Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-09-11

since say that the common estimate on the spo
was from fifty to eighty thousand, and as The
dead bad to be buried this number is probably
not much exaggerated. Whole streets were ly.
ing in ruins, and desolation and silence reigned
in quarters where few months ago, all was life
and activity. The city seemed half deserted by
its inhabitants, and the deep gloom which rest
ed upon the countenances of those who remain
ed told of the scenes of terror through which
they had passed. The Rebel army which cap
tursd the city was composed chiefly of local BAN
ditti, led on and aided by q few thousands of the
genuine Nankin Rebels. These last, even in the
midst of those dreadful scenes, kept up their OBJ
servance of the forms of regon-offering pray
er at every meal We would not shield them
from the responsibility which properly belongs
to them; but we ought, in simple justice, to re-
member that this great destruction of life was
not wilful massacre on their part, but the un-
avoidable result of a six days battle in the
streets of q populous city. 1t must be reInem-
bered too, that in much of this destruction, both
of life and property, the Imperialists were no
less active than the Rebels. A great deal of the
burning was done by the Imperialists in order to
deprive the enemy of shelter.
Sat the capture of Suchan there was no such
destruction of life or property. There seems
to be now no doubt that it was taken on the
morning of the End of June by the treachery of
the Imperialist General, Chang Yuh-Siang 1t
seems that during the month of May, the garri-
son at Marking made vigorous sallies with q
view to drive back the forces of the Emperor by
which that city has been so long beleaguered.-]
These e3Orts were so successful that they pushed
on, at length to the city OF Chang chan, near the
Yang-tsze river, between Chin-k kiand and Su-
chan. Here they suddenly fell upon the Impe-
rialist army, under Chang Kwoh Liang, former
ly Rebel Chief who deserted the cause, and
was rewarded with high command in the inn
perial army. The route was most complete.
"Chang Kwoh-Liang, it is said, has cut his
throat to escape disgrace, and his army is scat
tered in all directions, prowling over the whole
country in search of subsistence, and plundering
and numbering the people wherever they CO.
Indeed, it is so long since they have received
any pay that they seem to have grown desper-
ate, and are quite as ready to fight for the Reb-
els as against them. We have abundant evil
dence that the reality of these atrocities in the
numbers of refugees from that region of country,
now gathered around Shanghai.
"The greatest CONSERVATION has prevailed a
mong the Chinese IN Shanghai, and multitudes
have fed into the country. They dread being
some day being shut up by the sudden closing of
the gates, and thus made prisoners by their own
At the solicitation of the Chinese
authorities the French and English have assum-
ed the guardianship of the city, and their troops
now guard some of tile gates of the city and oc-
cupy the most defencble positions within and
without the walls. This, however, does not qui-
ct the fears of the people, for they seem to have
little confidence in the ability even of foreign
troops to stand before these formidable Rebels.