Capture of French Folly Fort | |||||||
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Part of the Second Opium War | |||||||
Start of the action, showing the steamers Barracouta and Coromandel |
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Michael Seymour | Ye Mingchen | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
2 steamers 14 small boats1 |
23 junks | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
1 killed 4 wounded |
Unknown | ||||||
1 Comprising 2 launchers, 2 barges, 3 pinnaces, 6 cutters, and 1 gig |
The Capture of the French Folly Fort by British forces in China occurred on 6 November 1856 during the Second Opium War. The British dispersed 23 Chinese war junks and captured the French Folly fort in the Pearl River near the city of Canton (Guangzhou) in Guangdong province. The battle lasted nearly an hour. The British consul Harry Parkes described the Chinese as putting up "a very hot resistance" and the engagement as "exceeding creditable to the bravery not only of our men, but of the Chinese also."
Map of the battle
End of the action, showing the explosion of the junks
Barracouta and a pinnace from the Calcutta engaging junks
A battle at French Folly Fort by a Chinese painter
Citations
References