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CHAPTER IX.

GORDON'S FIRST VICTORIES.

BURGEVINE'S VISIT TO PEKING-THE BRITISH MINISTER WISHES HIM RESTORED TO COMMAND-COLONEL GORDON TAKES COMMAND OF THE E.V.A.-HIS STAFF-CAPTURE OF FUSHAN-GORDON RECEIVES AN IMPERIAL COMMISSION, WITH THE RANK OF TSUNG-PING— GOVERNOR LI'S OPINION OF THE NEW COMMANDER-DESCRIPTION OF THE THEATRE OF WAR - AN AMPHIBIOUS BOAT

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TAI-PING

ALLEGED IM

- LETTER FROM

SITUATION OF

QUINSAN A DEMON STEAMBOAT-GREAT DESTRUCTION OF TAIPINGS CAPTURE OF QUINSAN-IT IS MADE HEADQUARTERS OF THE FORCE-ANOTHER MUTINY.

BURGEVINE, of course, was very much dissatisfied with his supercession, and the appointment of a British officer; and on the 20th of February started for Peking, in order to lay his case before the Foreign Ministers and the Imperial Government. Being a man of gentlemanly and plausible address, he was well received at the capital, and, to some appearance, soon obtained his object. Sir Frederick Bruce evidently was charmed with him, for in a letter to Prince Kung, dated April 2, 1863, the British Minister says, "I have formed a high opinion of General Burgevine's qualifications for the post he occupies. He is brave, honest, conciliatory in his manner, and is sincerely desirous of serving the Chinese Govern

BURGEVINE'S VISIT TO PEKING.

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ment, as he looks upon this country as his home." Mr Burlinghame, the American Minister, writes of him in similar high terms, but very loosely as to facts, for he speaks of him as having fought in nearly one hundred "battles" in the Chinese service, though Burgevine had really not been in more than five engagements. Prince Kung, in treating this subject, very clearly said that the restoration of Burgevine was a matter which lay in the hands of Lí, the governor of Kiangsoo; and there does not seem to have been any disposition on the part of the native authorities either at Peking or at Shanghai to restore him to command, though it has been stated that he returned to the latter city in company of an Imperial commissioner directed to replace him in his former position. It is quite evident from the American Diplomatic Correspondence that neither the Prince of Kung nor Governor Lí had the slightest thought of reinstating him; and whether his case were a hard one or not, the Chinese authorities knew very well what manner of man he was, and what chance there existed of their being able to work along with him. As to the action of the British Minister in this matter, the truth is, he at first considered Burgevine had been unfairly dealt with; and, taking this view, thought further, that if a man with such apparent claims upon the Chinese Government could be dealt with unjustly, the same course might be adopted in regard to any Englishmen who entered the service of the Chinese. Moreover, as the officer to be appointed in Burgevine's place was an Englishman, Sir Frederick Bruce believed it would be extremely ungracious for the British Minister to refuse his support to the claims of this American.

On the 24th March 1863, Colonel (then Major) Gordon was put in orders to command the force of disciplined

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