New-York daily tribune., 1859-09-27

Isapd where the British squadron will rendezvous to
recruit the sick and wounded. The Hesper arrived
Yesterday from the Gulf on the 9th. The Admiral in
the Chesapeake waiting until the disabled gun
boats ready TO accompany him to the rendezvous
The Highfyer was to leave the Sth for Shanghai,
under sail, where she will take her station again as
guardship. The Cruiser and two gunboa.s wll remain
in the Gulf. The American Minister was holding COM
mupicstOn with the Chinese officials at more northern
entrance TO the Peho. 1t is expected he will proceed
toPekip."
Secretaries Of the British and French Legations, pro-
ceeded by this mail with dispatches for their respective
Governments. 49,
This deplorabe affair may be productive OF the most
serious copsequepces and the prestige Of foreign ma
tiops has received blow the effect of which it will be
difficult 10 eradicate. There is force in China sufi.
rienf to cope with the emergency, aud it must be
nearly year at least before anything decisive can be
attempted. Mr.. Bruce, We understand, awaits fresh
instructions and reenforcements; meanwhile the news
of our defeat will be heard throughout all China We
sincerely trust that the British Government will not
look lightly on this matter for every effort must be
nsed IL would regain former position, or retain
that which is left 10 us.
We believe the feet is TO be distributed among the
various ports TO protect, necessary, the reeide nts
there a. il IL impossible to oresee the turn events may
now take The general impression, however, seems
to be- that the great value OF trade to the Imperial
Treasury will prevent the existing commercial relations
being interfered with II seems clear however that
the Emperor intended to ratify the treaty and
that his assent given as means OF getting rid Of
Lord Egins expedlti IN, and gaining time for the re-
sistance now so successfully made.
All remained quiet at ShaDghae up to the 18th inst,
and little apprehension felt. The had not
reached Fo0chow the 18th, which is our latest date
from thence.
At Canton matters remain as bsfore.
From Cochin China we learn negotiations still
pending.
The lsmentable intelligence we have 10 convey by
this mail is a difficulty with the Chinese author-
ties which led to an attack the 25th Of June from
and upon the Taku Forts, at the mouth OF the Peiho
resulting in the total defeat Of the British force, with
the loss of less than five gunboas and between four
hundred and five hundred men, and about one-thrd OF
our force employed.
The following letter contains graphic aud moving
description Of the engagement at Taku, and OF the
heroic valor displayed by our officers and men; 90
OFF THE PglHO, June %.
feel scarcely equal to the painful task of attempting
10 describe occurrences which altogether incom
petent to depict in sufficiently striking and vivid coors
and yet the vivid well correct representation
of which, feel, depends the honor of all the brave men
with whom / am servDg-nay more, of Old England 8
stainless flag itself.
AsI did not keep Journal Of the previous days pro-
ceedngs shall confne myself TO those Of the i'll starred
18th.
At daylight on the morning of that day the gun
boats weighed and proceeded to make last attempt
to remove the barriers that the Chinese had placed
the entrance of the river, and were evidently
determined not to remove of their own accord.
These, however being composed OF strong iron bars
and chains successfully resisted all The efforts made
for their removal up to II o'clock, when the order
was given that the men shoud have their dinners,
after which it was generally understood we should
open fire the FORTS Strange to say, during the Six
or eight hours in which these preliminary measures
being effected neither was single gun fired from
the forts, there symptom evlden, that their
occupants were prepared to defend them. Every en-
brasure was screened with mating, and not a head
visible over the rampsrts and this, although the
Yunboas all only from 500 to 700 yards distant
and were all at skies and seveps from some getting
aground while others had TO haul them oil, ana the
space in which they had to being too confined to
allow of their maneuvering.
O'Clock the signal was run up 10 prepare for action
and the Opossum Lieut. Commander BafourI with
Capt Willes, X. N, and the Plover with our brave
old Admiral, pushed in close up TO the first barrier
No sooner did they arrive there, than suddenly and as
If by magic the that screened the guns in all the
curtain batteries were uced up and the ~hoe oi tne
guns opened fire. Our vessels being Gil well prepared,
however, the fire was Immediately returned, and the
action became general.
II at evident, though, that we na1 no ordi'
nary Chinese artillery to contend against then nre'
both In weight and precision was such as Few men,
and feel certain Chinese campaigners ever before
experienced. In very few minutes the Opossum had
several of her crew killed or wounded. IN Cne
the Admiral was severely hit her gallant Commander,
Rason, and Capt Mckenns, OF the lst Royals ldolng
duty on the Admirals staff, were KILLED, ana auios1
every man of the crew disabled; while the Haughty,
Uieut. Commander Broad, Lee Lieut. -Comnander
Jonesl Keetrel Lieut. Commander Bevan) and Cor
morant, Commander Wodehousel, were 80 severely
crippled that they in sinking state. Inc Lee,
indeed would have gone down at once put lor Lieut.;
Brosd in the Haughty dsshing in to her rescue, and
towing her out under heavy fire. Nevertheless, the
bombsrdment was kept up with una6sted vlgor, ana
in about two hours the eDemys hre began sensloy 10
rlacken and, although they had got our range 80
exactly that almost every shot told while ours though
admirably directed, did comparatively little damage to
their mud walls, shortly after o'clock became al
most silenced
AT about S o'clock, the anxously expected signal
was accordingly made for the troops to land and as
sault, which was brskly answered by them; every
boat containing them striving TO be the trst 10 reacn
the Shore Not soul in the squadron at that moment,
/ believe, doubted our obtsiniug speedy victory.
just the first boat touched the Shore however, oang
went gun again from the FORTS Immediately folio wed
by perfect hurricane Of shot, shell, gingaus, ana
rockets from all the southern batteries, which moved
down our men by tens they landed. Nevertheless,
out of the boats they all lesped with undlmnlshea
ador many into water so deep that they had TO swim
TO the shore and dashed for ward through the mud,
while the ships threw in as heavy covering hre as
they possibly could
The eueny's fire, however, continued to be so
deadly, and the mud proved so deep I'm most places
reaching up TO the mems knees, at leas.otten up 10
their waistsl that out of the 600 men who landed
barely lC0 reached the first OF the three deep ana Wae
bitches which, after some 800 yards OF wading thro9gh
the mud presented themselves before the gallant lew
Who 60: so far and out of that small number scarcely
twenty had been able to keep their niles or their am
murition dry Nevertheless, they boldly faced those
new difficulties and some fifty of them, with cro"a
Of officers among whom were conspicuous the COM
msndng officer of the French contingent, Commanders
Commerell and Heath X. ~, Major Parke, and Lieut.
Hswkey of the Marines, Major Fisher, ana Lieut..
Maitland Of the Engineers succeeded in getting as Tar
tie furthest bank Of the third ditch, from whch
they would certainly have made gooa sttehp. 10 10
scale the walls had ladders been forthcoming but out
of the number that landed, all but one had eher
been broken by shot, OF had s,uck in the mud. WIN
the remaining one however zen oeyo.eJ ,n1n
prnA al