1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 126 Seized
Yang Xiuqing also believed that although the Taiping Army had a large number of troops at present, it was an indisputable fact that most of the Heavenly Army soldiers lacked practical combat experience.

Performing a ritual of summoning servants before a battle, where the Father is said to possess someone, can indeed have a role in boosting morale and inspiring people.

But all God can do is boost morale; he cannot replace real training and combat.

Yang Xiuqing was well aware of this.

Just when everyone thought that Yang Xiuqing had mobilized the elite close combat troops of various armies in order to wipe out the Guiliu soldiers and local militia on the hilltop in one fell swoop,

Yang Xiuqing's proposed tactic was a war of attrition.

The four attacking teams took turns attacking, using the Guiliu soldiers and local militia on the hilltop as whetstones to slowly hone the Heavenly Army's holy soldiers.

Opportunities like the admiral's personal guards and the Green Standard Army officers' personal guards serving as whetstones for sparring partners are rare.

Amidst the sounds of drums and horns clashing.

The energetic and high-spirited Taiping Army launched an attack on the exhausted, hungry, and thirsty Guiliu soldiers and local militia on the hilltop.

The first to don their armor and go into battle were Lin Qirong's Third Battalion.

After a fierce battle lasting half an hour, Lin Qirong led his troops in an orderly retreat.

Xie Bin's Third Battalion of the Left Army seamlessly took over Lin Qirong's attack position.

While Xie Bin was still engaged in fierce fighting, Hu Yihuang's Third Rear Army Battalion had already lined up, eager to try, and ready to take over Xie Bin's Third Left Army Battalion at any time.

This cycle repeated itself for two full rounds of this relentless battle.

The exhausted Guiliu soldiers and militia members on the hilltop were all demoralized.

Close combat is extremely physically demanding. By the end, the Guiliu soldiers and local militia members could barely swing their swords or hold their spears steady.

Each time the Taiping soldiers were rotated in, they received at least an hour and a half of rest, leaving them in high spirits and full of energy.

After two rounds of fighting, the Taiping army killed 215 soldiers and local militia members from Guilin and Liuzhou, half of whom were the personal guards of the commanders and battalion officers.

Even Liu Yongqing, the backbone of the Guiliu Army, was stabbed to death by Xie Bin in the second round of the debate.

With Liu Yongqing dead, the last breath of the Guilin-Liuzhou soldiers finally dissipated.

Before the Taiping army at the foot of the mountain had had enough of fighting, the Qing army on the mountain collectively dropped their weapons and surrendered.

To allow the soldiers and local militia on the mountain more time for training.

Yang Xiuqing and others even deliberately blocked the news that Li Dianyuan's reinforcements from Xunzhou had been defeated and fled back to Guiping City in a sorry state.

Unfortunately, even under these circumstances, these so-called elite Guangxi Green Standard Army troops and militia only lasted for two rounds.

Min Zhengwen died of fright during the Taiping Army's first attack.

Min Zhengwen's method of death was an eye-opener for Peng Gang, Yang Xiuqing, and others.

A provincial governor, who didn't die from the enemy's sword, was actually scared to death.

This way of dying is actually quite humorous.

Upon reaching the summit, they found Min Zhengwen's body, guided by surrendered Qing soldiers.

When they discovered that Min Zhengwen was not in military uniform or official robes, but rather wearing a long gown covered in mud, the Taiping generals were even more astonished.

If it weren't for the Qing soldiers who had surrendered and identified him, they would have thought this man was Min Zhengwen's advisor.

Xie Bin searched Min Zhengwen's body and found the military tally. He then grabbed Min Zhengwen's hands to examine them. His hands were as white and clean as those of a well-bred young lady, without any calluses.

If someone like that could become a provincial governor, it would be truly unjust if the Qing army didn't suffer a defeat.

The Taiping generals despised Min Zhengwen, but they respected Liu Yongqing, the Assistant Commander of the Central Camp in Liuzhou, who was able to organize a breakout in the chaos and ultimately fight to the death.

If it weren't for Liu Yongqing's valiant efforts, Min Zhengwen's army would have been completely wiped out on the Qianjiang River five days ago.

Liu Yongqing was also the most spirited and capable Green Standard Army officer that the Taiping Army had encountered in the three months since the uprising began.

The Guilin-Liuzhou Green Standard Army, under the command of Liu Yongqing, is the only Qing army unit that has been able to fight the Taiping Army to a standstill so far.

Many Taiping generals acknowledged Liu Yongqing as a hero and felt a little regretful about his death.

"Isn't the battalion commander of the Liuzhou Commander's Central Camp a lieutenant general? How come you're only a commander-in-chief?" Xie Bin asked the captured centurion Li Chengbiao. In his memory, a large camp like the Liuzhou Commander's Central Camp should have a battalion commander who was at least a guerrilla commander, not a mere commander-in-chief.

"Commander Zhang is unwell and has requested leave, so Commander Liu is in charge of us," Li Chengbiao explained to Xie Bin.

After the Battle of Dateng Gorge ended, Peng Gang returned to Bitanxun on the north bank of the river.

This battle was the largest battle Peng Gang had ever participated in, and also the first battle fought by the Left Army since its formation.

Of course, it is also the battle with the highest number of casualties to date.

The musket battalion and artillery company suffered no casualties.

The casualties were mainly concentrated in the two boat battalions that captured Qing soldiers and civilians during the boarding operations, as well as the three long-gun battalions.

The boat battalion suffered twelve wounded and three killed in action, while the spear battalion suffered eighteen wounded and six killed in action.

Among the list of the dead was a squad leader of the pike battalion, a third-term trainee.

Despite the casualties, each battalion gained real combat experience in the Battle of Dateng Gorge and gained experience in participating in large-scale battles.

Compared to the near annihilation of Min Zhengwen's army, Peng Gang could accept such casualties.

Most of the soldiers participating in this battle were new recruits. Tens of thousands of troops were engaged in battle against the Qing army, which was the most elite force in Guangxi.

They didn't achieve a technological advantage in terms of equipment, but honestly, achieving such an exchange ratio is already quite impressive.

After cleaning up the battlefield, the army commanders divided the spoils of war at Bitanxun.

During the Battle of Datengxia, Peng Gang provided logistical support for the entire army.

All the grain and meat seized belonged to Peng Gang.

In terms of money and grain, Peng Gang received a total of 1,325 shi of grain and 2,984 taels of silver.

Regarding the ships, apart from the ship that Admiral Min Zhengwen was assigned to by Hong Xiuquan, the Taiping leader, and which could not be divided, the other ships were divided equally among the six armies.

Peng Gang was assigned thirty-seven ships.

In terms of weaponry, Min Zhengwen's army had a high rate of firearms use, with 60% of the Green Standard Army soldiers and 40% of the local militia equipped with firearms.

Aside from those lost on the battlefield and those that fell into the Qianjiang River, 1,281 muskets were eventually found, 80% of which were high-quality muskets of Qing Dynasty standard.

Peng Gang was assigned 138 bird guns and 40 homemade guns.

The captured artillery was rather disappointing.

The artillery carried by Min Zhengwen's army mainly consisted of mountain-splitting cannons, with as many as 68 cannons of various sizes, while only four heavy cannons weighing over 500 jin (250 kg) were carried.

All four cannons were cast iron cannons during the Jiaqing era, with turd-shaped breechblocks, and even those turd-shaped breechblocks with missing pieces.

The cannon barrel was riddled with sand holes, the bore was rough, and the ignition hole was thicker than Peng Gang's little finger.

All four cannons were crude and of poor quality, but even so, Yang Xiuqing and the others still regarded them as treasures.

Peng Gang has no plans to launch a major offensive in the short term.

In field battles, homemade mountain-splitting cannons can be used as a makeshift solution, and carrying them on marches is also more convenient.

Most importantly, the artillerymen in the artillery company were all trained by Peng Gang with precious gunpowder. Peng Gang would also take time to teach them math, and he devoted a lot of effort to them. They were all his precious children.

Peng Gang was reluctant to let them risk using such a high-risk artillery piece that was prone to barrel explosion.

Peng Gang decided to do a favor by not competing with the other army commanders for the heavy artillery, but he asked for forty extra muskets as compensation.

Actually, compared to the cannons captured during the Jiaqing and Daoguang periods.

Peng Gang preferred to seize the cannons belonging to the ancestors of Emperor Qianlong during the early period of his reign.

Those cannons from our ancestors, though old, at least had decent craftsmanship.

In the Battle of Wuxuan, among the mountain-splitting cannons captured by Peng Gang, the two in the best condition were both made in the early years of the Qianlong Emperor's reign.

The cannons manufactured during the reigns of Jiaqing and Daoguang were simply unbearable to look at.

(End of this chapter)