John Moyse
Encyclopedia
Private John Moyse was a British soldier of the 3rd (East Kent) Regiment
who according to popular legend was captured by Chinese soldiers during the Second Opium War
and later was executed for refusing to prostrate himself before the Chinese general. This alleged act of defiance was later immortalised in The Private of the Buffs
, a poem by Sir Francis Hastings Doyle
.
(1856–1860) was fought to guarantee European sovereignty of the seas after a Chinese-owned and British-registered ship, The Arrow, was seized in 1856 for being involved in smuggling and piracy. Since it had been flying the British Ensign, the British government pressed for an apology. They allied with France and Russia and invaded China from 1857 to 1858. In 1858, China sued for peace and agreed to the Treaty of Tientsin
, which allowed the creation of French and English embassies in Beijing, and the Treaty of Aigun
, which redrew Russia's border with China.
In 1859, after China refuted the Treaty of Tientsin, the war continued. A naval force under the command of Admiral Sir James Hope shelled the forts guarding the mouth of the Peiho river. It was damaged and withdrew under the cover of fire from a naval squadron commanded by Commodore Josiah Tattnall.
In 1860, an Anglo-French army gathered at Hong Kong
and then carried out a landing at Pei Tang on August 3, and a successful assault on the Taku Forts on August 21. On the march to Beijing the Anglo-French forces pushed aside several Manchu military units but the fighting was limited.
, a party of Sikh
sapper
s and some laborers
transporting their column's rum rations was captured by a force of Tartar cavalry. Among them was Private John Moyse of the 3rd (East Kent) Regiment
(also known as "The Buffs") and an unnamed sergeant of the 44th (East Essex) Regiment
.
The next day the prisoners were brought before a local mandarin
and were ordered to kow-tow, under penalty of torture or execution if they didn't comply. Private Moyse alone refused and was savagely beaten and then beheaded, his body afterwards thrown on a dungheap. He was, ironically, his regiment's only casualty in the fighting.
The cause of his refusal has been a subject of much dispute. The popular story was that it was on the grounds that it would disgrace his country. However, it has been surmised that Moyse, who had a history of insubordination, refused out of personal pride and stubbornness. When the prisoners were released a week later, their tale of Moyse's bravery spread through the army.
His act of defiance was later celebrated in The Private of the Buffs
http://www.heretical.com/miscella/moyse.html, a poem by Sir Francis Hastings Doyle
. The poem refers to Moyse as a newly-recruited young Kentish farmboy but he was, in fact, a veteran middle-aged Irishman who had recently been broken in rank. However, the poem was written on the strength of newspaper reports, and it is likely that Doyle was unaware of the discrepancies.
D.F. Rennie, a doctor with the British troops, also denies that the incident took place. The Manchester Times reprinted Rennie's account on December 2, 1865, with the conclusion
The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)
The Buffs , formerly the 3rd Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army until 1961. It had a history dating back to 1572 and was one of the oldest regiments in the British Army being third in order of precedence...
who according to popular legend was captured by Chinese soldiers during 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...
and later was executed for refusing to prostrate himself before the Chinese general. This alleged act of defiance was later immortalised in The Private of the Buffs
The Private of the Buffs
The Private of the Buffs is a ballad by Sir Francis Hastings Doyle describing the execution of a British infantryman by Chinese soldiers in 1860.-Background:...
, a poem by Sir Francis Hastings Doyle
Francis Hastings Doyle
Sir Francis Hastings Charles Doyle, 2nd Baronet was a British poet.-Biography:Doyle was born near Tadcaster, Yorkshire, to a military family which produced several distinguished officers, including his father, Major-General Sir Francis Hastings Doyle, 1st Baronet, who was created a baronet in 1828...
.
Historical background
The Second Opium WarSecond 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...
(1856–1860) was fought to guarantee European sovereignty of the seas after a Chinese-owned and British-registered ship, The Arrow, was seized in 1856 for being involved in smuggling and piracy. Since it had been flying the British Ensign, the British government pressed for an apology. They allied with France and Russia and invaded China from 1857 to 1858. In 1858, China sued for peace and agreed to 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...
, which allowed the creation of French and English embassies in Beijing, and the Treaty of Aigun
Treaty of Aigun
The Treaty of Aigun was a 1858 treaty between the Russian Empire, and the empire of the Qing Dynasty, the sinicized-Manchu rulers of China, that established much of the modern border between the Russian Far East and Manchuria , which is now known as Northeast China...
, which redrew Russia's border with China.
In 1859, after China refuted the Treaty of Tientsin, the war continued. A naval force under the command of Admiral Sir James Hope shelled the forts guarding the mouth of the Peiho river. It was damaged and withdrew under the cover of fire from a naval squadron commanded by Commodore Josiah Tattnall.
In 1860, an Anglo-French army gathered at Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and then carried out a landing at Pei Tang on August 3, and a successful assault on the Taku Forts on August 21. On the march to Beijing the Anglo-French forces pushed aside several Manchu military units but the fighting was limited.
"The Private of the Buffs"
On 13 August 1860 during the march on the Taku FortsTaku Forts
The Dagu Forts , also called the Peiho Forts are forts located by the Hai River estuary, in Tanggu District, Tianjin municipality, in northeastern China. They are located 60 km southeast of the Tianjin urban center.-History:The first fort was built during the reign of the Ming Jiajing...
, a party of Sikh
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
sapper
Sapper
A sapper, pioneer or combat engineer is a combatant soldier who performs a wide variety of combat engineering duties, typically including, but not limited to, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, demolitions, field defences, general construction and building, as well as road and airfield...
s and some laborers
Coolie
Historically, a coolie was a manual labourer or slave from Asia, particularly China, India, and the Phillipines during the 19th century and early 20th century...
transporting their column's rum rations was captured by a force of Tartar cavalry. Among them was Private John Moyse of the 3rd (East Kent) Regiment
The Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment)
The Buffs , formerly the 3rd Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army until 1961. It had a history dating back to 1572 and was one of the oldest regiments in the British Army being third in order of precedence...
(also known as "The Buffs") and an unnamed sergeant of the 44th (East Essex) Regiment
Essex Regiment
The Essex Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army that saw active service from 1881 to 1958. Members of the regiment were recruited from across Essex county. Its lineage is continued by the Royal Anglian Regiment.-Origins:...
.
The next day the prisoners were brought before a local mandarin
Mandarin (bureaucrat)
A mandarin was a bureaucrat in imperial China, and also in the monarchist days of Vietnam where the system of Imperial examinations and scholar-bureaucrats was adopted under Chinese influence.-History and use of the term:...
and were ordered to kow-tow, under penalty of torture or execution if they didn't comply. Private Moyse alone refused and was savagely beaten and then beheaded, his body afterwards thrown on a dungheap. He was, ironically, his regiment's only casualty in the fighting.
The cause of his refusal has been a subject of much dispute. The popular story was that it was on the grounds that it would disgrace his country. However, it has been surmised that Moyse, who had a history of insubordination, refused out of personal pride and stubbornness. When the prisoners were released a week later, their tale of Moyse's bravery spread through the army.
His act of defiance was later celebrated in The Private of the Buffs
The Private of the Buffs
The Private of the Buffs is a ballad by Sir Francis Hastings Doyle describing the execution of a British infantryman by Chinese soldiers in 1860.-Background:...
http://www.heretical.com/miscella/moyse.html, a poem by Sir Francis Hastings Doyle
Francis Hastings Doyle
Sir Francis Hastings Charles Doyle, 2nd Baronet was a British poet.-Biography:Doyle was born near Tadcaster, Yorkshire, to a military family which produced several distinguished officers, including his father, Major-General Sir Francis Hastings Doyle, 1st Baronet, who was created a baronet in 1828...
. The poem refers to Moyse as a newly-recruited young Kentish farmboy but he was, in fact, a veteran middle-aged Irishman who had recently been broken in rank. However, the poem was written on the strength of newspaper reports, and it is likely that Doyle was unaware of the discrepancies.
The historical sources
Despite the report in The Times, there is some question as to whether the incident took place as popularly supposed. Garnet Wolseley, who was present at the taking of the Taku forts, insists that "The man belonging to the Buffs was either killed, or 'died of drink,' as the Chinese say." The source of the information—a soldier in the 44th Regiment—was, according to Wolseley, not reliable. "His mind, indeed, seemed to be unbalanced, as in addition to the untruths he told, he talked utter nonsense about what he pretended he had overheard his captors say."D.F. Rennie, a doctor with the British troops, also denies that the incident took place. The Manchester Times reprinted Rennie's account on December 2, 1865, with the conclusion
Thus, it would seem that this unfortunate man, who, through the romancing propensities of his comrade of the 44th, and the ready ear for 'sensationalism of the Times correspondent, was believed by the deluded British public to have been decapitated because he would not kow-tow to Sang-ko-lin-sin, died without ever seeing that personage at all."