61
November 1862
1863 March
1863 May 1864 April
1864
1864-1865
1867 Winter
1867
his junk and three others
Captured at Fu-shan-chan by Taiping rebels. Mesny held first in Soochow and Chang-shu, then at Pao-ying the Taiping camp, and finally in Nanking
Rescued by Adkins, the British Consul at Chin-kiang aboard HMS Slaney and taken back to Chin-kiang
Joined Chinese Imperial Customs Service, Hankow
Resigned from Customs Service after fourteen months Involved in cotton broking
Established the Hankow Horse Bazaar, a private hotel in Hankow, and set up Hupei Iron and Brassworks, Han-yang Romantic interlude with a Chinese widow in Hankow Mesny called on Tso Tsung-tang during the latter's visit to Hankow and was appointed his French and English Secretary, and was further offered the opportunity to accompany Tso on his campaign to the Northwest. Mesny also claimed that he had made recommendations to Marquis Tso Tsung-tang for a number of undertakings to help modernise China
Sold the Huper Iron and Brassworks to officials of the Viceroy of Szechuan province
Mesny's trek to war
1868 June
Late July or early August Late August
September
Left Hankow, after five year's residence, for Szechuan to become a drill instructor with the Szechuan Force
Arrived Chungking
Departed Chungking for Kueichou to join the Szechuan Force suppressing the Miao rebellion: he accepted employment as a military instructor (wu-chiao hsi)
Arrived Niu-ch'ang, the headquarters of the Szechuan Force in Kueichou
September 1868-May 1874 Involved in the military campaigns to suppress the Miao
The Advance: Late Summer 1868-March 1869
1869
Promoted Colonel, awarded the Star of China and the Flowery Plume The Retreat: Summer 1869-Summer 1870 1870/1871
1871
1872
Helped form a joint stock company in Kuei-yang to "recover mercury"
The Withdrawal: mid-August 1870-Lunar New Year 1871
ca 1873
1873
1874 Spring
Established a small day school for poor boys and girls in the Jade Emperor temple in Kuei-yang, importing suitable books and paying a Chinese teacher, a struggling student painter, Chin Yü-t'ang Siege of Hsin-ch'eng in upper Kueichou (Mesny involved in preparations for the siege during 1871)
Went to Szechuan with General Chou Ta-wu
Promoted Major-General and awarded the Ying-yung Pa-t'u-lu Left Kueichou for Szechuan: Margary expected to meet Mesny in