Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1858-03-12
ImDortnnt from China,
po,,borlneoi of Canton-The City IN Possession Of
IJ.1Iisb and French

RoD,bnrEnenL of Cdnt0n-1h6 Guy ~ ToSSeSStOn U He
English and French
The c;tv of Canton was virtually in the possession of
the EnoIsh and French the 18th December. A note
tad the morning of the 28th, after the bombardment
had commenced, says
g THE arrangements for the bombardment are now
complete To give you some idea OF the nre wmcn mas
been Opened lust fancy 25 gun-boats, mounting IN all
hont 60 pns throwing shot and shell of the largest and
most deadly description together with six l3 inch NOR
tars weighing each about six TONS besides the broad
sides of the largest menowar the destruction must be
terrific After the city has been sufficiently fired into
the naval brigade with the troops, will advance on
Coughs Fort which place you are aware, commands
tho TOWN The naval force will be in three divisions,
all under the command OF Commander the Hon. c. G.
Elliott" an,
says:
4 The city of Canton was assaulted and taken by es
caade this morning by the naval and military forces OF
the allied powers with very tring loss as to the num-
bers but most serious in the loss OF Captain T. Bate
of her Maiestys ship ActaeOn, who was killed by jung
ball whilst reconnotering suitable position for our
scaling-ladders."
The French Admiral Writes:
Canton is at the mercy of the allied forces. The
north forts seem to have been abandoned The flags of
France and England have been hoised the vestory
Dagoda Our loss is small for attacking force.
am acting in concert with Admiral Seymour and Gen.
Straubenzee to make the results of the victory OBJ
tanned by the arms of England and of France. The fire
from the allied feet excellent, and contributed IN no
small degree to the success
The Canton correspondent of the Times writes that
Yehs reply to the demand of the penpOtentary before
the bombarment commenced was simply to to the effect
that Lord Egn had better settle the matter amcaby,
as Sir George Bonham did the former occasion, and
for which he (Sr GEORGE was made K. G. B., in
proof of which he (Yeh) begged to enclose a Hong
Kong newspaper containing an announcement of that
interesting fact AS for the Americans he knew very
little about them and scarcely of the existence
oP, Oh tho Mo
naatng the 29h the capture of the Fast Tor Lns)
Fort says
"O Our men were well under cover, and skirmshers
were pushed forward who with the deadly Enfield made
it dangerous for the gunners to appear in their large en-
brasureS They continued their fire. however, with great
pertnacity until the ninepOunder edpieces got
into position and battered and sheed the place (rom
the village side and across the ravne which separates
the village from the fOrt at close quarters. sOrming
party was now formed, but the Cinnamon had had
enough of it, and after firing general voey at the adj
Vancng column they abscOnded in some mysterious way
and were seen swarming up the hill towards Cough
Fort, and moment after two men appeared in the en-
brasures waving the English and French flags.
About an hour after the fort had been posses
sion it blue up with loud explosion The occupying
party and also the troops encamped the hillside
were put in notion assembled the HILL and descended
the other side. saw Captain Maclure's and Captain
OsbOrnes CONSPICUOUS by their white CATERS
their blue trousers gather little summit and dsap
pear in the valley beyond There lost sight of them
VOleys of musketry and flights of rockets continued in
that direction for several hours and there all the APP
pearance of obstinate fight, which lasted till shutdown
Then came the highland such a night! The ships
almost ceased from their firing, but the city became
like Shropshire iron countries at night-a pair
of fire. At first it appeared though the besleger
were bent upon reducing the place to ashes but little
by little, gained by change of position, some idef
of the scene as whole, the destruction not WthOu
PLAN There was great blaze at the northwest angle
of the city. The gate there is surmOunted by Chimes
guardhouse with the usual grotesque upward pointed
roof Shells and rockets poured in vOlleys upOr
this structure, and it soon became sheet OF flame
through which the roof the raters and the walls stood
out in dark outlines. BY constant showers of rockets
the fame led up and down the city WALL and in al
incredibly short time the long, thin line of fire shot hgl
into the heavens, and then subsidized into smouderns
smoke.
while this was still raging those vengeful rocket
described new paraboa. They came hurting throug
the moonlight along the line of the eastern wall. The
sought out three spots which have been marked thu
object of the triple assault of the English ant
French troops tomorrow. AS those dreadful
34-pOund rockets flew, flames arose. They seemed t
lead the fire about a tame clement precisely the
WiLed and strange to say it seemed to sprea
nwards to stray from the line of the city walls.
TUESDAY, Dec. 30 mark the change of days, bu
they are not divided by repOse. All night the city wa
grit by line of fame. The approach of morning wa
indicated by suspension of the rocket practice and
the reOpenng of the mortar battery with redoubed Ell
ergy. AS the day broke the flames sank down. and tn
sun upon perfectly smokeess city.
" 1t is now twenty minutes after ten In four hour
therefore, the hill denses of the city have been captured
Coughs Fort yet holds out, but this is questO
OF few hours or minutes more or less-the Magazir
hill 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