Battle of Canton (1857)
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Canton was fought by British and French forces against China on 28–31 December 1857 during the Second Opium War
.
Although the British Royal Navy had destroyed the Chinese junks during the summer, an attack on Canton was delayed by the Indian Mutiny. British and French troops reconnoitred the city on 22 December. The battle began with a naval bombardment on 28 December and the capture of Lin's Fort one mile inland, and the next day troops landed by Kupar Creek to the south-east of the city. The Chinese had thought that the attacking forces would try to capture Magazine Hill before they moved on the city walls, but on the morning on 29 December after a naval bombardment ending at 9am French troops climbed the walls with little resistance. They had arrived at the wall early so faced fired from their own guns. Over 4700 British and Indian troops and 950 French troops scaled the city walls, with 13 British and two French dead. The walls were occupied for a week, then the troops moved into the streets of the city on the morning of 5 January. Some reports estimate tens of thousands of Chinese were killed or captured and nearly 30,000 homes were burned down, although other sources put Chinese casualties at 450 soldiers and 200 civilians.
Commissioner Ye Mingchen
was captured and taken to Calcutta where he died a year later. Once the British and French had occupied the city they established a joint governing commission. Partly due to the battle and subsequent occupation - the Chinese wanted to avoid a repeat of the battle in Beijing - the Treaty of Tientsin
was signed on 26 June 1858, ending the Second Opium War.
Second Opium War
The Second Opium War, the Second Anglo-Chinese War, the Second China War, the Arrow War, or the Anglo-French expedition to China, was a war pitting the British Empire and the Second French Empire against the Qing Dynasty of China, lasting from 1856 to 1860...
.
Although the British Royal Navy had destroyed the Chinese junks during the summer, an attack on Canton was delayed by the Indian Mutiny. British and French troops reconnoitred the city on 22 December. The battle began with a naval bombardment on 28 December and the capture of Lin's Fort one mile inland, and the next day troops landed by Kupar Creek to the south-east of the city. The Chinese had thought that the attacking forces would try to capture Magazine Hill before they moved on the city walls, but on the morning on 29 December after a naval bombardment ending at 9am French troops climbed the walls with little resistance. They had arrived at the wall early so faced fired from their own guns. Over 4700 British and Indian troops and 950 French troops scaled the city walls, with 13 British and two French dead. The walls were occupied for a week, then the troops moved into the streets of the city on the morning of 5 January. Some reports estimate tens of thousands of Chinese were killed or captured and nearly 30,000 homes were burned down, although other sources put Chinese casualties at 450 soldiers and 200 civilians.
Commissioner Ye Mingchen
Ye Mingchen
Ye Mingchen was a high-ranking Chinese official during the Qing Dynasty, known for his resistance to British influence in Guangzhou in the aftermath of the First Opium War.-Early career:...
was captured and taken to Calcutta where he died a year later. Once the British and French had occupied the city they established a joint governing commission. Partly due to the battle and subsequent occupation - the Chinese wanted to avoid a repeat of the battle in Beijing - the Treaty of Tientsin
Treaty of Tientsin
Several documents known as the "Treaty of Tien-tsin" were signed in Tianjin in June 1858, ending the first part of the Second Opium War . The Second French Empire, United Kingdom, Russian Empire, and the United States were the parties involved...
was signed on 26 June 1858, ending the Second Opium War.