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Battle of the Barrier Forts

Battle of the Barrier Forts

16–24 November 1856, The Barrier Forts, Pearl River below Canton

American victory; the forts destroyed

The United States stayed out of the war, but when the Barrier Forts below Canton fired on an American boat, Commodore James Armstrong decided to punish them. Portsmouth and Levant were towed up to the forts and bombarded them, and Commander Andrew Foote led a landing party of sailors and marines that stormed all four forts in turn and beat off counter-attacks. The forts' guns were spiked and the walls blown up. The Americans lost seven killed; Chinese losses ran to several hundred. China apologised, and the United States went back to neutrality.

Read more on Wikipedia

The attack on the Barrier Forts near Canton, China, by the American squadron on November 21, 1856 - consisting of the U.S. sloops of war Portsmouth and Levant with the officers and crew of the steam frigate San Jacinto. Image: A. Poinsett; John Henry Bufford (1810–1870), Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

United States Navy

3 ships, none lost

ShipTypeOutcome
USS Portsmouth

Commander Foote's ship

Sloop

Survived
USS Levant

Sloop

Survived
USS San Jacinto

Too deep to get close; sent her boats and men

Frigate

Survived

Qing garrison

No ships engaged

Forts, batteries and aircraftStrengthOutcome

The four Barrier Forts

Granite forts on both banks and an island of the Pearl River below Canton. Several hundred defenders were killed.

about 170 guns

Stormed and destroyed

Map

  • Portsmouth and Levant go up to the Barrier Forts November 1856