Military officer; born in
Salem, Mass., Nov. 29, 1831; became a sailor; went to
Shanghai, China, in 1860, when the Taeping rebels were being victorious everywhere.
He recruited a band of men from various countries and their services were accepted by the government.
He first captured the walled town of
Sungkiang, in which there were 10,000 rebels, in recognition of which he was created a mandarin of the fourth degree.
He next dispersed the rebels around
Shanghai and later prevented them from taking that city.
Afterwards he was made admiral-general and created a mandarin of the highest grade, married the daughter of a powerful native, and was named Hwa. When
Captain Wilkes removed the
Confederate commissioners from the
Trent and war seemed probable between the
United States and
England, he planned the seizure of the
British warships and merchant vessels in
Chinese waters.
At the outbreak of the
Civil War he tried to close up his affairs in
China in order to enlist in the
National army, and made an offer of $10,000 to the United States government, but before he received an answer was mortally wounded in an action at Tsekie, and died in Ningpo,. Sept. 21, 1862.