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    {
        "id": 423191,
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        "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案",
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        "document_key": "CO129-362 - Public Offices - 1909",
        "page_number": 594,
        "title": "CO129-362 - Public Offices - 1909",
        "content_text": "## The time passed on, however, without the rebel chief making overtures for his surrender-which, by the way, the authorities had announced must be unconditional. \nTowards the end of June it was reported that he had left his hiding-place in the jungle and come into the province of Phuc-yen, which has been for some time in a very disturbed condition. This rumour was shortly proved true in a sufficiently startling fashion. On the 5th July a Frenchman named Voisin, employé of a contractor for bridge-building, was seized by Ca-rinh, the De-Tham's chief lieutenant and adopted son, on the high road near the village of Velinh, some 16 miles only as the crow flies from Hanoi. Two motor-cars, one of them containing the resident of the province, which passed along the road shortly afterwards, were also fired on by the brigands, but escaped. The De-Tham himself was in the neighbourhood, and Voisin was brought to join him that night. A force of militia which was at hand might have attacked the band, but did not do so, Voisin having sent to the officer in command a letter, dictated by the De-Tham, stating he would be at once killed if the militia advanced.\n\nThe Government decided to take energetic measures in consequence of Voisin's abduction. The Dê-Tham was told that the only condition which would be granted to him was that his life would be spared if he gave Voisin up, but that if any harm happened to the Frenchman, the relations of the De-Tham in captivity in Phu-lang-thuong would answer for it. A column of two companies of European and two companies of native troops, with a portion of the Foreign Legion, artillery, and all the militia and irregular \"partisans\" available, was put under the orders of Commandant Chofflet, who was given full powers, civil and military, in the troubled district. This column closed round the village of Lang-Lai, whither the band had retired after the capture of Voisin, and where they had established themselves in a temple. The De-Tham had with him probably 100 men with rifles, and twenty or thirty carriers. Before the investment was actually complete, the Dê-Tham, profiting by a storm on the night of the 13th July, succeeded in passing through the lines and escaping with all his men and his prisoner. Commandant Chofflet executed several of the inhabitants of the village for complicity with the rebels, and burned some temples. This escape of the Dê-Tham came as a disappointment to Hanoi, where great hopes had been placed upon the new column.\n\nOn the 19th July, a small outlying party of brigands, numbering six men and a woman, were reported from the village of Lap-chi. Fifty men of the Legion and fifty militia were dispatched to search for them the next morning. The brigands were concealed in a sort of trench or cavern, and fired on the men of the Legion before the latter had discovered them. One légionnaire was killed and three or four seriously wounded. The brigands made a vigorous defence, but were all destroyed, being smoked to death in their hole.\n\nOn the 22nd July, the Dê-Tham and his band, said to number 102 rifles, were reported to have appeared suddenly in the village of Xuan Lai, about 3 miles east of Phu-lo. Troops were immediately dispatched there, and arrived about midday. The Dé-Tham commenced negotiations through the intermediary of Voisin, who was still with him, but as these were evidently merely to gain time they were broken off. The artillery bombarded the Catholic church in which the chief had made his headquarters. During the afternoon the Dê-Tham burned the village, executed several of the inhabitants, and took others prisoners for having told the French of his presence. Troops continued to arrive, and by evening the investment seemed to be complete, but the commandant postponed the attack until the next morning. About 11 P.M., however, it was found that the band had left, and once more got away intact. It has transpired since that it marched openly and with determination on a point of the investing line which was only held by native troops, and these gave way at once on the mere sight of the enemy without firing a shot. The De-Tham's party seems to have suffered no casualties on this day, and the French had only three or four militiamen wounded early in the engagement.\n\nThe commandant, however, speedily got information this time of the direction taken by the band, and started in pursuit. On the 25th, Hanoi was astonished to hear that Voisin had been released unconditionally by the Dê-Thum the previous night. He had been ill for some days and unable to walk, and had been carried in a litter. During the night he was suddenly, without explanation, deposited on the road and left. In the morning he dragged himself to a neighbouring village, and he was brought down to Hanoi by train the same day. I may mention that some of the Saigon journals have published suggestions that Voisin was really in secret relations with the De-Tham, and therefore never in any danger, but there appears to be no foundation whatever for these extraordinary rumours.\n\nThe release of Voisin seemed to presage the approaching surrender of the De-Tham, but the public was soon undeceived. On the 25th, the troops came up with the rebels at the village of Hien-luong. The colonial infantry and Foreign Legion attacked with much dash, and met with but little opposition until they found themselves at about 5 P.M. in a swamp, at the other side of which was a sort of rampart hidden by bamboos. From this position a murderous fire opened on the French, who were unable to advance, and in a short time a captain and thirteen European soldiers were killed and some forty wounded. The troops found such shelter as they could, and were not able to withdraw until darkness came on without abandoning their dead and wounded and exposing themselves to the enemy's fire. This, however, prevented the French artillery from bombarding the position. The Annamite tirailleurs are said to have again behaved very badly on this occasion. This affair, happening only some 14 miles from Hanoi, made a very painful impression here, but at first the French population comforted itself with the thought that the Dê-Tham had suffered even more heavily. The report went that about half his band had been destroyed, although it was a suspicious fact that no bodies were found and no rifles taken. It appears now certain that the losses of the band were extremely small, not more than five or six killed, if, indeed, there were any, and that, as a matter of fact, it succeeded in carrying off eight rifles belonging to killed or wounded Frenchmen.\n\nThe De-Tham evacuated Hien-luong that night. The next day, the 26th, the tirailleurs, with a European detachment in support, came into contact with what is believed to have been only his rear-guard at the village of Ninhbac. Four or five tirailleurs were killed and an equal number of the enemy, but the main body withdrew. The French did not continue the pursuit.\n\nSince then there has been no contact between the French and the Dê-Tham. He has completely disappeared, and there are the most divergent rumours as to his whereabouts. The special powers accorded to Commandant Chofflet have been withdrawn, and an influential Annamite functionary, the Tong-doc Le Hoan, an old adversary of the Dê-Tham, has been entrusted with the reduction to order of the province of Phuc-yen. He has received special powers and rank from the Annamite Court to that effect, and has enrolled a corps of 300 or 400 \"partisans\" who are to live on the country, and are expected to succeed in tracking down the Dê-Tham. This step had really been decided upon before the unfortunate affair at Hien-luong, but, coming as it does, it has proved very galling to the army here, and certainly is not calculated to enhance French military prestige in the eyes of the natives. It seems probable that some time will now elapse before the Dê-Tham is definitely brought to book.\n\nIn the meanwhile, however, another affair has occurred which, though apparently not directly connected with the De-Tham, has created a profound impression here. On the night of the 2nd instant the militia post at Hoa-hinh, capital of a province, about 50 miles from Hanoi, was attacked by natives, captured, and sacked. The post was occupied by about sixty native militia. They had had strangers in their quarters gambling with them during the night, and it is supposed that these had drugged some of the militia. At all events the assailants, who are said to have numbered about 100, attacked the garrison with knives and choppers only. The European inspector heard a noise, came out, and tried to rally his men; he was killed and cut to pieces. The four European civilians in the place hid, and then escaped by boat down the river.\n\nFour or five of the militia were killed and a few wounded; the rest fled in every direction. The robbers broke open the gaol and released the prisoners; they took all the arms in the place to the number of about 150 rifles and carbines, about 2,000 dollars in cash, and 5,000 dollars worth of opium, and then left. Up to the time of writing they have not been found, though they are said to have entrenched themselves in a village on the road from Hoa-binh to Hadong. The affair is believed not to be the work of the De-Tham, but to be an act of vengeance caused by the alleged unjust arrest of certain natives. However, it gives a poor impression of the value of the militia who garrison most of the small stations up-country, and it is most unfortunate coming just at this juncture.\n\nOther parts of the country are also disturbed, namely, Dong-Trieu, north of the Haiphong-Hanoi railway line, and Luc-Nam, east of the Yen-the. In both of these districts there are bands of marauders at large, among whom there are said to be a certain number of Chinese. Near Laokay, also, there has recently been an alarm caused by a band of Chinese raiders (probably workmen discharged from the railway), but this does not seem to be serious.\n\nAt present many rumours are current in Hanoi, and the papers even speak of the possibility of a general rising. There was an alarm on the night of the 6th, and the troops were all kept in barracks. Every night parties of military patrol the roads round.\n\nPage 532",
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    {
        "id": 428686,
        "series_id": 27,
        "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine",
        "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案",
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        "document_key": "CO129-372 - Public Offices - 1910",
        "page_number": 27,
        "title": "CO129-372 - Public Offices - 1910",
        "content_text": "This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]\n\nAFFAIRS OF CHINA.\n\nCONFIDENTIAL.\n\n[13226]\n\nNo. 1.\n\n25 C\n\n[April 18.]\n\nSECTION 4.\n\n+4294\n\nRra 12 MAY 10\n\nConsul Carlisle to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received April 18.)\n\n(No. 1. Confidential.) Sir,\n\nHanoi, March 11, 1910.\n\nIN my confidential despatch No. 2 of the 7th August last I recounted the chief events which had occurred up to that date in the campaign against the rebel chief known as Dê-Tham. I have now the honour to continue the narrative of the campaign down to the present time, when it appears to be at an end, for, although the Dê-Tham, himself, has not been accounted for, his followers have surrendered or dispersed. The whole incident has been a very annoying one for the Indo-Chinese Government, and has caused some uneasiness in France.\n\nAt the time my above-mentioned despatch was written the last contact between the French troops and the rebels had taken place on the 25th July at Hien-Luong, where the De-Tham had given a decided check to the French column, killing fourteen Europeans and wounding forty. He had then disappeared. An Annamite functionary, Le Hoan, had been appointed commissioner for the purpose of stamping out the rebels, receiving the high title of \"Kham Sai\" from the court at Hue. The French troops operating in the disturbed region under Commandant Chofflet had instructions to act with the Kham Sai whenever he required their support: he was also authorised to raise a force of some 400 partisans. A French commissioner was subsequently appointed to act as intermediary between the Government of the protectorate and the Kham Sai. After the affair of Hien-Luong and the subsequent disappearance of the De-Tham, the Kham Sai proceeded to reduce to order the province of Phuc-Yen, where a large part of the population had during the recent operations proved to be of extremely doubtful loyalty.\n\nThe only serious incident that occurred during this work of repression was a raid by a chief known as Ba Bieu, who had been one of the Dê-Tham's leading braves. At 2 A.M. on the 13th August, with twenty armed men he entered the village of Bach-Da on the railway. Commandant Chofflet sent a company of colonial infantry, a few tirailleurs, and a section of mountain artillery. The Kham Sai sent 130 men of his \"partisans.\" The rebels had entrenched themselves in one corner of the village, and burnt the surrounding houses. At 2 P.M. the French made their attack. In half an hour they carried the village gate, but were unable to advance. The commandant himself arrived at 3 P.M. with a company of tirailleurs. He was probably anxious to avoid risking his men, for instead of rushing the place, he continued firing on it until darkness set in. The village was surrounded during the night, and some firing took place from time to time, but in the morning it was found that the rebels had left. The French loss was only three Europeans (including a lieutenant) wounded and a 'partisan' killed.\n\nOn the 2nd December two European non-commissioned officers—a sergeant and a corporal—were tried by court-martial at Hanoi for misconduct on this occasion in abandoning their posts before armed rebels. The charges (which were in respect of two separate and distinct incidents), ended in the acquittal of both the accused—in the sergeant's case by three votes to two, and in the corporal's, unanimously.\n\nBa Bieu's success in escaping from this exploit led him to repeat the adventure and three days later, on the 16th August, his band took the village of Thuong-Yea, four miles from the railway. The party consisted of only sixteen rifles. The troops were brought up during the afternoon and more than 600 rifles, including Foreign Legion, artillery, tirailleurs, militia, and \"partisans,\" surrounded the village. Again Ba Bieu succeeded in holding them off until nightfall and then escaping under cover of darkness. The French loss during the day was four natives killed and two Europeans and seven natives wounded.\n\nThis affair, however, was the end of Ba Bieu's career. It afterwards appeared that his little band had suffered severely. Several of them had been killed during the day and their bodies either buried on the spot or carried off at night. Of the rest, nearly all of them must have been wounded. Two days later the body of Ba Bieu was\n\n[2729 s-4]",
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    {
        "id": 428687,
        "series_id": 27,
        "series_slug": "histsyn-co129-engine",
        "series_title": "CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案",
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        "document_key": "CO129-372 - Public Offices - 1910",
        "page_number": 28,
        "title": "CO129-372 - Public Offices - 1910",
        "content_text": "2\n\nfound in a field. He had a slight but not mortal bullet wound, and had apparently been strangled to death--by whom it is not known.\n\nThese two affairs, small as they were, had a somewhat disquieting effect on the French population of Hanoi. The desperate nature of the resistance offered by this handful of men and their success in holding out for so long against largely superior French forces seemed to show a considerable change in the conditions since the time of the conquest of Tonkin twenty-five years before.\n\nOn the 28th August an anti-French plot was discovered at Hanoi, and several arrests were made, five of the accused being subsequently sentenced, by administrative measure without trial, to deportation for ten years. A secret society amongst the servants of Europeans was also brought to light, among the members of which were certain individuals who had already been suspected of complicity in the plot for poisoning the garrison during the summer of 1908, but who had escaped conviction.\n\nOn the 31st August the command of the column against the Dê-Tham was withdrawn from Commandant Chofflet and given to Commandant Bonifacy. On the 5th September a band of fifteen rifles under the command of Ca-rinh, the De-Tham's principal lieutenant, was reported some 3 miles west of Phuc-Yen. On the 6th they were attacked at the village of Yen-Lo by a force despatched by Commandant Bonifacy, consisting of a company of colonial infantry, a company of tirailleurs, a detachment of the Legion, and a section of artillery. The fighting lasted all day, and the band was more than half destroyed, their losses being said to be nine killed and one prisoner. The French loss was, however, also serious, consisting of three Europeans and one tirailleur killed in action, three Europeans dead from sun-stroke, and four Europeans and five tirailleurs wounded.\n\nThe De-Tham himself was at this time in the mountainous region between the Day River and the Rivière Claire, and his intention was to cross the latter stream, and eventually to gain the Province of Thanh-Hoa in North Annam. The river was, however, effectively patrolled, and a move in this direction was prevented. At the end of September, the De-Tham's position being accurately known, the Kham Sai and the column of troops—amounting to some 3,000 men in all—left the province of Phuc-Yen and concentrated in the north of the province of Vinh-Yen.\n\nIn the meantime, on the 26th September, the band of Kiem, (who on the 2nd August, had sacked the militia post at Hoa-Binh, as recounted in my despatch above-mentioned) had attacked another post of militia at Hoa-lae in the Sontay province. The band was repulsed after having killed four militiamen and wounded seven. Kiem did not, however, act in conjunction with the Dê-Tham.\n\nOn the 5th October Commandant Bonifacy attacked the latter's force. It had strongly entrenched itself in a ravine on the south-west side of the Nui-Lang mountain. The position was an extremely difficult one to attack and the French soldiers underwent great hardships. The De-Tham is said to have had seventy rifles engaged in the affair. His actual losses as far as could be ascertained were six killed, two wounded, and one prisoner, but his morale was badly shaken as he had thought himself secure. The band broke up and escaped in the night, the members dispersing in different directions. It has never re-assembled since. A portion of the attacking force was for four hours at twenty-five yards from the enemy's fire. It is not to be wondered at therefore that the French loss was serious---eight Europeans and eleven natives killed and thirty-four wounded. The evacuating of the wounded on Vietri was extremely difficult owing to the nature of the country and the troops were absolutely exhausted, all idea of pursuing the enemy being impossible.\n\n3\n\nThe De-Tham with a few followers left the Nui-Lang mountains and recrossed the Day. Bonifacy moved his column into the Tam-Dao region. The fight at Nui-Lang had evidently had a disheartening effect on the rebels and several of them came in and made their submission. On the 24th October the Dê-Tham's principal lieutenant, Ca-rinh, with six of his followers surrendered to the Kham Sai. This was a serious loss to the rebel chief. He gradually worked his way back through the province of Thai-Nguyen to his former district in the Yen-thé of which he had been for years the virtual ruler. On the 25th November he was definitely signalled there. On the 1st December a notable capture was made in the person of his third wife. This woman is a veritable Amazon; she took a personal and active part in most of the recent engagements, carrying a rifle herself and sometimes, it is said, commanded detachments on foraging and reconnoitring expeditions. A couple of days later the leader himself was nearly caught and an individual of his party was killed, who proved to be none other than the cook who had been the principal instrument in the plot to poison the Hanoi garrison in 1908. Numerous other submissions now took place and the position improved so far that early in December the greater part of the military column (which had been formed after the kidnapping of M. Voisin in July) could be sent back to garrison duty.\n\nAt the end of December the military authorities had to turn their attention to the Yunnan frontier. About 100 Chinese soldiers, at an isolated post, mutinied, and crossed into Tonkin with arms and ammunition. It was feared that they might repeat the exploits of the \"Reformists\" from Yunnan in the summer of 1908, and prompt measures were taken to deal with them. Troops were sent to bar their advance, and they were called upon to submit. They refused to do so, and announced their intention of marching across Tonkin. On the morning of the 5th January they were attacked and put to flight, losing sixteen killed and seventeen wounded. Unfortunately, on the French side a captain was killed and four men wounded. Further reinforcements were sent up and the remnants of the band were disposed of. A good many were killed, others were driven back across the frontier, and some were captured and handed over to the Chinese authorities, who executed them.\n\nMeanwhile, operations on a small scale had for some time been in progress against the band of Kiem, the sacker of Hoa-Binh. These operations were brought to a close at the end of December, when eighty of the rebels had made their submission. There had been little or no serious fighting; the French had had one man severely wounded, and the \"pirates\" had lost eight killed and five wounded. On the 13th January the chief, Kiem himself, surrendered, the only terms given him being that his life should be spared. It is believed that he was partly led to submit by the apparently generous fashion in which Ca-rinh and the other surrendered partisans of the De-Tham were being treated. To them also the Government had only guaranteed their lives, but they had been left in provisional liberty under the surveillance of the provincial authorities. Ca-rinh himself had, indeed, been treated with many marks of distinction. Five days after Kiem's surrender, however, Ca-rinh and some sixty other surrendered rebels, who had been left in the Yen-thé district, together with the third wife of the De-Tham, were simultaneously put into close arrest, brought by special train to Hanoi, and locked up in the prison there. Kiem and his followers have been similarly dealt with. The De-Tham probably congratulates himself on not having trusted to appearances.\n\nHe is still believed to be wandering in the Yen-thé jungle with one or two faithful attendants. The Kham Sai, having failed to effect his capture, was recalled on the 1st March and his band of \"partisans\" dispersed. The remains of Commandant Bonifacy's column were also broken up, the commandant himself, however, remaining to administer the Yen-thế. The pursuit is now entrusted to the militia, who are endeavouring to bring it to an end before the beginning of the hot weather. It is possible that the Dê-Tham might again cause trouble if not disposed of before the heat renders difficult active operations on the part of white troops, but it is not likely that he would still enjoy the prestige which a year ago gave him the support of a great part of the population in the provinces of Yen-thé and Phuc-Yen. On the whole, it appears that M. Klobukowski, the Governor-General (who is now in France), is quite justified in describing the affair of the Dê-Tham as virtually at an end.\n\nI enclose a rough sketch-map showing the relative positions of the principal places mentioned in this despatch.\n\nI have, &c.\n\nT. Ff. CARLISLE.\n\n26",
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