British, which led to the group being re-formed under new leadership by a British Major Charles G. Gordon (Chinese Gordon). Background When Shanghai was successively attacked by Taiping Rebels in 1862, western inhabitants favored removing the potential threat and cooperating with imperial forces; as a result, combined British and French naval troops under the command of Adm. James Hope were involved in military conflict with the Taiping Rebellion. One of the communities inhabited by the rebels was Ningbo, a port and walled city located south of Hangzhou Bay. The imperial army laid siege to Ningbo's occupiers on 6 May. After a false flag attack on the British ships docked outside Ningbo, the western ships began bombarding the Taiping. They then sent their crews into the city, overpowering rebel forces and turning over Ningbo to the imperial army. With Ningbo secure, Ward's soldiers and the Qing forces began launching attacks in the surrounding areas against the rebels. During this time Cixi was one of the encircling cities ravaged by violence. Battle The Ever Victorious Army attacked Cixi on 20 September. As well as being trained in artillery and rifle usage, they were accompanied by the gunboats H.M.S. Hardy and Confucius. Ward led from the front and was hit in the stomach by a musket ball. However, he remained on the battlefield until victory was certain. References Citations Bibliography Compton's Home Library: Battles of the World Hahn Boxer, E. (1963). China Only Yesterday Conflicts in 1862 Battles of the Taiping Rebellion 1862 in China Military history of Zhejiang September 1862 events