A Yankee Belligerent in China
--
Capturing Cities by Contract--The
Paris Journal des Debates, in the course of a letter from
Shanghai, dated August 16th; states that a number of foreign adventurers have joined the
Imperial troops, and in their conflicts with the
Tai Ping rebels, are achieving a desperate and bloody reputation.
Among these soldiers of fortune is an American named
Ward, who, it appears, agrees to capture cities by job work.
The correspondent writes:
Ward had collected a troop of four to five thousand Tagalog, belonging to Manilla, and about a dozen sailors from different seaports of the
East.
He and his men were paid by the Tou-Tai, or
Mayor of
Shanghai, three hundred and fifty taels, or about three thousand francs a month, and he enjoyed the title of
Colonel.
But that was not all. When he retook a city from the insurgents, he received a reward proportionate to the service he had rendered.
For instance, the retaking of Sung-Kiang brought the gallant
Colonel the sum of 87,500 francs.
Such remuneration would have stimulated the ardor of men more scrupulous than
Mr. Ward.
The city of Tseng-Pow, near
Shanghai, was taken by the rebels.
The Tou-Tai was in great trepidation, but
Ward re-assured him, and offered to make all right for a personal reward of 300,000 francs.
Arrived at Tseng-Pow he gave the signal of assault, and was received by a shower of balls.
But
Ward is brave, and he determined to prove himself worthy the confidence of the Tou-Tai.
Twice repulsed, twice he returned to the charge Climbing the walls with but about fifty of his followers, he found himself face to face with the chief of the Tai-Pings; he fired at him twice, but missed.
‘"You rascal,"’ replied his adversary in good
English, ‘"I'll show you that I can fire better than you,"’ and he did show it by shooting the
Colonel in the stomach and leg. Yet
Ward escaped, though the greater portion of his men were lost.
He is now at
Shanghai, and, as he is of good constitution, it is probable that in a few weeks he will be up again and at the head of a band of brigands, anxious to repair his ill-luck."
