1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 123 Fierce Battle at Dateng Gorge
Three iron chains sealed off the river, firmly blocking the Qing army's path downstream.

The Qing army fleet on the Qianjiang River was in complete chaos.

The section of the river where Peng Gang and Yang Xiuqing chose to set up their ambush was already narrow.

It was April, the end of the dry season in Guangxi, which exacerbated the problem of the narrowness of the river in this section.

The Qing army's ships, large and small, were unable to dodge or maneuver in time, colliding with each other and blocking the river.

On both the north and south banks of Dateng Gorge, the Taiping Army, which had been waiting for the Qing army for a long time, unleashed a barrage of mountain cannons, earthen cannons, matchlock guns, and muskets.

With a series of thunderous explosions, countless lead bullets and cannonballs rained down on the Qing fleet.

The Taiping army spared no expense in order to eliminate Min Zhengwen's elite Guangxi troops.

Ninety-eight large and small mountain-splitting cannons and more than 1,560 various types of firearms were deployed and ambushed on both sides of the Dateng Gorge.

Although the firearms of the Taiping Army were superior to those of the Qing Army, except for those of Peng Gang's Left Army.

The firearms of the other armies were all crude and of poor quality, mainly consisting of homemade cannons and muskets, mixed with a small number of mountain-splitting cannons and arquebuses that were either captured or purchased from officers of the Xunzhou Green Standard Army.

The Qing army's warships were mostly located in the middle of the Qianjiang River, about two hundred paces away from the north and south banks, making it very difficult for the homemade cannons and muskets to hit them.

Only high-quality artillery, such as the mountain-splitting cannon, had a range sufficient to hit the Qing army fleet in the middle of the river.

For example, Peng Gang's left wing artillery company was able to hit Qing army ships relatively easily because of the superior quality of its artillery.

Boom~
As the cannons roared, solid iron projectiles were hurled at the Qing army fleet in the middle of the river.

A longship loaded with gunpowder was hit in the roof by four or five cannonballs in succession. Wood chips flew everywhere, and five or six soldiers of the Guiliu Green Standard Army wearing uniforms were torn to pieces on the spot, their blood and flesh scattered in the river.

"Damn it! Where did these God's Society bandits get so many cannons?!"

"Li Chengbiao, the centurion, roared, his face ashen."

He was unable to lift his head due to the Taiping Army's fierce artillery fire.

Judging from the sound of cannon fire, the enemy has at least nearly a hundred cannons!
The number of muskets was countless!

Is this guy still a bandit?

Their firepower was even more ferocious than that of ordinary government troops.

When did such well-equipped and ruthless bandits emerge in Guangxi? They even dared to attack the fleet of a provincial governor.
The seasoned Liu Yongqing remained relatively calm and commanded the Green Standard Army soldiers under his command in Liuzhou to fight back.

The Qing army ships were also equipped with arquebuses and mountain cannons, but by this time the fast crab warships had already been smashed to pieces by their own ships, and were facing different directions.

The bow of the ship must be adjusted and the hull stabilized before it can accurately fire cannons at the Taiping Army on both banks.

However, the river was narrow and the boats were crowded. The soldiers, trainees, and laborers on the boats were jostling and trampling each other, and the order had long been lost, with almost no possibility of adjustment.

Occasionally, gunners would adjust the muzzle of the mountain-splitting cannons and fire back, but they were constantly being rammed by out-of-control, chaotic ships, making their accuracy worrisome.

After enduring a barrage of shelling, the Qing arquebusiers, gradually recovering, lit matchlocks, loaded ammunition, and braced themselves to stand firm against the side of the boat, aiming their guns at the Taiping Army at the top of Dateng Gorge. However, due to the strong winds, high waves, and great distance, most of their shots missed.

"Fire the bird guns! Fire the bird guns!"

Even though the shooting was ineffective, Liu Yongqing still directed the nearby musketeers to return fire.

Dozens of loud bangs, like popping beans, rang out in succession, and instantly white smoke rose from the river surface.

The muskets rained down on the vines and trees on both sides of the Dateng Gorge, knocking down countless branches, leaves, and stones, but they missed hitting many Taiping soldiers.

At this time, Min Zhengwen's ship was still in the middle of the river and had been hit by five or six cannon shots.

Unfortunately, the mountain-splitting cannons and homemade cannons were not powerful enough to cause any real damage to Min Zhengwen's boat, only leaving five or six fist-sized holes in it.

Min Zhengwen stood frozen in place on the second floor of the ship.

Min Zhengwen, the dignified Governor-General of the Southern Frontier, was so frightened that his face turned ashen and he broke out in a cold sweat. His personal guards held him tightly, and he barely managed to stand up.

Min Zhengwen watched helplessly as the Taiping Army's mountain-splitting cannon roared once more, piercing the bottom of a grain transport ship in the lead column. The grain bags burst open, and rice spilled into the river like sand through a leak.

"General! The bandits occupy the top of the gorge, which gives them a significant advantage and puts our army at a disadvantage."

The bandits were armed with powerful guns and cannons, but they were left stranded in the river, which was no different from waiting for death!

How to repel the enemy is a matter for you to decide and order, General!

The situation became increasingly chaotic. Some of the civilian laborers and even some soldiers who had trained bravely jumped into the river to escape. Liu Yongqing knew that continuing to hold out on the boat was no different from waiting to die, so he came to ask Min Zhengwen for further instructions.

"The water flow is too rapid... the cannons are not yet stable..."

Min Zhengwen's voice trembled as he tried to remain calm, but he couldn't utter a single coherent word.

He looked up blankly at the Taiping Army's cannons atop Dateng Gorge, his teeth chattering. He involuntarily took a step back and whispered, "Hold the line first... wait for their firepower to wear off... then plan a counterattack..." "General! If we wait any longer, our soldiers will be wiped out!" Liu Yongqing roared, almost crying.

Just then, a cannonball shot from the port side of the admiral's ship came flying through the air and struck the port side of the ship. Splinters of wood flew everywhere, and a personal guard near the port side was unfortunately hit by the bullet and fell headfirst into the river without uttering a sound.

Min Zhengwen collapsed to the ground, blood splattered all over his face, his body cowering like a dog. He was quickly helped up by Liu Yongqing, who couldn't bear to watch any longer.

The Taiping army's firepower did not decline as Ming Zhengwen had predicted; it seemed that they still had plenty of gunpowder and ammunition.

The Taiping army's gunfire continued unabated, and the Qing army on the Qianjiang River was on the verge of collapse.

A few breaths later, the Taiping army's gunfire suddenly stopped.

Just as Min Zhengwen was secretly pleased that the bandits must have run out of medicine and ammunition.

Two battalions of the Taiping Army's left wing, along with a thousand skilled swimmers, who had been lying in wait on both banks of the Qianjiang River, paddled their small boats like arrows and rushed toward their fleet.

Min Zhengwen and the others then realized that the God Society bandits' sudden cessation of gunfire was not because they had run out of ammunition, but because they were about to start a boarding operation and were worried that indiscriminate firing would injure their own people.

"All ships that can move! Move to the south bank!"

"Even if the boat can't move, swim to the south bank!"

"Bring all the guns and cannons you can!"

"Those who wish to live, follow me ashore to form ranks and defeat the enemy!"

At this critical juncture, Liu Yongqing disregarded his authority and issued the order on behalf of Min Zhengwen.

After speaking, Liu Yongqing carried Min Zhengwen on his back and jumped onto a small boat, ordering the bewildered laborers on the boat to row quickly.

Amidst the howling river winds, squads of Green Standard Army soldiers, soaked to the bone, trudged across the muddy, rocky shore, making their way ashore.

Some people held muskets, some were shirtless and carried long knives, and some even threw their weapons into the river and ran wildly, dragging their wet boots along the way.

Liu Yongqing, Li Chengbiao, and a few other veteran Green Standard Army generals quickly gathered their remaining troops on the south bank, circled the gorge, and set their sights on the nearest hilltop.

During the brief exchange of fire, Liu Yongqing, Li Chengbiao, and others had already discerned and realized that the gunfire from the north bank was more concentrated and more accurate, indicating that it was mostly experienced gunners operating the cannons.

They believed that the north bank was the main force of the God Society bandits, and that it would be difficult for them to break through successfully.

The gunfire on the south bank was sparser and less accurate, mostly fired by novices, who might have a better chance of breaking through.

Therefore, they chose to protect Min Zhengwen and break through to the south bank.

"I thought they were really good fighters! They're just all show and no substance, all bravado and no substance!"

On the north bank of Dateng Gorge, Yang Xiuqing, who had witnessed the entire naval battle, offered this assessment.

Upon first encountering Min Zhengwen's main force, Yang Xiuqing observed that Min Zhengwen's army was well-organized and sailed in an orderly manner, leading Yang Xiuqing to believe that the Taiping Army was about to face a tough battle.

To be honest, they were just making a lot of noise with their guns and cannons, but actually they didn't kill many Qing soldiers.

It's estimated that the number of Guiliu soldiers and local militia members who were killed or wounded by them was only around one hundred.

Luo Dagang led two boat battalions and a thousand Taiping soldiers who were skilled in swimming, intending to board the boats.

Unfortunately, the Qing army either landed or retreated in disarray.

The final task turned into capturing prisoners.

However, most of the prisoners they captured were laborers.

The Green Standard Army militia in Liuzhou and Guilin were all seasoned veterans with rich combat experience. Most of the Liuzhou soldiers and militia had already followed Liu Yongqing and Li Chengbiao to the south bank and were breaking through towards Shapingchong.

"Not entirely!" Peng Gang frowned as he looked across the river and noticed that the Guilin-Liuzhou troops and local militias who landed on the south bank were not entirely in retreat.

"The Guilin and Liuzhou soldiers and local militia who landed on the south bank were mostly armed with guns, cannons, swords, and spears; they had not yet been defeated."

Most of the Guilin-Liuzhou soldiers and local militia, led by their officers and militia leaders, were charging toward the positions held by Wei Changhui's right wing, attempting to break through the encirclement.

It's too early to start celebrating with champagne at halftime and mock these Guiliu soldiers and militia as easily defeated.

It is a fact that Min Jung-moon is incompetent.

However, even when ambushed, these Guiliu soldiers and local militia were still able to gather some of their men and organize a breakout.

Their performance was already quite remarkable, surpassing most of their colleagues, and they truly deserved the title of Guangxi's elite.

Furthermore, the direction they chose to break through was quite cunning.

(End of this chapter)