We now come to the crowning victory of the British in China in this war.
Considerable reinforcements having arrived, it was resolved to advance
on Nankin itself, the ancient capital of the empire, as the most certain
way of bringing the Chinese to terms. To reach that city, the admiral
had determined to conduct his fleet, consisting of nearly eighty sail,
including two line-of-battle ships, up the great river Yang-Tze, into
the very heart of the empire, 200 miles from the sea.
On the 6th July, this imposing fleet passed up the river without any
opposition, the Chinese having even withdrawn their guns from most of
the towns on its banks, to escape the injury they expected would be
inflicted had they made any hostile demonstration. At Seshan, however,
about fifteen miles below Chin-Keang-Foo, some batteries at the foot of
a hill, mounting about twenty guns, opened their fire on the _Pluto_ and
_Nemesis_, as those vessels were surveying in advance. On the following
day, the batteries having fired on the _Modeste_, she very speedily
drove out their garrisons, and destroyed them completely.
On the 16th, the naval and military commanders-in-chief went up the
river in the _Vixen_, followed by the _Medusa_, to reconnoitre the
approaches to Chin-Keang-Foo. They approached the entrance of the
Imperial Canal, which passes close to the city walls, and is one of the
greatest works in China for facilitating the internal water
communication through the country. As no soldiers were seen on the
walls, and no other preparations for defence were visible, it was hoped
that resistance would not be offered, and that thus all effusion of
blood would be spared. When, however, some of the officers landed on
Golden Island, which is opposite the mouth of the Great Canal, and
climbed to the top of the pagoda in the centre of the island, they
discovered three large encampments on the slope of the hills to the
south-west of the city. This showed that the Chinese had a large army
ready to defend the place, though it was doubted if the troops would
fight. The British land force consisted of about 7000 men of all arms.
It had been determined that none of the ships-of-war should be engaged
in the attack. The _Auckland_ was therefore the only vessel which fired
into the city, when employed in covering the landing of the troops.
On the evening of the 20th all preparations were completed for the
attack, which was to take place at daylight the next day. A body of
seamen and marines, however, under Captain Peter Richards, took an
active part in the engagement, accompanied by Sir William Parker, who
forced his way with the general through the gates of the city. Lord
Saltoun's brigade was the first on shore, and, gallantly attacking the
Chinese encamped outside the walls, soon drove them over the hills.
General Schoedde's brigade, however, was received by a hot fire of guns,
jingalls, and matchlocks, and in consequence he gave orders for
immediately escalading the walls. The Tartars fought with the most
determined bravery, often in hand-to-hand combats, and several of the
British officers and men were wounded. The walls were soon scaled; and,
as the troops scoured them to the right and left, they fell in with Sir
Hugh and Sir William, who had forced their way in at the gate, while
Captains Peter Richards and Watson, with the seamen and marines, had
scaled the walls in another direction. Still, in the interior of the
city, the Tartars held every house and street where they could hope to
make a stand, determined to sell their lives dearly; and often, when
driven back by superior force, they with perfect deliberation put an end
to their own lives, and frequently those of their wives and children.
While these events were taking place, another of a more naval character
was enacting elsewhere. The _Blonde_ was anchored off the mouth of the
Grand Canal, and her boats had been employed in the morning in landing
the artillery brigade. At ten o'clock they were ordered away to carry
some of the artillery, with two howitzers, up the canal, to create a
diversion in favour of the troops. They were under the command of
Lieutenant Crouch, of the _Blonde_, who had with him Messrs. Lambert,
Jenkins, and Lyons, midshipmen. The barge, cutter, and a flat were a
little in advance, when, coming suddenly in sight of the west gate of
the city, they were assailed by a heavy fire of jingalls and matchlocks
from the whole line of the city wall, running parallel with the canal.
As the wall was nearly forty feet high, the gun in the barge could not
be elevated sufficiently to do service, and the fire of the musketry was
ineffectual. Lieutenant Crouch and Mr Lyons, midshipman, two artillery
officers, sixteen seamen, and eight artillerymen were wounded. As it
would have been madness to have remained longer than necessary exposed
to such a fire, the men leaped from the boats, which they abandoned, and
took shelter under cover of some houses in the suburbs. The crews of
the launch and pinnace, however, which were some way astern, remained
under cover of some buildings, and escaped without loss. Lieutenant
Crouch's party now saw that their only chance of escape was to join the
latter, though to do so they would have to pass across a wide space,
exposed to the fire from the walls. They succeeded, however, in doing
this without loss, and in getting on board the two boats. The whole
party returned down the canal to the _Cornwallis_, where they reported
what had happened to Captain Richards. They were compelled to leave
some of the wounded behind, who, it is satisfactory to report, were
kindly treated by the Chinese,--a strong proof of the advantage of the
example set by the British.
As soon as Captain Richards was informed of the circumstances which had
occurred, he landed with 200 marines at the entrance of the canal, where
he was joined by 300 men of the 6th Madras Native Infantry, under
Captain McLean.
This body then made their way through the suburbs, to escalade the city
walls. At the same time the boats of the _Cornwallis_, under Lieutenant
Stoddart, with those of the _Blonde_, pulled up the canal, with orders
to bring off the boats and guns which had been left behind, and to
endeavour to check the fire of the Chinese, while Captain Richards'
party were engaged in escalading the walls. As soon as Captain Richards
landed, he was joined by Captain Watson and Mr Forster, master of the
_Modeste_, with a boat's crew and a small body of seamen from that ship.
A quantity of rubbish was found near the walls, on which the ladders
were planted by Captains Peter Richards and Watson, when, in face of a
strong body of Tartars, who opened a tremendous fire on them, they began
the hazardous ascent. Captain Richards escaped unhurt; but Captain
Watson was wounded, as was Lieutenant Baker, of the Madras Artillery;
and a marine, who with them was one of the first on the walls, was
killed.
At this juncture, Lieutenant Fitzjames brought up some rockets and
lodged one in a guard-house, which, catching fire, threw the enemy into
such consternation that they gave way, followed by Captain Richards,
who, at the head of his men, had jumped down into an open space between
two gateways. At the same moment the gate was blown open by powder
bags; and Sir William Parker, with the third brigade under General
Bartley, accompanied by Sir Hugh Gough, dashed over its ruins. Several
officers and a large number of men suffered from the effects of the hot
sun. The Naval Brigade having in consequence rested for some time in a
guard-house, on hearing some firing, again sallied out, when they were
met by a sudden fire from a body of Tartars, drawn up across a street
behind a small gateway. Here Lieutenant Fitzjames was wounded, as were
several of the men.
The British, however, uttering a loud cheer, attacked the Tartars with
such fury that they were soon driven back and put to flight, when
numbers fell by their own hands. The city was speedily in entire
possession of the British, when every means was taken to spare life, to
prevent plunder, and to restore order. We must not omit to speak of the
gallantry of several naval officers mentioned by Sir Hugh Gough. Having
heard that the canal was fordable, he had sent Major Gough to ascertain
the fact, accompanied by Captain Loch, RN, who acted as an amateur
throughout the campaign, as the general's extra aide-de-camp, and
Lieutenant Hodgson, of the _Cornwallis_, as also by Lieutenant Heatley.
Instantly rushing down the bank, the four officers plunged into the
canal and swam across, thus proving the impracticability of fording it.
The city was now completely in the power of the British; but, in
consequence of the bad drainage and the number of dead bodies left in
the houses, the cholera broke out, and raged with fearful violence among
the troops, even though they were removed to an encampment outside the
walls. The number of Tartars who destroyed themselves and families was
very great; while much damage was committed by the Chinese plunderers,
who flocked in from the country, and pillaged in every direction; yet,
although the place had been taken by assault, none of the British troops
were allowed to plunder or to commit violence of any description.
These triumphant successes of the British had at length brought the
Emperor to reason.
The true state of affairs was represented to him; and, on the 20th of
August, his commissioner came on board the _Cornwallis_, with authority
to treat for peace. On the 24th, the visit was returned by Sir Henry
Pottinger, Sir Hugh Gough, Sir William Parker, and upwards of a hundred
officers.
On the 29th, a treaty of peace, for which the British had been so long
contending, was happily signed on board the _Cornwallis_ by Sir Henry
Pottinger on the part of Great Britain, and by Ke-Ying, Elepoo, and
New-Kien, on the part of the Emperor of China.
While the British fleet remained in the China seas, several gallant
acts, well worthy of record also, were performed by some of the officers
of the ships.
Although a very imperfect account has been given of the operations in
the China seas, enough has been said to show that the Tartar troops were
no despicable enemies, while the bluejackets of Old England had ample
opportunities of exhibiting their daring courage, as well as that
perseverance, discipline, endurance, and humanity, for which they have
ever been conspicuous.