ORDER OF BATTLE // February 27, 1841
Battle of First Bar
Estimated force strength by side, with confidence labels per surviving record.
Forces engaged
1 sides catalogued · combined 2,000 estimated
Qing China
2,000
Medium-confidence figure
Battle context
The Battle of First Bar took place on 27 February 1841 along the Pearl River in Guangdong province during the First Opium War. The engagement pitted British forces under Gordon Bremer and Thomas Herbert against a Qing Chinese force of approximately 2,000, resulting in roughly 300 Qing casualties. The battle was part of the broader British campaign to assert control over the Pearl River approaches, a strategically vital waterway linking the South China Sea to Guangzhou. Actions along this corridor were central to British efforts to compel Qing concessions during the war's early phase.
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