The Governor of Honan has received a petition, through the regular channel, from some influential residents at Nanyang, who are desirous of doing honour to the memory of the late General Chao Hung-chu, 'The deceased General was a native of Changte Fu in Honan. Having obtained the highest military degree, he' was appointed one of the Emperor's guards and sent for service with the rank of Major in Hupeh. In the year 1854
Tip By his skilful tactics he, retook in a campaign against the two officers, Colonel Li' atid Major He had hardly done so when he heard ered Mienyang Chow and several from the General at Chenyuan, who had other places, killing vast. numbers of the recommended them to him, that' they had been cheated out of money by a Captain fire. atter ote victories ko oat enemy and destroying their boats with Hsieh and another officer named Fang Hanya en passed int ni, vine ike success awaited him. At this Shih-hsi and further that Captain Hsiel had' forged a despatch "in' favour of' a time the Nienfei were besieging Kushih Colonel Yang. The memorialist, therefore Hsien, which was reduced to great straits. reported the case to the Emperor and Crossing into Honan he relieved Kushih, obtained leave to have all the parties temand pursuing the rebels, he slew many of their number.. Returning to Anhui, porarily cashiered in order that they might placed on their trial. The case was he retook Huan Chow. As large bodies of heard by the authorities in the provincial 'Taipings were then ravaging Hupeh, he capital, and such sentences as seemed ap: followed them there, and at once cap'
Laohok'ou. Next, as a Lieutenant of propriate were passed, upon the offenders, appears that all the above-mentioned Prince Sankolinsin he fought in Honan. parties were old acquaintances, having There he stormed many of the Nienfei's Served together. Some time ago Fang strongholds, and killed in action, or captur-Shih-hsi, who was badly in want of money, ed and beheaded, several of their principal told Captain Hsieh and another acquain-chiefs. In 1865 he was made acting tance named Chang Ping-nan that he had General at Nanyang. That autumn Nan-many friends in. the various yoméus, and yang was encircled by @ strong rebel force.
The besiegers rome unto the very moat he was in the habit of obtaining appointments for people. One day last October of the city, and the inhabitants were ina Hsieh passed this information on to state of consternation. With his own hand Colonel Li, who thereupon expressed a he fired the cannon by which some two wish that Fang Shih-hsi should come and hundred of the enemy were killed, and so see him. Fang did so, and Colonel Li drove them from the city. Next day he told him that he would pay him if he pursued them for twenty-five miles and could get him a post. A month or two turned their retreat into a rout. After afterwards an orderly came to Kueiyang holding the acting post three times, he was Fu with despatch for the Governor from at length made permanent General at Ni the General at Chenyuan. The orderly yang. Here for ten years he served success-entrusted the letter to Fang for delivery. fully, protecting the peaceful and putting The latter secretly opened the cover, down brigandage; for which he was and found that it contained a recom-rewarded by the brevet title of General-inmendation on behalf of Colonel Li and Chief. In 1882 he was appointed General Major Mao. He sealed it up again and at Tsaochow in Shantung. In the very delivered it without delay. Next morning next year by his energetic efforts he pre-he went to Colonel Li and told him that he served the country from an inundation of could get him a post for a hundred and the Huang Ho; he also freed the neighbour-fifty taels. The Colonel consented and hood from the brigands which infested it. paid down fifty taels, leaving the remainder In the month of February 1889 he went Ell the appointment was obtained. - Fang out against some banditti, and being caught: then went off to Chang Ping-nan, to whom by a heavy fall of snow, he took a chill, to he knew Major Mao had spoken about which he succumbed. During his twant years of command he was noted for his skill getting " post. He told Chang that he ad succeeded in his efforts on behalf of in fighting against, superior numbers, for Colonel Li and suggested that Chang should his bravery which made him always the make a similar proposal for him to Major foremost in the fight, and for his stric Mao on the same terms. Major discipline by which he prevented plunder-agreed and paid down thirty fuels. In ing even in the minutest degree. His consequence of the General's recommenda memory is specially cherished by the people tions both the Major and Colonel were of Nanyang, whom, as is above narrated, very shortly gazetted to appointments. he bad preserved from destruction. The Fang was on the point of receiving the petitioners ask the Governor to address a balance of the money, when the affair memorial to the Emperor, praying that the came to light and he was arrested. A deceased General's history may be recorded little before this happened the. other in the national annals, and that permission may be given for the erection of temples in ceived a visit from a man named Wu Tang. Colonel, that is to say Colonel Yang, re-
his honour in Hupeh, Anhui, Shantung, in the capital of Honan, and in his place of hsien. Wu told him of Geptain: Heieh's birth. skal in obtaining poste, and Colonel Yang asked Wu to speak to Hsieh on his behalf, In forwarding this petition the Governor Wu did so and arranged that Hsieh's speaks in the highest terms of the exploits remuneration was to be one hundred tacle, of General Chao, and mentions his defence He got half this sum out of the Colonel, of Nanyang as the deed which rendered went off with it and was never seen agai. kim specially illustrious. The Governor In the meantime Hsieh had in his posses-humbly requests that the General's acts sion a blank despatch and envelope sealed may be re in the national annals by the General at Huchow, which had been but he leaves the question of the temples iven him some time ago by a man now to His Majesty's decision without dari This form he filled up with a to make any recommendation. recommendation on behalf of Colonel Yang "The Emperor's rescript permits the re-and delivered it at the Governor's office. cording of General Chao's career and the The forgery, however, was discovered and building of a temple to him in the city of he was arrested. There was no doubt in Nanyang, but it negatives the rest of the the matter, because of the age of the paper, petition. its difference from other letters of the 14th October.
General's, and lastly because the ink of
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.