Battle of Cixi

Overview

The Battle of Cixi or Battle of Tzeki (慈溪之戰) was an armed engagement in the Taiping Rebellion fought between the Ever Victorious Army of the Qing dynasty and forces of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom on September 21, 1862, at Cixi. The battle, which was won by the Ever Victorious Army, resulted in the mortal wounding of Frederick Townsend Ward, the American mercenary who founded and commanded the force. Ward's death after the battle led to the succession of Henry Andres Burgevine as commander of the Ever Victorious Army and initiated a period of decline for the force.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Cixi was fought between the Ever Victorious Army of the Qing dynasty and forces of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom on September 21, 1862. Although the Ever Victorious Army won the engagement, the battle carried significant consequences for the Qing war effort: its commander, Frederick Townsend Ward, the American mercenary who founded and led the force, was mortally wounded during the fighting. Ward's subsequent death triggered a command succession, with Henry Andres Burgevine assuming leadership of the Ever Victorious Army. The transition initiated a period of decline for the force, diminishing the operational effectiveness of one of the Qing dynasty's most capable units at a critical stage of the Taiping Rebellion.

Commanders (2)