Second Battle of Chuenpee The Second Battle of Chuenpee was fought between British and Chinese forces at the Bocca Tigris , China , on 7 January 1841 during the First Opium War . The British captured the forts on the islands of Chuenpee and Tycocktow . The battle led to negotiations between British Plenipotentiary Charles Elliot and Chinese Imperial Commissioner Qishan in the Convention of Chuenpee . Elliot declared , among other arrangements , the cession of Hong Kong Island to the British Empire . Background . In October 1840 , the Daoguang Emperor fired Imperial Commissioner Lin Zexu and replaced him with Qishan . British Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston instructed Plenipotentiary Charles Elliot to have the ports of Canton , Amoy , Fuzhou , Ningpo , and Shanghai be opened for trade , to acquire the cession of an island or islands ( or if the Chinese refused , the establishment of a secure English enclave on the mainland ) , and to be paid money for confiscated opium and military costs in China . On 1 December 1840 , Elliot wrote to Palmerston that these demands would be secured in ten days . Three days after the deadline , Elliot wrote to Governor - General of India Lord Auckland that he failed to get the concessions , but still predicted success . He then conceded to Auckland that any success would be " far short of the demands of the government . " In negotiations with Qishan , Elliot wanted $ 7 million in six years and the surrender of Amoy and Chusan as permanent British possessions . Qishan offered $ 5 million over twelve years , so they agreed to $ 6 million . However , Qishan refused Elliot ' s territorial demands . Elliot offered to abandon Chusan ( which the British captured in July 1840 ) for another port to be chosen later . After Qishan rejected the offer , Elliot told him , " There are very large forces collected here , and delays must breed amongst them a very great impatience . " The year passed with no final settlements . An opium ship that sailed to Canton delivered a rumour that the emperor decided to wage war . On 5 January 1841 , Elliot prepared for an attack on Canton . He informed Qishan that an attack would commence in two days if agreements could not be reached . He allowed Commodore James Bremer , commander - in - chief of the British forces , to make offensive operations . Battle . British operations began at 8 : 00 am on 7 January from Sampanchow Island , 3 miles ( 4 . 8 km ) below the first forts . By 9 : 00 am , 504 royal marines , 33 royal artillery , 104 troops of the 26th and 49th regiments , 607 troops of the 37th Madras Native Infantry , 76 Bengal volunteers , and 137 seamen from the " Wellesley " , " Blenheim " , and " Melville " landed 2 miles ( 3 . 2 km ) below the Chuenpee batteries unopposed . An additional 30 seamen operated a 24 pound ( 11 kg ) howitzer and two 6 pound ( 2 . 7 kg ) field gun s . Major Thomas Simson Pratt of the 26th regiment commanded the land force of about 1 , 500 men . About 2 , 000 Chinese men defended Chuenpee . After advancing 1 . 5 miles ( 2 . 4 km ) , the British spotted the upper fort and an entrenchment , having a deep ditch outside and a breastwork around it . Upon spotting the British , the Chinese cheered , waved their flags in defiance , and opened fire from the batteries . The British cannons , which were placed on the crest of the hill , commenced firing . The Chinese returned fire for about 20 minutes . The " Queen " and " Nemesis " steamers ( under Captain Edward Belcher ) fired shells into the upper fort while the " Calliope " , " Hyacinth " , and " Larne " ships ( under Captain Thomas Herbert ) attacked the lower fort . In less than an hour , the Chinese batteries were silenced . By 10 : 00 am , the upper fort was captured , and the lower fort was surrounded and stormed by royal marines . After the capture , " Nemesis " attacked a fleet of about 15 junks under Admiral Kuan T ' ien - p ' ei in Anson ' s Bay . The ship fired a Congreve rocket that struck a junk near the admiral . A British officer gave his account of the incident : At about 11 : 30 am , the Chinese hauled down their flags on board the junks . Captain James Scott of the " Samarang " commanded the attack on Tycocktow Island ( west of Chuenpee ) . The forts began firing at the British vessels at 10 : 20 am . The " Samarang " returned fire ten minutes later after anchoring 200 yards ( 180 m ) away . The " Modeste " , " Druid " , and " Columbine " later anchored in succession . Scott reported that " in a few minutes , so destructive and well directed was the fire of our ships , that that of the enemy was silenced , with the exception of an occasional gun or two . " At 11 : 20 am , the ships proceeded to land and storm the forts . The Chinese remained in them until it was stormed by the British boat crews . The Chinese could not withstand the British musket s during hand to hand combat . After capturing the forts , the Chinese guns were spiked and thrown into the river . In total , 38 British were wounded . British sources put Chinese casualties and losses from 500 to 600 killed , 200 to 300 wounded , 11 junks destroyed , and 191 ordnance s captured . 100 prisoners who laid down their arms were released the next day . According to Qing scholar Wei Yuan , Kuan sent Rear - Admiral Li T ' ing - Yü to Canton to request more troops , which the " whole official body " supported except Qishan , who spent the night writing peace proposals . Aftermath . Elliot sent a Chinese prisoner to Kuan , with a letter explaining " the usages of civilized warfare " and that if the forts did not hoist their colours the next day , they would not be attacked . At 11 : 30 am on 8 January , British ships led by the " Blenheim " sailed up the Bocca Tigris . As they approached Anunghoy Island ( north of Chuenpee ) , a boat , which was rowed by an old woman , displayed a white flag . A man from the ship was taken on board a British vessel to deliver a request from Kuan that hostilities be suspended for three days to contact Qishan . The attack was annulled and Lieutenant John Ouchterlony wrote that it " certainly created a feeling of great disappointment throughout the fleet . " Elliot addressed the meeting in a circular aboard the " Wellesley " : " A communication has been received from the Chinese commander - in - chief , which has led to an armistice , with the purpose to afford the high commissioner time to consider certain conditions now offered for his acceptance . " On 20 January , after the Convention of Chuenpee , Elliot announced " the conclusion of preliminary arrangements " between Qishan and himself . They involved the cession of Hong Kong Island to the United Kingdom , a $ 6 million indemnity to the British government , direct and equal ties between the countries , and the trade in Canton to be opened within ten days after the Chinese new year . They also agreed to the restoration of Chuenpee and Tycocktow to the Chinese , and the evacuation of Chusan . On 26 January , the Union Flag was raised on Hong Kong , and Bremer took formal possession of the island , under a feu de joie from the marines and a royal salute from the men - of - war ships . On 29 January , Elliot proclaimed that Chinese natives " shall be governed according to the laws and customs of China , every description of torture excepted " and that " all British subjects and foreigners residing , or resorting to the island of Hongkong , shall enjoy full security and protection , according to the principles and practice of British law " . When the news reached the emperor , he ordered Qishan to be " degraded from his office " and to stand trial at the Board of Punishments . Qishan faced several charges including giving " the barbarians Hongkong as a dwelling place " . In his response , he claimed , " I pretended to do so from the mere force of circumstances , and to put them off for a time , but had no such serious intention . " The court denounced him as a traitor and sentenced him to death . He was imprisoned for several months , but by the end of 1841 , he was allowed , without authority or rank , to deal with the British . On 21 April 1841 , Lord Palmerston wrote a letter of reprimand to Elliot and recalled him for not securing the earlier demands . Palmerston dismissed Hong Kong as " a barren island with hardly a house upon it . " Henry Pottinger was appointed to replace Elliot as plenipotentiary in May 1841 . Queen Victoria addressed the battle and Elliot ' s negotiations in a letter to her uncle , King Leopold I of Belgium , on 13 April 1841 :