The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-08-14
Not the First Time Uncle Sans Boys
Have Fought the Heather
Chinese

marines anu Dluo- Jackets nave eHCOuu-
tered the hostile forces of China. In
1856, when China was just on the eve OF
her war with England, Commander A.
H. Foote, afterward destined to play an
important part in the civil war, lay OFF
| Canton in the sloop of war Portsmouth,
| The city and the surrounding country,
was in disturbed state, and had gone
to Canton to protect the American resi- f,
dents and their business interests.
| Then, as now, all China rang with the
cry of s'drive out the foreign DEVILS"
and the government at Peking was
backing the movement in an under
hand way, while protesting to be friend
lly. Canton was defended by four big
FORTS They were masonry with walls
eight feet thick, and mounted 176 guns.
In these forts was a garrison OF 5,OOO
men.
One day one of these forts fired on the
Portsmouth. Commander Foote de-
manded an apology from the Chinese
lgovernor, but all apology or explana-
tion was curtly refused. Then Foote
got angry.
Having been reinforced by two other |
warships, the San Jacinto and the Le- |
vent. Commander Foote decided to take |
matters into his own hands. On Nov.
l2O, after his ultimatum had been treat |
| ed with silent contempt. FOOte ordered |
his ships to open on the forts. Under |
cover of furious bOmbardments he land
ed 278 marines and blue-jackets and
proceeded to storm the defenses. He
had with his landing party four howit-
zers. The water was so shallow that
they could not approach close to the
land, but the men jumped into the
water and waded ashore, dragging
their howitzers after them.
l Tbov fhon made 0atOnr th rOuph the
rice fields so as to take the first fort in
the rear. This fort mounted fifty three
guns of heavy caliber, and had a large
;, garrison, but the Yankees charged it
with great fury and carried it at the
> point of the bayonet. Fifty of defenders
were killed and the rest fled in panic.
), AS soon as the American flag was seen
i, flying from the first fort, second fort
er across the river opened on the captured
p works. The Americans turned the guns
Of of the fort they had taken against the
IN fort across the river and soon silenced
u it. An army came out from the city to
IN try to recapture the fort occupied by
If the Americans, but was driven back
lis with loss.
The next day an attack was made on
the fort which had been silenced tenn
porarily the day before. The fort was
lively enough now, and the landing par
ty, which this day was composed OF de-
tachments from all three of the ships,
was met by heavy fire from this de-
. lfense. and from the two other forts still
occupied by the Chinese. A heavy shot
lplumped into one of the San Jacinto' s
boats, killing three men and woundin2
seven, and another shot sunk the launch
of the Portsmouth. But the Americans
pressed on with dash and determination
and by O'Clock that afternoon the Stars
and Stripes flew over the second fort
This fort mounted forty y-one guns ane
commanded the third fort. The guns
were at once turned upon the third fort
! which surrendered.
While the forces were landing,
inch battery near the shore had beel
giving trouble; so while the main bod
ID went for the fort, small detachment Q
liz marines carried the annoying batter
II W<Sn a rush and spiked its guns. Th
sailors and marines had been fghtin!
III for two days now, and were pretty we
| tired out, but the fourth and last fort re
n NAMED to be taken, and so, abor
a daylight on the morning of Nov. 22, tn
Il Americans advanced to the great wall
lover which the dragon flag was sti
flying, and which frowned in the earl
light with thirty-eight guns OF heav
calibre.
This fort was captured as gallantly {
the others had been, in the face af TIRE
mendous odds. The guns of the for
were spiked and the works undermine
and blown up. Having read the Oh
nese this little lecture on the danger
firing on the American flag, the sailor
m and marines returned to their ship
~ The American loss was twelve kille
~ and twenty-eight wounded. Over A
~ of the Chinese were killed and lare
number wounded; just how many wi
never be known.
In the Brooklyn navy yard, says ii
: New York Press, is white marb
monument erected to the memory
"a American sailors who fell while ser
ing gune on board British ships at tt
Barrier Forts, at the mouth of Il
Peiho river in 1859. This is memen
of the second time Americans fougl
= against the Chinese. the fleets of tt
nations were lying then, as they a
now, at Taku. The British admir-;
Sir James Hope, while trying to reno
some distractions which had been sui
in the river, was fired on by the for
and ight followed between the fol
and the British feet. Commodo
Tattnal, the American naval COZ
mander, who had witnessed the begi
ming of the fight from the deck of
chartered steamer the Toey-Ws
ordered away his launch and pull
through the thickest of the combat
the British flagship.
Just before the commodore's b6
, reached the flagship she was struck
a Chinese shot and sunk. One man W
killed and Lieut. Trenchard was ds
gerously wounded The Amerlcs
M managed to reach the British ship a
the sailors at once volunteered to ht
.SS | serve the guns.
76l Tattnal had his fighting blood up, T.
''0 and signaled his chartered steam
to tow up the British reserves so tt
they could get into action. The Bi
ish were finally driven off with the i
of several hundred men. 1t was
- this occasion that Tattnall made
II oft-quoted remark, "Blood is thick
~ than water" 1t was not original W
him, being an old saying of the sew
teenth century, but his use of it'unt
the circumstances gave it pcul
7"' Significance.