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do not wish to take aggressive steps without a sufficient cause, yet I repeat my wish to have the enemy prevented from increasing his means of defense or assault, in the most expedient and efficient manner your judgment and means may warrant, even though you may be led to the capture of the forts.'

"As there were no other means in my power effectually to prevent the enemy from strengthening his defenses, I immediately determined to storm his forts, and would have done so the same evening if it had been possible to complete the necessary arrangements before dark.

"At 6.30 on the morning of the 20th instant, both ships being in position and in all respects ready for action, we beat to quarters, and simultaneously opened on the two nearest forts. After an interval of five minutes the fire was briskly returned until 7.45, when it materially slackened. The storming-party, consisting of two hundred and eighty-seven persons -officers, seamen, and marines-with four howitzers, commanded by myself-Commanders Bell and Smith leading respectively detachments from the San Jacinto and Levant-then left the ships, and pulled in three columns for the shore. The company of marines was most efficiently led by Captain Simms. While landing, Louis Hetzel and Thomas Krouse (apprentice boys) were killed by the accidental discharge of a Minie rifle. The party formed, and marched toward the fort, dragging three howitzers with them across the rice-fields, and wading a creek waist deep. In order to attack the fort in the rear it was necessary to pass through a village, in which several shots were fired upon us, till the howitzers "cleared the streets, and secured for us an unobstructed progress. When near the fort the soldiers were seen fleeing from it, many of them swimming for the opposite shore. The marines, being in advance, opened fire upon the fugitives with deadly effect, killing some forty or fifty. The American flag was planted on the walls of the fort by a lieutenant from the Portsmouth. As the fort opposite was playing upon us, the guns we had captured-fifty-three in number-were several of them brought to bear upon and soon silenced it, but not before a shot had struck the Portsmouth's launch and sunk her. She floated, however, at the flood, and was soon rendered efficient for further service. The city of Canton being only four miles distant, a portion of its army, variously estimated at from five to fifteen thousand, and which I believe to have numbered at least three thousand, was stationed near. This force twice advanced; but they were both times repulsed by the marines, with ten or twelve killed; and, as they were retreating, a deadly fire was opened upon them

from one of the howitzers. During one of these skirmishes a man belonging to the Portsmouth received a shot-wound in the leg. While firing at the opposite fort, a boatswain's mate from the Portsmouth was wounded in the head and foot by the bursting of a gun.

"A small portion of the force was withdrawn at night, and the fort was occupied by the commander of the San Jacinto with the remaining force till morning.

"At three A.M. the next day an 8-inch shot from one of the forts struck the Portsmouth and lodged in the bends. This was instantly returned by three of her shells, and the fort was at once silenced. At four A.M. the commander of the San Jacinto, with the force which had occupied the captured fort during the night, embarked and returned to the ship. At six o'clock both ships opened their fire on the three remaining forts, which was at first briskly returned. During the action Edward Riley (O. S.) was mortally wounded aboard the Levant, and died this evening. The fort nearest the ships having been silenced, at seven o'clock the boats in tow of the American steamer Cum Fa, temporarily in the charge of Mr. Robinet, left the ship and proceeded toward the object of attack. While passing the barrier, a ricochet 64-pound shot from the farthest fort struck the boat abreast of my own, completely raking it, and instantly killing James Hoagland, carpenter's mate, and mortally wounding William Mackie and Alfred Turner, who died soon after. Seven others were also wounded more or less severely. The boat struck was the launch of the San Jacinto, in charge of the first lieutenant of that ship. The steamer stood in with the boats in tow, till they were cov ered by an intervening neck of land, on which the party landed. After wading a ditch waist deep, and receiving several shots from gingals and rockets, the fort was carried, with one of the marines severely wounded, in presence of a thousand or more Chinese soldiers just beyond howitzer range. A corporal of marines, the standard-bearer of the company, planted the American flag upon the walls. Several of the guns of the fort, with our own howitzers, were brought to bear upon the centre fort, commanding the river, which had opened fire upon us. It was soon silenced. The other guns in the fort we had captured, which were altogether forty-one in number, were spiked, their carriages burned, and every thing destructible, by the means in our power, destroyed.

"At four P.M. the marines advanced on the bank of the river and captured a breastwork mounting six guns; a party of Chinese soldiers, some hundreds in number, advanced toward them, but were soon re

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pulsed by two companies of sailors, led by their lieutenants. mean time one of the howitzers played upon a still greater number, who were drawn up in front of and around a pagoda, until they were dispersed, and retreated carrying off their killed and wounded. The boats, under fire from the fort on the opposite side of the river, had been tracked up to the breast work, and now, under cover of its guns and those of the fort just captured, they crossed with the party to the island, and took possession of its fort, containing thirty-eight guns; one of these was a brass gun, of 8-inch calibre, and twenty-two feet five inches in length. The standard-bearer of marines was again the first to plant the American flag upon the walls. The same work of destruction was here renewed. The only fort remaining in the possession of the enemy on the Canton side of the river at once opened upon us. Accordingly the guns in the fort we occupied were brought to bear, and, with the assistance of the howitzers, silenced it in the course of half an hour. It now being dark, it was thought expedient to suspend further operations till morning. Active preparations were making by the enemy during the night, showing a determination to make a vigorous resistance.

"The following morning, Saturday, the 22d instant, at four o'clock, all hands were called, and arrangements made preparatory to the attack in front of the fourth and last fort. At early daylight, every thing being ready, the first lieutenant of the San Jacinto, who was left in charge of the fort, was directed to fire a single howitzer, for the purpose of drawing the fire of the enemy. As this did not succeed, another discharge was made, with no better result. Three howitzers were left in the fort to cover the landing, and prevent the enemy from firing the guns trained on the point which we were to double. Our launch, with the howitzers, preceded the other boats, which followed in three columns. The howitzers commenced playing briskly to divert the fire of the fort from us. But, from the moment we doubled the point, and during the time intervening until we reached within musket-shot and gave three cheers-notwithstanding the rapid and effective fire of the howitzers in the fort and the launch-the hostile fort opened and continued a brisk fire upon the boats with round shot, grape, and gingals. The shot passed closely over our heads, with the exception of three, one of which passed between the two boats, and each of the others striking an oar.

"As the boats could not be brought close to the shore, our party jumped into the water, and thus entered and took possession of the fort, just in time to fire upon the last of the enemy in their retreat. It was discovered

that they had, before evacuating, loaded the guns, and trained them upon the boats with a slow match ignited. Those of our men who were in advance cut the train. A boatswain's mate from the Portsmouth was the first to enter the fort and plant the American flag upon its walls. The number of guns which it contained was thirty-eight. The fort was demolished.

"The forts contained a total of 176 guns, many of them of the largest calibre. I am told that they have always been considered as among the strongest defenses of the empire, as well as the key to the city of Canton.

"The commander of the San Jacinto is to-day at work in the fort last captured, preparing utterly to demolish that part of the walls facing the river; these are of massive granite, and eight feet in thickness. As soon as this work is accomplished, we shall proceed in the same way with the other forts. An attack was made upon the rear of the fort occupied by our force at three o'clock this morning by a body of Chinese, who threw several rockets and stink-pots. The assailants were provided with scaling-ladders. They were soon dispersed by a brisk fire of musketry and the howitzers, leaving two ladders behind them in their retreat.

"The ships received during the cannonading of the 16th, 20th, and 21st instants forty shots in their hulls and rigging-the Portsmouth eighteen, the Levant twenty-two; and their fire was most satisfactorily effective, as may be witnessed on the demolished parapets of the nearest forts and their appearance within the walls.

"Previous to all the attacks I counseled freely with the commanders of the San Jacinto and Levant; and as the latter's officer performed such effective service by the cannonading of his ship previous to the storming, and as the other was present without his ship, I may be permitted to say of the former that I found him ready to suggest and to execute at any moment and in all exigencies. I ought to mention that the commander of the Levant, previous to the action of the 20th and 21st instants, had brought his ship into position nearer the forts, so that she received the hottest of their fire, and he has now brought her close to the fort which we are undermining. From the other officers also I received very important suggestions. In short, the bearing of all the officers, sailors, and marines was creditable to them in the highest degree.

"The readiness and coolness with which Captain Curry, of the American steamer Willamette, towed this ship into position, on the 16th instant, under fire from the nearest fort, exposing himself and his vessel, and not 'casting off' till so ordered, excites our highest admiration. Mr. William

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M. Robinet, of Maryland, now a resident merchant in Canton, gave his services as pilot and commander of the Cum Fa, when that steamer towed the boats inshore to attack the second fort. This gentleman also, by his knowledge of the country, was able to point out the course adopted in the attack of the second and third forts, and suggested the time of the attack upon the third and last.

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'Captain Henry Devens, of Charlestown, Massachusetts, voluntarily acted as my aid in the capture of the last three forts, and was ready to render good service. Captain Sewall, of the American ship Flyaway, occasionally took charge of the steamer Cum Fa, and repeatedly volunteered to serve in any capacity wherein he could promote the success of the expedition. Several other American gentlemen, whose names have not been mentioned, volunteered their aid, and rendered important assist

ance.

"It may be seen in this report how efficient our marines are in service of this kind; and the inference is inevitable that an increase of that corps, and of the number of officers and men attached to our ships, would tend to insure success in like expeditions. In all the advances, the men were ready, in perfect order and discipline, to respond to the call of their officers.

"It is but just also to the sailors to say that their order and subordination, as well as their bravery, most favorably impressed me; and I was convinced that when the two bodies acted in co-operation, in skirmishing parties and otherwise, they were capable of successfully resisting any Chinese force which they might encounter.

"The howitzers contributed greatly to-I may say secured-the success of the expedition, not only by their destructive qualities, but by the fear which their appearance inspired among the enemy.

"I can not help believing that the heavy and prolonged cannonading of the Portsmouth, on the 16th instant, was most important in preparing the way for the operations which succeeded. The powerful battery of this ship, consisting of sixteen 8-inch shell-guns, each of 63 cwt., so paralyzed the nearest fort, which was within a range of four hundred and eighty yards, that it was never afterward able to do the injury which it might otherwise have inflicted.. I am disposed to believe, too, that a ship with guns of smaller calibre could not have sustained alone the hot fire to which this vessel was that day exposed from the four forts combined; and much less could have silenced the two nearest of those forts, as she did after a brisk cannonading of between two and three hours.