, he demanded and received from Tien Wang, the Taeping king or
leader, a promise that the Taeping forces should not advance within a
radius of thirty miles of Shanghai. That promise in its larger extent
had soon been broken, and an attack on Shanghai itself, although
unsuccessful, crowned the offences of the rebels, and entailed the
chastisement a more prudent course would have averted. Without
entering into the details here that will be supplied later on, it will
suffice to say that in January 1862 the Taepings advanced against
Shanghai, burning all the villages _en route_, and laid irregular
siege to it during more than six weeks. Although they suffered several
reverses, the European garrison was not in sufficient strength to
drive them away, and a general anxiety prevailed among the European
community when the arrival of General Staveley altered the posture of
affairs.

Before Gordon arrived two affairs of some importance had taken place.
At Wongkadza, a village twelve miles west of Shanghai, General
Staveley obtained a considerable success, which was, however, turned
into a disaster by the disobedience of his orders. The Taepings had
retired to some stronger stockades, and General Staveley had ordered
the postponement of the attack until the next day, when the trained
Chinese troops, carried away by their leaders' impetuosity, renewed
the assault. The result was a rude repulse, with the loss of nearly
100 men killed and wounded. The next day the stockades were evacuated,
and within another week the fortified villages of Tsipu and Kahding
were also taken. It was at this point that Gordon arrived from
Tientsin, and reached the scene of action just as the arrangements for
attacking the important village of Tsingpu were being completed.

That the Taepings were not contemptible adversaries, at least those
under their redoubtable leader Chung Wang, was shown by their
attempting to destroy Shanghai by fire, even while these operations
were in progress. The plot nearly succeeded, but its promoters were
severely punished by the summary execution of 200 of their number. The
force assembled for the attack on Tsingpu assumed almost the
dimensions of an army. General Staveley commanded 1,429 British troops
with twenty guns and mortars, in addition to a naval brigade of 380
men and five guns. There was also a French contingent of 800 men and
ten guns, under Admiral Protet. At Tsingpu Gordon specially
distinguished himself by th