Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1853-05-20
From the Hong Kong Overland Mail of March il
THE REBELLION IN CHINA.

LIE hEbELLlON In CHINA.
Our chief information about the rebellion since
last Mail, is comprised in the following imperial
edict of late date
To-day (29th january a memorial was re-
ceived from Commissioner Sill. stating that the
rebels had captured the provincial city Wu.chane
1.-THE capital of Ho-pih province.) We cannot
express our Indignation. Heang -yung, the gene
rail- fought with the rebels on the eastward of the
city, and was victorious but on the westward of
the city is level with the lake, and the Wang
chang and other gates are near the mighty river
(Yang tsz kiang.) The rebes took advantage of
this and dug mine, and on the 4th day of this
moon 18th january some under ground expo-
sion took place; and thus the garrison was scat
tered and the provincial city of Wu-chang was
taken by the rebels.
According to a former memorial of Sii. it
was stated that WI chang was able to withstand
a siege; and only a few days afterwards he has
to report that WI chang has been taken by re-
bells. Does he not know that in military affairs
there is difference between matters that may be
postponed and those which demand instant ac-
ton? His memorial is as the thoughts of
man in a dream. Between Chang-sha and Hoo
pin, Sill tarried on his way. Hiang-yung, who
is the commander>in-chief, though he arrived in
time to obtain victory, yet he could not at the
same time attack the strong position of the rebels,
business, and there is no excuse for either of
them. This is the time to extirpate the rebels,
and If the Commissioner Sill and: General Hang
yung were heavily punished it would only de-
liver them out of their difficulties; therefore the
Governor Generalship oil the Two Kwang and tn 70
honor Of the doubled eyed peacock feather are
to be taken away from Sill, but he is to retain the
title of High Commissioner and of acting Co.
vernon General of Hoo Kwang General Hong
To- I'D h-,rI h.: :.
Torrance of his duties until his future merits
are manifested.
1.-The principal city Wu-changis the residence
of the governor and other high officers, how sud-
denly was it taken by the rebels. and how great
is our sympathy for the distress it endures. We
repeat that we did not employ the right persons,
and that our people have not been delivered from
this wicked horde. The trouble of the south
gives US no rest by night, and deprives of ap-
petite. We have already appointed Lu KEN
ying governor general Of the Two Kiang) and
Keshen to be high commissioner, each to lead
strong army for the extirpation of the rebels;
aud also commanded Shuhigah, the governor
general of Shen-si and Ken-sul, and Yu sui, the
general of Sc chuen, to proceed to Ho piah and
Human and extirpate the rebels with their united
forces. We rely their acting with one
heart, and allowing no territory to be destroyed
by the rebels and restore peace to the country.
Let them not be slow in what they do, so as not
to bring Themselves into trouble.
"As to the officers OF the principal city of W.
chang, we direct Sill to present true account of
them. Obey this.
The loss Of life at Wu-chang-fu is said to have
been very great and the captors were especially
bent on demoshing official residences. Tenn
Piles with their idols are also said to have been
generally destroyed, from which circumstance it
may be inferred that the rebels may have been
led by Siutsiuen, about whom and his religion
some particulars were given in our overland of
August last. But large sea port city SO crowd.
ed as Wu-chang is described to be,* ladrones and
the government troops may have destroyed more
life and property than the enemy.
The people of Canton are full of the tdings re-
speeding the family and property of Governor
General Yeh, whose relatives were the special
objects OF the ire OF the insurgents at Wu-chang-
fu, in revenge for the indguties offered to Of
| their Canton leaders, Fung Yun-shan, whose
family tomb was desecrated and erased by Yeh
about two years and halt ago. Yeh's father is
at present in Canton, but his house has been
ruined and his family killed or scattered. The
governor general it is said, wishes to vacate
his office and head body of volunteers to des-
troy the perpetrators of the outrage, and this
show of bravado, we are told, rather amuses the
Cantonese. Yeh is now in Kau -chau-fu, and it
is uncertain when he is to return.
1t is rumored that the victors Intend to con-
| tinue northward by the safest route into Ho-nan
| rather than proceed down the Yang tsz .kiang
and, leaving their conquests to the government,
press onward to Chih-, (the province in which
Picking is situated)
Williams Middle Kindom, vol l, p. la1.