Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 1.pdf/476

 surgents who came from Anhwei to relieve the situation (1857). After prolonged fighting Kiukiang was taken on May 19, 1858. Li Hsü-pin was rewarded with the title of governor and after a brief interval was ordered to proceed to Anhwei where, in a short time, he gained possession of four cities. While marching an army of some 5,000 men to the provincial capital, Lu-chou (present Ho-fei), Li encountered strong resistance at San-ho-chên, a strategic town about eighty li south of his destination. Though he destroyed many of his opponents' barracks, his detachment was hemmed in by the rebel leader,, and after desperate fighting Li Hsü-pin, the majority of his officers and many of the Hunan Braves lost their lives. The Emperor, moved by the loss of so valorous a general, granted to Li the posthumous rank of governor-general, the name Chung-wu 忠武, and the hereditary ranks of Ch'i-tu-yü and Yün-ch'i-yü. In 1864 the hereditary rank was raised to a baron of the second class which was inherited by his son, Li Kuang-chiu 李光久. The latter was also awarded the degree of chü-jên (1858) and later served as provincial judge of Chekiang.

Li Hsü-pin left a collection of memorials to the throne, entitled 李忠武公奏 Li Chung-wu kung tsou-i, 1 chüan; and literary remains, entitled, Li Chung-wu kung i-shu ( 遺書), 4 chüan. Though Lo Tsê-nan is celebrated as the organizer of the Hunan Braves, Li Hsü-pin was regarded by as the one who led the army to fame. Command of the troops passed into the hands of Li's brother, Li Hsü-i 李續宜, who was also a famous general. Though less popular, he was less hasty and more circumspect than his brother. In 1859 he led the re-organized Hunan Braves in repelling the invasion of Shih Ta-k'ai at Pao-ch'ing, Hunan, and in 1860 he took part in the campaign in Anhwei, a province in which he served as governor, in 1861 and again in 1862–63. In the meantime he was governor of Hupeh for a few months. He was canonized as Yung-i 勇毅.

[1/414/1a, 4b; 2/43/6a, 49/17b; 5/56/14a, 26/2b; 7/26/13b; 8/9/1a, 14下/1a;, Hu Wên-chung kung i-chi, chüan 32 (1875); , T'ao-lou wên-ch'ao 4/3b.]

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 LI Hung-chang 李鴻章, Feb. 15, 1823–1901, Nov. 7, statesman and diplomat, was a native of Ho-fei (Lu-chou), Anhwei. An ancestor eight generations before him was born into a family named Hsü 許 but changed his surname when he was adopted into the Li family. His father, Li Wên-an 李文安, was a chin-shih of 1838 and therefore a classmate (同年) of. After Li Hung-chang became a chü-jên (1844), he went to Peking where he studied intensively under the direction of Tsêng who became thereafter after his patron and close friend. He became a chin-shih in 1847, was selected a bachelor in the Hanlin Academy and three years later was made a compiler.

When the Taiping rebels reached Anhwei in 1853 Li Hung-chang and his father returned to their native place to organize the militia to combat them. In the meantime Tsêng Kuo-fên recommended Li Hung-chang to, then governor of Anhwei. Under Chiang's direction, Li led his local recruits and won a battle at Yü-hsi k'ou in the department of Ho-chou, thus gaining the decorations of a sixth grade official. However, Chiang died with the capture of Lu-chou and Li's force was dispersed after serious reverses. Early in 1854 Li joined the staff of the new governor of Anhwei, Fu-chi 福濟, and a year later, when Han-shan, Anhwei, was recovered, he won the rank of prefect. On July 6, 1855 his father, Li Wên-an, died, but the exigencies of war made it necessary for Li to remain in camp (unofficially) instead of retiring to observe the period of mourning. In the years 1855-57, the army of Fu-chi recaptured Ho-fei and was successful in other operations around Lake Ch'ao. As a member of the staff Li received due rewards. He was given the rank of a provincial judge (1856) and was registered as prepared for the office of an intendant (1857).

Discontented with Fu-chi's policies, Li left Anhwei in 1858 to join his patron, Tsêng Kuo-fan, who was then encamped at Nanchang. There he had a share in the recapture of Ching-tê-chên (May, 1858) and the rest of Kiangsi province. Tsêng was appointed governor-general of Kiangnan and Kiangsi in 1860, but Li, disagreeing with his policy of operating from Ch'i-mên as being too cautious, and on other matters as well, left his service early in 1861. After captured Anking (September 5, 1861) Li sent Tsêng Kuo-fan a letter of congratulation and in return was invited to rejoin him.

When the Chung-wang (see under  464