Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-09-15
A BATTLE IN TONQUIN.
TROOPS AND SHIPS DEFEAT
THE BLACK FLAGS.

Two Towns Carried at the Point of the
BayOnet in a Gallant Charge-Two of
the Enemy's Standards Captured
Severe Losses Reported OH Both
Sides.
LONDON, September IA dispatch to
Reuters Telegraph Company from Hong
Kong, dated to-day, states that a battle
has taken place between the French and
the Black Flags, lasting eight hours. The
engagement took place between Hanoi
and SOntag, near Red river. The French
forces are reported as having lost two
officers and fifty men. The loss of Black
Flags is about 300 Hanoi is the town
where the French have been holding their
garrison since the previous engagement at
SOntag awaiting reinfOrcements, 1t is
probable from the tenor OF the above dis
patch that the Black Flags, whose head
quarters are at Bac Mimi, at the north
east of Hanoi, determined to recap
ture SOntag from the French, who have
kept gunbOats there during the last fort
night, and while en- route from Bac Mimi
across the Delta were met by French
force sent from Hanoi to intercept them.
the above battle being the result.
French accounts of the battle with the
Black Flags states that on Saturday, the
lst OF September, the French force from
Hanoi advanced to within II miles of
SOntag, where the enemy were found in
casemate forts upon Wnich the fire of the
French had no effect. After
three days hard fighting the
French troops, aided by heavy
fire from the fleet, under Admiral Bowel.
carried the enemy's works at the point of
the bayonet, capturing two towns and
two Black Flag standards. The French
loss was two officers and fourteen
men killed and three officers and forty
men wounded. After the victory Admiral
Bowel withdrew his fleet to Hanoi to
await relnfOrcementS, leaving 800 men TO
hold the captured towns.
The French naval force at TOnquin, un-
der Admiral Bowel, comprises the iron
clads Bayard, of guns, the AltOnte, of y
guns, the Triomphante, of guns; the
cruisers TrOuville, Chaten and Renaud;
the transports Annamite and Myttio, each
carrying two guns; the gunbOats Lynx
and Viper, each carrying 4 guns, and the
Fartar, the Leopard and the Surprise,
each carrying an aggregate of seven guns,
ana four dispatch boats, carrying an
aggregate of fourteen guns. Two torpedo
launches are also attached to the fleet.
PARIS, Sept. 14.-Le Soir gives the fol-
lowing as the heads of the proposals made
by Marquis Tseng, the Chinese Ambassa-
uOI, W CHdllOlnel LacOuf: ''Ihat France
shall cease sending reinforcements to
TOnquin; that China will recognize the
treaty Of Hue, but will retain her right of
investure in the Annamez sover-
eigns; that the French protectorate
shall be under Chinese control and under
the direction of military mandarins, and
that China shall be reimbursed for all the
expenses incurred in the repression of the
Black Flags.
lie RepubliQue FrancatS, in an article
upon the TOnquin question, takes the
ground that France cannot accept the
proposed establishment of a neutral zone,
but will be satisfied if TOnquin is with
drawn entirely from Chinese Jurisdiction.
1t says that If England can guarantee the
agreement of China to these points, the
whole trouble will be speedily ended.
The Cabinet held council to-day. NJ.
Lacour was present, and stated that the
negotiations with the Chinese Ambassa-
dor were progressing favorably, The for
warding of reinfOrcements to Tonquin
was discussed and indofsed by the cOun-
Gil. 1t was also agreed that France, in its
negotiations with China, should adopt a
cOnciliatOry policy