[ { "id": 216524, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-001 - Sir Hug Cough-s China Military Correspondences - 1841-1843", "page_number": 8, "title": "CO129-001 - Sir Hug Cough-s China Military Correspondences - 1841-1843", "content_text": "of landing \nlarge force within the influence of & \nsuch extraordinary current- \nChaps has this peculiarity, that about a fourth of the City is separated from the best, by \nnot, \nby a wall. \nwithin which alone the Chinese reside. Mit has ment \nNe \nMe affecerrace and arrangetati cantonments tech Mind the Houses an \nin Jatility \nLir \n= /pavior. Enry male odcctt writst offener When \nCa \nis dr \nor three matchlock Soldier, as in Eny house two with a quantity of Swords, , were found. Mir womeld afferre to to a mandarin privilege an The Chinese Trooper have thurs in . \nThe Strength of the Chiside fron \ndifficult \nto estimate. \nFrom the bot summer of information would say they had about 3000 men in there libit on the bright, 1900 of whom were Mantchoo Portairs. \nthe I calculate their loss to be about from 12 to 1570 \nMin. \nhod. \nd to rimate my \nIingut to feel obliged \"ops is greater than I anticipated, though small, When the strength of the position, and, for a home ta obstinate defence of the Chuxine, is batute into consideration . I by to subjoin a list of the killed and wounded, and here I may \nIn \nsteep \nto express my such regret at the loss, to the servic and to his country, of Lieutenant (alone. \nof the \nRoyal Irish, who felt at the head of her loop's in the \npill \nby wall. \nof remoron, honored \nby \nthat Corses, Camente \"I have also been deprived of the valuable \nServices of Lt. Colonel Mountain who has received \nst dangerous, Home sur tout. I trust not \nwounds this \nwhose dealous consort\", thus meritorious Staff Officier, I have had frequent opportunity of witnessing, \nand pleation in seroding – I per also Schall foron considerable tione be deprived of the services of Captain Connell of thee 33+ who is dangerously wounded, and I have spoken sporites amount of them I felt collect on for notice \nevery attention has her paid to alleviate the suffering of my other \nwernded Officers & Coldin \nSurgeon whose exertions. \nLy \nby. \nDr Frisch \nunceasing, \ndoing well \nare most-thankful to find all are \n10 \nIny \nLvst \nThe conduct of the white fore calls for \nmartand approbation. In Colonel Schorder \nMontgomerie fing \nLint Colonels 1 ms and \ncommanding, my best thanks on due, they will excente \nEsry orster they raised, was worn as vill Supported by the Serveral Contrending Seire \nof Carter & Selectments. W. Colonel 263 Mat \ndr. Cs. Knordes We body, St. (v. Stischern 49. St. W. Knores Mi", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-001 - Sir Hug Cough-s China Military Correspondences - 1841-1843.txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 247589, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-074 - Lieut. Governor Caine & Sir Robinson - 1859 [6-12]", "page_number": 263, "title": "CO129-074 - Lieut. Governor Caine & Sir Robinson - 1859 [6-12]", "content_text": "have to state that I do not intend, unless I should receive instructions \n\nfrom you, to fill up the vacancy which will be caused in the course of a few days amongst the official Members by the departure of Colonel Collin and the abolition of the Office of Clerk to the Council.\n\n \nThe Council will then consist of 6 official and 3 unofficial Members in addition to the Governor; and I beg to submit to your Grace that it should remain for the present at this number; and further that the official members should never for the future bear to the unofficial members a proportion than two to one, but that in the event of it being deemed desirable hereafter to increase the number of officials\n\n \na Contingency which I think not likely to arise - a proportional increase should at the same time be made in the unofficial Members.\n\n \nI have the honor to be \n\nMy Lord Duke, Your Grace's most Obedient Servant,\n\nGeorge Robinson", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-074 - Lieut. Governor Caine & Sir Robinson - 1859 [6-12].txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 250264, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-079 - Public Offices - 1860", "page_number": 414, "title": "CO129-079 - Public Offices - 1860", "content_text": "The efforts of the Sappers to lay down the pontoon bridge were unavailing; no less than fifteen of the men carrying it being knocked over in one instant, and one of the pontoons destroyed.\n\nAt this juncture, Sir R. Napier caused the two howitzers of Captain Govan's battery to be brought up to within 50 yards of the gate, in order more speedily to create a breach, and a space sufficient to admit one man had just been made when our storming party (now joined by the head-quarters' wing of 67th, under Colonel Knox) who had partly crossed by the French bridge and partly swum over, forced their way in by single file in the most gallant manner, Lieut. Rogers, 44th Regiment, and Lieut. Burslem, 67th Regiment, being the first to enter, when they assisted in planting the regimental colours of the 67th, carried by Ensign Chaplin, who first planted them on the breech (assisted by Private Lane, 67th Regiment), and subsequently on the cavalier, which he was the first to mount. At the same moment the French effected their entrance, and the garrison was driven back step by step, and hurled pell-mell through the embrasures on the opposite side.\n\nHere the same obstacles which had impeded our advance, obstructed their retreat; in addition to two wet ditches and two belts of pointed bamboo stakes, there was swampy ground, and a third ditch and bank.\n\nThe storming parties opened a destructive fire on them from the cavalier, and this was enhanced by the cannister fire of Captain Govan's guns which had been moved to the left of the fort for this purpose.\n\nThe ground outside the fort was literally strewn with the enemy's dead and wounded: three of the Chinese were impaled on the stakes. A few fugitives reached the outer North Fort, which opened fire to cover their retreat, and was answered by the Armstrong guns with good effect.\n\nAbout an hour after this the whole of the forts on both sides of the river hauled down their war banners, and hoisted flags of truce. General Montauban and I sent each an Officer to ask their meaning, and summon them to surrender, but they only received an evasive and insolent reply, and were defied to come on to the attack.\n\nAccordingly two fresh regiments, the 3d Buffs and the 8th Punjaub Infantry, having been brought up, I advanced to attack the outer North Fort. Two 8-inch guns were placed in position against it; the other siege guns could not be brought up.* The field batteries were placed at 800 yards' range on an arc encircling the left and front, the French guns on our right. Not a shot was fired by the enemy, and the Allied Infantry pushed on, crossed the ditches, and scaled the walls, without meeting any opposition; the garrison of 2,000 men being made prisoners.\n\nThis Fort was stronger than the first. They are all constructed on the same plan, being Redoubts with a thick rampart heavily armed with guns and wall pieces, and having a high cavalier facing seawards, the guns of which were all turned in towards us; they have two unfordable wet ditches, between which and the parapet sharp bamboo stakes were thickly planted, forming two belts, each about 15 feet wide, round the fort, an abattis encircling the whole, and further covered by pieces of water, which force an advance to be made only on a narrow front.\n\nTowards evening the garrisons of the South Forts were observed to be evacuating them, and detachments of English and French were passed over in ships' boats, and occupied them. There is not now the trace of an enemy near us, and the whole of the forts and entrenched camps are in our hands, containing about 400 guns, many of which are of very large calibre.\n\nIt is difficult to account for the confusion and uncertainty which seemed to pervade the enemy when the first fort fell; but it now appears that the general in command was killed, and the second in command was either killed or missing; and the confusion caused by this, together with the severe lesson received in the first fort, rendered them incapable or unwilling of further resistance.\n\nI cannot conclude this Despatch without expressing my sense of the very valuable services of Major-General Sir Robert Napier, who conducted the attack, and whose assistance has been most useful.\n\nThe service of the Artillery under Brigadier-General Crofton was most excellent; its effects I have already described.\n\nThe engineering operations were conducted by Lieutenant-Colonel Mann; and, lastly, I must bring to notice the gallant conduct of the storming party, which was commanded by Brigadier Reeves, who, himself severely wounded in three places, did not quit the field until he had conducted his men into the Fort.\n\nThe wounded were removed as soon as possible into Tang-ku, where every arrangement for their temporary reception was made by Dr. Muir, the Principal Medical Officer.\n\n*The guns of the cavalier of the captured fort were manned and turned on it.\n\nMany others, both officers and soldiers, behaved in a manner deserving of being mentioned; but want of time does not permit me to treat of it in this despatch, and on a future occasion I shall do myself the honour of bringing their names to your notice.\n\nI would also wish to inform Her Majesty's Government how cordially and sincerely our French Allies have co-operated with us, as well as the admiration I feel for their gallant conduct in the field.\n\nGeneral de Montauban has always shown every disposition to act thoroughly in concert with me, and to co-operate in every manner in his power.\n\nThe services of the gunboats will doubtless be brought to notice by the Naval Commander-in-Chief, and I beg here to record what a valuable and efficient colleague I have found in Admiral Hope, whose unwearying exertions throughout the whole campaign, and in discharging the numerous duties of transporting this large force to the seat of war have contributed greatly to the success of operations.\n\nI have, &c. (Signed) J. HOPE GRANT, Lieut.-Gen.\n\nCommanding Her Majesty's Forces in China.\n\nThe Right Honourable\n\nThe Secretary of State for War,\n\nSIR,\n\n&c\n\n&c.\n\n&c.\n\nDESPATCH from Major-General Sir R. NAPIER to Sir J. Hope Grant.\n\nHead Quarters, Tang-ku, August 24, 1860.\n\nTHE 2d Division of the China Force occupied the fortified camp and village of Tang-ku on the 14th instant, and the four succeeding days were devoted to the severe labour of bridging the numerous canals which intersect and surround the work, of making raised causeways through the broad spaces of the interior which are inundated at every tide, and of making roads to the front for heavy Artillery, in preparation for advancing on the Northern Forts of Taku.\n\nHaving received the sanction of the Commander-in-Chief to commence operations against the Fort which lay nearest to my position, I advanced on the evening of the 19th a strong picket, composed as per margin, to the border of a series of canals which surround the enemy's position. The Engineers, under the direction of Lieut.-Colonel Mann, immediately commenced passages across the broad canals to my front and left. My right was comparatively open and bounded by the Peilo. Tartar village and cantonment gave some cover on the left bank. The right bank was studded with strong batteries, which, together with the nearest of the Southern Forts, were capable of giving a severe flanking fire against our line of advance. An attempt to avoid this, by making a way through a series of salt works, consisting of deep canals and broad reservoirs, which protected the enemy's right, was unsuccessful.\n\nThe labour of the night of the 19th, during which nearly my whole picket was on the working parties, advanced us to a distance of 800 yards from the Fort.\n\nOn the morning of the 20th, the Commander-in-Chief visited the positions, and the sites of the batteries were determined on.\n\nUp to this time the enemy had apparently taken no notice of our proceedings, but about 11 A.M. they opened from both of the Northern Forts, from the South Forts, and from the battery on the right bank, thus developing their whole fire. This was of material advantage in guiding my subsequent proceedings.\n\nThe fire from the Fort under attack was immediately replied to most effectively by a few rounds of Milward's Armstrong guns, at a range of 2,000 yards, and after a time the firing gradually died away, without loss on our side.\n\nDuring the night of the 20th the batteries were completed by the Engineer Department, and the remaining canals in front were bridged, so as to give access to the ground, and convert them into valuable cover.\n\nDuring this day the force was strengthened as per margin.\n\nThe Artillery for the batteries was passed to the front during the night, and placed in position before daylight, with the exception of one 8-inch gun, which got so deeply embedded in the mud that it could not be extricated until morning,\n\nAn aide-de-camp from General Collinôt informed me at dusk, on the evening of the 20th, that the French force destined to share in the attack had arrived.", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-079 - Public Offices - 1860.txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 }, { "id": 261492, "series_id": 27, "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine", "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案", "series_use_hku_proxy": false, "document_key": "CO129-104 - Sir Robinson - 1865 [1-3] & Acting Governor Mercer - 1865 [3-4]", "page_number": 191, "title": "CO129-104 - Sir Robinson - 1865 [1-3] & Acting Governor Mercer - 1865 [3-4]", "content_text": "# \n## RECEIVED\n### APL 19 1865\n188\n\nI am to call the attention of the Colony to a matter that has been under the consideration of his Lordship & the testimony of H. H. is borne out by it. The present occasion is afforded by Lieutenant Colonel Commandant Robinson to state the prospects of the Volunteer Movement in the Colony and the services rendered by the Corps, not only in Hongkong, but also in China and in affairs connected with the main object of the Corps.\n\n## \n### Hong Kong, 27th February, 1865\n\nI have the honor to enclose a copy of a letter received from Major Brine, Royal Engineers, Lieutenant Colonel Commandant of the Hongkong Volunteers, in which he recommends an Allowance of £100 ($480) a year to the Adjutant.\n\nThe Right Honorable \nEdward Cardwell, M.P., \n\n## \n| Date | Reference |\n| --- | --- |\n| 16 May /65 | [illegible] infr. |\n| 28 Apr/65 | by Elias Collin |\n| 11 Th... | ... |\n\n### Page 363", "txt_file_path": "txt/2diw2n4r2/CO129-104 - Sir Robinson - 1865 [1-3] & Acting Governor Mercer - 1865 [3-4].txt", "external_url": "", "rank": 0 } ]