Directory_and_Chronicle_1841 — Page 190

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Progress of the War.

MARCH,

ART. V. Progress of the war; battle of the Bogue and destruc- tion of the forts there and on the river up to Canton; armistice and arrangements for trade agreed on.

In our last number, we briefly summed up the proceedings of the expedition to China, from the time of its arrival on the coasts in June last, to the breaking off of negotiations, resumption of hostilities, and taking of the Bogue forts, on the 26th of Feb. The details of the battle at the Bogue we were then unable to give. That omission we now supply, by insertion of the following extract from a commu- nication made to our cotemporary of the Canton Press. After parti- cularizing the opening of hostilities, on the expiry of the time allowed for the conclusion by Keshen of the treaty arranged with him,—our cotemporary's correspondent thus proceeds: in his narrative, we have ventured to make a few changes and omissions.

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Owing to the calmness of the weather, the progress of the fleet was very tedious; the steamers here came into requisition, and the forces now assem- bled consisted of the following vessels :-Calliope, Samarang, Herald, Al- ligator, Sulphur, and steamer Nemesis, forming the advanced squadron, which arrived at the Bogue on the 19th; the Wellesley, Blenheim, Melville, Druid, Modeste, and steamers Queen and Madagascar, which arrived be- tween the 23d and 25th, with the transports Sophia, Minerva, Thetis, Eagle. During the whole of the 25th, the note of preparation for the approach- ing struggle was sounded through the fleet. In the forenoon a landing was effected on South Wangtong, of three howitzers, and about 150 men of the 37th M. N. 1., with parties of the royal and Madras Artillery, under the superintendence of sir Le Fleming Senhouse. The landing was re- markably well managed; the Nemesis, having towed the troop-boats ashore, took up a snug berth, nearly shut in from the fire of Anunghoy and the fort on the western side of the river, backed out, and gave it to Anunghoy with her bow-gun, and to the western fort with her stern. Some of the shot from these forts fell pretty near her; from North Wangtong the Chinese could make nothing of it, their shot falling a long way outside of her. The position taken by the landing party was perfectly covered from the fire of the Chi- nese. It is singular, that with all the care with which they appear to have fortified and protected North Wangtong, they should not have seen how easily a landing could be effected on South Wangtong, without being exposed to their fire. This was a fatal mistake, for it gave us a position that com- manded their stronghold of North Wangtong.

"At daylight on the morning of the memorable 26th, the three howitzers opened from the sandbag battery, raised during the night by our men on South Wangtong-upon the Chinese fortifications on the northern island. The firing was kept up with spirit, and the shells told with great precision, for the buildings and wooden huts, under the walls of the custom-house fort, were perceived to be on fire, and were soon demolished. The shells, and rockets must have made considerable havoc in a large encampment, stretch- ing from the fort on the west end of the island, behind the round fort on