Page:Eminent Chinese Of The Ch’ing Period - Hummel - 1943 - Vol. 1.pdf/521

 Taipings was obstructed by mud after the heavy autumn rains, they were unable to make a successful assault on the city. Consequently they were forced to retire to Tu-liu-chên southwest of Tientsin. They were attacked by Sêng-ko-lin-ch'in who had reached Tientsin on November 7. But at Tu-liu-chên the latter met with reverses (December 23) which strengthened the rebels in their position. Unfortunately the Taipings, being mostly southerners, were not accustomed to the severe winters of North China and in consequence suffered acutely from frostbite and exposure. Moreover they were short of provisions. Under these conditions they were soon forced to wage a wholly defensive campaign. Beginning on January 28, 1854 one small brigade after another fled southward to Shu-ch'êng, 50 li northwest of Hsien-hsien, Chihli (February 7). Here they persevered under many difficulties against the imperial assaults until March 7 when they raised the siege and occupied Fou-ch'êng (March 9) and many adjacent villages. In the course of their flight hundreds of hungry and cold insurgents were mercilessly killed by the imperialists. Nevertheless they held Fou-ch'êng for two months, countering many attacks of Sêng-ko-lin-ch'in.

By this time Taiping reinforcements, said to number some thirty or forty thousand men, forced their way to northwestern Shantung and took the city of Lin-ch'ing (April 13). Though this city is distant from Fou-ch'êng only about 200 li, the Taipings there were furiously attacked and the city was taken by Shêng-pao on April 23. The remaining insurgents retraced their way southward with great loss. Finally with only about 2,000 men left, they fled to Fêng-hsien, Kiangsu, where the remnant was annihilated (May 5).

On the same day (May 5) Lin Fêng-hsiang and Li K'ai-fang succeeded in rushing out from the siege of Fou-ch'êng to an eastern town named Lien-chên. Ignorant of the fate of the expected reinforcements, and still hopeful of joining them, Li K'ai-fang led a force of some 2,000 cavalry (May 28) from Lien-chên across the boundary into Shantung. There they made a stand at Kao-t'ang, a city not far east of Lin-ch'ing. A powerful defense was quickly set up to withstand a long siege. The result was that Lin Fêng-hsiang and Li K'ai-fang were separated. Lin was surrounded by Sêng-ko-lin-ch'in at Lien-chên, and Li by Shêng-pao at Kao-tang. Nevertheless both contingents made extraordinary resistance. Though they were repeatedly attacked, Lien-chên was not recovered until March 7, 1855 when Lin Fêng-hsiang was captured and later executed at Peking. The victorious troops of Sêng-ko-lin-ch'in were then shifted to Kao-t'ang to take over the command of Shêng-pao who was exiled to Sinkiang in punishment for his failure in the campaign. Shêng-pao was recalled from exile in 1856 and was ordered to suppress the Nien banditti in Anhwei, Honan, Shantung and Shensi (1856–62), but when impeached by high officials for bribery, arrogance, licentiousness and failure to cooperate with other generals he was ordered by the emperor to commit suicide (1863).

When Sêng-ko-lin-ch'in took command he lured the Taipings from their defense at Kaot'ang (March 17, 1855), but the insurgents immediately occupied Fêng-kuan-t'un, an opulent village 45 li south of Kao-t'ang. There Li K'ai-fang built a strong defense, including trenches and emplacements with cannon, which effectually prevented the imperalists from approaching. Realizing the difficulty of his task, Sêng-ko-lin-ch'in set about digging a moat round the village, and an earthen wall about the moat. To get water into the moat he dug a channel 123 li long (20 feet wide and 7 or 8 feet deep) to the Grand Canal. By April 19 this elaborate construction was finished and thousands of civilians were levied to raise water into the enclosure. Before long the houses of the village were half submerged and the Taipings—now numbering only about 500—were compelled to move to higher levels, where they were continuously attacked by cannon and incendiary shells. Li K'ai-fang and his veterans were thus forced to surrender to Sêng-ko-lin-ch'in on May 31, 1855, and in mid-June (1855) Li and other minor officers were beheaded at Peking. The North China expedition of the Taipings thus came to an end.

[2/47/39a; Tsei-ch'ing hui-tsuan; T'ai-p'ing T'ien-kuo yeh-shih; Chung-kuo chin pai-nien-shih tzŭ-liao, first collection, pp. 127–30 (for ch. see bibl. under );, Chiao-p'ing Yüeh-fei fang-lüeh; 深州風土記 Shên-chou fêng-t'u chi (1900); 續天津縣志 Hsü T'ien-chin hsien-chih (1870); 永年縣志 Yung-nien hsien-chih (1877); 太平軍在河南 in 國聞週報 Kuo-wên chou pao, vol. XIV, no. 23, 25, 27, 29.]

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