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Auction: 21042 - The Opium Wars Collection
Lot: 188

The Second Opium War
After The War
The Taiping Rebellion
1862 (3 and 19 June) stampless envelope to Wisconsin, U.S.A. with "2/2" rate mark in red crayon, a good strike of "shanghae/paid" (Proud PD7) in red (18.6), London Paid (5.8) and N.York Br. Pkt (20.8), the reverse with neat Shanghai despatch and Hong Kong (24.6) c.d.s.


The letters from John Markham (to an aunt and his mother) are written from the British Consulate, the first letter includes, "... We are rather in a bad way here owing to a breach of faith on the part of the Imperial Govt who promised to garrison the towns we took from the Rebels. We have had to give them all up and our troops have retired on this place to protect it. The Rebels have again occupied Kading, Cholin and one or two of the cities we took from them, and they are preparing hard on Tsingpo and Sin Keong in which latter place we have some sailors of 'Centaur'. I fear it must fall for the Rebels are very strong and have completely surrounded it. Albert is on board 'Centaur' I am happy to say about 9 miles from Sun Keong. We cannot relieve it as we want all our men here for the great rebel fighting King, Chong Wong, is marching on Shanghae with 300,000 men it is said. He occupied Kading and collected his army there. I fancy he will be here in a few days, we are all ready for him & truly hope he will come for he will get such a thrashing as will make him remember Shanghae for some time to come. We are very well fortified and have troops enough for the thorough protection of the settlement besides having 6 Armstrong guns...". The second letter includes, "...the Rebels are still all round us but they dare not attack for we are too well prepared for them ...". The letter also includes that he has been made Consul to Foochow and the the American steamer 'Coates' burnt in the river along with its cargo. A very interesting pair of letters and very early use of the Shanghae Paid c.d.s.

For Albert Markham correspondence, see lots 141-144


1862年(6月3日及19日) 上海John Markham 寫於英領事館內, 經香港寄美國Wisconsin 無票信函, 封上有紅筆寫 "2/2" 遞送費記號, 另蓋紅色6月18日 "Shanghae/ Paid" (Proud PD7) 戳, 上端蓋8月5日 "London Paid" 戳, 封面中央蓋8月20日紐約"N.Yory\k Br. Pkt" 大圓戳. 封背有上海調發戳及6月24日香港中轉日戳. 信中主要敍述上海附近太平軍的戰事, 忠王奪取嘉定一帶並集結三十萬大軍正準備東進上海, 而英法聯軍己步署應戰, 而英方主要統帥為何伯將軍, 英法聯軍與太平軍在高橋鎮激戰且將其潰敗....等.

Sold for
HK$14,000

Starting price
HK$5500