Battle of the Barrier Forts

Battle of the Barrier Forts
Part of the Second Opium War
Attack on the Barrier Forts on November 21, showing Portsmouth, and Levant, with men and officers from the steam frigate San Jacinto
Date 16–24 November 1856 Location Pearl River, Guangzhou, China 23°6′37″N 113°19′15.5″E / 23.11028°N 113.320972°E / 23.11028; 113.320972 Result American victory
Belligerents
United States	Qing China
Commanders and leaders
Andrew Hull Foote James Armstrong	Ye Mingchen
Units involved
U.S. Navy  U.S. Marine Corps	Eight Banners Green Standard Army
Strength
50 marines 237 sailors (on land) 1 steam frigate 2 sloops	5,000 (garrison force)[1] 3,000 (non-garrison force)[1]
Casualties and losses
10 killed[1] 22 wounded[1] 2 sloops damaged	250–500 killed or wounded[2] 176 guns lost[1] 4 forts captured

The Battle of the Barrier Forts (also known as the Battle of the Pearl River Forts) was fought between American and Chinese forces in the Pearl River, Guangdong, China in November 1856 during the Second Opium War. The United States Navy launched an amphibious assault against a series of four forts known as the Barrier Forts near the city of Canton (modern-day Guangzhou). It was considered an important battle by the British whose interest lay in capturing Canton.