The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-11-17
i WON VICTORIES
How a Great Chinaman Climb
ed TO Victory.
HE HAD A FINE MEMORY
Was a Scholar at a Very Early
Age.

Ii Hung Chang, the most famous OF
modern Cinnamon. was born. as he was
always fond of saying himself, in the
same year as Gen. L. S. Grant. that is
10 say in 1872 The place of his birth
was the village of Hwei Ting. in the
Province Ngan Wei. in the Yang-tse val
ley, not far from Nankin. He was the
son of parents who belonged to the lit
erary class They were ambitious for
their five sons, Of whom Ii was the sec
ond and semt to the best schools within
their means Young Ii soon distinguish
ed himself at the village school by the
feats of m emory and penmanship. At
fourteen years of age he passed his first
examination. and took his baccaIaureate
degree in Ng.sn King, the provincial cap
ital. Some years later he passed his sec
ond examination. securing the masters
degree in The famous compound at Chez
Foo, over whose gates is written, Let
none but able scholars enter here" At
Pekin. whittier all students must go for
It. Ii passed his third and final examin-
alton, acquiring the doctors degree and
q MandaJin's button of the fourth grade.
Then he became a member of the noted
Han Lin College, and settled down TO q
literary and bureaucratic life.
The Tai-l2ing rebellion was the turn
ing point in his career When it broke
out he was at his old home. At first he
hesitated whether TO join the rebels and
help them TO restore the Ming dynasty,
the true Chinese dynasty, 10 the Dragon
Throne, or 10 remain royal to the Tartar
government. He himself is a true Chinese
and not a Tartar. But he decided to
stand by the Tartar dynasty. His decis-
ion was made when the rebels invaded
Ngan-Wei He organized a local militia
and led it against them with much sue
cess. 1t seems that he had natural mil
itary instincts. A giant in statue and
strength. he had also the gift of mastery
over men. So he soon placed himself
and his militia at the service Of theVic-
eroy of the province. and was advanced
by rapid stages to the rank of TaOtai,
with the command of the division of the
Imperial Army in Che-Kiang. AS his d.
vision Of the army was the only one that
won victories, it presently seemed to the
Government advisable to extend his au-
Ahority; so that in 1860 he was made Foo
tai. or military commander of the Pro-
vince of Kiang-Su, the then seat of the
rebellion. II was in that capacity that he
met It was at Soo-Chow they parted.
aid Of that illustrious man in bringing
the war to an end. The whole story Of
the deeds Of the ever victorious army
and of Gordon's seemingly enchanted life,
has often been told. and reads like
tale of romance.
1t was at Shanghai that Ii and Gordon
met. 1t was at Soo-Chow the yparted.
That city was The scene of the last stand
of the TaiZPings. Hung had made his
escape elsewhere, but his son and the
Wangs were there. with all that was
left Of their armies. Gordon stormed the
city, and emanded the surrender Of the
Wangs. They did surrender. trusting to
his promise that their lives should be
spared But. while he was busy with
other details of the capture, Ii came up
on the scene. and promptly ordered the
execution of the prisoners. Gordon's rage
when he heard of the treachery was in
Hxpressible. and could he have laid hands
doubt that the career of the latter would
have ended there and then: but he had
fed for his life. Ii for his idea of practi-
cal Oriental craftsmanship, was rewarded
with yellow jacket.
After the fall of Soo-Chow. II removed
20 Nankn. where he became Governor
General. A new honor conferred upon
him was that of the two-eyed Peacock
Feather With tne Anglo-French inva-
sion. which resulted in the destruction
of the Taku forts, the sacking OF Pekin, /
and the eX>ortion of various concessions
TO foreigners. he had nothing 10 do. al
though he was engaged in the final peace /
negotiations. In lS66 he was dispatched
north 10 stamp out the rebels Of Men RI. (
which he did summarily. Again he ex-
allied TO higher office becoming Governor /
General of the provinces OF Hoo Pc and /
Ho Nan. in 1870 he quened more insur- /
rections In Kan Su Shan ST lie was re-
called temporarily 10 DE made Governor /
General or Niceroy of Pe-Chi-Ii. the most /
important post in the empire ia addi- 4
tion TO guarding the safety Of the Emper- +
or and the court. the maintenance of the /
canal. the safe transmission OF the gov /
eminent taxes. etc. II was his only duty /
TO arrange fer public defense. superintend /
the foreign or maritime trade. receive /
foreign and native officials. and transact /
in addition t--e multifarious duties Of a
practical viccroy. The usual term of
provincial Governor is three years. but /
SO successful was Ii in his administra- /
ton that he was continued in office for I
Twenty-Five years substantially without /
Il break.
II is customary nj The death Of the .
mother Of a Chinese high official for his +
20 resign and go into retirement for three +
years and when his mother died in lSSz. +
il asked Tor authority 20 comply with +
the custom but his prayer was denied. +
and his mourning was limited % period /
by the imperial decree to only hundred
Gays. soon afrerward. or early iu lS>3.
for some reason not clearly explained
he was allowed u vacate his post rs
Niceroy and irst Grand Secretary of
The empire. 20 which he had been an
pointed by the Empress Regent. bur was
recalled in August OF that year 10 resume
ms high official functions. ana held con-
tinuouS way un the ereat disasters Of
the war with Japan brought him into
oisfaVor and were made the prete9t for
relieving him ana also .or deriving hin,
Of his houors and decorations. h VAS i-
the same year when general var with
kussia WAS impendine inst before Tho
Ieaquin ~er with France. that Chinese
Gordon uas called back 20 China. To or
eau.ze and taEt commaud of thc imperial
i41d forces. j. IS now known that Gordon
suggested that II should seize Pekin aad
make Can sweep ~ She existing 7,- !