The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-03-09

Immediately tins moving took place some ma ting
Mhicn covered square building on the top of the
round stone fort was removed. and three guns from
the lower embrasures and volley from iingalls
the top soon told that the place was occupied. Our
men were well under cover. and skirmishers
pushed forward, who, with the deadly Enfield made
IL dangerous for the gunners to appear in their large
embrasures They continued their fire however with
great pertinacity until the ninepounder field pieces
were got into position and battered and shelled the
place (from the village side and the ravine
which separates the village from the fort at close
quarters.
storming party was now formed, but the Chi
namen had had enough of it, and after firing gen.
era volley at the advancing column they absconded
In some mysterious way, and were seen swarming
up the hill towards Cough Fort moment after,
and two men appeared in the embrasures waving the
English and French flags.
My view of the operations was from the river side
of the fort. What happened afterwards saw less
distinctly. About an hour after the fort had been
in our possession it blew up with loud ex-
plosion. The occupying party, and also the
troop encamped on the hill side, were put
in motion, assembled the hill, and descended on the
other side saw Captain Maclure's and Captain
Osborne,s men, conspicuous by their white CATERS
over their blue trousers, gather on little summit
and disappear into the valley beyond. There we
lost sight of them. Volleys of musketry and flights
of rockets continued in that direction for several
hours, and there was all the appearance of an OBJ
stinate fight, which lasted till sundown: but wheth
this occasioned by the discovery of some un-
known fort commanding the east fort and render
ing it necessary to blow up the latter, or whether
some body of Chinese troops had come out into the
open, we shall not know until we can draw out the
separate threads this widely-spread ENHANCEMENT
Then came the highland such night The
ships almost ceased ION their firing, but the city
soon became like our own Shropshire iron counties
at night-a plain of fire. At first it appeared as
though the besegers were bent upon reducing the
place to ashes; but little by little, as gained by
change OF position, some idea of the a whole
the destruction was not without plan. There was
a great blaze at the northwest angle of the city.
The gate there is surmounted by Chinese guard
house, with the usual grotesque upward pointed
roof Shells and rockets were poured in yOleys
upon this structure, and it soon became sheet OF
flame through which the roof, the rafters, and the
walls stood out in dark outline. By constant show
ers OF rockets the flame was led up and down the
city wall, and in an incredibly short time the long
thin line OF fire shot high into the heavens, add ther
subsidized into smouldering smoke.
While this was still raging those vengeful rocket:
described paraboa. They came hustlinp
through the moonlight along the line of the east
ern wall. They sought out the three spots which
have been marked the objects of the triple as
saut of the English and French troops Tomorrow.
As those dreadful "a pound rockets flew, flames
arose They seemed to lead the fire about as TYNE
element, precisely as they vailed and, strange to
say it never seemed to spread inwards or to stray
from the lines of the city walls. | expect that
When at some more convenient season, | come to
lions we have been watching tonight with an awe
stricken pity, have destroyed only that line of old
houses which leant against the inner side of the
wall. and afforded cover to those jngalIs, whence
all our great losses in affairs with the Chinese have
arisen. | may be wrong, for | pledge myself to
nothing that write in this confusion of showerieg
rockets and crashing roofs. If am wrong | can
correct my impressions hereafter.
TUESDAY, Dec. SOL mark the change of DAYS
but they not divided by repose All night the
city was girt by line of fame The approach OF
morning was indicated by suspension of the rookie
practice, and by the re-opening of the mortar bat
terry with redoubled energy. As the dav broke the
flames sank down, and the sun rose upon perfectly
smokeess CITY, 1t Is necessary to describe the con
formation of Chinese city more accurately than
now have time to do, to account for the rapidity
with which the wall-side houses persisted. For DO.
lice purposes every city is divided into walled de-
Partments OF some nifty yards square, with gates
that can be closed. The houses that lean upon the
inner walls ARE, in most cities that have SEEM di-
vided from the rest by mound or ditch; they are
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES made by squatters-wood
and thatch, that blaze and vanish.
The charges of powder must have increased in
the mortar batteries for the shells now flew high up
TO the hill forts. One of them at daybreak burst
upon an embrasure of Fort Cough, and another
went right over it. The ships that had been emf
lading the eastern wall now ceased firing. 1t was
the moment for the assault. In the neghborhood
of the east fort the three divisions formed and the
rush was made. For two hours nothing is visible
but smoke, nothing is heard but the rattle of musk
etry and loud cheering.
What deeds are done among this broken ground
among these trees and brushwOod-on the tops and
IN the inecstcys of these grave-covered hillocks-
how fare these forces spread over more than mile
OF attack, what divisions first, who fall and who
survive must tell hereafter At eight o'clock the
wall gained, and see the blue Jackets ENGLISH
and French racing along it northwards. Coughs
fort gives out its fire. let hope without effect,
but, well-served, its guns might sweep the wall
There is a check and silence for half an hour.
recognize the blue trousers of one of the dys-
ions of naval brigade. The leaders are probably
teaching them how to take the five-storied pagoda
npon the northwestern wall. Along the city wall
and protected by its battlements. they pass think
unscathed, the fire from Cough Fort away to their
right and come in front ola cleaning white bat
terry, newly built and full of guns erected upon a
ledge of the rock upon which the wall and the five
storied pagoda here stand.
If the assailants would only go to proper dis
lance, how these guns would riddle them. But with
4 rush and cheer detachment strikes from the
cover of the wall, which the guns do not com
mand, and houses itself safely at the foot of the
very rock which bears the battery. Not shot can
1t fire. The ritiemen from the walls now plv this
halfmoon for some minutes. and in quarter of an
hour the detachment at the foot of the rock has
gone around and taken the position from behind.
Relieved from these guns, which might have
swept them down by hundreds, our men in serried
masses are now swarming along the WALL The
Ia,
according to our notion of pagoda, than it is a
bum-boat, but an old square red building divided
into storiesl is carried by the bayonet, and the
French and English coors are hoisted simultaneous
~. Now Coughs Fort opens out sulkily upon its
late ally; but the ASSISTANTS, not waiting to repiy
hurry along the intervening wall westward. | can
fellow them for some time from my position and |
hear them cheering, when lose them in the hol-
low. few minutes of sharp flsillade, and..blue-
jackets emerge from the trees and buildings upon
Magazine-hill. moment after and up 90 the
two bits of bunting which tell that this kew of Can
ton is our own.
1t is now twenty minutes after ten. In four hours
therefore, the hill defences of this city have been
captured. Coughs Fort yet holds out but this is
mere question of few hours minutes more or less
the Magazine-hi commands it, and it is within point
blank range. The whole of the operations have
been conducted with view to occasion the smallest
possible sacrifice of life, and especially of the lives
Of our own men and of our allies We NAV hone
therefore, that the victory will be cheap one.
purposely refrain from repeating any of the ru-
mors that are flying about as to deaths and wounds
but may state it as within my own knowledge,
that Captain Bate was killed while experimenting
the placing of the scaling ladders. Captain Hack
EFT was also killed, and Lord Clifford is wounded in
the arm. How MANY others are lost it is impossi-
BILE to say. The Cinnamon still shooting at our
men from the tops of the houses and if this goes ON
fear it will be necessary to treat the CITY less ten
derby than hitherto. While the Algerine gun boat.
Lieutenant Forbes, is with steam up taking the sup
elemental dispatches on board, 2 5, P. NJ. Coughs
Fort is assaulted and taken.
FRANCE.
PARIS, Feb. 1.-THE marshals appointed to the
great military commands took the oaths to the En-
peror after mass to-day u their new quality. They
will enter upon their duties in their respectiye
districts in April 1t is said to have been decided
that henceforth no public funcionarv, or indiyidu
al holding Government employment shall either
write in newspapers or publish book, except with
the permission of his official superior Another
week has passed over without producing any favor
able change in the general trade of France
The Duke de Montebello has been appointe am
oassador of France at st. Petersburg.
The correspondent of the Times says:-Marshal
Pelssier is expected in few days to be appointed
Governor of Paris, a post which existed under the
irst Emperor. The Minister of War seems to be
brown into the shade by all these changes. NJ
lie Persigny arrived here from London on Saturday
hight. He will have an opportunity to explain the
'ad effect produced in England by NJ de Morny's
address and those of some of the regiments
The Constitutional defers expressing its opinion on
he merits OF this measure until it has passed its
econd reading; but it declares that if the bill does
strike at the root of the evil which obt 70 ba