Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-14
and resumed command of his ship, the

Levant.
Three days of diplomatic" clubbing
passed. On the Doth the Chinese being de-
tected In Strengthening their defenses and
preparing for stout resistance, Captain
Foote determined to take the initiative and
to storm the enemy's forts.
AT $50 on the morning of that day both
ships being in position and In all respects
ready for action, the vessels beat to quar-
tiers and simultaneously opened on the two
nearest forts. After an interval Of five
minutes the fire was briskly returned and
so continued until 7:45. when 1t materially
slackened.
Capture of q Fort.
A storming party, consisting of 2s7 per-
sons, officers. seamen and marines. with
four howitzers. under the command Of Cap
tain Foote, Commanders Bell and Smith
leading respectively, the detachments from
their ships, was formed under the shelter
OF the Portsmouth. The party pulled for
the shore in three columns, the marines
being most efficiently led by Captain Simms
OF that corps. While landing, two appren-
tive boys were killed by the Academia dis
charge of a rifle The party formed and
| marched toward the rear of the fort, drag
g1ng the three howitZers with them across
the deep mud of the rice fields, and wading
creek waist deep. In order to attack the
enemy from his weak side 1t was necessary
to pass through village offering some
resistance until the howitzers cleared the
streets and secured an unobstructed adj
vance. When near the fort the soldiers
were seen fleeing from it. many swimming
for the opposite shore. The marines be-
Ing In advance, opened upon the fugftives,
killing from forty to fifty of them, and
few moments later the stars and stripes
were planted on the walls. The fort OPP
posite. now brought an energetic fire to
bear upon the captured battery, but the
attack was soon silenced after turning this
captive ordnance upon them-not, however,
before
by the bursting of one Of the Chinese
guns.
The city of Canton being only four or
five miles distant, a portion of its army.
variously estimated from 5000 to 1900
strong, and creditably estimated at fully
1900, was quite near. They twice advanced,
but were both times repulsed by the ma
rines losing ten or a dozen killed, and as
they We're retreating a deadly fire was
opened upon them from one OF the howit-
GERS. One of the howitzers' crews was
wounded in the leg.
Again night closed the action, and
small portion Of the force withdrawn, while
the rest remained 10 guard the captured
works till morning.
ResuminE the Battle.
At an. the next day. the 21st, an
eight-inch shot from one OF the forts struck
the Portsmouth and lodged in the bends.
This was instantly returned by three of her
shells and the fort was silenced. AT am.
the commander of the San Jacinto, with
the force with which he had occupied the
captured fort during the night, embarked
and returned to the ships. After rest OF
two hours, both ships opened fire on the
three remaining forts, which was returned
at first with considerable spirit. During
this action seaman on the Levant was
mortally wounded. The fort nearest the
ships having been silenced, at O'Clock the
boats, in tow of the Kun Fa, left the
ships and started for the attack. While
passing the barrier a ricochet sxty-four-
one of the boats comp etely rakingit and in
stantly killing one man, mortally wounding
two others and injuring more or less Sc
verely seven more. The steamer stood on
with the boats in tow till they were covered
by an intervening neck of land. After wad-
ing ditch waist deep and receiving several
shots from gingals and rockets-one of the
latter MORALLY wounding a marine-the
fort was carried in the presence of thou
sand or more Chinese soldiers drawn up
just beyond howitZer range. A corporal OF
marines-the color bearer of his company
planted the flag upon the walls. Several OF
the guns of this fort, supplemented by the
navy howitzers, were brought to bear upon
the central fort commanding the river,
which had opened upon the victors. 1t was
soon silenced. The other guns in the fort
altogether forty.one in number-were
spiked, their carriages burned and every
thing destructible destroyed
Bravery of Our Men.
At pm. the marines, advancing along
work. mounting six guns. party Of Chi
nese soldiers. several hundred in number.
advanced toward them, but were soon re-
pulsed by two companies of sailors led by
their lieutenant. In the meantime one of
the howitZers was brought to bear upon
still greater force, which dispersed
with considerable lOss-how much could
not be told. for they carried their dead and
wounded away. The boats, under fire from
the opposite side of the river, had been
tracked up to the breastwork taken by the
marines, and now, under cover Of these
newly won guns and those of the fort just
taken, crossed to the island and took pos
session of its fort containing thirty-eight
guns, one of which was monster brass
affair of eight and one-half-inch caliber
and twenty-five feet five inches in length.
1t was this gun, no doubt, that buried its
shot in the heavy bends of the Portsmouth.
Again the standard bearer of the marines
was the first to plant the colorS on the
captured walls. Everything that could be
destroyed demolished, and only one
more fort now remained to be silenced and
captured. This fort, on the Canton side of
the river. then opened fire upon the last
fort taken. but the guns of that fort to-
gether with those murderous howitzers.
brought it to silence after half an hours
fire. 1t was now quite dark 1t was
deemed eXpedient TO defer the final assault
on this last fort until morning. During the
night the enemy made active prepare tions
for vigorous resistance.
Saturdays Operations.
The following morning, Saturday, No
vember %, all hands We're called at
o'clock and arrangements made prepara-
tory to the attack 'in 'front.' on the fourth
and last fort. At early daylight every
thing being in readiness, the first lieuten-
ant of the San Jacinto, who had been left
in charge of the third fort captured, was
directed to fire single howitZer for the
purpose of drawing the enemy's fire. and.
as that did not succeed, another shot was
fired with no better result. Three howitzers
were now left in this fort to cover the
landing and to prevent the enemy from