The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-07-22

howitzers brought it to silence after
half an hours fire. 1t was now quite
dark, so it was deemed expedient to
defer the final assault of this last fort
until morning. During the night the
enemy made active preparations for a
vigorous resistance
Inc Following morning, Saturday,
November q. all hands were called at
CLOCK and arrangements made pre-
pdratory to the attack in front on the
iourtn and last fort. At early daylight
everything being in readiness, the first
lieutenant of the San Jacinto. who had
Deen leIt IN charge of the third fort
captured, was directed TO fire a single
howltzer for the purpose of drawing the
enemy nre, and, as that did not sue
Seeu' another shot was fired, with no
OeIIer result. Three hoWitZerS were
now ieLt IN this fort TO cover the land
ing and TO prevent the enemy from
working the guns bearing upon the
polnL winch the landing party was to
S oeiore crossing the river. One
Iduhcn, with its howitzer, preceded the
other boats, following in three columns
as at the landing two days before.
as soon as We came in sight Of the fort
10y. - tnUMItzerS behind us commenced play
rs rs p[lskly 70 divert the enemy's fire from
moment flo
una cleared the point and during the
tIIhe intervening until it could come with
n muSket range, the eneny'S guns were
ror IN thelr attack upon the assaulting
R Re " despite the rapid and effective
~ IL z VI the hOWltzerS on the fort opposite
hOunQ Snot, grape shot and the shot from
sLnsdS struck all around and passed
cioSeIy overhead, but by great good for
tune dld no damage, though so long and
splltedly continued. As the boats could
not De brought close in shore the men
VIII tAIee nearly cheers, jumped into the
water waist deep, formed, and carried
tne works with rush, reaching them in
Tune TO cut the burning slow match lead
ing ing 10 the loaded guns which the Chinese
mad carefully trained upon our boats be-
lore fleeing. A lieutenant of the Ports
mouth was the first TO enter the fort and
hef hoatsWaln' mate planted Old Glory
on tne Walls rms fort contained thirty
eight guns; and here, too, everything was
then at hand
As a final effort the Chinese made an
attack in force and ATTEMPTED to scale
with ladders the rear of the last fort. but
were successfully repulSed
The ships received fOrty-nine shots in
null and rigging during the engagements
OF the 10th, 10Th and 21St. the Portsmouth
twenty-seven and the Levant Twenty-Five
the LeVant having been brought so near
the forts thSs she received the hottest of
their fire on the last two days
The American loss was seven killed and
twenty-five wounded in action, while
three others were instantly killed and nine
more wounded by the premature eXplo-
sion of a mine while demolishing the
heavy walls of the forts river facings
after the light. The Chinese authorities
gave their loss at 500. and that is not to
be wondered at in the face of the ter
rible Smelling they received from the
ships.
The gallantry of the marines, the cour-
age OF the seamen and fine service per
formed by the American merchantmen
volunteered
pecially commended by Commodore Arm
strong, while of the hOwitzers Captain
Foote says: They contributed greatly
| might almost say. secured the success Of
the expedition, not only by their de-
structive qualities but by the fear which
their appearance inspired among the
enemy the moment they came within
their range" -e2
After some futile efforts to obtain an
Acknowledgements of wr0ngdoing from the
imperial commissioner, Yeh, and an I'M
equivocal ayowal of rightful dealing in
the future, Commodore Armstrong was
obliged TO content himself finally with the
knowledge of the work he had accom-
plished upon the forts and with a few
oily phrases from the very slick Yeh.
Thus ended our first war with China-a
war that did a vast deal to raise the pres
tige of our flag in the far east and to aid
later in bringing us in direct official touch
with the person of the emperOr-a recOg-
milton for many years deemed too good
for the foreign observation-disclosures Dis
patch
The blood is strained and purified by
tha EidnpUS No hone of health while