Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-09-30

millennium dawning on the old and close empire
of the earsh The news of a new war, and
the disastrous defeat of the Alice in their
movement towards Pekin, burst Unexpectedly
on the public ear The news particularly start
led England and France, and threats ofa bloody
retribution are made in both countries.
The occasion Of tho outbreak was the at.
tempt, on the 25th of june by the British and
French, to ascend the Peiho river with large
naval and military force, 20 conduct their Am-
bassadom to the Imperial City Of Pekin. This
was against all Chinese notions, and they plan
ned resistance which was as successful as it
was unexpected. The English side of the
cause of the difficulty is, the bad faith Of the
Chinese, whose Commissioners at Hong Kong
were believed to be there only to procrastinste
the passage of the French and English Com
missioners up to Pekin until after the date at
which the ratifcations were to be exchanged
had elapsed The American Minister was
withlthe expedition that assembled the river to
ard Pekin, but he does not appear to have been
in fighting disiavor with the "Brother of the
SUM-"
It appears that the combined feet reached
the mouth Of the Peho on the 18th OF June.
and after waiting three days made formal an
nounoement of their arrival to the Chinese
functionsries, who did not deign to reply. Five
more days elapsed, when dispairing of an an
swer, ii was determined to force passage
They found the river obstructed, and Admiral
Hope sent word to the Chinese to remove the
distinctions by certain time, or he would do
it himself, as he was instructed to conduct the
English Minister TO Pekin, and he should do it.
The Chinese replied that the Peiho was not
opened by the treaties, and should an attempt
be made to remove the distractions, the Chi
nese forts would be opened on them. The at
tempt was made by the Admiral to open the
river, and the conflict began, The result showed
the superiority of Asiatic strategy over Euro.
pean. The Chinese had some $4,000 men in
their forts and in reserve, and the forts were
so constructed that from 100 to 200 guns could
be concentrated on the river where the fleet OF
10 vessels of all classes, was anchored An
American who witnessed the terrific fight, writes
thus graphically to the Boston Traveller
Anchored opposite to the mouth of the river
the whole scene was before me, the forts, the
steamers, the clouds of smoke, the flash of the
cannon and the blazing rockets, while the roal
of the cannon made our noble ship tremble.-
Two Of the Chinese magazines exploded with
a force which seemed to make both tine sea and
land tremble. The fire was kept up with hard
ly a moments respite, the sounds of all the
guns on tho ships, the forts and the breast.
works seeming to minge and be lost in one
except that from a certain huge gun in one Of
the forts, which did not roar like thunder, nor
strike sharp upon the ear like streak of light.
ming, nor roll heavily like shock of earth.
quake, but seemed to be solid, grating harshly
and heavily, as though the gun had been filled
with stones, which were ready to blrst it to es-
cape, rising above all the rest. 1t kept up its
sepulchral roar with hardly a moments respite
as though it had been worked by company ol
Intervals Thus it continued through the day
a glorious sun going down upon the horrible
scene; and when the darkness set in, the innu
merable shells and rockets thrown into the fort,
by the English, and the pyrotechnic lights thrown
by the Chinese over the English ships and the
storming party which went ashore to spoil one
of the forts, for the purpose OF determining
where the shots should be directed for deadly
effect upon unprotected men, gave a new as
pect to the scene, and made it representation
Of what Pandemonium may be.
Thus fought the steamers and the forts from
24 o'clock till 8, the steamers receiving the
contents of $50 or 200 guns of the forts. and
the forts what the 40 smaller guns of the Is
steamers could send them. The guns of the
forts were worked with admirable skill, and
aimed with wonderful precision. Not mast
was cut down; hardly a yard or any part of the
rigging was touched; all were aimed at the
kuAs of the vessels, which were bored and
riddled, and the men cut down like sheep in the
slaughter house. The Admiral's steamer a
gun-boat like the last and carrying three heavy
guns, was the special mark of the batteries
from his conspicuous flag, which foated at the
mast head. OF the Al men who worked her
guns, all but three were either killed or wound.
ed. AT an early stage of the action, the head
of the captain was fairly cut off by ball--a
brave and noble man; while az others tell me
who saw it, the deck was fairly covered with
blood, limbs and the bodies of the dead and the
wounded, which were heaped up around the
guns, 80 that they could hardly be approached
without treading upon them 1t was the scene
of q slaughter house. A single bali killed two
men, and then carried awaya leg from six more
} who happened to be standing in line.
Ats o'clock, as the dusk began to fall, body
OF marines anu OlHeTS WHO n1u Deen kept Oh
board some junks which were anchored near
led on by the captain of the French fngate, and
embracing about 100 Frenchmen, the whole
force consisting of 700 men, was ordered tC
} land and take one of the largest and strongest
forts by storm. This fort had rarely fred
gun, and its port holes being masked with coat
} of mating, it was thought it was defended bl
a small force and few guns. Shells had beer
poured freely into it also, and it was though
, these might account, by their terrible bursts o
I destruction, for the silence and in7clivity o
J the fort. The assailants had to land in thu
face of the fort, and wade through water and
mud lat, and then cross three moats, deep an,
wide, all filled with mud and water, and th
last with large spikes, which would pierce tn
, feet which trOd upon them. The men carriet
ladders and all the implements and weapons 70
scaling.
) Upon landing, or attempting to land, man
[ sunk into the mud and water of the flat up I
their waists and one oor fellow, unable to e1
, tricAte himself, sunk TO rise no more. At tn
L moment they put their feet on shore, the fort
8 which have appeared so dull and powerlest
, seemed to feel the electric spark Of a resurreC
tion-life, and the masks being torn away, pour
ed forth sheets of flame, with a storm of crap
from muskets, both from the troops and CARR
! son which moved down the assailants like grass
r A hundred fell almost instantly upon landing
D Still al tee survivors moved on unfiinchinplJ
i thinned down as they went, from one ditch I
n another, and mere handful succeeded in eros
j. sing the last, but were compelled quickly I
retreat in the utterly hopelessness of their case
J. and were decmated again, and more than dec
e mated, as they attempted 20 make their wa
/. back to the boats Two only succeeded 4
, bringing scaling ladders, and any number woul
IS have been useless.
II l sat upon the deck till IL O'Clock gain
n upon this scene of carnage. Upto 10 Oclpc