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| [[Category:Battles]] | | [[Category:Locations]] |
| {{Battles_Infobox
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| |partof=[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiping_Rebellion Taiping Rebellion]
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| |date=1-2 May 1863
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| |location=[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taicang Taicang, Jiangsu Province, China]
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| |presidency=[[Madras]]
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| |co-ordinates=[http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ll=31.452035,121.09669&z=13&t=h&hl=en 31.452035°N 121.09669°E]
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| |result=British victory
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| |territory=
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| |combatant1=The Ever-Victorious Army
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| |combatant2=Taiping Rebels
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| |commander1=[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_George_Gordon Maj Charles George Gordon]
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| |commander2=
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| |strength1=
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| |strength2=
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| |casualties1=
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| |casualties2=
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| }}
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| "Such was the position of affairs when on March 24, 1863, Major Gordon took
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| over the command of the Ever-Victorious Army. At that moment it was not
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| merely discouraged by its recent reverses, but it was discontented with
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| its position, and when Major Gordon assumed the command at Sunkiang there
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| was some fear of an immediate mutiny. The new commander succeeded in
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| allaying their discontent, and believing that active employment was the
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| best cure for insubordination resolved to relieve Chanzu without delay.
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| The Taepings were pressing the siege hard and would probably have captured
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| the place before many days when Major Gordon attacked them in their
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| stockades and drove them out with no inconsiderable loss. Having thus
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| gained the confidence of his men and the approbation of the Chinese
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| authorities Major Gordon returned to Sunkiang, where he employed himself
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| in energetically restoring the discipline of his force, and in preparing
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| for his next move, which at the request of Li Hung Chang was to be the
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| capture of Quinsan. On April 24 the force left Sunkiang to attack Quinsan,
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| but it had not proceeded far when its course had to be altered to Taitsan,
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| where, through an act of treachery, a force of 1,500 imperialists had been
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| annihilated. It became necessary to retrieve this disaster without delay,
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| more especially as all hope of taking Quinsan had for the moment to be
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| abandoned. Major Gordon at once altered the direction of his march, and
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| joining en route General Ching, who had, on the news, broken up his
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| camp before Quinsan, hastened as rapidly as possible to Taitsan, where he
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| arrived on April 29. Bad weather obliged the attack to be deferred until
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| May 1, when two stockades on the west side were carried, and their
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| defenders compelled to flee, not into the town as they would have wished,
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| but away from it toward Chanzu. On the following day, the attack was
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| resumed on the north side, while the armed boats proceeded to assault the
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| place from the creek. The firing continued from nine in the morning until
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| five in the evening, when a breach seemed to be practicable, and two
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| regiments were ordered to the assault. The rebels showed great courage and
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| fortitude, swarming in the breach and pouring a heavy and well-directed
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| fire upon the troops. The attack was momentarily checked; but while the
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| stormers remained under such cover as they could find, the shells of two
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| howitzers were playing over their heads and causing frightful havoc among
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| the Taepings in the breach. But for these guns, Major Gordon did not think
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| that the place would have been carried at all; but after some minutes of
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| this firing at such close quarters, the rebels began to show signs of
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| wavering. A party of troops gained the wall, a fresh regiment advanced
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| toward the breach, and the disappearance of the snake flag showed that the
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| Taeping leaders had given up the fight. Taitsan was thus captured, and the
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| three previous disasters before it retrieved."<br>[http://forum.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?p=841498 Post from Kung Fu Magazine Forum]
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| == External Links ==
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| [http://www.oxforddnb.com/index/101011029/ Dictionary of National Biography - Charles George Gordon]
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