The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1862-11-08
> A Live Yankee In China.

Z A Live Yankee In China.
Two or three years ago the mate OF q
coasting vessel came to Shanghae. He was
neither better nor worse than mates usually
are. He was green, boyish looking fellow,
with fair skin and long hair, which fell in
glossy waves to his shoulders. There was
no very great pecullarity about him, except
that his eye showed vigorous constitution
and most indomitable pluck. He was pret ty
hard up, and was unknown. he appeared
hardly old enough to have been much Of an
adventurer yet his life had been romance
from the frst. He had been with Walker
in his earlier expeditions, and had had a
taste Of civil warfare in the South American
States. But it was not in the petty strug-
gles of such marauders alone that he had
been schooled. He had been in the Crimea
during the terrible war which was enacted
there. He had seen the world, in fact. He
had occupied almost every position in the
s,cial scale, and at last came to Shanghae
the mate of coasting vessel, sound in health
and the owner Of good deal more brains
than people generally gave him credit for.
His name on the ships articles was then
plain Frederick Ward
The rebellion in China, not to limit the
time Of its duration to nicely, has existed
as long as the hills but not much of the
world knew it. Forei yners in China didn't
trouble themselves much about it at first,
till by and by the rebels planted their green
and yellow on the seaboard Some people
indeed, thought they saw in them the de-
liverers and regenerators Of China.
While the rebels showed themselves viii
ling to buy German muskcts and to adopt
tho implements Of modern warfare, the i'm
perial power-which is no power at all
stuck to their banners and their cheese
knives. To be sure the imperialists made
some pretensions. They had two or three
steamboats,, each carrying three or four guns,
oficered by Americans and with crews of
Manillamen. This feet of two boats had an
Admiral foreigner-who was paid re-
markably we'll for not doing much of any
thing. Some way or other Ward pleased
the Admiral, and the Admiral told him Of
an opening for his talents, where a good
deal of money was to be made if man
would only risk his hse for it. The Admiral
was not foolish enough to go into the thing
himself but he understood Ward pretty
well, and knew he was a trump-like most
mon, caring great deal more for money.
and, unlike most men, caring as little for his
head.
The opening was this:
The rebels was pinching Shanghae sadly,
andlthe imperialists couldn't help themselves.
Thirty miles or so up the Norsung river was
city called Soonkong, a very strong city,
like all Chinese cities Of any importance,
surrounded with high stone walls. outside of
which was deep ditch always filed with
water. This was the sore place, and the
rebels might be coming out some fine day
and make descent upon Shanghae. The
imperialisrs couldn't take the city it was
beyond their abilities, and they would pay
. handsome price to get 1t. So Ward en-
tered into compact with them and prom.
ised to take the city for forty thousand taels
He was taken up, and a little while after, he
in company with eighty Manillamen, sur
pr,sed the city Of 1000 rebels. took it by
storm, and then quietly pocketed his 10000
taels, receiving hardly scratch in the en-
counter. E, ..,,a--. ls..g
This was all very well but the fellows
blood was up, and he wanted to take an
other town some thirty miles beyond Soon
kong, whore the rebels had ratired and in
trenched themselves more strongly than be.
fore. The Toutichin chinned him exceeding-
ly, and told him to 60 in. He did 60 in, or
at least, as far as the walls, and fell, shot in
three places. He did not die, however,
his constitution was too strong for that
but fell back upon Shanghae, to recover
from his wounds ard plan another campaign.
He was out again in a few weeks, but with
. hole in the roof of his mouth of the size of
. cherry stone, which gave sort Of nasal
twang to his speech. Meanwhile the ga
zettes came down from Pekin announcing
his promotion to the rank Of Colonel. He
became Chinese subject, married Chinese
woman of the small footed kind--the worst
thing he ever did-and was created man.
darian of the blue button. a 1
The solitary paper of Shanghae, embody-
ing the English sentiment of the place,
couldn't say hard things enough about the
Colonel. - r nr0 /
Il One day Colonel Ward received polite
Invitation to dine on board her Majesty's
steamer Urgent, Capt. Hire. Putting perfect
laith in the invitation, and unsuspicious Of
anderhanded measures, the Colonel went
aboard 1t the appointed time, was seized by
order Of ths captain, and put in iron. News
IF the occurrence spread rapidly through the
settlement. Americans, whether they SYM
pathized with Ward in his acts or not, were
at the mean and dastardly man.
ner of his arrest. They protested against
i, and even threatened to use force in his
liberation. Matters became so hot that
Captain Hire was compelled to forego the
'urther gratification Of his spite against
Americans in the person Of Ward, and, upon
the latter swearing to the fact of his being
Chinese silhiecf he uas DISCHARGED