On May 18, 1842, British Navy Commander Baga gathered all warships and bombarded Zhapu Fort in turn. Army Commander Guo Fubing divided into three groups and landed from the east, middle and west of Zhapu.
The British army on the west route violently attacked the Tianfei Palace, but the Qing army resisted vigorously and fought fiercely for half a day. The co-leader Ying Dengbu, the coastal defense magistrate Wei Fengjia, the deputy commander-in-chief Chang Xi, and the assistant leader Duo Rentu were either killed or injured.
The British troops on the east route attacked Tangjiawan. The Shandong defenders retreated after a brief battle. The Shaanxi-Gansu army was not afraid and fought fiercely with the British. All 367 officers and soldiers died in the battle.
Four hundred British troops attacked the Zhapu Navy in the middle. Han Darong, the commander-in-chief of the right battalion, stood at Niujiaojian and led his troops to fight. He shouted "Only advance, don't retreat". He was shot several times and died together with three hundred soldiers.
The British army occupied Niujiaojian and attacked Zhapu City. Zuo Ling Longfu led three hundred bannermen to set up Futianzun Temple and relied on windows and walls to resist.
The British army attacked twice, but failed. Colonel Tomlinson of the 18th Regiment was killed on the spot. The British army was shocked and deployed field artillery to blast through the temple wall. Longfu fought with his sword. After three hours of bloody fighting, he died of exhaustion. Among the 300 soldiers, 43 were killed. Anyone who breaks out of the encirclement will die in battle.
The defenders of Zhapu and the troops in Hangjiahu and Song Jingguo sat in the city to watch the battle. They were frightened and fled without fighting.
The British army entered the city by stairs, set fire to and killed them. For a while, corpses accumulated in Zhapu and blocked the road, and the water stopped flowing. The Manchu and Han soldiers and civilians used their houses as cover and resisted tenaciously. Wang Rong, the commander of the Yongchang Battalion, Sun Dengxiao, the commander of the Zhuanglang Battalion, Ma Zhirong, the commander of the Gansu Qianqian Battalion, and Ge Hang'a, the Xiaoqi Colonel, died in battle. An old battalion officer led his troops to fight hand-to-hand with the British several times, and was captured with a waist injury.
British Captain Lilo said: "The war is over, don't be afraid, you will be treated with mercy and kindness."
The old man burst into tears and shouted angrily: "Pity! I don't want mercy, I am willing to shed my last drop of blood."
Emperor Daoguang was shocked when he heard the news and urgently ordered Qiying to postpone going to Guangdong and stay in Zhejiang to deal with the suppression matters. He also ordered Niu Jian, the governor of Liangjiang, and Chen Huacheng, the admiral of Jiangnan, that at this critical moment, they must lead the civil and military personnel and do their best to guard Wusongkou and not let any danger slip away. Those who retreat before the battle will be killed without mercy.
Qi Yingshu said: The barbarians are so fierce and unstoppable that there is no other strategy except to give up the restraints.
After Qi Ying was dismissed, he entrusted Yilibu with the title of fourth-rank leader to serve as the deputy commander of Zhapu and went to beg for peace.
British Army Commander Aaron Kwok reiterated the terms of the armistice: First, the Qing emperor must agree to the terms of the Pottinger Note and Palmerston's letter to the Chinese Prime Minister. Second, the negotiating partner must be a plenipotentiary minister sent by the Qing emperor. Three, release the prisoners.
Qiying and Yilibu discussed it for a long time, but finally did not agree with the first clause.
When the Zhapu city was destroyed, Niu Jian, the governor of Liangjiang, thought about it and wrote: Although acting against the barbarians is full of deceit, his ambition is to trade and gain profits, not to fight for the city and land. Therefore, in the coastal defense of Jiang Province, we only need to block Wusong, and enter the Yangtze River from Wusong. Although Niyi has some talk of internal invasion, it is hundreds of miles away, so this is an empty word. I have repeatedly observed that if you resist the barbarians and do not invade the inland river, you are sure of your success.
The British army occupied Zhapu for ten days, searching for the northward route, but the water was shallow and they gave up. Then they evacuated Zhapu and headed north along Hangzhou Bay.
In order to show his sincerity, Iribu took the initiative to return the 16 prisoners of war in the hope of resolving their hatred and making peace. The British took the prisoners and ignored the goodwill. Continue northward until you reach Wusongkou of the Yangtze River.
On May 30, 1842, Inspector Poting arrived with reinforcements. There were more than a hundred British ships and over 10,000 soldiers, doubling their strength.
Niu Jian, the governor of Liangjiang, went to Wusongxi Fort in person and urged Chen Huacheng, the admiral of Jiangnan: "Jiangsu and Zhejiang are adjacent to each other. Now that Zhejiang has been lost, it is difficult for the enemy to attack. We will welcome and reward the slow troops."
Chen Huacheng said: "I have been in battle for more than forty years. Now I see the thieves objecting, because I am afraid of the enemy. And I was ordered to suppress the thieves. I will not retreat if I advance! I immediately ordered the soldiers of each battalion to prepare their weapons, battle boats, and bodies." Bring dry food to prepare for the enemy."
In early June, Wang Ding succeeded in controlling the flood in Henan. He traveled day and night to Beijing to meet the saints. He strongly presented Lin Zexu as a wise man and begged him to be given a chance to make atonement for his crimes. Qi had done harm to the country and should be beheaded in public.
Chief Military Minister Mu Zhang'a has been feeling slightly cold recently and occasionally has a dry cough.
Wang Ding turned his spear and angrily scolded Zhang Ahuo for harming the country and hindering the virtuous. Qin Hui and Yan Song reappeared.
Zhang'a thought that the prime minister was too generous, so he smiled and said nothing.
The next day Wang Ding remonstrated again, but Emperor Daoguang refused to listen and turned around to leave. Ding took the emperor's clothes and cried: "I know this but have no words, so I can't do anything to the late emperor! If the emperor doesn't kill Qi Shan, he can't do anything to the world!"
Emperor Daoguang was angry and threw away his robe.
Wang Ding was so desperate that he hanged himself and died. Yi Zhe sobbed: "Treaties should not be granted lightly, bad practices should not be tolerated lightly, Mu should not be allowed to do anything, and Lin should not be abandoned."
Emperor Daoguang burst into tears when he heard this, and cried: "The barbarian troops are approaching Wusongkou. If I use Lin Zexu, wouldn't I add fuel to the fire? Whoever decides Jiuqing can know the soldiers, where the country's major events are life and death. One careless move, the Qing Dynasty." It’s over.”
On June 13, 1842, the British ship invaded Wusongkou. Chen Huacheng fired back. The first shot hit the "Brondy", killing one person and wounding many others. The second shot hit the "Freikson" again, breaking the legs of a soldier. The artillery battle lasted from morning to noon. The British flagship "Gaohuali" was hit multiple times, and three guns penetrated the rear gunnel. The second flagship "Brown Bottom" was hit more than forty times. "Thesostis" was hit ten times, and other battleships were hit many times.
However, the East Fort remained on the sidelines and watched. Chen Huacheng sent someone to inquire. Cui Jirui, the commander of the Chuansha camp, said: "I have ordered the governor of Liangjiang to postpone the division for the time being."
Huacheng sighed and said: "The cow's judgment misleads the country!"
Many ships were hit by artillery. British Navy Commander Baga said: "Since the war, the Qing people's artillery fire has been the best. This Chenhuacheng does not absorb the people's essence but drinks Wusong water. It really deserves its reputation."
Pu Ding checked: "It's a pity for this person. Send an order to increase the firepower of naval guns and the army to encircle him in a roundabout way."
Niu Jian, the governor of Liangjiang, repeatedly ordered Chen Huacheng to retreat to Baoshan and command the war, but Chen Huacheng repeatedly refused. Niu Jianzheng was sighing to himself. Suddenly he heard that the artillery battle was won. He was overjoyed and sat in a big sedan with eight carriages to watch. On the way, the governor's guard of honor was hit by artillery fire. He was frightened, mixed in with the broken troops, and fled Taicang.
Zhou Shirong, the commander-in-chief of Susong Town, saw that the situation was not good and persuaded him to retreat.
Chen Huacheng drew his sword and angrily said: "A mediocre slave, a warrior who defended the country, died on the battlefield. Fortunately, I misunderstood you!"
Zhou Shirong fled, and more than a thousand of his troops were defeated. Wang Zhiyuan, the commander-in-chief of Xuzhou Town on the back of the small sand behind the fort, also abandoned his formation and fled.
Governor Chen Huacheng led more than a dozen soldiers to guard the fort alone. Where the artillery was lacking, he turned into his own soldiers and ordered dozens of guns to be fired. His hand was injured by the shelling, and blood flowed to his shin. The barbarian cannon flew and wounded his feet. The British troops swarmed around him and turned into seven bullets in his body. His body was no longer supported, so he ordered the people around him: "I can't come back to life. Please spare my head and throw it into the ditch." After saying this, he died in mourning.
On July 13, the British ship arrived on the river east of Laoshan in Zhenjiang.
The mountain stands majestically on the edge of the Yangtze River, and there is only one road to reach it by boat.
Last year, when Xiamen was lost, Bao Shichen, a famous scholar from the south of the Yangtze River, predicted that the Dingyi people would attack Dinghai, gradually reaching Ningbo, Zhapu, and Shanghai, and entering the river to lose their luck. He immediately wrote to the imperial envoy Yuqian: heavy troops must be stationed in Lushan to prepare for any danger.
Yuqian didn't respond.
Bao Shichen was not discouraged and drew a picture of Mount Lu for Yijing's subordinates, explaining how to defend it. Then he wrote to Chen Huacheng, the admiral of Jiangnan: Jiangnan coastal defense, there are no dangerous passes for three hundred miles above Lang and Fu. Lushan Mountain blocks the river, so it is appropriate to cut rocks into the mountain and build forts; use wooden dragons to build fences to install gun emplacements; surround the mountain on three sides and install large, medium and small cannons in three layers; then use dozens of red boats to carry small and medium-sized guns. The artillery was patrolled outside the fence; then a fort was built in front of the Sanjiang Camp on the other side to form a pincer attack from the north and the south.
It was also feasible for Chen Huacheng to report to Niu Jian, the governor of Liangjiang.
Niu Jian said: Don't repeat what he said.
On July 14, the British "Brudot" and "Vengeance" sailed into Lushan. The defenders fired artillery to stop them, and the Sanjiang Battalion also fired artillery to cooperate. A British ship was shot in the rear cabin, and a British soldier fell into the river. The next day, nine British ships came back and fired hundreds of cannons. The Lushan artillery was outnumbered and the platform was completely destroyed.
On the 17th, Niu Jian led 10,000 troops and retreated from Changzhou to Zhenjiang. He ordered the Taoist government to invite wealthy people to a banquet to persuade them to donate 120,000 gold in preparation for the reward for the Yi army.
Hai Ling, the vice-capital of Zhenjiang, vowed not to negotiate peace with the barbarians and posted a notice saying: "If the barbarians dare to invade, they will immediately raise their troops and attack."
Niu Jian had no choice but to escape to Nanjing with his troops.
On the 18th, British ships destroyed the Jiaoshan and Xiangshan forts outside Zhenjiang and approached the city.
The British and barbarian forces were overwhelming. Hai Ling, the deputy governor of Zhenjiang, was frightened. He suspected that the Han were responsible and ordered a strict investigation. He also ordered: Those who are not of my race have different minds. In extraordinary times, I would rather kill them in vain. His troops understood the idea, searched the city for suspicion, and executed justice on the spot. In less than two days, more than a thousand Han people were killed. The Han people were dissatisfied and launched a crusade. Hai Ling's troops fired artillery bombardments.
Pu Ding found out about the civil strife in Zhenjiang and immediately gathered 7,000 troops to attack the city brazenly.
Governor Hai Ling led 1,500 flag soldiers to resist desperately. However, they were outnumbered and the city wall was destroyed immediately. The bannermen were all shocked. In order to avoid the humiliation of their wives and daughters, the bannermen rushed home, cut the throats of the women's family members, and threw their children deep into the well. Hailing's wife also committed suicide with her grandson.
Hai Ling wailed: "I would rather die in battle than live! The whole army will follow me and fight against the rebels in bloody battles."
After Hai Ling finished speaking, he led the remaining troops to fight fiercely in the streets with the British. They fought to the death for two days. All the more than a thousand flag soldiers died in the battle, and Hai Ling also took part in the sea of fire.
On the other side of Zhenjiang, Yangzhou gentry and merchants were frightened and urgently raised 500,000 taels of silver to redeem the city and send it to the British.
Pu Dingcha told Guo Fu and Patton: "We fight for freedom and equality in the name of trade, but in reality we are seeking wealth. We are all the same as Yangzhou City, so why is there a war of last resort! In the battle of Zhenjiang, I killed and injured 169 people, which was more than the total number of wars. . If this is the case, it would be unthinkable.”
