The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-08-09

and afterward all manner Of subterfuges
were resorted to TO avoid the issue
When IL was finally concluded Great
Britain appointed Hon. Frederick Bruce as
minister 10 Picking. and he was ordered 10
proceed 10 that city, where the Chinese had
promised. at the end Of one year. 10
formally execute the treaty. Accordingly
he was taken aboard one of the gunboats
and was escorted by the entire English and
French fleet 10 Taku. At this point. how
ever, he was compelled TO pause for IL was
found that the river and harbor were filled
with stakes and all manner Of DISTINCTIONS
When an explanation was demanded tie
Chinese made all sorts OF excuses. but the
Europeans did not suspect the treachery
which had been planned.
While the negotiations had been going on
the Chinese had been busy secretly repair
ing the Taku forts. They hung mating
ever the gun openings. and a native chief
named Sankolinson had taken command
OF the newly-recruited garrison. When the
British got tired dickering, Lord Eigin gave
the order for the vessel on which Mr.. Bruce
was a passenger TO go ahead and ram the
Instructions. fA
This was the signal for sankolinson to
get busy; and without any warning. the
the vessels were immediately Gisa bled.- five
went aground, and one waHRtnk al her
anchors. Many on board were killed and
wounded. An attempt was made 10 storm
the forts, but the troops got mired in the
mud at the base. and Ii was dismal fall
ure.
1t was at this point that Gordon was sent
for to come from India, where he had ar
rived on his way from Sebastopol. In Au-
gust, 1860. he retrieved the British losses
by capturing the Taku forts with 1000 pris-
BY this time the Chinese were again
ready to negotiate. AS IT happened the i'm
perial government was having its hands
full with the Tai-Ping rebellion. and the
az he
moment encamped around the walls OF
Marking, engaged in starving the rival
emperor. Hung Sew Tsuen. The latter
already reduced to short allowances OF YER
min and bad rice. and was preparing TO
begin on a diet OF human flesh. when the
disturbance occurred with Gordon and
Lord Elgin. and Hung Sew Tsuen was
given new lease of life. In fact with his
release the cause of rebellion prospered TO
such degree that for the next fourteen
years IL required the combined efforts OF
the reigning emperor and General Gordon
| 1t was this Tai-Ping rebellion that con-
tributed very largely TO making Gordon's
carly reputation. The Europeans were in
duced to take sides in the civil war by
reason of the fact that the Tai-Pings
threatened the seaport cities, where lay
their commercial interests.
| AMERICAN SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE.
The first army OF which Gordon was
given command was force of mercenaries
raised by the Shanghai merchants TO pro-
tect themselves against marauders An
American named Ward, a pure soldier OF
fortune, was it's first commander, his lieu
tenant being another American named
Burgovine The force numbered about 400
at first. but grew later to 5000 1t was
made up OF every nationality on earth. and
was Differed by Italians. Greeks. Portu-
guese. Poles. Russians and Chinese. They
| fought a number of successful battles, but
| Ward was finally killed, and under the
leadership OF Burgovine and others the
force, which came TO be known as 1.-The
| up TO its name. At Tai-Tsan the failure
| was so dismal that the natives stood on
the walls and openly jeered at the soldiers
| as they went stumbling into a moat which
they had not supposed to be there.
IL was at this point that our Ii Hung
| Chang appears on the scene Being Gov
ernor OF the province of Shanghai, he ap-
| pealed TO the British admiral, Staveley, 10
select some competent British officer to
command the 'ever-victorious army"
Staveley chose Gordon, and the latter un-
| dertook and completed the work of exter-
minating 1.-The Heavenly King" as Hung
Sew Tsuen called himself
In China rebellions thrive on fanaticism
This Heavenly King" Hung Sew Tsuen.
almost succeeded In overthrowing the Man
churian dynasty. was a common peasant
| from the north. He fell into the hands Of
missionary named Roberts. and the effect
| OF the latters teachings was surprising
| one morning Hung got UP and startled hts
| neignoors by announcing his divine mis-
sion-which was TO overthrow the empire.
| He posted q notice on his door and at ones
| appointed his five brothers as assistant
/ kings. or wangs. .s.r "a $3.50 -
Then the family went on the war path
and began killing and recruiting. Women
| and children were put to the sword; and
so were the men who were not Impressed
with his divine mission sufficiently TO I'm.
| duce them TO join his army. In a few
weeks he was capturing cities. and I'm few
| months ne had set up rival capital as
! Marking, and had surrounded himself
with as many wives and concubines as
graced the palace of solomon.
| The Heavenly King" had a way OF keep.
ing up his dignity with mystery. He re.
| manned indoors most of the time and per-
| mitted no males except his brother wangs
TO approach him. He was waited on en-
| 6ispeased him he kicked her TO death His
brothers did the fighting. When a city was
taken II was sacked. and it's inhabitants
| put to the sword without mercy.
This was the proposition which Chinese
| Gordon went up against
An incident at the close of the Tai-Ping
rebellion throws sidelight on the charac-
ter of Ii Hung Chang. In terminating his
| successful campaign Gordon captured the
| six princes Of the Tai-Ping dynasty When
they surrendered he gave his promise that
But when Ii Hung Chang made a feast
| in honor of the occasion Gordon saw no
| reason why the princes should not accent
the invitation which Ii extended to them
| greatly shocked when at the end of the last
course Ii had their six heads chopped or
In fact Gordon was very angry. and had
not Ii fled and concealed himself for A
| long time he would not have lived 10 ma ke
| his historic visit to the United States or 10
be acting as intermediary in the present