The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-08-15
government Of Shanghai to raise troops
for the defence Of the city.

Wards first military operation-an
attack on a point called Sung-Kiang-
was a failure, half his men, American
and foreign sailors, being killed and the
rest driven off. A second attack. how
ever, supported by several thousand
well-drilled imperialists, resulted in the
capture Of the place and the comforting
on Wards forces of the bombastic title
of the Ever Victorious Army" For a
time fortune continued to smile on the
imperialists' cause, Ward leading his
men from victory to victory. Then sud-
denly the tide turned. The Taipings re-
ceived large reinforcements from the
interior, swept all opposition before
them, bottled Wards army up in Sung
Kiang and advanced rapidly on Shang-
hal.
The aggressiveness of the rebels was
but temporarily curbed, however. Two
years later the Heavenly King" made
a fresh move on Shanghai. only to be
defeated once more. In September Of
the same year, in the heat of the cam
paign, the indefatigable Ward received
his death wound and the command of
the imperial army devolved upon his
second. Burgevine proved unequal to
the task. and besides this was caught
plundering the Chinese treasury at
Shanghai. Accordingly, in January,
1868, he received his walking papers,
and the Chinese government made q
formal application to the English for a
loan of an experienced officer from the
ranks of her majesty's army. And thus
1t came to pas that Charles Gordon, an
officer Of the royal engineers, received
the appointment as commander of the
imperial forces in the campaign against
the Taipings.
The strong personality of this re-
markable man is familiar to the gen.
eral reader, combining as it did the
practical sense of the modern Anglo
Saxon with the chivalry and mysticism
OF the crusader of old. With nothing
but his powerful walking stick, which
he used with the effect of magician S
wand, Gordon inspired his men with
an almost superstitious awe and led
them on to victory. He received full
charge of the military operations pro-
per, but stood nominally under the
orders of Ii Hung Chang. governor
general of the province, who accomp-
anied the army as the personal repres-
entative of the emperor. Gordon's
first success of Importance was his
capture of the fortified town of Tait-
san. The event also became the oc-
casion of his first disagreement with
Lii. Among the prisoners were seven
leaders who had aroused the special
enmity of the mandariaps. and orders
were isseud for their execution by slow
torture. Hearing this. Gordon put in a
vehement protest, declaring that no
such acts of barbarity should occur
while he was commander. LIS author
ity, however, being paramount, the
cruel decree was carried out to the let
ter, and the victims We're martyred
many long hours previous to decapita-
tion.
The capture of Taitsan was quickly
followed by the reduction of the forti-
fications of Quinsan and the capture
of the forts Of Leekux and Wauti,
which achievements completed the in
vestment of Soochow. the rebel capi-
tai. The siege of the place was fraught
with dangers Of the most serious na-
ture. Its fortifications were exceed
ingly strong, and 1t contained a nu-
merous and well-disciplined garrison
well provided with provisions and
munitions of war. A first attack was
beaten off triumphantly. and it looked
as IL the place would only fall after
a protracted siege. Now, however
an unexpected opportunity presented
itself to the besiegers. Several of the
TAPPING generals, wearied of fighting
in a hopeless cause, secretly approach
ed Gordon with a proposition to admit
his troops into the city on a given
date, providing their lives and liber-
ties should be spared.