Commodore Tatuall's action at the Taku Forts when Admiral Hope was difficulties there is often mentioned, but the best account of it we have seen is given in the following letter "to the "Spectator" of the 16th of July Sir,—An old man residing in this town is one of the few li American flag raised at Monterey in 1846. Ho was a warrant officer on the sloop-of-war " Cyane," a ship that was presented us by the Mother-country in the early days. In 1857 ho was in the Far East, a am sonding you the following extract from his reminiscences in hopes that it may prove of interest. I have made no attempt to improve on his dictic "Ton years afterwards, in 67, I was in with Admiral Dupont on the U.S.
ate 'Minnesota' on our eraiso in Chinn, Japan, and India, The 'Minnesota' was anew ship, and the finest one that had ever been in' East India up to that time. We took the American "Minis-for-Plenipotentiary.
iam B, We arrived la Hongkong, where we met the English-French squadrons preparing to go up city of Canton, which they did, and also took Governor Yeah -a prisoner and brought him out to India. We followed them. up as far as the Bogue Forts, and then we took the small beals and lauded in Canton in the city proper, then return-Hongkong after the English had SnisLed their fighting. We then prepared to go to Peking.
"At the mouth 0° the Peiho River are the Taku or Mud Forts. The English took them in about two hours, They then pushed on up to Tientsin, which is at the mouth of the grand Canal from Peking. The Chinese Government, sent down Commissioners to give us the treaties. Wo got ours first, so we did not enter the Grand Canal.' We wont up the Peiho River in boats, as our ships lay off about eight: miles on' account of shallow water.
ter: receiving our treaty we had to have it ratified in Shanghai. Our vessel lay down at Wusung, about eighteen miles from Shanghai, There the treaty was ratified.
"Tu 1859 Admiral Hope went in with the English navy to take the Taku Forts.'.Ho thought to take them in two hours, but instesd_the Chinese nearly. took him. After fighting about four hours, having hud several of his vessels destroyed, he sent a midshipman over to our ship to see Commodore 'Tatnall in regard to towing their six hundred men into action, Our Commodore said: 'No; it is worth more than my commission. We' are at peace with China; thnt is a declaration of wae. No malter what my feelings are, I cannot do it.' The: midshipman went over the side of the morsel, bearing-a very down hearted expression ow his face. The Com. modore: was watching him, and. sang out "Avast! young man. Lay aft! You say the Admiral is wounded?' *Yes,. Sir! "I he had those six hundred men towed into action, he thinks he can. withdraw 'Yes, Sic' This is when that celebrated expression was uttered ' Blood is thicker than water.' 'A brother sailor is in distress; I will help him out We 1 are lying about seven miles out of range; we hnd small, steamer called the 'Toney Wan,' and we towed those six hundred. men into action, Wo then retired from the range of the fighting. The Commodore isived to go over and see the English Admiral, who was lying wounded, havi g had both of his legs broken. Just as we of alongside a shot struck the stern of our oat and killed the coxswain, Hart, Lieuten nut Trenchard, flag officer, whois now Admiral.'Trenchard,, was' wounded, Our boat was smushed,. and we were all thrown into the water. ' That was the first time the Bnulish. ever had.the pleasure of fishing for Yanks, every time they threw tha line over" Yank bit at it, and they hauled them on board.. The Commodore anil Trenchard went aft to see the Admiral who was lying on x a settee, giving ordecn the best he could, And we, as naturally as ducks tke 1o' water, went forward. The bulwark were shot away, the guns dew roy!, and the decks blondy decics hut been sanded down to absorb the blood. We wont to the bow gun—a pivot gun, on the forecastle—and stood n-looking at those four mon fighting hat gan, where Wey ought to have had fourteen, They had to act as tein tackleman, side man, handspikeman, loaders and spongers. They could not fire the' gun very often. We stood there a: watohing- them a-straining themselves; to fire. that gun. One after another of us dropped inn fought. that gun for them, and English stand back. We wont in as white Yanks and cate out as black ones. fought that gun for two hours. That is the way in which I served under two flags in one day.
"Twas in the United: States Service; enlisted, and fought under the English fish, and served in the English "Navy at that time. We then returned to Hongkong, from there to Bombay, through the Mozambique: Channel, and around tha Cape of Good Hope, and back.to the United States, and got in just before the Civil War broke out, Some years ago there were some lotterd published in your columns in regard-to this incident, but I have not the files-at hand, and.so cannot say whether this account is essentially: different.—I am, Sir, 2H, Wanrey Suirn, Los Gates, California, 1
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.