The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-09-06
Chinese Gordon.


Chinese Gordon.
The most celebrated feat of Chinese
Gordon was the suppression of the Taep-
ing rebellion, which in the spring of
1858 had reached its apogee. In thir-
teen years Hung-sew.tsuen, the vision
airy school teacher of Canton, had mus
tered following of 500 900 men. Most
of the principal cities on both banks OF
the Yang. tse- Kiang were in his hands.
His professions Of Christianity and his
control of the tea district had at first
enlisted many foreign nations in
his favor. The resistance of Mankin to
his arms turned the current of feeling
against him. For days the inhabitants
and the imperial garrison had lived on
the bark of trees, and roots of grass.
Leather, boiled in narrow slips, was
eagerly swallowed. Human flesh was
openly hawked in the streets. The sur
rounding country was devastated. Water
courses were filled with broken furni-
ture, rotten boats and ruin. Once
hourishing marts were entirely deserted
and thousands of houses were burned to
the ground. Here and there q solitary
old man might be seen moving with
trembling limbs among the ruins, sadly
musing over the desolation that reigned
around. In the midst of these events
the Tapping leader put forth q proclama-
ton. 1.-THE Father and the Elder
Brother" he said, shave descended up
on earth and established the heavenly
kingdom, and have taken me and Junior
Lord to regulate AFFAIRS sppertaining to
the world"
The foreign nations at once withdrew
their support and waived their ardor for
Christianity in favor their interest In
-.
The first to take advantage of the
change was an American named Ward.
He had been a mate on . Boston ship.
and had landed at Shanghai with suit
OF clothes upon his back and six Mexi-
can dollars in his pocket. He went to
Prince Kung and offered to crush the
rebellion for 1O,0OO, 900. The prince
accepted and paid . considerable sum in
advance. Wards life was full Of adven.
ture. He had been with Walker in his
earlier expeditions, and had taste of
civil warfare in South America. He
first set to work to recruit his menand
then to drill them. Dozens applied
every day. Marines, sailors from men,
ofwar, tea planters, Nom bers OF the po-
lice force, all the European adventurous
whom chance had brought to China,
were enrolled under Wards banners.
They we're Q mutinous and rapacious
mob. They plundered all who came in
their way. They broke into pagodas
and despoiled them of their rare con-
tents. They tore out diamonds from the
idols eyes dug up treasures which priests
had concealed, and scattered precious
manuscripts of Buddhist classics to the
wind. Ward was soon disguised with
them. He had been created q Mandarin
Of the Blue Button, he had married
Chinese wife, and he was preparing to
enjoy the immense fortune he had won
when Teaping rebel shot him through
the heart before the walls of Ningpo.
That was Gordon's opportunity. Bur
eevine, who succeeded 10 Wards COM
mands. was disposed TO sell his men to
the highest bidder. The young British
engineer forestalled him. Fortified with
counsels from Calcutta and promises Of
unlimited pay from Pekin, be called the
remnant OF Wards force around him and
offered them terms Of service. There
Vas to be no looting 20 long Is their pay
IVES regularly distributed. He then
vent to work to mature his SCENE Of
attack. Heretofore the plan for de-
Tending the city Of Shanghai was to
guard radius Of thirty miles around it
and remain wholly on the defensive.
This policy he ct once reversed. Having
raised most of the Europeans to posts of
command and drilled an army of some
four thousand Chinese he moved boldly
against the enemy. He did not direct
his attack ON their front, where their
numbers must have overwhelmed him.
but determined to throw himself upon
their communication. seize them, point
after point. with the aid of . small 40
tilla, and 20 clear the whole country
down to the gates OF Nankin.
A study Of the operations by which
he cut Cd the great city of Soochow
proves him master Of strategy in it's
highest sense. - his extraordinary con.
troll over his native contingent and the
Wild spirita that Offered it had marked
him true leader of men. His difficult
Ties we're unprecedented. The Yang-tse
Kiang had so long been closed to foreign
commerce that the villagers had never
seen Europeans. They mistook the
army of succor for Tartar robbers. The
whistle Of 0ordou's steamer, the sparks
that Issued from its funnel, added 70
1heir terrors. Whole villages hsd from
~ ssAery dragon ship" Women threw
kho0sslvss dowA from great heighes.