Directory_and_Chronicle_1841 — Page 55

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Battle at Chuenpe.

JAN.

Boats with the marines of the squadron and royal: artillery first shoved off; and these were shortly joined by the rest of the land force, conveyed from the transports into shallow water by the stea- mers, Euterprise, Madagascar, and Nemesis: the land force was to disembark near the watering-place on the south side of Chuenpe, and was then to march up a valley, extending from thence, with some windings, to the forts.

The Calliope, Hyacinth, and Larne, all weighed at nearly the same time, the Queen taking the Calliope in tow. These ships, under the command of captain Herbert, were to proceed directly up the river and bombard the lower fort on Chuenpe. The Queen and Nemesis, as soon as disengaged and able to get into position,' were to throw shells into the hill forts, and into, the entrenchments on the inner side of it.

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The Samarang, Druid, Modeste, and. Columbine, getting under weigh soon afterwards, steered for Tycocktow, under the direction of captain Scott, to whose management the taking of the fort there had been committed.

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These arrangements having been made, the Wellesley and the other large ships, weighed and moved on in midchannel, to take posi-. tion above these two forts preparatory to an attack on the batteries further up

the river. At half past eleven o'clock they came to anchor above Chuenpe, the action on both sides of the river having then closed, but not without great slaughter on the part of the Chinese. Never before had they met such a foe, nor witnessed such dreadful havoc. From those who were present, and from others who have visited the battle-ground, we will now detail the particulars, so far as we have been able to ascertain them.・・ : no

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The action commenced on Chuenpe, and at nearly the same hour by both the land and naval forces. The troops for the field service, consisting of a battalion of royal marines, a detachment of royal artil- lery, having one 24 pr. howitzer and two 6 pr. fieldpieces, drawn by a party of seamen from the Wellesley, Blenheim, and ··Melville,— detachments of the 26th and 49th regiments, the 37th Madras native infantry and a detachment of Bengal volunteers, in all about 1400 men, under the command of major Pratt of the 26th of: Cameronian regiment, began to land about half past 8 o'clock; two miles south of the lower fort on Chuenpe near the watering-place, as before stated: They landed without opposition; and major Pratt having for med them, sent forward an advanced party of two companies of ma- rines; the guns came next, dragged by the seainen, and supported by

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