Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-12-02
THE BRITISH AND THE CHINESE.

s~hulnS It's length, TO lay II before our readers,
NAT. Isr.
) ave have just returned from a successful On,
glorious attack upon Canton, from which pee
untouched. will try and give you as near an &c
count OF itas can. We were lust on the point o
starting again Tor the north, when came dow
that they had broken out again at Canton attacked
the factories, pluniered them, and driven the mer
chants away. We immediately got orders to pro
coed up the river To attack Canton, and the Penipc
lEllio) for once did not interfere. We were the
leading ship up the river, and were day
ahead OF the feet, when we got aground and stuck
fast. We worked day aud night for three days
but could not stir her the was sent down
and we were transhipped. The morning Of the
24th May, the Queens birthday, the boats OF the
Aeet embarked US, and we reached the place OF
landing that night, and slept in the boats having
previously fired rether more than royal salute,
with sho; and shell, at the forts near Canton. We
dsemharked the next morning, the 25.h at four
o'clock, and moved forward to attack four large
forts, which commanded the city, being situated on
high hills oyerhanging the town. aud two large fer
tined camps, containing from four thousand TO Ave
thousand men each. We were delayed for some
tme waiIing for our guns and rockets To come up.
as the gcound they had to go through was heavy
padden land, nearly the wheels in water
About six o'clock, one gun, n howilzer, and the
rocket tubes were got into position. All this time
guns from the forts ana city walls not idle but
Kept up hot hre on us; but the ground luckily
enabled us to keep good deal under cover. About
half past seven our guns opened their fire. but an
SIR
Hugh Cough, my old colonel o. the s7,h) then
came up, aud ordered us (the lS.h) To- storm lie
tort opposite To US, which was round one on a
high hi. We were then abodt half "a mic from il,
We were obliged TO advance through the paddy
ne ds IN single files under very heavy fire of crape
and round sLo:, my company, the grenadiest lead
ing.
"When got to the bottom of the hill my COM
pHny halted, formed IN sSirmIshng order, and nd
yaneed. They c0me out TO Get us, but we gave
them couple Of vo,levs and drove them from, the
hill The regiment then formed IN linz. end char
ei up TO and took the fort, and Use hoisted our
Ilueen's coiOs on the top-tthe h,st time t,sy had
ever been under frc.) Sir Hugh then nut hIn1rc'f
at our head and ratted off At our bcs, pace Tor
the second fort, the old man runnn, at our mead
waving ms hat with one hand, aud his stick with ,
the other-he had no sword. We took Il with ease /
and they ran when they saw us coming IN such
style. Only two of my company were shot Their.
Ii nsonlSheu me very much that they made SO It,l,
ressicnce, Tor al VIC came 10 close GuaI,e.s they
stood TO their guns, and fired Splendiuly. At first
they found they could hit us ON account of the
bad construction OF their embrasuIcs, but thew soon
fund that out, and Knocked them dow n SD as TO 10.
able 10 train the guns upon us: IN the mean time .
the brigade OF semen had stoTmct and taken the .
other two forts, with som. loss. Immediately after
this my company was sent out AGAIN 10 drive IN |
another party that was advancing, and to remain |
out and skirmsh, as our light infantry were pro- !
tectIns the atIi lery. h,d some beat iGu shoot
ing for about two or three hours. | got leave
from my captain TO take ten men, and 90 |
round a hill to surprise some fellows who wee
ming at US IN front: he kept up heavy firing i, |
them, IN order TO keep up their attention While got
upon them got round tie hill without beias seen,
and came upon them lying down keeping out OF the
way OF the shot IN Their iGOnt. INSANITY fired on
them, but our men were blown and so ANXIOUS that |
they missed them. They started to their feet fired
a few shots at u.s. which missed, and we then sho, .
them down deliberately. | go, SD close as to be .
able TO get shot with nay pistol, but IN ssed: We /
XII Killed ten or twelve OF them-rhe rest ran for H. !
That was the only close fight any one had tie luck
TO get that day, as they ne armed with large sort
OF matchbox on three legs, which carries three ii u
as tar as our muskeS, thst they keep out Of our
reach, and yet pepper AWAY AZ US. After that |
reloined the company, and then We had some hot |
work OF It. The buSler sounded the advance 10 US |
when 1t WIS intended that he should sound the re-
treat We were then in critical situation, Eein, !
unsupported, and only Fifty men in the coanpary |
tio~eVer we had nothing for II but to 90 ahead. !
We moved on as hard as we could, and had to cross
two or three fields, exposed to a heavy fire from the
city walls.
1--WE lost two men, and only saved ourselves by
the pace we went at. We had some sharp bang
ing, but could not drive them back they had cot
into village on our left flank, and were beginning
TO riddle u; we could not show n head above the |
hank but voliey came at II. My captain then
came to nc and said, We have nothing Gr it hut to
charge, and drive them from the village and send
Tor support, which We did, and drove them out IN
great style; Tor which we got great praise. An
oiher company then came to our assistance but we
were obliged TO retire little, which prevented our
having the honor OF getting first into the camn
which We otherwise should have been, as we had
stood the hrunt of the day til the regiment ndvnnc-
ell and StOrm,d the camp under a heavy fire from
the guns OF the city. We lost in about a hundred
yards of causewaY, leading from the village 10 tie
camp officers and 81 men; we immsdiatety set
hre to the tents and houses formed up close co unn
IN the centre, and completely destroyed l.. IL was
not the Generals intention TO have stoned il TIL
night, but we had gradually edged near IT, and at
4 n II n,
Joss that day was the most of any-three Of
hcers and twenty one men wounded, and three
men killed. the total loss Of our force, which was
only three thousand men, amounted to ninety Kill
ed and wounded. The Chinese own TO one thou
sand two hundred killed and wounded We then
returned to the fort we had taken, and remained
there for the night, within one hundred and fifty
yards of the city. We were under FIRE from FIVE
o'clock in the morning until seven o'clock at night;
they ceased firing from the city abnu, eight Next
Jay, The 26.h, we did nothing, as the ammunition
had not come up, except TO station men under cover
10 hre at every one who showed his head the city
walls, our fort completely overlooking the town. we
prepared the sealing ladders, and got every thing
ready for the attack. On the morning Of the 27lh,
n eight O'Clock, our guns being Tesdy 10 be ,ch,
and the rocket brigade TO burn, just we were go
ing to open our FIRE, they showed white flags
on al the walls opposite Sir Hugh Cough
himself advanced unarmed, with only one interpte-
ter and under the very city walls, which was
thing Of him 10 do, VIC have had plen-
" OF proof already that The ChInesc only respect
the q of truce when 1t suits them. They asked
for truce Cftwo days To the Penipo, which was
granted, much TO our disgust, were wound up
for the attack. The General not sorry TO grant
this delay, as all the ammunition WIS up, little
thinking what was to be the consequence.
THE morning Of the 29,h, the time being up, the
General walked down TO the batteries to give or
ders for the attack. Some small delay took place
IN altering the position Of ono Of the rocket tubes
v hen an officer came up with letter fOm the Pie
nlpo saying he had made terms with them, and |
ordering US to spare the city. The General stamp
ed the letter under his feet with rage. or course |
there was no remedy, as he is Pcnipo The terms |
were, that they would pay down six millions Of |
dollars II we would spare the town that the whole |
of tho Tuuar troops should lay down their arms |
and march 90 miles from the city, without the hon
ors NJ war, and that we should occupy the COM |
mnnding position we held, It'll the money was paid. |
These terms Elliot accepted, although the General
objected We remained IN the forts t the isl Of !
June, which was mighty pleasant, we had no !
she Ter, and the days were Tremendously hot and |
at night the rain came in torrents. / never chang
ed my things the whole time, except my shirt, n
luckily brought clean one but took III boots
or trousers fort days, lying the ground, yet /
better IN my lirj the excitement kept us
all right. The men sicky, now IL is oil over. II
was q hot weeks work FOR young soldiers. I can a
you the sensation OF being sholat is not pleasant
at first, though Il soon Of especially when
you are going ahead. My Company had the hot
test OF Il all day, we led the way, $50 much Tor
being a grenndier) We expect to get the six mil
lions, or OF least part, prize money, but nobody
can tell II VIC do, II will give me E2OO or G3O0-