The Chinese, in breach of the treaties into which they had entered in
1842, committed a series of aggressive acts against British subjects,
the most memorable of which was the seizure of the crew of the lorcha
_Arrow_, in 1856. War was consequently declared, and hostilities were
commenced by our naval forces, which, under Sir Michael Seymour, after
bombarding Canton in October, and destroying several war-junks on the
5th, captured the Bogue Forts, mounting more than 400 guns, on the 12th
and 13th of November, and again attacked the suburbs of Canton on the
12th of January 1857. The fleet also destroyed a large number of
Chinese war-junks in the Canton waters; but further operations on land
were suspended till the Indian Mutiny had been quelled, and Lord Elgin
had returned to China.
The British and French troops having united towards the end of December
1857, the city of Canton was summoned to surrender. On the refusal of
the Chinese authorities to do so, a bombardment was commenced by the
fleet on the 28th, and the British and French troops landed at Kupar
Creek, to the south-east of the town. The English troops were divided
into two brigades: the first, consisting of the first and second
battalions of Royal Marine Light Infantry, was commanded by Colonel
Holloway, of that corps; while the second, which was composed of the
Royal Engineers and a volunteer company of Sappers, Royal Artillery, and
Royal Marine Artillery, Provisional Battalion Royal Marines, the 59th
Regiment, and 38th Madras Native Infantry, was under Colonel Hope
Graham, of the 59th. Colonel Dunlop commanded the artillery. The
troops amounted to 2900 men. Then there was the British Naval Brigade,
consisting of 1829 men, and the French Naval Brigade, of 950.
The first attack was made on East or Linn Fort. The Chinese received
their assailants with a hot fire, but were soon driven out, retreating
to Cough's Fort. The ships kept up a continued cannonade during the day
and the following night, and on the 29th it was determined to make a
grand attack by escalade on the east wall of the city. The advance was
led by the brave Major Luard, the 59th, under Major Burmister, covering
the French Naval Brigade and Royal Marines. At an appointed time the
ships were to cease firing, and the assault was to be made. The
Chinese, meantime, were keeping up a hot fire on their approaching
assailants from their walls. It was necessary to ascertain the best
spot for placing the scaling-ladders. Captain Bate volunteered to go,
and Captain Naun, of the Engineers, accompanied him. Captain Bate had
run across an open space, and was looking down into the ditch, when a
shot struck him. He fell. Dr Anderson rushed out through a hot fire,
accompanied by Captain Bate's coxswain, to his assistance, but he never
spoke again. They escaped uninjured.
"Some minutes before the time, the French advanced, and the English
could not be kept back. They had crossed the ditch, and were clustered
under the walls before the scaling-ladders could be brought up. A young
Frenchman had taken off his shoes and gaiters, and was trying to work
himself up to the southern angle of the bastion, aided by Major Luard,
who was propping him up with the muzzle of the Frenchman's own firelock,
when a ladder was placed, and Luard, leaping on it, stood first upon the
wall. He was followed by a Frenchman, the bandmaster of the 59th, and
Colonel Hope Graham. At the same time, Stuart, of the Engineers, was
balancing in air on a breaking ladder at the north side of the bastion;
but though he sprang to another, two or three Frenchmen got up before
him. Here, also, Corporal Perkins and Daniel Donovan, volunteer
sappers, pushing on with the French, were among the first over the wall.
Meantime the Chinese had been tumbling down all sorts of missiles; but
when the Allies were once upon the walls, the great body of them
retired. They poured down into the city, and fired from the streets;
they dodged behind the buildings on the ramparts, and thence took aim
with their cumbrous matchlocks. A few single encounters occurred, and
Major Luard's revolver disposed of one lingerer; but the Allies
generally fired right and left, and pushed on to the right, so as to
sweep the wall upwards towards the hill. Helter-skelter they went,
driving the Tartars close into the town and before them along the wall,
until, some hundred yards in front, they came upon Captain Fellowes and
his bluejackets, who were just accomplishing another escalade.
Commodore Elliot was well in front, and the admiral and general were not
far behind." See `_China_', by Wingrove Cooke.
The enemy were now driven entirely along the wall, and complete
possession was taken of the eastern gate. Some casualties had occurred.
Lieutenants Shinkwin and Ensign Bower, of the 59th, were both wounded,
the latter mortally. The chiefs of the expedition, however, anxious to
prevent the destruction of life, would not allow the troops to descend
into the streets, though they had in reality entire command over the
city. A whole week was allowed the Chinese authorities to consider the
matter, and to sue for peace; but, as they continued obstinate, on the
5th of January the allied forces were poured down into the streets, when
Commissioner Yeh, the Tartar General, and the Governor of Canton were
speedily captured, very much to their own astonishment, and very little
to the regret of the people over whom they ruled.
On the 20th of May, the forts at the mouth of the Peiho were taken, and
then at length the Chinese commissioners, discovering that the Allies
were in earnest, sued for peace. A treaty was signed at Tientsin on the
20th of June, when all the terms demanded by the Allies were agreed to,
though the Chinese authorities had no intention, probably, of adhering
to any of them.