Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 353 Gunshots in the Night
Under the cover of night

There was a loud barking of dogs coming from the dock warehouse at the foot of the mountain, followed by a dozen rockets being fired, igniting several bonfires piled outside the earth wall. It was obvious that the defenders were well prepared.

The bright campfire dispelled the darkness, revealing the vague figures of the white attackers.

Then there was the sound of crisp volleys of gunfire, mixed with screams. Standing in the dense forest halfway up the mountain, one could hear it very clearly even from seven or eight hundred meters away.

The American Civil War had just ended, and among the white plantation owners who were attacked were retired military officers with rich combat experience, who were indeed good at organizing battles.

After confirming that the Chinese dock warehouse was well prepared, the white attackers were confident and organized white gunmen to surround it from three directions, exchanging gunfire.

While arranging the three field guns brought into position, he prepared to use artillery fire to blast open the earth wall and rush in to end the battle.

These hastily built earth walls were not completely dry inside and were only 80 centimeters wide, making them unable to withstand the bombardment of 12-pound field artillery.

A seemingly solid earth wall could be blasted open with a single shot, and a dozen shots could collapse a large section of the wall, causing heavy casualties to the defending Chinese gunmen.

ten minutes later

There were bursts of gunfire at the foot of the mountain, and the two sides were fighting fiercely.

From the scene
Because the white attackers were outnumbered, they gradually surrounded the Chinese gunman on three sides and kept pressing down on him, gaining the upper hand.

Because it took time to set up artillery, the white attackers in charge of the operation did not rush to attack. Instead, the white gunmen hid in the darkness of the night and fired volleys of fire from two or three hundred meters away to suppress the defending Chinese gunmen.

As long as artillery is involved, it is only a matter of time before the dock warehouse is finally occupied.

Colonel Dong Jiasheng set up this trap and waited until the white attackers fell completely into it. He deployed his troops and launched an all-out attack before giving the order to close the trap.

More than 600 Chinese soldiers hiding halfway up the mountain, after completing the loading, walked in turn with their rifles under the guidance of the commander, forming a larger encirclement of the white attackers from the side and rear.

"Boom boom boom..."

After the three cannons of the white attackers were set up, they could not wait to launch an artillery attack at close range. The round solid shells hit the earth wall hard, instantly causing smoke and dust to fill the air and the earth and rocks to crack.

In the dock warehouse, the Chinese gunmen who were defending on the wall were caught in the artillery fire and heard clear screams.

The first shot hit the target, which made the white attackers cheer loudly. They stood arrogantly in the brightly lit area, hiding their bodies in the cover of night.

After loading the rifle, he leaned the rifle on the ground and began to watch.

They just need to wait, wait for the artillery to blast a big gap in the earth wall, and then they can rush in and reap victory. It will be a very easy thing.

It’s so easy to deal with sixty people with more than five hundred people!
Unconsciously

In the jungle behind him, a large group of black shadows were quietly surrounding him, and he became a fish on a fishing rod.

With the dock warehouse as the center of the battlefield, Chinese gunmen were stationed behind the earth wall and were continuously launching external attacks with volleys of guns of more than a dozen people.

Because they were unable to accurately observe the position of the white attackers, they could only shoot blindly in the general direction and achieved little success.

It looked more like a desperate, dying counterattack.

On the white position hidden in the darkness, a dozen white gunners were working hard to clean the gun barrels, load gunpowder, tamp it down with a ramming rod, and then load the shells into it.

At the speed of these artillery pieces, they can fire a round of artillery fire every three or four minutes.

A minute or two after the bombardment, the dust and fog gradually dissipated, and against the backdrop of the burning bonfire, the effect of the bombardment could be vaguely seen.

Two shells hit the middle of the earth wall, and it was so dark that nothing could be seen.

But one shell hit the upper part of the earth wall, directly opening a triangular gap about 1.6 meters long and 70 to 80 centimeters deep at its deepest, which clearly showed its extraordinary power.

The destructive effect of this shot made the white attackers who commanded the operation very satisfied.

He loudly ordered the artillery to use the triangular gap as a basis and concentrate fire on the area, trying to destroy the earth wall and open an attack channel.

"Boom boom boom..."

Three more cannon shots rang out, and the rumbling sound spread across the Big Island of Hawaii. It was so harsh in the quiet night that it was almost impossible to hide it.

Inside a Victorian building in the city

Charles, a British sugar merchant, stood at the door with a gloomy face, looking towards the direction of the Chinese dock warehouse, where there were bursts of fire and the sound of gunfire.

The flickering flames cut through the night and could be seen from far away.

Behind him was a group of his wives, daughters and family members, all with terrified expressions on their faces. When they heard the sound of the cannon, they couldn't help but scream softly.

"Sir, several French businessmen want to see you. The chief one is Mr. Scheberg."

"It seems it's all about this damn conflict. Tell them to go to the living room. I'll be right there."

"Yes, sir." The Kingdom of Hawaii was originally under the British colonial power. It achieved complete independence in 1843, and the colonial officials sent by the British withdrew, leaving only British merchants to represent British interests part-time.

Mr. Charles was a large-scale sugar merchant, so he was chosen as the informal representative of the British side to mediate with the Kingdom of Hawaii and the United States and Chu when British interests were involved.

Because it has the support of the world's most powerful British Empire, it naturally has a higher status. The King of Hawaii and the diplomatic representatives of the United States and Chu all respect Mr. Charles' opinions very much and take them seriously.

The same was true for the Spanish, French and a few Germans who did business and settled in Hawaii, who regarded them as opinion leaders among European countries.

The armed conflict that broke out tonight is clearly out of control, pushing the situation to the brink of danger, which will harm the interests of everyone.

No wonder Mr. Charles was so angry. As a businessman, he would rather see a peaceful and controllable Kingdom of Hawaii than a place full of danger and armed conflict.

in the living room

Mr. Shebery and several of his companions were in a state of anxiety as they listened to the sound of gunfire in the distance. They looked anxious and whispered to each other.

As they were talking, more than ten Spaniards walked in from outside the living room, led by Mr. Juan Igosta, who was also a large sugar plantation owner.

"Oh my God! Is this a war between the rude Americans and the Chinese? Damn it, everything is going to be terrible."

"It seems that this is indeed the case. The Americans have organized armed militias to attack the Chinese docks. There are a lot of goods stored there. Everyone knows this."

"You really want to be a whore and a saint at the same time. If you can't afford to lose, don't try to learn how to duel."

"It's pointless to say that now. What's important is to appease the Americans and not let the situation get worse, as that would make no one any more money."

"Mr. Charles is here. Let's see what he says."

When Mr. Charles appeared, a group of people gathered around him and offered suggestions. Everyone's face was anxious. The current situation was too bad.

No matter how blocked the news was, most of the merchants here knew that Chu was a newly rising power, which had always been tough and difficult to deal with, and had just fought a fierce battle with Britain and France.

This is the number one hot news in the world today, and almost everyone knows it.

If the Chu State blocked the Pacific route, preventing immigrants from entering, Hawaii, with its declining population, would soon become desolate.

By then, everyone's interests will be harmed.

The number of native Hawaiian people has dropped dramatically from more than 19 in the early 80th century to more than 8 today, and it looks like it will continue to decline significantly.

Today's sugarcane plantations all rely on Chinese workers to support most of the industry.

Although workers from the Korean Peninsula and Japan have been imported recently, their numbers are too small to change the local labor market which is dominated by Chinese workers.

The western part of North America is vast and sparsely populated, and there is a shortage of labor.

Hearing everyone's opinions, Charles opened his hands, pressed them down, and said loudly;

"Gentlemen, please wait a moment. I have roughly understood your demands.

We share the same goal of maintaining a stable and controllable situation.

This chaotic situation must be stopped. Mr. Shebery and I will go to the palace together and mobilize the palace guards to force the conflicting parties to disengage.

That's it
We must stabilize the situation that is about to get out of control, and we will take decisive measures to this end..."

Before he could finish his inspiring words, intensive gunfire was heard from another direction, which made everyone present change their expressions. They involuntarily rushed out of the living room one after another and looked over.

When he saw this, his face turned pale.

The direction of the new gunshots was the Hawaiian Royal Palace located halfway up the mountain. It was an indigenous palace-style building with a very Pacific tropical island style. It was not very big and the security was not tight.

The entire Hawaiian Royal Palace Guard consists of only more than 210 people, equipped with cold weapons such as muskets, swords and guns. Their strength is decent, but their combat effectiveness is not worth mentioning.

Now the sound of gunfire coming from the direction of the palace means that the situation has escalated.

After understanding this
Even Charles couldn't keep his composure anymore and couldn't help but curse, "Damn it, these damn Americans! Are they really that impatient?"

The Americans' intention to interfere in Hawaii is extremely obvious. Over the years, they have maintained a substantial expansion in western and southern North America, frequently intervening in overseas affairs, and have been aggressive in the diplomacy of Central and South America.

Everyone subconsciously thinks

The Americans are starting to stir up trouble again, and their target is naturally Hawaii. It is not surprising that something happens because of this.

With "Manifest Destiny" as their creed, Americans expanded all over the North American continent, successively acquiring vast territories such as Florida, Texas, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Utah and Colorado, and purchased Alaska from the Russians for US$720 million, showing a strong momentum of foreign aggression.

Over the years, I have hardly been idle.

For such a habitual criminal, once something happens around him, people will subconsciously cast their suspicion on the Americans, thinking that he did it.

(End of this chapter)