FIGHT WITH THE CHINESE REBELS NEAR MING-HONG.

New Zealander, Volume XVIII, Issue 1715, 16 August 1862, Page 5

FIGHT WITH THE CHINESE REBELS NEAR MING-HONG.

The following, from the North China Herald, furmshea the details of this engagement, the mere announcement of which only reached us by last

Onlhursday,the27th of February, Admiral Sir James Hope, K.C.8., Commander-in-Chief 6t the JNaval Forces in China, proceeded up the Wongpoo River above Shanghai in her Majesty's steam tender Coromandel, with a detachment of Koyal Marines from her Majesty's ship Imperieuse, under Captain Holland, tor the purpose of reconnoitring on the Poootung side of the river, information had been previously obtained that a well-armed band of Taiping rebels were located withm a village some twenty from Shanghai. w a Adn,iral w «*s joined on the spot bv Colonel Ward and a detachment of his disciplined Chinese troops. A reconnoitring party of about 100 Marines and Chinese then landed under command of their officers, when they marched towards a small village called Seaou-dong, which was said to be an outpost of the rebels, and strongly fortified, their main body being located at a lar<r e village or unwalled town a few miles further on I called Nan-jaou. They had been committing I great depredations in the country around, and bad | recently defeated a lage Imperial force sent against l them. °

As the reconnoitring party approached the place they found it strongly fortified, and the rebels, in great numbers, very bold, advancing towards them, shouting and inviting them to come on, at the same time opening a brisk fire upon the party. The leaders, having effected their reconnaissance, returned to the boats, with two of Ward's soldiers slightly wounded. A gunboat was immediately despatched to Shanghai for reinforcements, "and the Chinese soldiers returned to Sungkeong for assistance. Next day, Friday, the 28th of February, the expected reinforcements arrived, and mustered at Ming-hong, consisting of 350 British soldiers and marines, 300 French soilders, 35 artillerymen, and about 700 Chinese, with four howitzers from Bradshaw's battery, one from the Imperieuse, and two belonging to the French. A boat had just been intercepted by Le, the Chinese commander-in-chief at Ming-hong, conveying a rebel despatch requiring a thousand men to be sent from some head quarters, so that they were evidently preparing to resist an attack. It being too late in the day to commence operations on Friday, nothing was done until the following morning, Saturday, March 1, when the whole force was landed, and they marched to the fortified village, accompanied by a number of coolies bearing litters and stages for constructing bridges. The place lay about two miles inland" directly opposite to Ming-hong, and was approached by a tolerably wide road, rather better than usual, which rendered the transport of the artillery comparatively easy, the only delay being caused in crossing one or two rough Dridges. Notwithstanding all these impediments, the expedition arrived before the place of attack at 8 a.m., and halted at about 5.00 yards' distance. Few flugs were shown by the rebels, and only one or two men could be seen moving about. It was evident that they were keeping very close, and reserving their fire until the troops got nearer. At first it was supposed that they had evacuated the place, when parties of skirmishers from Ward's corps, sent to the right, fearlessly crept up under cover of the graves, and soon began to exchange shots with the enemy, upon which all doubt as to their having evacuated the place was removed. In thejmeantime, the remainder of the expedition had a sufficient opportunity of surveying the work which was before them, and which presented defences of a very formidable nature. In front there was a mass of bricks and tiles, the debris of a few houses which were standing the day previous. Behind this barrier appeared rows of stakes driven into the ground, thick and close, about three feet high, interspersed with short pointed bamboo sprigs. Then came a trench about seven feet deep, the steep sides of which were completely studed with these small bamboo spikes. On the opposite side were more stakes very thickly set in the ground, and beyond these rose an earthwork some 15 feet high, surmounted by three cavaliers, each pierced with three ports, but containing only one gun, the intermediate space being filled up with strong barricades of red boxes filled with earth and stones, coffins, bags of cotton sandbags, tables, and furniture —in fact, everything that could be stuck together to form a barricade, thickly loopholed for musketry—a place that could not be stormed without the loss a great many men, unless assisted by artillery. The fire on the right now became more frequent. It was evident that the enemy were being roused up. A shell or two was then thrown in, which proved to the rebels that their foreign assailants were in earnest, at which they opened fire with gingalls, muskets, and small guns. The action then became general, and for about an hour an incessant fire was kept up on the enemy from small arms, with an occasional shell. The fire of the enemy was stubborn,and continued up to the lust moment, when the Marines had got close up to the barricade, only waiting the Admiral's orders to enter the intrenchments. At this time the enemy were observed to be retreating in great numbers from the rear, when the shells from Bradshaw's artillery were thrown rapidly among them, committing fearful havoc. Numbers also fell under the fire from the rifles of the French and English sailors who were extended out on the left to cut them oil'; but the nature of the country precluded this, so they kept up an incessant fusillade on them as they ran away. Some of Colonel Ward's soldiers had got round on the other side, and were in hot pursuit. The fire from the earthworks being pretty well silenced, the British Admiral waved his cap, when the Marines under Captain Holland and Lieutenant Sturt, and the blue jackets under Commanders. Gibson, Fawkea, and Richardson, entered in lront through a breach which was soon made by an extempore company of sappers and miners—blue jackets—under Lieutenant Bosanquet, of her Majesty's gunboat Flamer, who seemed to enjoy the work exceedingly. A severe contest then took place in the main street of the village, where the rebels rallied for a little, but they could not withstand the bayonet charge of the Marines, and the heavy fire poured among them. Many fell, and some hand-to-hand conflicts took place. From inquiry ad observation, the number of Taiping rebels holding the place could not have been less than (5000; of these, between GOO and 700 were killed, and upwards of 300 taken prisoners. The streets and houses presented an awful spectacle. The bodies in some places lay in heaps, and the plain beyond the village was strewed with those who were shot down in the flight. The practice of Bradshaw's mountain howitzers was good, as soon as the range was obtained,but the rockets were a failure. Ihe trench guns also played with great effect. Every one Sneaged behaved with coolness and courage advancing gradually, and getting through the beforementioned formidable obstacles forming the outer defences, through the trench, and right up the breastwork, long before the guns were silenced. As for the Chinese organised under Colonel Ward they seemed to know no fear, and perhaps exposed themselves too much. The loss of this force was one officers very badly wounded, about ten rank and file killed and forty wounded, some severely. Two or three English Marines were badly wounded ; but, from their being better kept under cover, the foreign portion of the force suffered slightly in comparison. The Hritish Admiral himself, accompanied by > Vr Alabaster, the Consulate interpreter, was right in front directing the attack in that part, while Ward and his men vigorously assailed the enemy on the left. After all was over the village was set on fire and the foreign troops embarked for Shanghai.— Sydney Empire, July 15th.