T'ai-p'ing Rebellion
THE LAST MONTHS OF THE TAEPING WAR
April 1866
HARPER’S NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE
[EDITOR OF HARPER’S MAGAZINE,—It is probable that few, if any. of your readers have heard much of the efforts made to suppress tile gigantic revolution existing in China since the year 1849. I propose, therefore, to give a brief account of some of the principal incidents connected with it, limiting myself to such events as occurred near Shanghai, and in the southeast portion of the Province of Kiang-su, and tite northeast part of Che-kiang; for in this part of the Celestial Empire it was that Americans distinguished themselves, particulary in the military movements made to suppress this great revolution.-Cato —G. B.]
(F.T.) Ward, a former associate of Walker, the filibuster, during his South American expedition, was the first European or American who rose to distinction and found favor in the eyes of the Imperialists. He landed in Shanghai in the latter part of 1860, and finding no employment there, offered his services to the Viceroy of the Province. The Taepings at this time were within forty miles of the port, and an advance of their forces was daily expected. Ward proposed to the “Foo-tai” (Viceroy), if allowed to enroll and equip fifty Malays, to take, with their assistance only, a town named Soonkeong, thirty miles in a direct line, but in reality on account of circuitous approaches to it, fifty from Shanghai, on a canal leading to that city from the lake Tal-hon. The terms agreed on were that, if succeseful, Ward was to raise a further force of 1000 Chinese, and 25 American or European officers; his Malays were to be paid, and himself sufficiently rewarded.
Soonkeong, the town Ward proposed attacking, was well fortified, inclosed hy a wall four miles in extent, and nowhere less than forty
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