Delaware inquirer. (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??, 1859-10-22
The Trouble i'm China.
THE AMERICAN MINISTER'S STATEMENT OF TIL
BATTLE or THE PRIHo

THE AMERICAN MINISTER'S STATEMENT OF THE
BATTLE OF THE PRIHo.
A correspondent sends to the New York
Times, n few passages from letter by the A.
American Minister, Mr.. Ward, describing the af-
fair of the Peiho. The letter is dated from the
United States steamer Powhattan, June 3Oth
and the statement does not vary materially
from others which have appeared in print:
sit was evident in the morning, from the
position of the vessels, that the battle would
be commenced some time during the day. All
the vessels mentioned as over the bar were as
near to the entrance of the river as they could
get. 1t was ascertained that three barriers
had been erected across the river, at the dis
lance of twenty yards from each other. On
the left bank of the river were three or foul
large forts admirably built of mud, and con.
nected with each other by shore batteries. Al
the mouth of the river was one very large fort
from which the heaviest guns were fired. Or
the right hand side of the river were three
forts connected by shore batteries. Within
these forts and batteries it was afterwards as
ccrtained that there must have been from TWEEN
ty to twenty-five thousand men.
cat 2.45 p. NJ, the Startling, having the AID.
mirals flag flying, commenced ascending the
river, followed by the Plover, the other vessels
remaining at anchor. As soon as the Startling
had passed the barrier blown up during the
night the forts commenced firing. All the YES
sells returned the fire, and the balls few around
like hail-stones. Before the firing had lasted
an hour, however, we could see from our ves-
sells that the English were suffering far be-
yond their anticipations, and the Commodore
said to me, Those forts cannot be taken with
the force they have We could see the shot
destroying the vessels, while the forts were
scarcely injured by the small battery of the
English. About five o'clock, a young man
came to us from the Admral's ship with blood
upon his brow, poor fellow and looking wea-
ried and exhausted. He told the Commodore
that the Admiral was lying on the deck of his
vessel severely wounded; that his captain had
had his head shot of, and he had but three
men left capable of doing duty.
'The Admiral had sent for reintorcements
to relieve him, but the wind and tide were so
strong against the boats that it would be I'M
possible, without the assistance of steam, to
get them up in time to be of any use. He had
had two boats shot away under him, and
reached MS in the third, bearing the request
that the Commodore would tow up their boats.
d.. 10 q,
two of the gunboats had grounded just where
We had been the day before, and were literally
being shotto pieces. Commodore Tatnall con-
suited with me onthe application that had been
made to him, II was question not without
difficulty, As neutrals, we had no right TO in
teriere or TO render the smallest aid TO either
party. But could We be regarded strictly as
neutrals? We were in company with the other
Powers not by our own choice. ! had desired
to avoid all complication with them and TO Sc
cure this end | had left Hong Kong so imme-
dately after my arrival as to draw on myself
the censnre Of one of the Hong Kong journals.
The Chinese had themselves forced us into our
present position, their Commissioners At
shanghai having insisted upon my waiting for
the English and French ministers, and coming
with them. In consequence of this we have
been necessarily receiving from them acts Of
courtesy and kindness. Now, should they be
successful, we should profit by their success
In opening the road to Pekin to their own min
listers. they would also open it 10 us. In view
of all these reasons, could not hesitate to say
to Commodore Tatnall that while we had nj
right to fire gun in their defence, or to give
them man to aid in the attack, We ought tc
render the required assistance to relieve the
Admiral from his position, and that according
~ his desire to tow up the boats received no
only my assent but my unqualified approba
ton, and was, indeed, in strict accordance with
my own wishes