Capture of Chusan
Encyclopedia
The first capture of Chusan by British forces in China occurred on 5–6 July 1840 during the First Opium War
. The British captured Chusan
, the largest island of an archipelago of that name.
, Conway
, Alligator, and Rattlesnake
arrived in the anchorage off Chusan
harbour. In the afternoon, Captain John Vernon Fletcher of the Wellesley, Viscount Robert Jocelyn
, and interpreter Karl Gützlaff
were sent on board a junk
of a Chinese admiral, who was also governor of the Chusan islands. They delivered a written message from Commodore James Bremer
, commander-in-chief of the British naval forces, and Brigadier George Burrell, commander-in-chief of the land forces, to surrender the island of Chusan. Bremer and Burrell claimed the occupation was necessary after the "insulting and unwarrantable conduct of the Canton
high officers, 'Lin
' and 'Tang
,' last year, towards H. M.'s specially appointed Chief Superintendent Elliot
, and British subjects." Part of the message stated:
After an hour, the Chinese admiral and other officials accompanied the British on board the Wellesley. The Chinese objected to being made answerable for actions at Canton, saying, "those are the people you should make war upon, and not upon us who never injured you; we see your strength, and know that opposition will be madness, but we must perform our duty if we fall in so doing." They were informed that hostilities would commence if submission was not made before daylight the next day. Their last words before departing at 8:00 pm were, "If you do not hear from us before sunrise, the consequences be upon our own heads." Bremer wrote that "gongs and other warlike demonstrations were audible" throughout the evening.
of the ships observed the city walls, which were 1 mile (1.6 km) from the beach, also lined with troops. At about 2:00 pm, the Cruiser and Algerine brig
s got into position, and the signal was given to land. The first division comprised the 18th Royal Irish Regiment, Royal Marines
, the 26th regiment, and two 9-pounder guns. The second division comprised the 49th regiment
, Madras sappers and miners
, and Bengal volunteers. At 2:30 pm, the Wellesley fired at the Martello tower
. The Chinese immediately returned fire from the shore and junks
. The cannonade lasted 7–8 minutes before the Chinese troops fled to the city walls behind the suburbs.
The British landed unopposed on a deserted beach which Viscount Robert Jocelyn
described as having "a few dead bodies, bows and arrows, broken spears and guns". By 4:00 pm, British troops placed two 9-pounders within 400 yards (370 m) of the city walls. Six more 9-pounders, two howitzer
s, and two mortars
were later added to the arsenal. Burrell waited until the next day before ordering a resumption of operations. The next morning, he sent a party to reconnoitre the city. Although there were thousands of inhabitants during the evening, the city was now largely abandoned. The gate was found strongly barricaded by large sacks of grain. A company of the 49th regiment took possession of the main gate of the city of Ting-hai, where the British flag was hoisted.
Viscount Jocelyn described his account of the city:
issued a proclamation from the Melville
. He declared, among other things, that Chinese natives shall continue to be governed under Chinese laws (excluding torture), and that the "civil, fiscal, and judicial administration" of the Chinese government shall be exercised under the British officer in chief command of the land forces. Brigadier George Burrell became Governor of Chusan, Karl Gützlaff
was made chief magistrate, and Viscount Jocelyn
was appointed military secretary to the admiral. On 23 January 1841, Plenipotentiary Charles Elliot
dispatched the Columbine to Chusan, with instructions to evacuate it for Hong Kong Island
. He declared the cession of Hong Kong to the United Kingdom after negotiations with Chinese Imperial Commissioner Qishan in January 1841.
First Opium War
The First Anglo-Chinese War , known popularly as the First Opium War or simply the Opium War, was fought between the United Kingdom and the Qing Dynasty of China over their conflicting viewpoints on diplomatic relations, trade, and the administration of justice...
. The British captured Chusan
Zhoushan Island
Zhoushan Island is the principal island of the namesake archipelago Zhoushan Islands, governed by Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province, the People's Republic of China. Its name means "Boat Mountain", because its shape. It is the province's largest island, and third largest in mainland China...
, the largest island of an archipelago of that name.
Background
On 4 July 1840, the WellesleyHMS Wellesley (1815)
HMS Wellesley was a 74-gun third rate, named for the Duke of Wellington, and launched in 1815. She captured Karachi for the British, and participated in the First Opium War, which resulted in Britain gaining control of Hong Kong...
, Conway
HMS Conway (1832)
HMS Conway was a sixth rate of the Royal Navy, built by Chatham Dockyard and launched on 2 February 1832. She was lent to the Mercantile Marine Association of Liverpool in February 1859 to act as a training ship for boys, and gave her name to HMS Conway, a series of ships and a shore-based school....
, Alligator, and Rattlesnake
HMS Rattlesnake (1822)
HMS Rattlesnake was an Atholl-class 28-gun sixth-rate corvette of the Royal Navy launched in 1822. She made a historic voyage of discovery to the Cape York and Torres Strait areas of northern Australia.-Construction:...
arrived in the anchorage off Chusan
Zhoushan
Zhoushan or Zhoushan Archipelago New Area; formerly transliterated as Chusan, is a prefecture-level city in northeastern Zhejiang province of Eastern China. The only prefecture-level city of the People's Republic of China consisting solely of islands, it lies across the mouth of the Hangzhou Bay,...
harbour. In the afternoon, Captain John Vernon Fletcher of the Wellesley, Viscount Robert Jocelyn
Robert Jocelyn, Viscount Jocelyn
Robert Jocelyn, Viscount Jocelyn , was a British soldier and Conservative politician.-Background:Born at Carlton Gardens, London, Jocelyn was the eldest son and heir apparent of Robert Jocelyn, 3rd Earl of Roden, and the Hon...
, and interpreter Karl Gützlaff
Karl Gützlaff
Karl Friedrich August Gützlaff , anglicised as Charles Gutzlaff, was a German missionary to the Far East, notable as one of the first Protestant missionaries in Bangkok, Thailand and for his books about China. He was one of the first Protestant missionaries in China to dress like a Chinese...
were sent on board a junk
Junk (ship)
A junk is an ancient Chinese sailing vessel design still in use today. Junks were developed during the Han Dynasty and were used as sea-going vessels as early as the 2nd century AD. They evolved in the later dynasties, and were used throughout Asia for extensive ocean voyages...
of a Chinese admiral, who was also governor of the Chusan islands. They delivered a written message from Commodore James Bremer
James Bremer
Sir James John Gordon Bremer, KCB, KCH , was a British Royal Navy officer. He served in the Napoleonic Wars, First Anglo-Burmese War, and First Anglo-Chinese War. In China, he served twice as commander-in-chief of British forces.Born in Portsea, England, Bremer joined the Royal Navy in 1794...
, commander-in-chief of the British naval forces, and Brigadier George Burrell, commander-in-chief of the land forces, to surrender the island of Chusan. Bremer and Burrell claimed the occupation was necessary after the "insulting and unwarrantable conduct of the Canton
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
high officers, 'Lin
Lin Zexu
Lín Zéxú ; 30 August 1785 – 22 November 1850) was a Chinese scholar and official during the Qing Dynasty.He is most recognized for his conduct and his constant position on the "high moral ground" in his fight, as a "shepherd" of his people, against the opium trade in Guangzhou...
' and 'Tang
Deng Tingzhen
Deng Tingzhen was the Governor-General of Liangguang from early 1836 until early 1840....
,' last year, towards H. M.'s specially appointed Chief Superintendent Elliot
Charles Elliot
Sir Charles Elliot, KCB , was a British naval officer, diplomat, and colonial administrator. He became the first administrator of Hong Kong in 1841 while serving as both Plenipotentiary and Chief Superintendent of British Trade in China...
, and British subjects." Part of the message stated:
After an hour, the Chinese admiral and other officials accompanied the British on board the Wellesley. The Chinese objected to being made answerable for actions at Canton, saying, "those are the people you should make war upon, and not upon us who never injured you; we see your strength, and know that opposition will be madness, but we must perform our duty if we fall in so doing." They were informed that hostilities would commence if submission was not made before daylight the next day. Their last words before departing at 8:00 pm were, "If you do not hear from us before sunrise, the consequences be upon our own heads." Bremer wrote that "gongs and other warlike demonstrations were audible" throughout the evening.
Capture
On the morning of 5 July, a large number of Chinese troops occupied the hill and shore. British seamen from the mastheadRigging
Rigging is the apparatus through which the force of the wind is used to propel sailboats and sailing ships forward. This includes masts, yards, sails, and cordage.-Terms and classifications:...
of the ships observed the city walls, which were 1 mile (1.6 km) from the beach, also lined with troops. At about 2:00 pm, the Cruiser and Algerine brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
s got into position, and the signal was given to land. The first division comprised the 18th Royal Irish Regiment, Royal Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
, the 26th regiment, and two 9-pounder guns. The second division comprised the 49th regiment
49th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) (Hertfordshire) Regiment of Foot
The 49th Regiment of Foot was a British Army line infantry regiment. During the Childers Reforms it was united with the 66th Regiment of Foot to form Princess Charlotte of Wales's Berkshire Regiment.-Service history:The 49th Regiment was formed in 1744, during the War of the Austrian Succession...
, Madras sappers and miners
Madras Engineer Group
Madras Engineer Group are a regiment of the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army. The Madras Sappers draw their origin from the erstwhile Madras Presidency army of the British Raj. This regiment has its HQ in Bangalore...
, and Bengal volunteers. At 2:30 pm, the Wellesley fired at the Martello tower
Martello tower
Martello towers are small defensive forts built in several countries of the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the Napoleonic Wars onwards....
. The Chinese immediately returned fire from the shore and junks
Junk (ship)
A junk is an ancient Chinese sailing vessel design still in use today. Junks were developed during the Han Dynasty and were used as sea-going vessels as early as the 2nd century AD. They evolved in the later dynasties, and were used throughout Asia for extensive ocean voyages...
. The cannonade lasted 7–8 minutes before the Chinese troops fled to the city walls behind the suburbs.
The British landed unopposed on a deserted beach which Viscount Robert Jocelyn
Robert Jocelyn, Viscount Jocelyn
Robert Jocelyn, Viscount Jocelyn , was a British soldier and Conservative politician.-Background:Born at Carlton Gardens, London, Jocelyn was the eldest son and heir apparent of Robert Jocelyn, 3rd Earl of Roden, and the Hon...
described as having "a few dead bodies, bows and arrows, broken spears and guns". By 4:00 pm, British troops placed two 9-pounders within 400 yards (370 m) of the city walls. Six more 9-pounders, two howitzer
Howitzer
A howitzer is a type of artillery piece characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small propellant charges to propel projectiles at relatively high trajectories, with a steep angle of descent...
s, and two mortars
Mortar (weapon)
A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....
were later added to the arsenal. Burrell waited until the next day before ordering a resumption of operations. The next morning, he sent a party to reconnoitre the city. Although there were thousands of inhabitants during the evening, the city was now largely abandoned. The gate was found strongly barricaded by large sacks of grain. A company of the 49th regiment took possession of the main gate of the city of Ting-hai, where the British flag was hoisted.
Viscount Jocelyn described his account of the city:
Aftermath
On 8 July, Rear-Admiral George ElliotGeorge Elliot (1784–1863)
Admiral Sir George Elliot, KCB , was a Royal Navy officer who served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, and the First Opium War....
issued a proclamation from the Melville
HMS Melville (1817)
HMS Melville was a 74-gun third rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 17 February 1817 at Bombay Dockyard.From 19 January 1836 until August 1837 she served in North America and the West Indies as the flagship of Vice-Admiral Peter Halkett and was commanded by Captain Peter John Douglas...
. He declared, among other things, that Chinese natives shall continue to be governed under Chinese laws (excluding torture), and that the "civil, fiscal, and judicial administration" of the Chinese government shall be exercised under the British officer in chief command of the land forces. Brigadier George Burrell became Governor of Chusan, Karl Gützlaff
Karl Gützlaff
Karl Friedrich August Gützlaff , anglicised as Charles Gutzlaff, was a German missionary to the Far East, notable as one of the first Protestant missionaries in Bangkok, Thailand and for his books about China. He was one of the first Protestant missionaries in China to dress like a Chinese...
was made chief magistrate, and Viscount Jocelyn
Robert Jocelyn, Viscount Jocelyn
Robert Jocelyn, Viscount Jocelyn , was a British soldier and Conservative politician.-Background:Born at Carlton Gardens, London, Jocelyn was the eldest son and heir apparent of Robert Jocelyn, 3rd Earl of Roden, and the Hon...
was appointed military secretary to the admiral. On 23 January 1841, Plenipotentiary Charles Elliot
Charles Elliot
Sir Charles Elliot, KCB , was a British naval officer, diplomat, and colonial administrator. He became the first administrator of Hong Kong in 1841 while serving as both Plenipotentiary and Chief Superintendent of British Trade in China...
dispatched the Columbine to Chusan, with instructions to evacuate it for Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...
. He declared the cession of Hong Kong to the United Kingdom after negotiations with Chinese Imperial Commissioner Qishan in January 1841.