THE FRENCH MILITARY OPERATIONS IN TONQUIN. (From our Special Correspondent.)
FALL OF BACNINH; RETREAT OF THE CHINESE. ADVANCE OF FRENCH TROOPS ON THAI-NGUYEN AND LANGSON.
Bacninh, March 15. The long awaited coup has been struck and Bacninh is in the hands of the French. But though the French soldier now occupies the house of the vanquished, and the French flag waves over the battlements of the citadel, no one is satisfied.
The victory has been of the hollowest, the success the most empty. The well-designed scheme for forcing the Chinese garrison to fight a decisive engagement, by closing their means of retreat, and thus striking a blow which should at once bring the Chinese Government to terms, has utterly failed, and the only result obtained is the removal of the theatre of operation, to the North, nearer the frontier, further from the base.
The plan of hemming in the Chinese troops was certainly not an easy one to carry out, but it is probable that it might have been, at all events to a great extent, achieved, had General Negrier been well supported by his naval colleagues in command of the flotilla.
The original design of dividing the Hanoi brigade into two columns appears to have been abandoned and General Brière de L'Isle left Hanoi, accompanied by the Commander-in-chief, on the morning of the 8th inst. The whole of the troops comprising the 1st brigade were landed at a point a little below Hanoi and above Batang, and, after marching about nine miles, bivouacked for the night at a village called Noi-phot.
It was intended that General Brière should have formed a junction with the left of General Negrier's brigade at Chi Marché, a village on the Canal des Rapides about half-way between the Red River and the Song-cau, on the 9th, but the roads were found to be so bad and impracticable that General Brière was unable to carry out the programme.
The night of the 9th was passed at the village of Ngon, close to the Haiduong road, the 10th at Bou-quoi, and it was not until the morning of the 11th that the column arrived at the banks of the canal, and then, not at Chi Marché but at Xa, a few miles above the appointed place of meeting.
The march, thus far, had been almost entirely unopposed by the enemy.
General Negrier, in the meanwhile, left Haiduong on the morning of the 7th and arrived at the advanced post of the Seven Pagodas the same day. On the 8th he pushed forward, the left wing of his column following the course of the Canal des Rapides, while the right rested upon the Song-cau.
Two of the light draft gunboats, the Trombe and the Eclaire, ascended the canal with the left wing, but afterwards rejoined the flotilla on the Song-cau. The latter had succeeded in forcing the first barrier on the river near Yen-ding, and it was here that the first skirmish with the enemy took place.
Earthworks were erected close by the river with a few guns covering the approach, while the tops of some neighbouring hills were also entrenched and stockaded. The position was actually one of considerable defensive strength, but a very poor stand was made by the Chinese troops occupying the post.
A few shells from the gunboats soon settled the lower fortifications, while the garrisons of the hill forts evacuated their post and escaped in the direction of Bacninh on the marine fusiliers advancing to storm the heights.
Owing to General Brière not arriving as expected, two days' delay in advancing then occurred. When, however, that General had crossed the Canal, on the 11th, General Negrier at once pushed forward towards Bacninh.
The flotilla, which consisted of the Pluvier, Lynn, Leopard, Aspic, Éclair, Trombe, and Carabine, and several launches and junks with provisions, left Yen-ding early on the 12th but were forced to stop a little higher up the river, at Langhon, by another barricade of stone and sunken junks.
The Commodore of the flotilla, Captain Morel Beaulieu, was provided with torpedoes and other appliances, besides having plenty of coolies to employ in the removal of the barrier, but as far as I could see no serious effort was made to force or remove the obstruction until the next day, when it became known that General Negrier had pushed forward and occupied Bacninh on the evening of the 12th.
The whole plan of cutting off the retreat of the Chinese rested upon the rapid advance of the gunboats to Lai-cau, the nearest point on the river to Bacninh, where a bamboo bridge across the stream connects with the Thai-nguyen and Langson roads.
The commandant of the flotilla failed to force the barrier and thus when General Negrier arrived at Bacninh, after a little skirmishing with the enemy, who were posted on the fortified hills close to the town, he found the citadel evacuated by the garrison, the Chinese having crossed the bridge and retreated along the roads towards the northern frontier.
A little opposition was met with at some of the outer fortified posts which surround Bacninh and it was here that the French forces sustained the only losses of any consequence which were suffered during the operations, these amounting in all to five killed, of whom two were officers, and about sixty wounded, most of them very slightly.
While occupying the town and citadel, on the evening of the 12th, General Negrier sent forward a strong detachment of marine fusiliers and tirailleurs to Lai-cau, but they were too late to cut off the retreat of the evacuating force, as the last straggling bands of the Chinese army were seen crossing the bridge over the Song-cau as the French troops advanced.
The greater part of them had, however, left the citadel twenty-four hours before the arrival of General Negrier's force.
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THE FRENCH MILITARY OPERATIONS IN TONQUIN. (From our Special Correspondeni, )
FALL OF BACNINH; REFDMAT OF THE CHINESE. ADVANCE OF FRENCH TROOPS ON THAI- NGUYEN AND LANGSON,
Bacninh, March 15. The long awaited coup has been struck and Bacninh is in the hands of the French. But though the French soldier now occupies the house of the vanquished, and the French flag waves over the battlements of the citadel, no one is satisfied.
The victory has been of the hollowest, the success the most empty. The well designed scheme for forcing the Chinese garrison to fight a decisive engagement, by closing their means of retreat, and thus striking a blow which should at once bring the Chinese Govern- ment to terms, has utterly failed, and the only result obtained is the removal of the theatre of operation, to the North, nearer the frontier, further from the base. The plan of hemming in the Chinese troops was certainly not an easy one to carry out, but: it is probable that it might have been,at all events to a great extent,-achieved, had General Negrier been well supported by | his naval colleagues in command of the flotilla.
The original design of dividing the Hanoi brigade into two columns appears to have been abandoned and General Briére de L'Isle left Hanoi, accompanied by the Com- mander-in-chief, on the morning of the 8th inst. The whole of the troops comprising i the 1st brigade were landed at a point a little below Hanoi and above Batang, and, after marching about nine miles, bivouacked for the night at a village called Noi-phot. It was intended that General Briére should have formed a junction with the left of General Negrier's brigade at Chi Marché, a village on the Canal des Rapides about half way between the Red River and the Song- cau, on the 9th, but the roads were found so to be bad and impracticable that General Briére was unable to carry out the pro- granime. The night of the 9th Was passed at the village of Ngon, close to the Haiduong road, the 10th at Bou-quoi, and it Was not until the morning i
of the 11th that the coluinn arrived at the banks of the canal, and then, not at Chi Marché but at Xa, a few miles above the appointed place of meeting. The march, thus far, had been almost entirely unopposed by the enemy.
General Negrier, in the meanwhile, left Haiduong on the morning of the 7th and arrived at the advanced post of the Seven Pagodas the same day. On the 8th he pushed forward, the left wing of his column following the course of the Canal dos Rapides, while the right reatod upon the Song-cau. Two of the light draft gunboats, the Trumb and the Eclaire ascended the canal with tho left wing, but afterwards rejoined the flotilla on the Song-cau. The latter had succeeded in forcing the first barrier on the river near Yen-ding, and it was here that the first skirmish with the enemy took
plare
place. Earthworks were erected close by the river with a few guns covering the ap proach, while the tops of some neighbouring hills were also entrenched and stockaded. The position was actually one of consider- able defensive strength, but a very poor stand was made by the Chinese troops occu- pying the post. A few shells from the gunboats soon settled the lower fortifica- tions, while the garrisons of the hill forts evacuated their post and escaped in the di rection of Bacninh on the marine fusiliers advancing to storm the heights,
Owing to General Brière not arriving as expected, two days' delay in advancing then occurred. When, however, that Gon- eral had crossed the Canal, ou the 11th, General Negrier at once pushed forward towards Bacuinh. The flotilla, which con- sisted of the Pluvier, Lynn, Leopard, 4s- pic, Belaire, Trombe and Carabine, and several launches and junks with provisions, left Yen-ding early on the 12th but were forced to stop a little higher up the river, at Langhon, by another barricade of stone and sunken junks. The Commodore of the flotilla, Captain Morel Beaulieu, was pro- vided with torpedoes and other appliances, besides having plenty of coolies to employ in the removal of the barrier, but as far as I could see no serious effort was ma 'e to
force or remove the obstraction until the next day, when it became known that General Negrier had pushed forward and occupied Bacuinh on the evening of the 12th. The whole plan of cutting off the retreat of the Chinese rested upon the rapid advance of the gunboats to Lai-eau, the nearest point on the river to Pacninh, where a bamboo bridge across the stream connects with the Thai-nguyen and Lang- son roads. The commandant of the flotilla failed to force the barrier and thus when General Negrier arrived at Bacninh, after i a little skirmishing with the enemy, who were posted on the fortified hills close to the town, he found the citadel evacuated by the garrison, the Chinese having cross- ed the bridge and retreated along the roads towards the northern frontier. A little opposition was not with at some of the outer fortified posts which surround Bacninh and it was here that the French forces sustained the only losses of any consequence which were suffered during the operations, these amounting in all to five killed, of whom two were officers, and about sixty wounded, most of them very slightly. While occupying the town and citadel, on the evening of the 12th, General Negrier sant forward a strong dotachment of marinc fusileers and tirailleurs to Lai-cauI, but they were too late to cut off the retreat of the evacuating force, as the last stray- gling bands of the Chinese army were secu crossing the bridge over the Song-cau as the French troops advanced. The greater part of them had however left the citadel twenty- four hours before che arrival of General Negrier's force.
At about 11 a.m. on the 13th the advance guard of the lat brigade, accompanied by
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