring me
intelligence.
Shortly after this officer sent me word that the south
gate had been attacked, both from inside the town and
outside, and that it was in possession of the enemy,
who were supposed to be in great force. I sent imme-
diately intelligence of this to the Deputy Adjutant-
General.
A patrole of the 18th Royal Irish, under Lieutenant
Murray, arrived about this time on the ramparts, which
I dispatched immediately to reinforce the bridge gate
guard, and proceeded myself in the same direction with
two howitzers, under the command of Captain Moore,
and a small party of artillerymen with fuzils, whom I
thought I could spare from the guns. Lieutenant-Colo-
nel Mountain joined us, andinformed me that he had
been at the bridge gate, and confirmed the intelligence
of the south gate guard having been overpowered ; he
proceeded to report matters to you, and said h e would
rejoin me as soon as possible.
On proceeding to the bridge gate guard, I took with
me from thence the south gate guard, which had retired
there, and advanced, on approaching the south gate ; the
day began to dawn, and I was glad to hear from the Bri-
tish cheering, and a smart fire of musketry, that the
enemy were already attacked, and before our arrival I
found the gate in possession of Captain M'Andrew, and
his company of the 49th, who had driven the enemy
through the main street, and had regained possession of
the gate in very gallant style, killing many.
A continued lire was still kept up at the west gate,
towards which I proceeded, having been joined by
Lieut.-Colonel Mountain, with a small party of the 26th
Regiment, as also by Major Moore, Superintending-
Surgeon French, and Captain Moorhead. Lieutenant-
Colonel Hawkins having previously joined me near the
east gate, we fell in with several of the enemy between
the south and west gates, stragglers apparently from the
party dispersed by Captain M'Andrew ; they leaped the
ramparts as we approached, and were mostly destroyed.
On arriving at the west gate, I found it had been as-
sailed from the suburbs in a very determined manner,
and had been defended in most gallant style by Lieut.
Armstrong, of the 18th Royal Irish until reinforced by
a company of the 49th under Lieut. Grant ; this officer
had made a sally from the gate and driven the enemy
across the bridge. The dead bodies of ten or twelve of
the enemy lying close to the gate and on the bridge suf-
ficiently betokened both the determination of the assail-
ants, and the gallantry of the defence.
A smart fire of ginjalls and matchlocks were kept up
from the suburbs where the enemy was evidently in
great force. Captain Moore opened his howitzers on
them, and the shells, which were exceedingly well
thrown, soon drove them beyond the range of their fire.
From the intricacy of the streets and lanes of the
suburb we could not form an estimate of the enemy's
force, but as I perceived that they were drawing
off in considerable numbers over bridge, which
was the only visible outlet from the suburb, I con-
sulted with Lieutenant-Colonel Mountain as to the num-
ber of available men we could spare from the gate, we
found we could muster more than 100 men, and as he
concurred as to the advisableness of an immediate
attack on the suburb, I ordered the party to fall in which
was as per margin.*
We sallied from the gate, and advanced up the narrow
street of the suburb, meeting with little or no opposition
A' Artillery, 3 officers, 2:sergeants, 18 rank and file, 4 2-sth
Irish Howitzers; 18th Royal Irish, 1 officer, 1 sergeant. 24
rank and file-26th Regiment, 1 officer, 13 rank and file-
49th Regiment, 5 officers, 5 sergeants, 71 rank and file.—
Total, 10 officers, 8 sergeants, 126 rat* and Ale.