390)
Capture of the Heights above Canton.
JULY,
ART. IV. A brief account of the assault and capture of the heights and forts above the city of Canton, &c., &c. By an eye-witness.
On the 18th of May, the transports, &c., all got under weigh, for the third time since December last, for the Canton river. With the exception of the sick of the different regiments, and a portion of the 37th regiment Madras native infantry, left to protect the island of Hongkong, and as a guard over the stores there, the remainder of our available force proceeded up the river. Nothing of any importance occurred during the passage up, save a ship occasionally running against a sunken junk, which however caused no further annoyance than the delay, until either a breach had been formed in the side of the rotten junk, or the flood tide had floated the ship off. It was an extraordinary sight to see the Blenheim, 74, towed by a steamer, proceeding leisurely up the back channel—a passage, through which nothing beyond Chinese junks was previously known to have pass- ed. This channel had been, within the last few days, surveyed by captain Belcher of the Sulphur. In fact, the Chinese never would allow foreign ships to proceed up this channel, and it was at all times so blocked up with fishing-stakes as to offer but little temptation to their preferring it to the old and better known passage by Whampoa. The Blenheim proceeded to within nine miles of Canton. The smaller ships anchored within from three to five miles of the city, while some of the 18 and 20 gun ships took up a position opposite to and above the factories.
Early on the morning of the 24th, copies of the following General Orders were sent to the officers commanding the different corps, detachments, &c.
GENERAL ORDERS, No. 1.
Head quarters, Marion, Canton river, May 24th. 1. The period has now arrived, so long looked for by the military portion at large of the China expedition, when it may have an opportunity, in cooperation with our gallant associates of the royal navy, of proving what can be effected by discipline and bravery.
2. Major-general Gough feels a confident assurance that every man will do his duty, that he will have the gratifying task, not only of recording, and bringing to notice acts of gallantry, but (what is of infinitely more consequence in the pre- sent instance, and will afford stronger proof of devotedness to our country's honor and our professional character,) of unshaken discipline and undeviating attention to the orders issued by the officers in the command of columns of attack.