The seizure of the _Arrow_, sailing under British colours, by the
Chinese, and their haughty refusal to make any reparation, compelled the
British minister at Canton to apply to Sir Michael Seymour,
commander-in-chief on the China station, to try the efficacy of his guns
in inducing the commissioner, Yeh, to yield to his demands. The
admiral's flag was flying on board the _Calcutta_, 84; he had under him
the _Winchester_, of 50 guns, the _Sybil_ and _Pique_, of 40, and the
_Hornet_ and _Encounter_, screw-steamers, the first of 17 and the other
of 15 guns, and three paddle-wheel steamers and three sloops of war. He
was in a short time reinforced by the _Sanspareil_, of 70 guns, the
_Nankin_, of 50, the _Amethyst_, of 26, several screw-steamers, and a
considerable number of gunboats, well suited for navigating the Chinese
rivers. The English admiral first sailed up to Canton, and took
possession of all its outer defences, one of which, the Macao fort,
situated in the middle of the river, he garrisoned with a force of
marines. The Barrier Forts, armed with 150 guns, were stormed and
captured, the guns spiked, and the buildings destroyed. These
proceedings, however, had no effect on Yeh, and he still held out.
Accordingly, bringing up other vessels, the admiral ordered an attack on
Canton itself. The ships soon made a breach in the walls, when a body
of seamen and marines under Captains Elliott and Stuart and Commanders
Holland and Bate stormed the place, and in a short time the gallant Bate
having scaled the walls at the head of one detachment, waved the British
ensign on the top of the breach; the gate of the city was blown open,
and in less than an hour Canton was in possession of the British. The
blue-jackets and marines abstained from all acts of plunder, and treated
the inhabitants so well that they came fearlessly alongside the vessels,
bringing fresh provisions of all kinds. The admiral, not considering it
advisable to retain the city, withdrew his men, leaving only a force
sufficient for the protection of the factory. This place the Chinese
attempted to burn, and made every effort to destroy the fleet with
fire-rafts and enormous explosive machines, some of which, it is said,
contained 3000 pounds of gunpowder. They were invariably, however,
towed clear of the ships. Yeh then one night sent a fleet of 23
war-junks in the hopes of surprising the fleet. Getting news of the
intended attack, the admiral despatched the _Barracouta_ with a fleet of
boats under Captain Wilson of the _Winchester_, the admiral himself
afterwards joining, and in half-an-hour the whole of the fleet was
destroyed, with the exception of the admiral's vessel, carrying 60 guns,
which was brought off.
Still Yeh refused to yield, and Sir Michael therefore attacked the Bogue
Forts, which now mounted upwards of 200 guns, and the whole were
captured with trifling loss the mandarins having run away and deserted
their men, who began in their terror to throw themselves into the sea,
till they were persuaded by Captain Hall that they would not be injured.
Meantime, the Chinese were beginning to repair the Barrier Forts, which,
as they commanded the river, the admiral resolved to destroy. Two of
them, the French Folly and Dutch Folly, were successively attacked.
Captains Wilson and Cochrane landing at the head of 850 seamen and
marines, stormed the latter, and blew up it and the 30 guns with which
it was armed. The Dutch Folly was garrisoned by 140 seamen, under the
command of Commodore Elliott, while, to protect the squadron, two strong
booms were thrown across the river, one above and the other below it.
This terminated the year 1856.
Early in the following year the Chinese having collected a fleet of 90
large junks and 30 row-boats, advanced from three different quarters,
hoping to overwhelm the British squadron; but the ships, opening their
fire, soon put them to flight, when they were followed by the boats and
several more destroyed. For several months no active operations took
place. Unhappily, the Honourable Captain Keppel's ship, the _Raleigh_,
on her way to Hong-Kong, struck on a rock and was totally wrecked. Sir
Michael, however, gave him command of the _Alligator_, and placed under
him the _Bittern_ sloop and the hired steamers, _Hong-Kong_ and _Sir
Charles Forbes_, attached to the _Raleigh_ as tenders. As soon as
active operations were commenced, a squadron of gunboats towing about 20
ship's boats, most of them armed with a heavy gun, was despatched up the
Escape Creek in search of a large fleet of Chinese war-junks. As soon
as the Chinese saw them, they took to flight up a shallow creek, where
the gunboats pursuing them, grounded; but the officers jumping into the
boats, continued the pursuit, when Commander Forsyth captured ten, and
Mr Brown, mate of the _Hornet_, with a single boat's crew, attacked and
carried three large ones in succession. Altogether, ten were taken and
seventeen destroyed.
Several smaller expeditions were made with the like success. Still, the
main fleet of the Chinese remaining in safety in Fatshan, the admiral
resolved to lead against it an expedition he had organised of 11
gunboats and between 50 and 60 boats of the fleet, carrying 2000 men.
Each division of boats was commanded by the captains of the ships to
which they belonged. The fleet they were to attack consisted of 80 of
the largest junks, manned by 6000 of the best Chinese sailors and
warriors. It was drawn up under heavy batteries on either bank; across
the stream 50 junks were found moored side by side, the large guns in
their bows pointed down it. The admiral waited till dead low water, the
most favourable time for making his attack, and he hoped that the junks
would be unable to move till he got up to them, while should any of his
own gunboats take the ground, they would soon again be afloat with the
rising tide. The Chinese had further strengthened their position by
sinking junks laden with stone, against one of which the _Coromandel_,
carrying the admiral's flag, grounded. He, on this, landing with a
party of blue-jackets and marines, stormed one of the batteries, the
garrison of which soon took to flight. Meantime, the _Haughty_, the
leading gunboat, attacked the largest of the junks; her crew jumping
overboard, the example was followed by those of the rest of the fleet,
when the whole squadron was immediately set on fire. Commodore Keppel
attacked and carried a second battery, and then sent his division of
boats against another squadron of junks. These having been destroyed,
he pushed on three miles till he saw before him the main body of the
largest junks moored compactly across the stream with their heavy
bow-guns pointing at him. These opened so tremendous a fire that in a
few moments every boat was hit. The commodore's coxswain was killed,
and scarcely a man in the boat escaped. While Lieutenant Prince Victor
of Hohenlohe was engaged in attending to a wounded man, a shot whizzed
between him and the commodore, and had he not been bending down, he
would have been killed. So full of water was the boat that Keppel had
to jump on the after-thwart to keep his legs out of it, when another
round-shot passed through both sides of the boat scarcely an inch below
him. At length, as the boat was on the point of sinking, he and his
companions, taking the wounded men, got into one of the _Calcutta's_
boats. The rest of the flotilla had suffered in the same way, and
numerous officers and men had been killed or wounded. The commodore,
seeing that there was little hope of success at that moment, ordered the
boats to retire, and the deck of the _Hong-Kong_ was soon covered with
the wounded men brought on board. The fire of the Chinese still
reaching her, several more men were killed on board. The admiral,
however, hearing the firing, had sent up reinforcements, and Commodore
Keppel, calling to the rest of the boats to follow, again dashed forward
in the _Raleigh's_ cutter, in a style which so daunted the Chinese that,
cutting their cables, they pulled away up the stream. The British
seamen cheered and, opening fire from their big guns, were soon up to
the sternmost junks. These were quickly captured, their crews in many
instances leaping overboard. The rest were pursued for seven miles,
till the British boats found themselves almost in the middle of the
large city of Fatshan. Here the commodore landing put a considerable
body of troops to flight, and would have captured and held the town had
not the admiral considered the enterprise useless. He contented
himself, therefore, with towing away five large junks, the only portion
of the Chinese fleet which had escaped destruction. This success was
purchased at the cost of 84 men killed and wounded. Chuenpee, further
down the river, was next captured without difficulty, for though
considerably strengthened, so disheartened were the Chinese that they
did not attempt to defend it.
Considerable reinforcements were now sent out from England, including
the _Shannon_, Captain W. Peel, the _Pearl, Sanspareil_, and numerous
gunboats; but news of the Sepoy mutiny having reached the admiral, he
immediately despatched them to Calcutta with a force of Royal Artillery
and other troops. During the eventful struggle which ensued, the crews
of the _Shannon_ and _Pearl_, formed into naval brigades, did good
service. In November, 1857, the Indian mutiny being nearly quelled,
operations in China were recommenced. Yeh proved as obstinate as ever,
and to bring him to reason Canton was again attacked. Besides 800
regular troops, the British force consisted of the marines and 1550
blue-jackets, well trained to act on shore. They were formed into three
divisions under Captains Stuart, Key, and McClure, the command of the
whole being confided to Commodore Elliott. The French, who had now
joined the English, had also a naval brigade of less size. The smaller
vessels and gunboats having arrived before Canton, began and kept up a
ceaseless fire on the walls as well as on the heights both inside and
outside the city, replied to by the cannon, jingalls, and rockets of the
Chinese. On the morning of the 29th the naval brigade stormed and
captured a large temple close to the walls, and at daylight the
artillery, which had been landed, opened fire and soon effected a
breach. The signal was now given for the scaling parties to advance,
and rushing forward with ladders in hand they were quickly up to the
walls. The French had the honour of getting over first, not having
waited for the signal. The British seamen in different directions were
not long after them, Commander Fellowes, of the _Cruiser_, being the
first to mount. The Chinese fought bravely, and many of the British
seamen fell. Among them was Captain Bate, of the _Actaeon_, who was
killed while about to mount a scaling ladder. Captain Key with his
brigade seizing a battery turned its guns upon the foe; and division
after division having got over, swept the Chinese before them, till by
nine o'clock the city was won. So large was the city that it took some
days before it could be thoroughly occupied. Among those captured were
Yeh himself and several other mandarins of rank. As a punishment for
his conduct he was sent as a prisoner to Calcutta. The whole loss of
the allies was under 130 men killed and wounded, the larger portion
belonging to the naval brigade. After this the fleet proceeded to the
Peiho, at the mouth of which stands the town of Taku, to which the
emperor had despatched a new commissioner named Tau, to negotiate with
Lord Elgin. As, however, Tau behaved exactly as Yeh had done, the
English and French admirals sent a squadron to capture the forts which
guard the entrance to the river. They had been of late greatly
strengthened, and from the ditches and wide extent of mud spread before
them, were truly formidable. The force consisted of the _Cormorant_,
Commander Saumarez, the _Nimrod, Slaney_, several French vessels, and a
number of the smaller British gunboats, _Opossum, Bustard, Staunch_.
The two admirals going up on board the _Slaney_. The _Cormorant_
leading, broke through a boom of great strength, passed across the
river, and various vessels quickly taking up their position, opened
their fire on the forts, which, though defended for some time, at length
yielded, their garrisons taking to flight. A squadron of gunboats, with
the English and French admirals on board, then made their way up to
Tientsin, a large city midway between Pekin and the sea. The emperor,
now fearing that his capital itself would be attacked, came to terms.
The fleet, however, remained ready to compel him to keep to them, should
he attempt to evade fulfilling his engagements. In the meantime a small
squadron, consisting of the _Retribution_, Captain Barker, the
_Furious_, Captain S. Osborn, the _Cruiser_, Commander Bythesea, the
gunboat _Lee_, Lieutenant Jones, and surveying-vessel _Dove_, Commander
Ward, made a voyage up the Yang'tse Kiang, 600 miles above Nankin, to a
city of importance called Hang-keo. From the shallowness of the water
the larger vessels frequently grounded, and on passing Nankin, then in
possession of a formidable army of rebels, which attacked them, they had
to fight their onward way. At length the _Retribution_ could proceed no
farther, but Osborn leading the rest reached Hang-keo in safety. On
their way back the larger vessels again grounded, but being released by
a flood, the whole succeeded in returning to Shanghai.
Sir Michael Seymour returning home, was succeeded by Admiral J. Hope,
with his flag on board the _Chesapeake_. Besides six larger vessels, he
had under his command a squadron of nine gunboats. Each boat was armed
with two long guns and two howitzers, and before they went into action
the admiral sent on board each from the _Chesapeake_ an additional
32-pounder and an organised crew to work it. Those who knew the Chinese
best were very sure, as the result proved, that the emperor did not
intend to keep the terms of the treaty. Admiral Hope arrived off the
Peiho on the 8th of June, and as soon as he attempted to ascend it for
the purpose of proceeding to Pekin to announce the arrival of the
British ambassador, he discovered that the forts had been greatly
strengthened, and that obstructions of all sorts had been placed across
the river. Strong booms had been carried from side to side, and iron
stakes driven into the bottom at intervals, reaching within two feet of
high-water mark. The Chinese having neglected to remove the
obstructions, after the admirals had waited several days, Mr Bruce and
the French ambassador having arrived, the admiral sent in to say that
unless his demands were immediately complied with he should force his
way. A force of blue-jackets and marines 700 strong were told off to
storm the forts, and the admiral, shifting his flag to the _Plover_, led
his squadron of gunboats, accompanied by those of the French, towards
the forts. During the night Captain Wills with three boats had broken
the first boom with barrels of gunpowder, and pushing on, was examining
the inner one, when the moon rising revealed his position to the
Chinese, who opened so warm a fire on him that he was compelled to
retire. The plan proposed was to attack the works on the river side
with the gunboats, and the batteries being silenced, to storm with the
landing-party. The gunboats, as far as they were able, took up the
position allotted to them, but from the shallowness of the water, the
_Starling_ and _Banterer_ got aground. No sooner did they open fire
than the Chinese began blazing away from a line of heavy guns, which, in
a short time, played havoc among them. The _Plover_ was almost knocked
to pieces, and her commander killed, 30 of her crew being killed or
wounded, and the admiral himself severely hurt. He, however, shifted
his flag on board the _Opossum_, whose commander was shortly afterwards
wounded, and her screw becoming fouled, she drifted down the stream. On
this Admiral Hope went on board the _Cormorant_, and on her deck, lying
in his cot, issued his directions till overcome by loss of blood.
Captain Shadwell then took the command. The engagement continued with
great fury on both sides, but the _Lee_ and _Haughty_ were both nearly
destroyed. The tide having sunk several feet, the English guns produced
less effect on the fort than at first. At the end of four hours,
however, nearly all the Chinese guns on the left bank were silenced,
though those on the right still continued their fire. It was
determined, therefore, to storm the forts on that side, and late in the
evening the force destined for that purpose was landed, led by Captains
Shadwell and Vansittart and Colonel Lemon, of the marines, and supported
by Commanders Commerell and Heath. The gallant Captain Tricault led a
body of French, and the boats of an American man-of-war assisted in
landing the men. Scarcely, however, had they jumped on shore, unable to
obtain the slightest shelter, than the Chinese opened a tremendous fire
on them with jingalls, rifles, and muskets, and every gun that could be
brought to bear. In a few minutes numbers were hit, Captain Vansittart
was mortally wounded, Captain Shadwell's foot was smashed, and Colonel
Lemon fell, severely hurt. The command now devolved on Commerell, who
gallantly led forward his men; but two ditches and a wide extent of mud
intervened between them and the fort, and so thickly did the shot rain
down on them that, before they got twenty yards, 300 were killed or
wounded, and they were compelled to retreat--many unfortunate fellows
being suffocated in the mud. Of the numerous vessels which had run on
shore, all were got off with the exception of the _Cormorant, Plover_,
and _Lee_, which were knocked to pieces to prevent them falling into the
hands of the Chinese. In this disastrous affair above 80 men had been
killed and 350 wounded, many of whom died from their hurts.
The Chinese were not allowed, however, for any length of time to boast
of their victory. The Peiho was again entered, the town of Pehtang was
occupied and the Taku Forts again attacked from the sea and land.
Though the army lost a good many men in the operations, not one on board
the gunboats was killed. The booms across the river were broken
through, the iron stakes drawn, and Admiral Hope pushing on in the
_Coromandel_ with a squadron of gunboats, arrived before Tientsin, which
yielded to the first summons.
After this the duties of the steamers consisted chiefly in conveying the
heavy siege trains of baggage and provisions for the supply of the army
in the neighbourhood of Pekin, when after his army had been thoroughly
defeated, and at the moment that his city was about to be stormed, the
emperor yielded to all the demands of the allies. The emperor had acted
with great treachery in the negotiations for peace, imprisoning and
torturing the English envoys and escort, so as a lesson to him and his
people, his celebrated Summer Palace was burnt to the ground, thus
showing them that had they thought fit Pekin itself might have been
treated in the same manner.