Frederick Ward
Frederick Townsend Ward (November 29, 1831 - September 22,
1862) was an American sailor and soldier of fortune known for
his military service in ImperialChina during the Taiping
Rebellion.
Credit for the concept of training Chinese in Western
military tactics and arming them with the best available
weaponry is sometimes given to Ward, other times to Li
Hongzhang, a local Imperial commander "ordered to cooperate
with, and keep an eye on, Ward’s unruly contingent" and
other times to Burgevine, who according to some began the
training while Ward was recuperating, having been inspired by
the sight of a Chinese gun crew acting under French
direction.
By the summer of 1861, a training camp for Ward was set
up, where he trained the Chinese in gunnery, tactics, drills,
customs, and ceremonies of both the Western and Chinese
armies. The Chinese soldiers trained by Ward were able to
respond to Western verbal, as well as non-verbal, commands.
They wore Western-style uniforms for which they were often
mocked. Later, when the Ever Vicorious Army gained prestige,
those uniforms became a symbol of pride. These troops were
financed both by the government and from the private funds of
nobles. It was important to pay these troops well as
compensation for not looting. Ward strictly forbade looting
in order to keep the locals supporting his troops.
Ward's army achieved victories in every encounter they
had with the Taiping forces. In fact, they were so efficient
in their endeavours that by March 1862, the Qing government
officially named them the Ever Victorious Army, and this is
how they are still known to history. Ward himself was made a
4th-rank and then a 3rd-rank mandarin, which was the highest
title the Manchu administration had for foreigners or
"barbarians."
Ward was mortally wounded in the Battle of Cixi, about 10
miles from Ningbo on September 21, 1862, when he was shot in
the abdomen. One version is that he was wounded at the base
of the city wall. Ward had survived 14 previous battlefield
injuries.
