The French, meanwhile, anxious to join us in our advance, struck off to their right, and, crossing the rear of our column without either of us seeing the other, pushed on to the Palace without meeting any opposition, and occupied it about nightfall.
The Cavalry Brigade had reached the Palace about two hours before this, and were waiting there for us to join them; on their way they saw a body of the enemy's cavalry, but were unable to come up with them.
On the following day Mr. Wade went to meet a Chinese Commissioner, and conveyed to him a memorandum from General de Montauban and myself, a copy of which I send herewith, as also Mr. Wade's report of his interview.
The result of this has been that yesterday Messrs. Parkes and Loch, with one Sikh sowar and five Frenchmen (one officer and four soldiers), were brought into the English camp.
The Chinese declare that these are all of the prisoners who were in Pekin, the rest having been conveyed some distance into the interior; they have, however, been sent for, and will be given up in the course of a few days.
Messrs. Parkes and Loch have given the following account of their capture:--
'When Captain Brabazon and Mr. Loch left the army on the 18th of September to recall Mr. Parkes' party, they proceeded at once to Lang-chau, where they experienced a short delay in collecting them all together, and then set out to return. On arriving within a few hundred yards of the centre of the Chinese position, where they had left Colonel Walker, they heard firing commence, and immediately their passage was barred by a large body of cavalry and infantry, the commander of whom informed them that, as firing had begun, he could not permit them to pass without Sang-ko-lin-sin's orders. Considering that it would be almost impossible to cut their way through the large bodies which surrounded them, they decided on trusting to the flag of truce which they carried.
Accordingly Messrs. Parkes and Loch, accompanied by one Sikh orderly with a white flag, quitted the rest of the party to go and speak with Sang-ko-lin-sin; while there they were surrounded and made prisoners, by order of Sang-ko-lin-sin himself, and sent into Pekin, where for several days they were treated with great severity. On the 29th of September they were removed from the gaol, and have been since treated in a proper manner.
The rest of the party they know nothing of, beyond having heard Sang-ko-lin-sin, at the time of their capture, order the remainder to be seized also and sent back to Tungchow.
The five Frenchmen given up were taken prisoners in Tungchow while walking about the street, and ignorant of what was going on.
The loss of the Emperor's Palace appears to have had a great effect on the Chinese authorities, who appear to be now willing to accede to our demands, to which we have added only the giving up one of the gates of Pekin into our hands while we remain here, in return for which the city will be preserved for them.
The heavy guns will arrive from Tungchow to-day, so that the Chinese will see that we are prepared to enforce our demands in the event of their deceiving us.
The Right Honourable
I have, &c. (Signed) J. HOPE GRANT, Lieut.-Gen.,
The Secretary of State for War,
understood them, I wrote the note enclosed, and, his clerks having copied it in duplicate, I returned to head quarters.
I have, &c.,
(Signed)
THOMAS WADE, Chinese Secretary.
His Excellency Sir Hope Grant, K.C.B., &c.
NOTE ADDRESSED TO HANG-KI, a Deputy of the Imperial Commissioner the Prince of Kung, and handed to that Officer on the Evening of the 7th of October.
THE undersigned has the honour to state that he has been sent here (to the Hwa-ying-szo) by the Commanders-in-Chief of the Allied Forces.
Their Excellencies have been given to understand, by their Excellencies the Ambassadors of their respective nations, that his Imperial Highness the Prince of Kung, Imperial Commissioner, has officially informed their Excellencies that there is nothing to which he does not assent, either in the treaties concluded the year before last, or in the conventions negotiated this year at Tien-tsin.
The Commanders-in-Chief have consequently no remark to offer regarding the treaties, but unless the Chinese Government immediately send in to their respective camps the officers and subjects of the two Powers still in its hands, their Excellencies will cause the capital city of Pekin to be stormed, in order to show to those who break faith and do injury to others that sooner or later their offence will be punished.
If, on the other hand, the Chinese Government send back those now in its hands without delay, and at the same time depute a competent officer to prepare the conventions and other documents, their Excellencies the Allied Ambassadors will name a day for the signature of the conventions, the exchange of ratifications, and similar formalities.
Late events, however, considered, it will not be proper that faith should be placed at random in the Chinese Government or its people. It becomes expedient to take measures of precaution beforehand against evil that may be done. Before, therefore, their Excellencies enter Pekin, a gate of the capital will have to be occupied by an escort detached from both armies. The Commanders-in-Chief will decide which of the gates, and the Chinese troops will be then required to fall back for the time being from the gate their Excellencies choose to hold.
This effected, if the officers and people of the capital remain quiet without giving trouble, as in the case of Tientsin and Tungchow, the Allied Forces will conduct themselves towards them as they have done towards the officers and people of those two cities.
THOMAS WADE, Chinese Secretary.
Commander of the Forces,
SIR,
&c.
&c.
&c.
Camp, outside Teh-Sheng Gate, Oct. 8.
'SIR,
I HAVE the honour to state that I went yesterday evening, at five o'clock, to a temple outside the Teh-Sheng gate, to meet Hang-ki, the deputy of the Prince of Kung, and that I communicated to him in the enclosed note the decision at which I had been instructed to say your Excellency and General de Montauban had arrived.
Beyond the rendition of our prisoners, which, as your Excellency was already aware, the Prince of Kung had signified in correspondence should take place on the 8th inst., Hang-ki could speak authoritatively upon nothing. He hoped to hear from the Prince by 4 o'clock on the 8th, at which hour the "detenus" should be surrendered "with honour."
After fully explaining to him the views of the allied Commanders-in-Chief, as I understood them, I wrote the note enclosed, and, his clerks having copied it in duplicate, I returned to head quarters.
DESPATCH from Sir J. HOPE GRANT to Mr. Secretary HERBERT.
Head-Quarters, October 13. In continuation of my Despatch of the 9th inst., I have the honour to inform you that, on the 10th, I made a reconnaissance of the walls of Pekin with General de Montauban.
Having selected the sites for the breaching batteries, the works were immediately traced and constructed, and the batteries were armed, so as to be ready to open fire at noon to-day, in the event of the gate not being then surrendered to us.
This morning I sent some officers with Mr. Parkes to arrange with the Chinese deputies for the surrender of the gate of the city, which we had demanded of them. They endeavoured to make excuses, and delay, if possible, the surrender on various false pretences; but were told in reply that 12 o'clock was the hour that had been fixed, and no extension could be granted.
Accordingly the easternmost gate on the north side of the city has been this day occupied by the Allied Forces without opposition, and a letter having been received from the Prince of Kung, announcing the readiness of the Chinese Government to agree to all our terms, I have every reason to hope to be able shortly to announce that the campaign is at an end and peace concluded.
Page 407
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8
The French, meanwhile, anxious to join us in our advance, struck off to their right, { and, crossing the rear of our column without either of us seeing the other, pushed on to the Palace without meeting any opposition, and occupied it about nightfall,
The Cavalry Brigade had reached the Palace about two hours before this, and were waiting there for us to join them; on their way they saw a body of the enemy's cavalry, but were unable to come up with them.
On the following day Mr. Wade went to meet a Chinese Commissioner, and conveyed to him a memorandum from General de Montauban and myself, a copy of which I send herewith, as also Mr. Wade's report of his interview.
The result of this has been that yesterday Messrs. Parkes and Loch, with one Sikh sowar and five Frenchmen (one officer and four soldiers), were brought into the English camp.
The Chinese declare that these are all of the prisoners who were in Pekin, the rest having been conveyed some distance into the interior; they have, however, been sent for, and will be given up in the course of a few days.
Messrs. Parkes and Loch have given the following account of their capture :--'
-When Captain Brabazon and Mr. Loch left the army on the 18th of September to recall Mr. Parkes' party, they proceeded at once to Lang-chau, where they experienced a short delay in collecting them all together, and then set out to return. On arriving within a few hundred yards of the centre of the Chinese position, where they had left Colonel Walker, they heard firing commence, and immediately their passage was barred by a large body of cavalry and infantry, the commander of whom informed them that, as firing had begun, he could not permit them to pass without Sang-ko-lin-sin's orders. Considering that it would be almost impossible to cut their way through the large bodies which surrounded them, they decided on trusting to the flag of truce which they carried.
Accordingly Messrs. Parkes and Loch, accompanied by one Sikh orderly with a white flag, quitted the rest of the party to go and speak with Sang-ko-lin-sin; while there they were surrounded and made prisoners, by order of Sang-ko-lin-sin himself, and sent into Pekin, where for several days they were treated with great severity. On the 29th of September they were removed from the gaol, and have been since treated in a proper manner.
The rest of the party they know nothing of, beyond having heard Sang-ko-lin-sin, at the time of their capture, order the remainder to be seized also and sent back to Tungchow.
The five Frenchmen given up were taken prisoners in Tungchow while walking about the street, and ignorant of what was going on.
The loss of the Emperor's Palace appears to have had a great effect on the Chinese authorities, who appear to be now willing to accede to our demands, to which we have added only the giving up one of the gates of Pekin into our hands while we remain here, in return for which the city will be preserved for them.
The heavy guns will arrive from Tungchow to-day, so that the Chinese will see that we are prepared to enforce our demands in the event of their deceiving us.
The Right Honourable
I have, &c. (Signed) J. HOPE GRANT, Lieut.-Gen.,
The Secretary of State for War,
understood them, I wrote the note enclosed, and, his clerks having copied it in duplicate, I returned to head quarters.
I have, &c.,
(Signed)
THOMAS WADE, Chinese Secretary.
His Excellency Sir Hope Grant, K.C.B., &c.
NOTE ADDRESSED TO HANG-KI, a Deputy of the Imperial Commissioner the Prince of Kung, and handed to that Officer on the Evening of the 7th of October.
THE undersigned has the honour to state that he has been sent here (to the Hwa-ying-szo) by the Commanders-in-Chief of the Allied Forces.
Their Excellencies have been given to understand, by their Excellencies the Ambas- sadors of their respective nations, that his Imperial Highness the Prince of Kung, Imperial Commissioner, has officially informed their Excellencies that there is nothing to which he does not assent, either in the treaties concluded the year before last, or in the conventions negotiated this year at Tien-tsin.
The Commanders-in-Chief have consequently no remark to offer regarding the treaties, but unless the Chinese Government immediately send in to their respective camps the officers and subjects of the two Powers still in its hands, their Excellencies will cause the capital city of Pekin to be stormed, in order to show to those who break faith and do injury to others that sooner or later their offence will be punished.
If, on the other hand, the Chinese Government send back those now in its hands without delay, and at the same time depute a competent officer to prepare the con- ventions and other documents, their Excellencies the Allied Ambassadors will name a day for the signature of the conventions, the exchange of ratifications, and similar formalities.
Late events, however, considered, it will not be proper that faith should be placed at random in the Chinese Government or its people. It becomes expedient to take measures of precaution beforehand against evil that may be done. Before, therefore, their Excellencies enter Pekin, a gate of the capital will have to be occupied by an escort detached from both armies. The Commanders-in-Chief will decide which of the gates, and the Chinese troops will be then required to fall back for the time being from the gate their Excellencies choose to hold.
This effected, if the officers and people of the capital remain quiet without giving trouble, as in the case of Tientsin and Tungchow, the Allied Forces will conduct them- selves towards them as they have done towards the officers and people of those two cities.
THOMAS WADE, Chinese Secretary.
Commander of the Forces,
SIR,
&c.
&c.
&c.
Camp, outside Teh-Sheng Gate, Oct. 8.
'SIR,
I HAVE the honour to state that I went yesterday evening, at five o'clock, to a temple outside the Teh-Sheng gate, to meet Hang-ki, the deputy of the Prince of Kung, and that I communicated to him in the enclosed note the decision at which I had been instructed to say your Excellency and General de Montauban had arrived.
Beyond the rendition of our prisoners, which, as your Excellency was already aware, the Prince of Kung had signified in correspondence should take place on the 8th inst., Hang-ki could speak authoritatively upon nothing. He hoped to hear from the Prince by 4 o'clock on the 8th, at which hour the "detenus "should be surrendered "with honour."
After fully explaining to him the views of the allied Commanders-in-Chief, as I
DESPATCH from Sir J. HOPE GRANT to Mr. Secretary HERBERT.
Head-Quarters, October 13. In continuation of my Despatch of the 9th inst., I have the honour to inform you that, on the 10th, I made a reconnaissance of the walls of Pekin with General de Montauban.
Having selected the sites for the breaching batteries, the works were immediately traced and constructed, and the batteries were armed, so as to be ready to open fire at noon to-day, in the event of the gate not being then surrendered to us.
This morning I sent some officers with Mr. Parkes to arrange with the Chinesc deputies for the surrender of the gate of the city, which we had demanded of tham. They endeavoured to make excuses, and delay, if possible, the surrender on various false pretences; but were told in reply that 12 o'clock was the hour that had been fixed, and no extension could be granted.
Accordingly the easternmost gate on the north side of the city has been this day occupied by the Allied Forces without opposition, and a letter having been received from the Prince of Kung, announcing the readiness of the Chinese Government to agrec to all our terms, I have every reason to hope to be able shortly to announce that the campaign is at an end and peace concluded.
A 5
407
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