Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1843-01-06
War ira China.
OPERATIONS BEFORE NANKIN.
British Cantonmeut before Nankin,

British Cantonmeut before Nankin, I
August 81, 1912.
My Lord-It has pleased Almighty God
to crown her Majestys arms with complete
success, and compel the Emperor of China
to recognize the claims of Great Britain,
and, by accredited commissioners, to enter
into a treaty of peace, dictated by the long
lightly-esteemed foreigner, whose power is
henceforth acknowledged,
The display of our military and naval
force in the heart of the country, the inter
ruption of all commercial intercourse by the
Imperial canal, the fall within few hours
after our landing of Chim-keang-foo, one of
the strongest, and from its position, one of
the most important cities in China; and the
investment by a victorious force of the an
cient capital Of this vast empire have, under
Divine Providence, been the happy means
of ehecting this great change in the Tartar
councils, and are, | have no doubt, destined
to produce results of no less Importance to
| the civilized world than to our own country.
3 The movement up to the Hangtze-
keang, suggested by the British government,
strenuously advocated by the Governor Gen
eral of India, and which was fortunately un-
dertaken by Sir William Parker and myself,
previous to the receipt of my instructions,
has thus led to an earlier adjustment of the
! difficulties between England and China than
could probably have been effected by any
other line Of operation.
3. / will not enter into much detail of our
movements, since my last despatch Of the
Goth ultmo.
On the Doth embarked the force intend.
ed to act against Nankin, leaving Major
General Schoedde with her Majesty's 55th
and one company Of the 0Sth, the I'd aud OH
regiments Madras Native Infantry, and d
proportion of artillery and sappers to occupy
4 Chin-keang-ioo, or rather the heights com.
handing it, and the mouth of the imperial
canal. The city had become unnhabitablt
from the number of dead bodies in the house:
that were occupied by the Tartar troop:
near the several gates, and in the whole o
the Tartar town. From the deconposeC
and scattered state of these bodies, it woulC
have been inpracticabIe to bury them with
out much risk to the health OF the troop.
employed and without breaking into numcr
Gus houses, which might have led to conse
quences scarcely less Objectionable. | re
greet to say, that Notwithstanding every pre-
caution, have lost several officers and neI
by cholera,
4. From the prevalence of contrary wind
the fleet could not stem the current of the
Yaugtz-keang until the morning of the All
instant, when the transports, with Lord Sal
toun's brigade, were enabled to proceed
The Honorable Company's sieam-irigat'
Queen, having her Maiesty's Plenipotentarl
on board, towed up the Marion head-quarte
ship, and on the 9th we anchored off Nan
kin; the CORVALLIS having effected the pas
sage on the preceding day. The whole o
the ships did not reach the anchorage OF
this city until the 9Th instant
g. Previous to our leaving Chin-keang
foo, anxious to avert the calamities conse
qucnt upon an assault, and repetition o
; the scenes of Tartar selEdestruction, ant
universal plumber by Chinese rabble
which we had witnessed with so much hor
ror at that city, the admiral and myself hat
forwarded by the secretary of the Tarta
general, who fell there, summons to New
Klein, viceroy of the two Keang provinces
Had the terms been accepted the fleet an,
army would have been disposable for tn
n immediate prosecution of active operations
the army against Soochoo and Hangehow
while portion of the fleet might have pro
ceeded to blockade the Peiho, and stop tn
trade in the Gulf of Pe-che-le.
i 6. Finding it unlikely that we should gain
our object, unless some strong demonstra
ton were made, and having carefully recon