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Auction: 21042 - The Opium Wars Collection
Lot: 87

First Opium War
The Eastern Expedition
The Battle of Chapoo
1842 (22 May) entire Eastern Expedition letter from "Chapoo, China" to Weston Supermare "Overland Mail, Via Falmouth, Eastern Expedition", rated "8" and, on the flap, boxed Calcutta Ship Letter Bearing, Calcutta Ship letter date stamp, London straight-line "ship letter", London (31.1) and Weston Supermare (1.2) c.d.s. Written by Capt. C. Edwards of the Royal Irish Regiment (18th); generally very fine.


The letter give a graphic account of the battle including, "... We landed near this town on the 18th inst. The town was protected by a range of hills, upon which a body of Tartar and Chinese troops were drawn up; most unaccountably they allowed us to land without any opposition, when a few gingals judiciously would have annoyed us much. From than I thought we should meet with no resistance. We then passed over two hills and through one of their entrenchments which we found deserted. The 18th and 49th on the left drove the enemy before them over the next hills and then down a steep valley at the extremity of which the Tartar took refuge in a large house into which they were speedily followed. Our Lieutenant Colonel Tomlinson leading, he I regret to say was killed at the door and all near him severely wounded. Here the enemy were regularly at bay which house they held for nearly three hours, making a most desperate resistance, and trying to escape by small numbers at a time. It was not till the house was burned down in the greatest part that we entered; we found it full of bodies ...The town of Chapoo was easily taken as they had relied upon the force on the hills. Our loss has been very great, in consequence of the resistance made in the house. Had it not been for that, we should scarcely fired a shot. This is the first time that we have met the Tartars in their own city ... Very few of the Chinese towns have Tartar garrisons ... The place is a large depot of arms, some of which are of improved construction ... We have also heard that reinforcements have reached Singapore, and that Lord Ellenborough intends to push this war on as much as possible. But I have no great hopes of seeing it shortly brought to a conclusion. Should we move to Pekin, the chance is that the Tartar dynasty would be overturned; there are rumours that some of the Chinese have offered to join us ...". A very important eye-witness account from one of the officers


provenance:
Eddie Lawrence, September 2014


Before the attack, the British commander, Major General Hugh Gough divided his forces into three: a column of infantry on the left (863 men) and right (969 men), with artillery in the centre. Gough accompanied the right column, which landed first on May 16. The remaining troops moved round to the rear of the enemy thereby cutting their communications with Chapoo. Meanwhile, the accompanying steamers began a bombardment of the city's defences. In Gough's own words: "The enemy were completely taken by surprise; as usual, they were unprepared for anything except a frontal attack. They gave way on all sides and took to flight, with the exception of a body of some 300 Tartar troops who seized a small joss-house, and held it with indomitable pluck and perseverance.


A gingal is a type of large musket firted from a rest.


1842年5月22日英國遠征軍由中國乍浦經Falmouth 寄英國信函. 函上寫"Overland Mail, Via Falmouth, Eastern Expedition", 遞送費為8d. 封舌蓋方框型 "CALCUTTA SHIP LETTER", Calcutta Ship Letter 日期印記, 倫敦無框 "SHIP LETTER" 印, 1月31日倫敦日戳及2月1日Weston Supermare 日戳, 信函書寫人是皇家愛爾蘭第18兵團愛德華茲指揮官. 保存良好. 信函的重要內容節錄如下: "....我們在這個月18日在這個城鎮附近登陸....一群韃子 (滿州人)和中國軍隊組建起來; 最無耻的是, 他們竟然讓我們没有任何抵抗情况下登陸....我方的中尉湯姆林森領導, 我很遺憾地說他在入口處被殺, 而他身旁的所有人都嚴重受傷. 在這裏, 敵人經常在海邊.....直到房子被燒, 我們進入最大部份, 發覺它充滿了屍體....我們也聽說增援兵已到達新加坡....有傳言說, 一些中國人已經提出要加入我們...." 來自一位英國軍官的第一身重要目擊證詞.

Sold for
HK$35,000

Starting price
HK$18000