1862

FRENCH TROOPS OCCUPY MEXICO

clerical privileges. He was made to suffer for the sins of his predecessors against foreign interests.

Spanish, French, and English warships landed their forces at Vera Cruz. A joint note was addressed to President Juarez, demanding redress and indemnity for all the outrages of the past. The demands of the French, among which were those of the notorious banker Jecker, were so excessive as to excite the protests even of the allies. On February 19 an understanding was reached at Soledad which permitted the allies to establish themselves in the cities of Cordova, Orizaba, and Tehuacan. Soon afterward French reenforcements arrived under the command of Count Lorencez. Vice-Admiral de la Gravière, the French plenipotentiary, now revoked his signature to the Convention of Soledad, and, raising the claims for indemnities, demanded that his troops should be permitted to occupy the capital to insure a proper reorganization of the affairs of Mexico. The attitude assumed by France was too much for her allies. On April 9 England and Spain withdrew from the alliance and recalled their forces.

On January 14 the Taipings reached the vicinity of Shanghai, heralded by the smoke of burning villages. The rebels were repulsed by the French at Woosung, the port at the mouth of the river. Sir John Michael arrived with a few English troops, which, with two regiments disciplined by Ward, made a force of 1,000 men. Ward captured Quanfeelung with several hundred rebel boats. On February 21 a joint British and French force of 1,096 men, with Admiral Hope in general charge, stormed the village of Kachiaou. Although driven out, the rebels resumed their attacks. Hope was reenforced by 1,150 men with 7 howitzers. He attacked Tseedong, a place of great strength, and killed 700 and took 300 prisoners. The Ever-Victorious army, for this decisive victory, was brought to the favorable notice of Prince Kung

MUTINY OF CHINESE MERCENARIES

1862

and the Chinese Government. An Englishman contracted to convey 9,000 of the troops who had stormed Gangking from the Yang-tse to Shanghai. At the end of March General Stoveley arrived with English reenforcements.

A plan was entered upon to clear the country of rebels for thirty miles around Shanghai. In their first efforts the English were defeated; Admiral Hope and some other officers were wounded, and seventy men were killed and wounded. The following two days the rebels were defeated. Kahding, Tsingpu, Nanjoo, and Cholin were then attacked. Defeated at the first three places, the rebels made a final stand at Cholin on May 20. The English carried the place at the point of the bayonet. The troops from Gangking to the number of 6,000 had arrived. Futai Sieh, who was to be succeeded by Li Hung Chang, resolved to employ them at once in a way to restore his sinking fortunes. He advanced to Taitson on May 12, and two days afterward Chung Wang came with 10,000 chosen troops to relieve the garrison. Of 7,000 men under Futai Sieh, 5,000 fell on the field. General Stoveley had to abandon his intended plan and retrace his steps to Shanghai.

Chung Wang was once more called to the assistance of Tien Wang at Nanking. Shortly after his departure, Ward was killed in action and Burgevine succeeded to the command. Charges were made against Burgevine. The English commander would not interfere, and referred the matter to London. Burgevine was then ordered to embark his force at Shanghai for Nanking. He and his troops refused to move until they were fully paid.

In Japan the agitation against the foreigners grew more threatening. The foreign Ministers, who up to that time had their Legations at Yeddo, retired to Yokohama. They demanded that fortified Legation buildings should be furnished to them by the Japanese Government. Ando, the Prime Min

1862

CHOSHIU'S MEMORIAL

pur

ister, gave up the recreation ground of the city for that pose. A Japanese mob burned down the buildings. An attempt was made to assassinate the Prime Minister, who barely escaped with the loss of an ear. Mito-ko's men failing to win the Shogun over to their side, determined to embroil the Government with some foreign nation. At Kanagawa a party of Europeans was set upon, and an English merchant, Richardson, was murdered. The British Minister's demands for redress were treated with contempt. At the same time, Choshiu, a daimio, who held a commission as guardian of the Straits of Shimonoseki, acting according to the letter of his instructions, fired upon some foreign vessels passing through the straits. In consequence of this, a squadron of English, French, and Dutch warships appeared in the straits, and levied a heavy indemnity from one of Choshiu's relatives whom they took for the daimio. The Shogun disavowed Choshiu's proceedings. To satisfy the foreign demands he undertook to punish Choshiu. This he found to be next to impossible, since the soldiery as well as the Japanese people at large regarded Choshiu as a patriot. The Shogun at last was compelled to come to terms with the daimio. Choshiu presented a memorial, in which he said:

"The only way to bring about national union is by a solid union between the Shogun and Mikado, acting together as one man. After the Emperor is firmly established on his throne the dormant soul of Japan will awaken. Then we will be united in power and independence. Once our independence is restored we must reform our military, our navy, as well as all branches of industry. The whole nation must devote life and soul to the benefit of our State, and we must learn and study the interior arrangements and the development of arts and sciences in foreign lands."

Great Britain, unable to obtain redress for the murder of Richardson from the Shogun, undertook its own punitive

FRENCH DEFEAT AT PUEBLA

1862

measures. Satsuma, after the English warships had reduced the city of Kagoshima nearly to ashes, had to pay a heavy indemnity. In realization of their own weakness, the Japanese sought to acquire knowledge of European methods of warfare and other advancements.

In Mexico France now had her own way. A single-handed war with Mexico fitted admirably into the military aspirations of Napoleon III and of Empress Eugénie's clerical supporters. Amid wild enthusiasm in France, General Lorencez was ordered to march on the City of Mexico. On April 12 President Juarez called on all able-bodied Mexicans to resist the threatened invasion. The Mexican general, Robles, who, without authorization, entered into negotiations with the French, was arrested, court-martialed, and shot.

On April 19, under a burning sun, the French column started on its march. The war with Mexico had begun. The first skirmishes between the French and the irregular Mexican horsemen resulted in easy victories for France. On May 4 the French army appeared before Puebla de los Angelos. General Lorencez ordered the assault of the city on the following day. The Zouaves began the attack on Guadeloupe. For three hours they were subjected to a severe fire from the terraces of Guadeloupe, but at last succeeded in charging up to the very walls of that stronghold. Some of them scaled the ramparts, and hand-to-hand fighting had already begun, when a terrific tropical thunderstorm burst over the battlefield. This turned the scale against the invaders. Count Lorencez ordered a general retreat. The losses of the French were 140 men and 30 officers. The Mexicans lost nearly 400.

After the defeat of Puebla, the French retreated to Orizaba, where they awaited reenforcements. The strength of Lorencez's forces about this time was 6,000 men. To safeguard communications with Vera Cruz, the towns of Chiquihuite and Cordova were occupied. General Almonte, the

1862

YELLOW FEVER DEVASTATES ARMIES

quondam revolutionist, now acting in conjunction with the French, proclaimed a provisional government at Vera Cruz and tried to levy taxes. He was joined by General Marquez with 4,000 followers of former President Miramon. For a while operations dragged on. A Mexican attack led by General Ortaga was repulsed by the French. Yellow fever and the hostile attitude of the natives made the situation of the French precarious. At last the arrival of reenforcements with General Forey revived the hopes of the French. Forey was put in command of all the forces.

In the City of Mexico a liberal Congress convened by Juarez voted unanimously that "Mexico would nevermore tolerate the least interference in her affairs, and in the establishment of her social and political organization."

On September 24 the Mexican irregular forces attacked Tejeria in force, an important post between Vera Cruz and Orizaba; but, with the help of Almonte's native troops, the French repulsed the attack. At the same time the Mexicans lost one of the ablest of their generals in Zaragoza, who succumbed to yellow fever. His successor, Gonzalez Ortaga, was not his match. Yellow fever now wrought such havoc in the French army that Forey was driven to move. He advanced to Cordova and Orizaba. Both cities were found nearly deserted by the inhabitants, who had barricaded the houses. On October 25 General Berthier, with an advance column of 6,000 men, penetrated to Jalapa. A bloody defeat was inflicted on the guerrillas, who infested the town of Medelin in the neighborhood of Vera Cruz. The seaport of Tampico was seized by the French and became one of their most important bases of supplies. Under the renegade, Marquez, native troops occupied Colchinda in the name of France, while General Douay captured Tehuacan. While the army of invasion marched on Puebla, a French squadron under Rear-Admiral Bouet destroyed the fortification of Acapulco.