Battle of Chinkiang

Battle of Chinkiang
Part of the First Opium War
British troops taking Zhenjiang from Qing troops
Date 21 July 1842 Location Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China 32°11′11″N 119°25′11″E / 32.18639°N 119.41972°E / 32.18639; 119.41972 Result British Victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom British East India Company	Qing China
Commanders and leaders
Hugh Gough	Hai Ling †[1]
Strength
6,907 troops[2]	3,000–4,000 troops (est.)[3]
Casualties and losses
Land:[4] 34 killed 107 wounded 3 missing Naval:[5] 3 killed 21 wounded	1,000 killed or wounded[6]

The Battle of Chinkiang (Chinese: 鎮江之戰) was fought between British and Chinese forces in Zhenjiang (Chinkiang), Jiangsu province, China, on 21 July 1842 during the First Opium War. It was the last major battle of the war. The Chinese force consisted of a garrison of Manchu and Mongol Bannermen.^[7] In command of the British forces was Sir Hugh Gough. Leading one brigade was future British field marshal Sir Colin Campbell.^[8] The British capture of this stronghold allowed them to proceed to Nanjing. Fought near the confluence of the Grand Canal and Yangtze River, the battle effectively blocked operation of the Caoyun system, a transport network vital for the movement of grain throughout the empire. As a result, the Daoguang Emperor decided to sue for peace and agreed to sign the Treaty of Nanking, which brought hostilities to an end. Mass suicide was committed by the Manchu Bannermen who were defending the city.^[9]