Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 1.pdf/306

Rh 1860, age 38 sui) became assistant commander. Ho-ch'un was a Manchu general who, as a minor officer, followed Hsiang Jung to Kwangsi in 1851. He participated in many battles and was promoted to the post of t'i-tu in 1853. Chang Kuo-liang was a native either of Kao-yao or of Hua-hsien, Kwangtung. He was at one time a bandit chief but he surrendered to the imperialists in 1849. Thereafter he usually fought in the vanguard of Hsiang Jung's troops and was given the title of t'i-tu (1856).

Before Ho-ch'un assumed responsibility Chang Kuo-liang quickly restored the morale of the defeated imperialists. The triumph of the Taipings over the Great Camp near Nanking was followed by a series of murders among the rebels themselves (see under )—and this fact the Ch'ing forces soon turned to their advantage. Chü-jung was taken on July 16, 1857, and Chinkiang on December 27, the latter city having fallen to the Taipings on March 31, 1853. Ho-ch'un was rewarded with the double-eyed peacock feather and Chang Kuo-liang with the minor hereditary rank of Ch'i-tu-yü.

In April 1858 the Great Camp of Kiangnan regained its strength and the imperialists besieged Nanking by digging a deep and long trench. But the Great Camp of Kiangpei at Yangchow, which had withstood the Taipings in that area for many years, was routed (September 26, 1858). Yangchow itself fell to the insurgents on October 9. Chang Kuo-liang hurried to the rescue, retook Yangchow on October 21 and I-chêng on the following day. As a reward for his merit, he was transferred to the post of t'i-tu of Kiangnan and was given the hereditary rank of Ch'ing-ch'ê tu-yü of the third class. But in 1859 the government troops were defeated at Pukow across the river from Nanking. For this neglect both Ho and Chang were punished. In 1860 their forces were weakened by the separation of a contingent sent to the aid of Chekiang, and the soldiers who remained were reluctant to fight, owing to the reduction of their pay and allowance by Ho-ch'un and to Chang's alleged partiality to fellow-provincials in his army. For these and other reasons they could not withstand the continuous assault of the Taipings. After some resistance they were driven to Tan-yang, where they were again surrounded. Here Chang died by drowning (May 1860) while crossing a stream. Ho was wounded and died at Ch'ang-chou soon after. Ho-ch'un was canonized as Chung-chuang 忠壯 and was rewarded with the hereditary rank of Ch'i-tu-yü and Yün-ch'i-yü, equivalent to a baron of the second class. Chang Kuo-liang was canonized as Chung-wu 忠武 and was granted the title of Grand Guardian of the Heir Apparent (1860) and the hereditary rank of a baron of the first class (1864).

Chang Kuo-liang was one of the most valiant generals of the imperial troops. He was responsible for most of Hsiang Jung's victories, performed most of the duties belonging to Hoch'un, and contributed much to the success of the Great Camp of Kiangnan by harassing the Taipings for eight years (1853–60). After his death the so-called Great Camp was dispersed, and Kiangsu and Chekiang and part of Fukien were devastated by the Taipings. After May 1860 no government troops advanced on Nanking until June 1862 when commenced his stubborn siege and gained the final victory.

[1/407/1a; 2/43/45b, 44/13b, 23b; 5/50/19a, 66/1a; 8/13上/4, 7;, Chiao-p'ing Yüeh-fei fang-lüeh; Hsiang-chün chih and Hsiang-chün chi (see bibl. under ); , Li Hsiu-ch'êng Kung-chuang; Ta-ning hsien-chih (1885); 趙偉甫先生庚申避難日記 in Hsiao-shuo yüeh-pao 小說月報, vol. VIII, No. 1–3 (1917); Tso Shun-shêng, Chung-kuo chin-pai-nien shih tzŭ-liao hsü-pien (see under ); Ch'ên Ch'ing-nien 陳慶年, 張忠武事錄 Chang Chung-wu shih-lu, 4 chüan (1906).]

2em

HSIAO Ch'i-chiang 蕭啟江, d. June 16, 1860, was a native of Hsiang-hsiang, Hunan. In 1853 he joined the "Hunan Braves" (see under ) against the Taiping rebels and participated in the campaign to recover Yochow and Wuchang (1854). He became commander of a battalion (1855) and fought bravely in Hunan and Kiangsi under the direct command of. As a reward for his part in taking the important cities of Yuan-chou and Lin-chiang in Kiangsi, he was promoted to the post of an intendant and to the rank of a provincial judge (1858).

was in 1858 holding a large part of Kiangsi, and Hsiao Ch'i-chiang and other generals fought desperately against him. Whenever a city was retaken Hsiao usually called back the refugees, built up the defenses, and organized a militia. The troops under his control were known for maintaining good order, and for not disturbing the populace. For this reason the  294