Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1861-01-01
The Chinese War.

late begun. but soon ended, for there an
pears to be general consent to the view
that there is now to be no other fighting
than diplomatic The Allies anpear to
have waited until they were in thorough
fighting order, and then to have marched
leisurely towards the enerny's intrench-
ments with much the same feeling as
though they were merely going to enact
the pageant of field day. The Allied
army, after leaving 5000 men behind to
garrison various places, to the South.
amounted to 10000, divided into 10000
English and 6000 French. There was
not little of the feeling of national rivalry
between these two sections of the army.
The French were emulous to outvie the
reputation Of their British companions. and
the British were not unmindful how COM
pletely the arms of their country were cast
into the shade when last they fought by the
side of the gallant Frenchmen on the battle
fields of the Crimea. In this instance.
however, the French were as uneoually
yoked with the English, as were the Eng
fish with the French in the Russian. CAM
paigb. Not only was the French force
numerically much inferior to the British /:
but much less had been done towards
making It's arrangements complete The
British troops were splendidly eouiped,
with a sufficient complement Of good cavaI
ry, and the very best ordinance arrange
ments, indeed a very model of an army :
whilst the French were as incomnlete in
many of their arrangements as were the
English before Sebastopol. b.
A great point of controversy between the
two countries was about to be settled in the
course of impending engagements. which
excited deep interest in both branches of
the army The question was on the point
of practical solution, whether the Arm
strong gun of the British army or the riHed
cannon Of the French is the most efficient
ongino of war With these faeliuos Of
national emulation the Allied army came
upon the entrenched village of Tang hoo.
on the PeihO, about three miles above the
most northerly of the Taku forts Here
came the first engagement which afforded
fine opportunity of witnessing the com
parative effects of the artillery of each
country. An eve witness thus speaks of
the engagement:
1--WE got our guns into the lire, and
never saw such pretty artillery field in
my life. The French were on our left. and
we had splendid opportunity Of compar-
ing the effect of our own firing from the
Armstrong guns with the French rifed
cannon. The practice of both was admir-
able, but | did not hear another opinion
than that ours was the gun. In five mir
utes, we Knocked over the enemy's largest
gun. Sill for two hours and half they
stood most nObly to their guns and fired
away bravely. Sir Hope Gran. would not
risk the infantry until within few huns
dTed yards OF the works when the rifles
slipping through some reeds by the banks
of the river, succeeded in making an entry.
On entering it was seen what frightful ex-
ecution the Armstrong shells had effected.
AT every embrasure we found groups of
dead bodies shattered to atoms"
According to this evidence, it would an
pear that the Armstrong gun has realized
all the high expectations that have been
cherished respecting it; and that whether
or not Napoleon has got more impregnable
war ships than Victoria, he is certainly
distnnced by his fair rival in the matter Of
cannons. Four days later, the Allies com
menced their assault on the celebrated Take
! forts These forts are six in number. tyo
7 heirg situated at the North and four on the
South side of the Peiho. Sir Hone Grant
fixed on tho most NortherIy of the former,
for the sufficiently strategic reason that il
| commanded all the rest. Tie storminp
| party advanced t. the assault at five in the
morning, and after three and half hours
hard hattering, they made their first effort
J at escaladng.
! Here came the true test of the Tartar
metal, and, to their Just credit be it said
the Celestials fought with a bravery worthy
the name of their more favored foes. The
| Tartars stood well to their guns. fghtips
| as closely as could eli :her the English OF
French they succeeded in three times
repelling the French from the top Of the
pararet. The first fort being taken, the
others yielded in rapid succession, and by
/ two in the afternoon, the whole of the fprti-
| fcation were in the hands of the Allies
The causalities of the Allied army amount
ed 10 80, namely, 1872 English and l2(
! French whilst the loss of the Chinese i,
estimated at 20e0. The impression is gen
erai among the army that an unnecessary
loss to the Allies aruse from preciuitar,
haste in escaladlng tie Taku fort Tn,
! emulation between the soldiers Of the Nv,
countries induced premature attempt At
scaling the walls, and thereby exposed The
attacking party tn n heavy fire from the
Ta-tars, which told upon them more thar
any other part Of the engagement The
storming party was moved forward befor,
the artillery had made a sufficient breach
in the walls, and the men had TO wal
under a most calling FIRE from above until
two howitzers were brought within fits
yards of the wall to complete the breach
Su soon az an opening was made sufficient
! ~ WIDE tn admit cf one man passing thT0
at time, the firing Of these guns ceased
and then the British soldiers slowly pushed
Their way into interior OF the fort, beating
their French rivals by about ten minutes
1t may be pleasing to witness the rivalry
OF two great nations in united cause, bul
1t must nevertheless lie admitted that one
OF the dangers of Allied enterprise is pre-
cipltate and i'll considered action.
THE SORROW 0E THE WORLD 1t comes
upon every lmpenltent mau sDBner or later
1t is the sorrow of unsatisfed desire--the
hateful sOfrGw-the FIRE which does moi
melt, but hardeus. The good which tbs
man seeks and obtains not, troubles him