Kill the black mercenaries of the Taiping Army, commander of the Chang Jie Army
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I heard that there were black mercenaries in the Taiping Army, starting from a small article on the Internet. The article, titled "Revealing a Black Mercenary Army in China," is about a black mercenary army under Zheng Chenggong who was quite successful in the battle to retake Taiwan.
▲ The European printmaker depicts Zheng Chenggong's troops, who are believed to have come from Macau as black slaves trafficked by the Portuguese, and some of which were later incorporated into Portugal
However, at the end of the article, the author mentions a sentence in passing:
"In addition to Zheng Chenggong's use of black mercenaries, you may not have thought that the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom also hired black soldiers. The Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was founded by worshipping God, so they were not actually exclusive to foreigners. Therefore, there were also a considerable number of black mercenaries in the Taiping Heavenly Army. However, these black mercenaries were not formed into a separate army, but were scattered in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom Army, perhaps for ease of management, or the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom did not fully trust the black mercenaries. ” Later, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom failed, and these black mercenaries disappeared. Some were probably killed in battle, and some were probably dismissed by the Qing court. ”
Although most of these are vague descriptions or speculations, the author clearly confirms the fact that there were black mercenaries in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.
Hiring black soldiers in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom may sound strange, but historically, it is normal.
Chinese have long known about black people, in the Tang Dynasty rich family living fashion is "Kunlun Nu, Silla Concubine", this Kunlun Nu is part of the brown race originally from Malaysia and other Southeast Asian regions, the other part is native to East Africa high-sized black people, the latter was sold to the Tang Dynasty several times, the price is expensive, known for its bravery, good war, loyalty and reliability, the rich family mostly boasts of having Kunlun Nu as a pro-defense.
▲ Tang Dynasty Kunlun Nu murals
For this reason, whether zheng chenggong or the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, it is not unusual to hire some black mercenaries. The black mercenaries hired by the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom were indeed very good at war, and they had killed Faldifo, a French officer who was the "deputy general of Quan Jiangsu" and the commander of the "Changjie Army" in the Qing army in the Battle of Shaoxing.
Exclusive photo: Faldifo, real name Tardif De Moidrey, Chinese also translated as Dardifo or MaiTerre, was a famous mercenary commander during the Qing army and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, who was killed in Shaoxing on February 19, 1863.
The "Draft History of the Qing Dynasty" records the process of Faltifou's killing in this way-
"Faldifo, also known as Mai Thale, read Chinese books. After attacking Shaoxing, he burned the Western GuoMen. The next day, the war resumed, more than ten people collapsed, the crowd entered the city, the thieves fought to the death, and there were dozens of black people to help them, so they were killed. Excellent. ”
Roughly speaking, this Faldifu led an army to attack Shaoxing, which was defended by the Taiping Army, broke through the city wall near its west gate, and encountered the desperate resistance of the Taiping Army when it ascended the city, at this time, dozens of black mercenaries assisted the Taiping Army, and Faldifo was killed, and the Qing court gave him a preferential pension.
So, how did Faldifo appear on the battlefield in Shaoxing?
Faldifo was originally an officer in the French Navy, an artillery officer, serving in the French Fleet in the Far East. In 1861, the Taiping Army attacked Ningbo, which made the French feel that their interests in China were threatened, so they quickly sent a fleet to patrol the Area of Sanjiangkou to support the Qing army fighting the Taiping Army.
At the same time, France cooperated with the Qing Dynasty, and in June 1862, led by the naval commander le boulette in Ningbo, a mixed Sino-French mercenary force was founded to directly participate in the operations against the Taiping Army, known as the "Changjie Army".
▲ Officers and men of the Changjie Army, sitting in the front row should be Faldifo's predecessor, the first commander of the Changjie Army, LeBoluton
Albert Édouard Le Brethon de Caligny, whom the Qing army called the French "staff general"—it is certain that the French did not have this strange rank.
He was actually a lieutenant officer in the French Navy, a graduate of the École polytechnique de Paris, who had fought against the Taiping Army in Shanghai and commanded the modified gunboat Confucius. He was ordered to recruit 1500 "Changjie Army" using foreign guns, using French foreign exercise training, known by the Qing army as "Hua tou Yong" or "Xinyi Army", which was another mercenary army commanded by foreigners and fought with the Qing army after the "Changsheng Army" founded by the American Wahl.
To this end, the Qing army granted him the military post of "Zhejiang General Soldier" - of course, this position only sounds good, does not mean that the Qing army in Zhejiang obeys the command of this foreigner.
On 29 January 1863, LeBouldon was killed in the battle against Shaoxing – his death was purely self-inflicted.
According to the "Draft History of the Qing Dynasty", on that day, this "Zhejiang general soldier" engaged the Qing army Zhang Jingqu and the Taiping army that attacked Yuyao, won a small victory and captured a cannon of the Taiping army, he carried this cannon to pursue the Taiping army, the result of which the cannon exploded, and LeBole dong was killed.
▲ The artillery of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom is also of good quality, and it seems that the door captured by Leboroton may have been cast by the Heavenly Father and Heavenly Brother
After Le Bouledon's death, Faldev was ordered to take over, he was an artilleryman, probably will not repeat Le Boulton's confusion, however, his rank in the French army is captain, but in the Qing army was only awarded the rank of deputy general, one level lower than Le Boroton, it is estimated that the Qing army could not understand the rank system of the French army, so he made a mistake.
But Faldivo did not think about it. Judging from the existing documents, this French officer was deeply influenced by Chinese culture, and the "Qingbei Banknotes" recorded that Faldifo knew Chinese and could read ancient Chinese books.
In the winter, when Wu Chunquan of the Sun Spring of the Strong Wind visited him in the Changjie Army, Faldifu came out to greet him, reached out and hugged Wu, and even recited a verse in the "Book of Poetry, ShaoFeng, North Wind" - "The north wind is cool, and the rain and snow are cloudy." Benefit and good me, hand in hand. ”
Chen Qiyuan, the author of "Notes on Yong Xianzhai", commented on him: "The foreign generals are also, and the Middle-earth Confucian generals are also popular. ”
Therefore, Faldifo seems to be a "Chinese master" with a deep orientalization, and it is estimated that he has learned some Chinese the style of a gentleman who does not count his name.
As the saying goes, the record in the Draft History of the Qing Dynasty that Faldifo was killed by the black mercenaries of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom is a mistake? Lao Sa happened to find a recital in the Complete Works of Zuo Zongtang, written on February 25 of the second year of Tongzhi, "Finding out the Death of the French Generals", which detailed the death of Faldivo:
"To find out the French general (how can you think of people as counselors again?) Killed in battle, implore mercy, and exhort things with encouragement. According to Ning Shaotai Daoshi Zhi Weiyu, after the death of Leborough Dong's injuries last year, the French staff general, who was given the post of deputy general of China, was appointed dardifo, that is, he bought Teleer to come to the battalion to take the battalion to yong ... On the second day of the first month, he re-attacked Xiguomen, and even opened foreign artillery to collapse the city wall for more than ten zhang, killing thieves without counting. The Army on the Dardivo Independence Bridge landed on the city, and the reverse desperately refused. In the middle of the battle, fifty or sixty black foreigners suddenly helped the thieves, cast foreign guns, bounced into the left side of Dardifo's brain, and died when they boarded. At the same time, the first foreign soldiers were killed, four foreign soldiers, more than twenty brave soldiers, and dozens of seriously wounded people..."
▲ Shaoxing Xiguomen, the duel between two foreign mercenaries in that year, should be carried out here
Judging from the combat situation, the Taiping Army used this black mercenary as a reserve at a critical moment, and it had a miraculous effect. This matter has Zuo Zongtang's recital and Ning Shao Daodao's endorsement, which should be more credible.
Unfortunately, since most of the historical records of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom were destroyed by war, the specific background of this black mercenary army and the subsequent outcome are still unknown to us today. It seems that we can only wait for more discoveries in the historical data.
【End】