Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1858-03-13

were posted In the broken ground to the
left, while some Of the Naval Brigade and
Marines, who had nov formed upon a bill
side, were advanced into the village on the
right Of that Fort Immediately after tins
movement took place. some mating wmch
covered square building on the top OF tue
round stone fort, was removed, and three
gun. from the lower embrsures and u volley
Of jingalls on the top soon told that the
place was occupied. Our men were well
under cover and skirmishers were pushed
forward. who with deadly Enfield made
il dangerous for the gunners TO appear in
their large embrasures. They continued
their fire, however, With great pc. tinacity
until the nine FOUNDER field pieces were got
into position and battered and shelled the
place from the village sid and across the
ravine which separates the village from the
fort) At close quarters. A storrning party
was now formed, but the Cinnamon had
enough Of it, and after firing a general VOL
ley at t adysr cling column, they abscon-
ded in some mysterious way and were seen
swarming up the hill towards the Cough
Fort; amoment after AID two men appeared
in the embrasures waving the English and
French flags
Ny view Of this operation was from the
river side Of the fort. What happened af-
terwards saw less distinctly. About an
hour after the fort had been in our posses
sion, 1t blew up with loud explosion. The
occupying party, and also the troops en-
camped on the hill side, where put in mo-
ton, assembled the hill, and descended on
the other side saw Capt Maclure's and
Capt. Oosborne's men. conspicuous by their
white CATERS over their blue trousers, gath
er on a little summit and disappear into the
valley beyond. There we lost sight OF
them. Volleys of musketry and fights of
rockets continued in that direction for sew.
eral hours, and there was all the appear
ance of an obstinate fight, which lasted till
shutdown; but whether this was occasioned
by the discovery of some unknown fort CON-
manding the east fort, and rendering it &C.
essary 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 of this
widely spread ENHANCEMENT
Then came the highland such night I,
The ships almost ceased from their firing,
but the city soon became like our own
Shropshire iron countries at night-a plain
Of fire. At first it appeared as though the
besiege-s were bent upon reducing the
place to ashes; but little by little. as gain.
ed by chance of ostion some idea Of the
scene as a whole, the obstruction was not
without plan. There was great blaze
at the north west angle CT the city. The
gate there is surmounted by Chinese guard
house, with the usual grotesque upward
pointed roof Shells and rockets were
poured in vollleys upon this structure, ard
il soon became sheet Of flame, through
which the roof, the rafters and the walls
stood out in dark outline. By constant
showers Of rockets the fine was led up and
down the city wall. and in an incredible
short time the long, thin line of fire shot
high into the heavens, and then subsidized
into a smouldering smoke.
While this was still raging those venge-
full rockets described a new parabola. They
come hurting through the moonlight along
the line of the eastern wall. They sought
out the three spots which have been marked
as the o. jects of the triple assaut of the
English and French troops Tomorrow. AS
those dreadful Ia pound rockets flew,
about as tame element precisely as they
willeid and. and strange to say, it never
seemed to spread inwards or to stray from
the line of the city walIs. l expect that
when, at some uOre COW enient season, l
come to see the interior, shall find that
all the conilagrations We have been watch
ing to night with an awe-strcken pity have
destroyed only that line OF old houses which
leant against the inner side of the wall and
afforded cover to those jingalls whence all
our great losses in affairs with China have
arisen. | may be rong, for pledge my
self to nothing that write in his CONFUSION
of -howering rockets and crashing roofs-if
am wrong can correct my impressions
hereafter.
HE ASSAULT AND THE VICTORY.
TUESDAY. Dec 20, 1857.
| marked the change Of days, but they
are not deyided by repose. All night the
city was GRIT by line of flame. The ap-
proacn OF morning was indicated by sus-
pension OF the rocket practice, and the re-
opening of the mortar battery with re-
donhled energy. IS the day broke the
flames sank down and the sun rose upon a
perfectly smokeles- city. 1t is necessary o
describe the conformation of a Chin. Sc ci.y
more accurately than now have time to do
to account for the rapidlty with which the
wallside houses persisted For police lur-
poses every city is devided into walled de-
par'ments OF slime 30 yards square, with
gates that can be closed The houses that
lean upon the inner walls are, in most
.ities | have seen, devided from the
rest by mound or ditch; they are en-
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES made by squatters-
Wood and 'hatch that blaze and vanish
The charges Of powder must have been
in the mortar batters, for the
shells now flew high up to the hill forts
One OF them at day break burst upon an
Of Fort Goug, ard another went
right over it. The ships that had been en-
hlading the east, rn wall ceased firing
II was the moment for the as ault. In the
of the east for the three di-
visions formed and the rush was made
For two hours nothing is visible but smoke
nothing Is heard but the rattle OF mske
try and loud cheering. What deeds are
done among this broken gro nd among
these trees and hrushwood-- on the tops
and interstices of the >egrave covered hill
ocks-how fares these forces, spread over
more than mile OF attack, what divisions
are first. who fall and who survive. must
tell hereafter. AZ eight o'clock the wall
is gained and | see the blue jackets, English
and French racing along it northwar1s.-
Coughs Fort gives out it, fire. let US hope
without effect. but well-served, its guns
might sweep the wall There is check
and silence for half an hour can reco.-
uze the blue trousers of one Of the divisions
of our naval brigade The leaders are pro.
baby aching them how to take that five
stored pagoda upon the northwestern wall
Along the city wall, and protected by its
battlements, they pass, think. unscathed
the fire from Cough Fort away to the right
and come in front of cleaning white bat.
terry, newly built, and full of guns erected
upon ledge Of the rock upon which the
wall AMI the five stored pagoda here stand
If the assailants would only 90 to prorer
III Ia % hon, 4L.a,x, 1.....,