The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1859-10-08
WAR In CHINA!
A SEVERE BATTLE-BRTTISH FORCES
DISASTROUSLY DEFEATED.

III al Va u iAi'S y~
Kong, bringing us nearly two months later advices.
We have received papers to the 9th OF August. The
news is of greater than usual importance. The
British naval force at the mouth of the Pei-ho made
an attack upon the Chinese on the 18th of June, and
were disasterously defeated with terrible loss of life.
The feet consisted of II vessels, mo4Lting % guns
and manned by about 200 men.
There were 7 officers killed, and % wounded.
This affair seems to have grown out of a misunder-
standing of the preliminaries to the exchange of trea-
ties between the allied ministers and the Chinese au-
thorities, consequent on which an attempt was made
by Admiral Hope to force the passage of the Pei-ho.
The North China Herald says THAI the total loss is
as follows British, total killed and wounded, AGA !;
French, 4 killed and 10 wounded, (including Capt.
Tricault of the ChayIa, wounded in the arm) The
following is the loss of the Marine Brigade Killed
i officer, 2 sergeants, l corporal and "a rank and
file ; total % wounded-15 officers, IL sergeants.
2 buglars, 8 %corporals and 104 rank and file total.
142. Total, killed and wounded of the Marine Brig
ade, 10.
The ENGAGEMENT, DESCRIBED BY AN EYEWITNESS.
A correspondent of the China Mail, himself having
participated in the battle, gives Il vivid description OF
the same. The British g~unboats, commenced weigh
ing anchors at daylight on the 18th of June, and at
once proceeded to remove the barriers which the Chi
nese had placed across the entrance of the river.
These were composed of strong iron bars and chains,
and resisted all attempts for their removal, up to II
O'Clock. when the order was given that the men
should have their dinners, after which, ii was gener-
ally understood, that we should open fire on the forts.
Strange to say, during the six or eight hours, during
which these preliminary measures were being effect
ed, neither was a single gun fired from the forts, nor
was there a symptom evident that their occupants
were prepared to defend them. Every embrasure
was screened with mating, and not a head was WISH
BILE over the ramparts and this although the gum
boats were all only from 800 to 700 yards distant, and
were all SKIES and sevens, from SOM getting aground,
while others had to haul them off, and the space in
which they had to move being too confined to allow of
their man9uvering.
Dinner having been finished, about half-past one
O'Clock the signal was run up to prepare for action,
and the Opposom (Lieut. Commander Balfour) with
Capt. Willes, r. ", and the Power, with cur 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 mats that screened the guns in all
the curtain batteries were tricel up, and the whole
of the guns opened FIRE Our vessels being all well
prepared, however, the fire was immediately return
ed, and the action became general.
1t was at once evident, though, that we had no or
binary Chinese artillery TO contend against. Their
fire, both in weight and precision, was such as few
men, and, l feel certain, no Chinese campaigners,
ever before experienced. In a very few minutes the
Opossum had several of her officers killed. In the
Plover the Admiral was severely hit her gallant
Commander, Rason, and Capt. Mckenna of the LIST
Royals doing duty on the Admiral's staff,) were
killed, and almost every man of the crew disabled.
While the gunboats Naughty (Lieut.- Com. Broad1,
Lee r,,Jones), Lestrel (Lieut.-Com-
mander Bevan), and Cormorant Commander Wode-
house), were SO severely crippled, that they were in
a sinking state. The Lee indeed would have gone
at once, but for Lieut.. Broad in the Haughty dash
ing into her rescue, and towing her out, under a hea-
Wy lire. Nevertheless, the bombardment was kept
up with undated yiger, and in about two hours, the
enemy's fire began sensibly to slacken, and (although
they had got cur range SO exactly that almost every
shot told, while ours, though admirably directed, did
comparatively little damage to their mud walls1,
shortly after four o'clsek it became almost silenced.
AT about i've O'Clock, the anxiously expected
signal was made for the troops to land and as
saulr, which was briskly answered by them: ev-
cry boat containing them striving to be the first
TO reach the shore. Not a soul in the squadron
at that moment, l believe, doubted our obtain
ing a speedy victory. just as the first boat
touched the shore, however. bang went a gun
again from the forts, Immediately followed by a
perfect hurricane of shot, shell, gingall balls. and
rockets from all the southern batteries, which
moved down our men by tens as soon as they
landed. Nevertheless, out Of the boats they
all leaped with updiminished ardour, (many in
to water SO deep that they had to swim to the
shore) and dashed forward through the mud
while the ships threw in as heavy a. covering fire
as they possibly could.
The enemy's fire, however, continued to be 50
deadly, and the mud proved so deep. lin most
places reaching up to the mems. knees. at least
often up to their waists) that out of the l Gao
men who landed. barely 100 reached the first of
the three deep and wide bitches. which after so,ae
ouo yards OF wading through the mud, presented
before the gallant few who got so far
anu out Oh tnat small number scarcely twenty
had been able to keep their rifles or their am
dry.
Nevertheless, they boldly faced those new DIFF
~hcultles, and some fifty of them, with a crowd of
officers, among whom were conspicuous the Com
mancing Officer of the French Contingent, Com
manders Commerell and Heath, r. NJ. Major
Parke. and Lieut.. Hawkey of the Marines.
jor Fisher and Lieut.. Maitland of the Engineersl
in getting as far as the furtlest hank
OF the third ditch, from which they would GER
tainiy have made a good attempt to scale the
walls, had ladders been Forthcoming; but, out of
the number that We're landed, all but one had
either been broken by shot or had stuck in the
mud With the remaining one, however, ten
devoted men sprang forward, three of whom were
shot dead, and five wounded sew
erely.
A vertical fire of arrows, as we'll as a constant
was kept up on the select band who now
crouched IN the ditch, waiting, but in vain. for
endorsements; and that any of them afterwards
awe Is miraculous. Seeing what insur-
difhculties presented themselves. the
order was at last given to retire the lion-hearted
OF the troops, Colonel Lemon Of the
Royal Marines, Captain Yansitsart of the Nag;-
,ienne, and Captain Shadwell of the Hiehfver. ali
having been severely wounded. The latter was
shot through che foot shortly after landino.
nevertheless managed to struggle manfnllv
even to the advanced trench. Poor
Captain Vansittart had his leg shot of.
Lieut.. Graves Of the Assistance. Tient cgnt-
terbuck of the Coromandel. younQ Herbert 81 fbel
Chesapeake, and Iieuts. 1nelis ana Noolridoeof
he hqyni Mnrines, were al killed While = 1lsnt1vI
:heefins - theif men and at Ieaek three fourffs
s