Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-10-24
05lo Statesnrarl.
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY -
The Ohio Statesman Company.
MONDAY MORNING, OCT. "a.
Capture of NanIxin-The TAPPING
Leader Chung.Wang Taken.

l
The London Gazette contains the follow
ing extract from dispatch, dated the 10Th
OF July, from Mr.. Atkins, acting British
Consul at Chinkiang:
| have the honor to inform you that the
| city OF Nankin, so long the center of dissat-
1sfaction in China, and the point from which
so many bands of ruthless plunderers have
started on their raids upon the peaceful and
! wealthy cities of Central China, has been
captured by the imperialist army under
command of Tseng-kwo-chuen,t the Cover
nor OF Chekiang, and brOtherof the viccroy
of the provinces of Kiang Nan and Kiang
Su. The city was stormed on the 10Th Of
this month, through breach, caused byra
mine sprung under the wall near the east
gate. Rumors OF its capture reached me
on the day following the assault, but paid
no attention to them, having been so often
deceived by reports of Chinese victories.-
On the Ath of this month, however, OBJ
tanned copy of the memorial TO the throne,
formally announcing the capture. On the
following day started for Nankin in her
Malesty's ship Slaney, intending to con-
gratulate the Chinese commander-in-ch
on the auspicious termination of his two
years siege. l found his Excellency at his
camp outside the south gate of the CITY,.
When the imperialists made good their
entrance into the city, they found that the
palace of Tien- Wang, the leader of the re-
bellion, and the claimant for many years
past of divine hOnors and attributes, had
been burnt to the ground. 1t is said that
the imposter and his immediate attendants
lie buried in its ruins. 1 am inclined to
credit the rumor, for the city has been
closely blockaded since January last, and
think that nothing but desperate sortie
would have enabled him to get clear.
But the most important fact of all is the
capture of Chung-Wang. This person has
for many years been the most restless and
determined of all the desperadoes TAPPING
dom has sent forth. He it was who threat
ened Shanghai in 1860; he was Admiral
Hopes antagonist in his operations against
Shanghai; lie fought against Col. Gordon
at Soochow. He tried to introduce the for
eign element in his levies, and was said by
rebel sympathizers to be the main hope of
the TAPPING cause in its declining days.
After the assault he managed to leave the
city with few followers, but he was cap
tured three days subsequently by a party
of cavalry. l was much pressed to visit
the Chung Wang in his confinement, but
declined, as had no personal acquaintance
with him.
On the day following my interview with
the COMMUNICATIVE chief rode into the city
and visited the breach. Words cannot de-
scribe the utter desolation- of everything
within the walls. The main thoroughfares
traversed by me were the streets between
the southwest and east gates, and those be-
tween the southwest and south gates. On
either hand the houses left standing had
the appearance of having been left tenant
less for years, whilst the gaudy gateways,
denoting the residences of the wangs or
princes, opened in most Instances on to
courts full of brickbats and charred tim
bers. As for the side streets, they were
many of them OVergrOWn with Jungle four
feet high. During my ride through the
city saw great number of unburied
bodies, and in many places the sruen was so
offensive that both myself and Lieutenant
Lee, who accompanied me, were almost
overpowered. But on the whole came to
the conclusion that the rebel force in the
city at the time Of its capture could not
have been very large.
The imperialists, according to their own
account, spared very few able-bodied males,
so that the dead lying in the streets would
be fair criterion of the strength of the
garrison. | estimate it at 10000 men,
against $4,000 under the imperialist COM
manders. l think aride through the streets
OF Nankin, as they are at present would
satisfy the most ardent advocate of the
rebel cause of the dreadful hollowness Of
the system they support. Some eleven
years ago the Taipings took Nankin, then
one of the finest cities in China. Ever
since its capture it has been their head
quarters. In it the chiefs of the movement
built their tawdry houses, and from it they
dispatched their plundering bands in all d.
rcctions. Meanwhile the works of civil
government and social organization are
entirely neglected, and when the city is re-
taken it lis found to be wilderness of empty
houses. =,