On the same day the following private decree was issued:

Li is enjoined to communicate Our decree of approval and praise to Gordon for the great bravery and exertions which attended the recapture of Soochow. The donation of 10,000 taels is to be provided and sent to him by Li Foreign nations already possess orders of merit under the name of "stars." Let, therefore, the decoration of the first class which WE have conferred upon Gordon be arranged in accordance with this system. Respect this!

To this the following answer was returned:—

Major Gordon receives the approbation of his Majesty the Emperor with every gratification, but regrets most sincerely that, owing to the circumstances which occurred since the capture of Soochow, he is unable to receive any mark of his Majesty the Emperor's recognition, and therefore respectfully begs his Majesty to receive his thanks for his intended kindness, and to allow him to decline the same.

At Peking the capture of Soochow was heard of with great satisfaction, and the Emperor acknowledged in the following handsome decree the services of the various high officers engaged in that affair:

The Grand Secretariat has received the following decree :Li Hung-chang (Governor of Kiangsoo) reports that the army under his command has captured the city Soochow and exterminated [the Rebels within its walls]. The Rebels had been reduced to great extremity; and those of them who were desirous of returning to their allegiance, together with the Imperial troops, entered the city, destroyed the Rebel army, and so recaptured the province of Kiangsoo.

The reading of this report has afforded his Majesty sincere delight and gratification.

Soochow, the capital of the province of Kiangsoo, was four years ago captured by the Rebels, and has remained in their hands ever since. The army, acting under orders from Lí Hung-chang, captured in succession the lines of Rebel works outside four gates of the city, and [so] struck terror into the

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enemy in the city that urgent offers of returning to allegiance were made.

On the 30th November the Chung Wang, seeing that the attacks of the Imperial troops were daily becoming more vigorous, and that the Rebels in the city were in a state of disorganisation, fled under cover of night with more than 10,000 of his death-deserving adherents, handing over the city to the old Rebel Moh Wang (Tan Show-kuang), with orders to defend it

to the death.

On the 3d and 4th of December the naval and military forces under Cheng Hsio-chi [General Ching], Lí Chow-pin, and Huang I-sheng attacked the different gates of the city, keeping up day and night an incessant attack, which became more vigorous the longer it lasted. Gordon also established himself close to the city walls and opened a cannonade against them.

On the 4th of December the Moh Wang ascended the walls to direct the defence; when at the head of his men, and in the act of issuing orders, a Rebel leader named Kao Ying-kuan, who with others had entered into a conspiracy with a Rebel officer named Wang Yu Wei against him, took him off his guard and stabbed him to death. After killing more than a thousand of Moh Wang's associates, they threw open the gates and came out to give in their allegiance. Cheng IIsio-chi, with the troops under his command, entered the city, and having posted his soldiers, searched out and killed above a thousand of the surviving Rebels. Lí Chow-pin attacked and killed great numbers who were escaping by the Pan Mun, and set at liberty several thousands of prisoners.

The recapture of the provincial capital was thus effected.

His Majesty directs Lí Hung-chang to take advantage of this victory to march with his troops upon Chanchu, which city having been captured, he will join his forces with those before Nanking, sweep that place clear of Rebels [lit., sweep the dens and take possession of the pools], and free the river of their presence.

His Majesty commands the Board of War to confer suitable honours on Tseng Kwo-fan, Minister of State and GovernorGeneral of the Two Kiang, who sent a contingent to assist in the recapture of this noted city.

Li Hung-chang, since he entered office as Governor of Kiang

soo, has displayed great prudence and calculation, and his skilful tactics have been completely successful; he has again and again captured cities and gained honours on the field of battle; and now the recapture of Soochow by his troops renders him still more worthy of praise; as a mark of his sincere approbation, his Majesty is pleased to confer upon him the honorary title of "Guardian of the Heir-Apparent," and to present him with a yellow robe.

Huang I-sheng and Lí Chow-pin, in addition to receiving the hereditary rank of Yun chi Yu [a title with fourth-rank button attached], are recommended to the notice of the Board of War. Cheng Hsio-chi receives the same rank as the above, and in addition is presented with a yellow robe.

Gordon, specially appointed a General in the army of Kiangsoo, was in command of troops who assisted in these operations; his Majesty, in order to evince his approval of the profound skill and great zeal displayed by him, orders him to receive a military decoration of the first rank and a sum of 10,000 taels.