Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1859-09-28
Great narrLE IN cnsxa!

The British and French DefeaIed..--tlne
Thousand British Killed.
We received by telegraph very brief and very
unsatisfactory account Of the late events in China.
The Louisville papers of Monday contain much
fuller account, which we suhjoin.
Admiral Hope arrived IF Pehio river on the 18th
of June and found the entrance barred. An attempt
was mads on the 25th to force passage, when sud
denly batteries supported by force Of 20 600 men,
were unmarked and Opeaed destructive fire. Al
ter severe action, the squadron compelled 10
withdraw with the loss Of the gun boats Corn oEaIt
Lee, and Pl6Yer. -Four hundred and sixty-four men
we're killed Seven officers were killed and seven
teen wounded. Among the latter was the Admiral.
The French had fourteen killed out of sky.
The penipotentarieS had returned to Shanghai
DETAILS or TIE BATTLE.-The China mail has
arrived, bringing complete accounts of the PehiO
affair." which resulted in the total defeat Of the Brit
ish forces with less than the loss of five gunbosts
and about third of the whole force engaged. The
mouth of the river was efsctusly barred by iron
stakes. This bar was raked by the FIRE Of the new
~ constructed forts the other side Of the river,
mounting 80 TO 100 guns. Admiral Hopes appear
anee in the frst instance was unmstakably pacific.
solitary man-of-war boat carried in his first mes
sage the Fury and two boats being left outside
the bar while the rest of the squadron was lying 80
miles eff. The Ambassadors; finding no proper Of
fcers to receive tAem decided the bar and
pass up the river Six or seven hour, however,
spent in vain eRdeavors to effect this and dur
ing that time not gun fired from the forts, all
though the gun-boats were at distance Of 500 to
700 yards only, and some Of them had got aground.
At I:30 p. NJ the signal for action was run up, and
the .OpOssum" and "Plover" pushed in close up to
the first barrier suddenly. About P. NJ. The guns
in the forts opened fire, and the socn became gen
eral The fire Of the Chinese, both in weight and
precision, was such never before experienced
at their hands. In about hours the fire Of the
Chinese began to slsckeD, and was soon afterward
almost silenced, although every shot Of theirs told,
while the Brilish guns did comparatively little dam
age to the mud walls.
At about P NJ. the signal was made for the
troops to land, and there we're then no doubts Of
speedy victory
Just as the first boat touched the shore, the forts
opened perfect hurricane Of shell-bslls and rock
cts, which moved dOwR the men as they landed.
The ships threw in heavy covering fire as they
possibly could The enemy shre continued so heavy,
and the mud on the landing being up to the knees,
and sometimes to the waist, that out Of one thou
sand men who landed, hardly one hundred reached
the first Of the three wide and deep bitches, which,
after some SOC yards OF Wading through the mud,
presented themselves. OF the gallant forces who
got through the mud difficulties, scarcely twenty
had been able TO keep their rifles or ammunition
dry. Nevertheless they boldly faced the bitches,
and had some fifty of them, including a crowd Of
cers, succeeded in getting faS as tie third
ditch, they would certainly have made good at
tempt TO scale the walls. But their ladders had
either been broken by shot OF had stuck Ia the mud.
With tae one however, which remained, Ten daring
men spraDg forward, three Of whom were immedi-
atsly shot dead and five wounded severely.
A vertical FIRE Of arrows as we'll ~ a constant
fusilade was kept upon the select band, who now
orOuched in the ditch, waiting but in vain for re-
Inducements.
Orders we're at last given TO retire, and while in
retreat the men we're shot down Ike birds. Many
of the boats were sWamped by The balls, and not
enough were left to carry of the survivors. Sew
eral, full Of wounded men were struck aud swamp
ed Russian features Distinctly visible among
the men manning the Chinese batteries.
The Americans 10 we'd up several vessels to the
scene of action, and afterwards took q number OF
men to their respective shiPs
The English and French Secretaries Of Legation
to China returned home in The mail steamer.
The news Of course created much sensation and
the violation of the treaty in such treacberOus
manner called forth loud demand for a terrible |
vengeance. The London Times says heucetoTth ne |
gotiaiions must be carried on at PekIn, where no
one cSn doubt Europeans will socn be as much at |
home aud as safe as At Paris. 1t concludes the |
article with the following uncomplimentary refec-
tions on the American Ambassador: The Ameri- |
can Ambassador, without force of arms is said to
peculiar claim TO this exceptional privilege, on &C
of the assistance he rendered to the Chinese
msndSrins to deprive Of the just fruits Of the |
late successful war Whether this some new |
claim of the same character rendered him more sd-
missi5e than those who had opened the way to him,
does not yet appear If The Americans can open |
China by peaceful methods, led them do it: but |
thus far they seem better able to help themselves
than do anything for the world al large"