Second Battle of Chuenpi

The Second Battle of Chuenpi () was fought between British and Chinese forces in the Pearl River Delta, Guangdong province, China, on 7January 1841 during the First Opium War. The British launched an amphibious attack at the Humen strait (Bogue), capturing the forts on the islands of Chuenpi and Taikoktow. Subsequent negotiations between British Plenipotentiary Charles Elliot and Chinese Imperial Commissioner Qishan resulted in the Convention of Chuenpi on 20 January. As one of the terms of the agreement, Elliot announced the cession of Hong Kong Island to the British Empire, after which the British took formal possession of the island on 26 January.

Background

In September 1840, the Daoguang Emperor of the Qing dynasty fired Imperial Commissioner Lin Zexu and replaced him with Qishan. British Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston instructed Plenipotentiary Charles Elliot to have the ports of Canton, Amoy, Fuzhou, Ningpo, and Shanghai opened for trade; to acquire the cession of at least one island (or if the Chinese refused, the establishment of a secure British enclave on the mainland); and to secure compensation for confiscated opium as well as military costs incurred in China.Hanes & Sanello 2004, p. 117Le Pichon 2006, p. 39 On 1 December, Elliot wrote to Palmerston that these demands would be secured within ten days. Three days after the deadline, Elliot wrote to Governor-General of India Lord Auckland that he had failed to get the concessions, but one was still in prospect. He then conceded that any settlement would be "far short of the demands of the government."Fay 1997, p. 270

In negotiations with Qishan, Elliot wanted $7 million over a period of six years and the surrender of Amoy and Chusan as permanent British possessions. Qishan offered $5 million over twelve years, so they agreed to $6 million. However, Qishan refused Elliot's territorial demands. On 17 December, Elliot countered with an offer to abandon Chusan, which the British captured in July 1840, and for another port to be chosen later in its place. After Qishan rejected the offer, Elliot told him, "There are very large forces collected here, and delays must breed amongst them a very great impatience."Hanes & Sanello 2004, p. 118 The year passed with no final settlements. An opium clipper that subsequently sailed into Canton brought with it a rumour that the emperor had decided to wage war. On 5January 1841, Elliot prepared for an attack on Canton, informing Qishan that an attack would commence in two days if agreement could not be reached. He allowed Commodore Gordon Bremer, commander-in-chief of the British forces, to make offensive operations.

Battle

British operations began at 8:00 am on 7January from Sampanchow Island, below the Humen strait (Bogue). By 9:00 am, the East India Company steamers ''Enterprise'', ''Madagascar'', and '' Nemesis'' assisted in embarking the following forces who landed unopposed below the Chuenpi Island artillery batteries:

*504 Royal Marines under Captain Samuel Ellis
*33 Royal Artillery under Captain J. Knowles, operating a 24-pounder howitzer and two 6-pounder field guns
*137 seamen from the '' Wellesley'', ''Blenheim'', and '' Melville'' under Lieutenant Wilson
*104 troops of the 26th and 49th Regiments under Major Johnstone
*607 troops of the 37th Madras Native Infantry under Captain Duff
*76 Bengal Volunteers under Captain Bolton

An additional 30 seamen assisted in dragging the 24-pounder and two 6-pounders into position, and 15 sailors from the ''Blenheim'' were employed in the rocket and ammunition service. Major Thomas Pratt of the 26th Regiment commanded the land force of about 1,500 men.''Bulletins of State Intelligence'' 1841, p. 227 After advancing , the British spotted the upper fort and an entrenchment comprising a deep ditch with surrounding breastwork. The Chinese cheered when they saw the British, waved their flags in defiance, and opened fire from the batteries. In response, the British cannons on the crest of the hill commenced firing. The Chinese then returned fire for about 20 minutes. The steamers ''Queen'' and ''Nemesis'', under Captain Edward Belcher of the '' Sulphur'', fired shells into the upper fort while the ''Calliope'', ''Hyacinth'', and ''Larne'' ships (under Captain Thomas Herbert) attacked the lower fort. In less than an hour, the combined bombardment silenced the Chinese batteries. By 10:00 am, the upper fort had been captured, and the lower fort surrounded and stormed by Royal Marines.''Bulletins of State Intelligence'' 1841, pp. 223–224 After the capture, the ''Nemesis'' attacked a fleet of about 15 war junks under Admiral Guan Tianpei in Anson's Bay. The junks mounted 7 to 11 guns of various calibre from 4- to 12-pounders.MacPherson 1843, p. 267 The ship fired a Congreve rocket that struck a junk near the admiral, which a British officer described as follows:

At about 11:30 am, the Chinese on board the junks hauled down their flags.Hall & Bernard 1844, p. 127 At noon, two cutters of the ''Nemesis'' sailed towards Admiral Guan's junk, described by an officer as "immensely large" and mounting 14 or 15 guns, some of them brass and "beautifully chased".''The United Service Journal'' 1841, p. 242 They found only one man on board who after seeing the crew board the ship, jumped over the bow. Meanwhile, Captain James Scott of the ''Samarang'' commanded the attack on Taikoktow Island (west of Chuenpi). When the forts began firing on the British vessels at 10:20 am, the ''Samarang'' returned fire ten minutes later after anchoring away. The '' Modeste'', '' Druid'', and '' Columbine'' later anchored in succession. Scott reported that "in a few minutes, so destructive and well directed was the fire of our ships, that that of the enemy was silenced, with the exception of an occasional gun or two."''Bulletins of State Intelligence'' 1841, p. 232 At 11:20 am, the ships embarked their crewmen to storm the forts where the Chinese remained inside until driven out. The Chinese could not withstand the onslaught of British muskets during hand-to-hand combat. After capturing the forts, the Chinese guns were spiked and thrown into the river.

In total, 38 British were wounded, many from an explosion of an extensive magazine after capturing the Chuenpi fort. Commodore Bremer credited the Chinese for fighting "with the greatest credit and devotion" in the batteries and reported their losses at 500 to 600 out of a force of 2,000 men. Chinese records indicate 744 casualties (277 killed and 467 wounded). The high Chinese casualties were due to the impression they had that British troops would give no quarter. 100 Chinese prisoners who laid down their arms were released the next day. 11 junks were destroyed and 191 artillery pieces were captured. According to Qing scholar Wei Yuan, Kuan sent Rear-Admiral Li T'ing-Yü to Canton to request more troops, which the "whole official body" supported except Qishan, who spent the night writing peace proposals.

Aftermath

Elliot sent a Chinese prisoner to Kuan, with a letter explaining "the usages of civilised warfare" and that if the forts did not hoist their colours the following day, they would not be attacked. At 11:30 am on 8January, British ships led by the ''Blenheim'' sailed up the Bocca Tigris. As they approached Anunghoy Island (north of Chuenpi), a boat rowed by an old woman displayed a white flag.Ouchterlony 1844, pp. 100–101 A man from the ship was taken on board a British vessel to deliver a request from Kuan that hostilities be suspended for three days in order to contact Qishan. Cancellation of the attack order prompted Lieutenant John Ouchterlony to note that it "certainly created a feeling of great disappointment throughout the fleet." Elliot addressed the cancellation in a circular aboard the ''Wellesley'': "A communication has been received from the Chinese commander-in-chief, which has led to an armistice, with the purpose to afford the high commissioner time to consider certain conditions now offered for his acceptance."

On 20January, after the Convention of Chuenpi, Elliot announced "the conclusion of preliminary arrangements" between Qishan and himself. They involved the cession of Hong Kong Island to the United Kingdom, a £6 million indemnity payable to the British government, direct and equal ties between the countries, and trade in Canton to be opened within ten days following the Chinese new year. They also agreed to the restoration of Chuenpi and Taikoktow to the Chinese, and the evacuation of Chusan. On 26 January, the Union Jack was raised on Hong Kong, and Commodore Bremer took formal possession of the island, under a ''feu de joie'' from the marines and a royal salute from the anchored men-of-war. On 29January, Elliot proclaimed that Chinese natives "shall be governed according to the laws and customs of China, every description of torture excepted" and that "all British subjects and foreigners residing, or resorting to the island of Hong Kong, shall enjoy full security and protection, according to the principles and practice of British law".

When the news reached the emperor, he ordered Qishan to be "degraded from his office" and to stand trial at the Board of Punishments. Qishan faced several charges including giving "the barbarians Hongkong as a dwelling place".Davis 1852, p. 50 In his response, he claimed, "I pretended to do so from the mere force of circumstances, and to put them off for a time, but had no such serious intention." The court denounced him as a traitor and sentenced him to death. He was imprisoned for several months, but at the end of 1841 he was allowed, without authority or rank, to deal with the British.Davis 1852, pp. 51–52 On 21April 1841, Lord Palmerston wrote a letter of reprimand to Elliot and recalled him for not securing the earlier demands as ordered. Palmerston dismissed Hong Kong as "a barren island with hardly a house upon it."Le Pichon 2006, p. 40 In May 1841, Henry Pottinger replaced Elliot as plenipotentiary.

Queen Victoria addressed the events in a letter to her uncle, King Leopold I of Belgium, on 13April:

Notes

;Footnotes

;Citations

References

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Narrative of a Voyage Round the World
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*Benson, Arthur Christopher; Esher, Viscount (1907).
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*Bingham, John Elliot (1843).
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' (2nd ed.). Volume 2. London: Henry Colburn.
*
Bulletins of State Intelligence
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*
The Chinese Repository
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*
The Chinese Repository
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*Davis, John Francis (1852).
China, During the War and Since the Peace
'. Volume 1. London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans.
*Fay, Peter Ward (1997) 975 ''The Opium War, 1840-1842: Barbarians in the Celestial Empire''. University of North Carolina Press. .
*Hall, William Hutcheon; Bernard, William Dallas (1844).
Narrative of the Voyages and Services of the Nemesis from 1840 to 1843
' (2nd ed.). London: Henry Colburn.
*Hanes, William Travis; Sanello, Frank (2002). ''The Opium Wars: The Addiction of One Empire and the Corruption of Another''. Naperville, Illinois: Sourcebooks. .
*Hoe, Susanna; Roebuck, Derek (1999). ''The Taking of Hong Kong: Charles and Clara Elliot in China Waters''. Richmond, Surrey: Curzon Press. .
*Le Pichon, Alain (2006). ''China Trade and Empire''. Oxford: Oxford University Press. .
*Mackenzie, Keith Stewart (1842).
Narrative of the Second Campaign in China
'. London: Richard Bentley.
*MacPherson, Duncan (1843).
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' (2nd ed.). London: Saunders and Otley.
*Mao, Haijian (2016). ''The Qing Empire and the Opium War''. Cambridge University Press. .
*Morse, Hosea Ballou (1910).
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* Martin, Robert Montgomery (1847).
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*
The Nautical Magazine and Naval Chronicle, for 1841
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*Ouchterlony, John (1844).
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*Parker, Edward Harper (1888).
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*
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External links

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1841 in China
Chuenpi 2
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Military history of Guangdong
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