The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-03-10
rhs Bombardnasnt OF Canton.

Ihs news by tho Europa, published yesterday
| aHnonnced the fact that Canton.,was virtually IL
ths possession Of the allied forces The following
incidsnss Of the bombardment sre interesting:
The Canton correspondent of the Times writes
that Yeh's reply TO the demand OF the plenipoten
tiafy before ths bonhardment commenced, was
simply 10 the effect that Lord Elgin had better
settle the matter amicably, ~ Sir George Bonhsm
did on n former occasion, and for which he fsir
George was made X. G. B.. In proof OF which be
(yeh) begged to enciose Hong Kong newspaper
containing an announcement Of that interesting
fsct. As for the Americans, be knew very little
aboat them, and scarcely was aware Of the exist.
epce even Of such nation as the French. The
same writer, narrafiDg on the 2gfh the capture of
the East (or Ln,s) Fort, says:
"Our men were well under cover, and skirmish-
ers were pushed forward, who, with the deadly
Enfield, made II dangerous for the gunners to APP
pear IN their large eaibrasures. They continued
their fire, however, with great pertiDacity. until
the nine FOUNDER field pieces were got INFO posi-
tion, aud battered and sheiled the place {rom the
village side and across the ravine which separates
the village from the fort}at close quarters. A
storming party WAS now formed, but the China
men had had enough of 1t, and after firing a gen.
eral votley at the advancing column, they alb
seconded In some mysterious way, and were seen
swarming up the hill towards Gongh Fort, and
moment afhsr two men appeared in the embra-
sures waiy the English and French flags.
"About al hour after the fort bad been in our
possession il blew mp with loud explosion. The
occupying party, and also the troops eneamped on
the hillside, were put in motion, ascended the
bill, aud descended on the other side. / saw Cap
tain Maclure's aud Captain 0sborne's men, con
spicuous by their white CATERS over the blue
trousers, gather on little summit and disappear
In the valley beyond There We lost sight of them.
foileys OF niusketry and flights of rockets con-
tiuued in thar direction for several hours. and
there was all the appearance OF an obstinate fight
which lasted till sundown.
"Then came the highland such night The
ships almost ceased from their firing but the city
soon became like our own Shropshire iron coun-
tries at night-a plain Of fire. At first it appeared
as though the besiegers were bent upon reducing
the place to ashes; but little by little gained
by change OF position, some idea of the scene as
q whole, the destruction was not without plan
There was great blaze at the northwest angle of
the city. The gate there is surmonnted by Chi.
nese guard house, with the usual grotesque up-
ward pointed roof Shells and rockets were peur-
ed in veleys upon this structure, and ii soon be-
came sheet of fame, through which the roof the
rafters and walls stood out in dark outline. Ry
constant showers of rockets the flame WAS led MP
aud down the city wall, and in an incredibly short
time the long, thin line Of fire shot high into the
heavens, and then subsiied into smouldering
smoke.
while this was still raginG those vengeful
rockets described q new parabola. They came
huring through the moonlight along the line
Of the eastern wall They sought out three spots
which have been marked the object of the
triple assault Of the English and French troops
tomorrow. As those dreadful "a pound rockets
few, flames arose. They seemed to lead the fire
about as a tame elephant precisely rs they wiled:
and strange TO say, it never seemed to spread in-
wards or TO stray from the lines of the city walls
''ruEsDAY, Dec. 3d. mark the change of days,
bnt they are not divided bv repose. All night the
city was girt by line of flame. The approach OF
morning was indicated by a suspension of the
rocket practice, aud by the reopening of the NOR
tar battery with redoubled energy. As the day
hroke the flames sank down, and the sun rose
upon perfectly smokeless city.
1T is now twenty minutes after ten. In four
hours therefore, the hill defenses of the city have
been captured. Coughs Fort yet holds ont, bu;
this is mere question of a few hours or minutes
more or less-the Magazine bill commands it. and
it is within point blank range. The whole Of
the operation have been conducted with view
to occasion the smallest possible sacrifice OF
lifa