Gao Shengyuan Liu Wulin
No. 1232
Liu Songlin, also known as Sheng, whose courtesy name is Fulin, nickname Qingtian, Han nationality , original Tongcheng . Jiaqing Born on May 3rd of the year of Jimao (1819) in a family where the official status was declining. At the age of five or six, he studied in a private school at the home of Shi Heyang, a student from Tongcheng State. At the age of seventeen, he was admitted to the Imperial College and was awarded the title of Chief Register of Jiangning County.
Due to the Hong Xiuquan Uprising, wars continued in most parts of the south. On the 20th day of the first lunar month of the eighth year of Xianfeng (1858), the magistrate of Ningguo County Wu Shichang was killed in battle, and the magistrate was short of magistrates. The imperial court summoned Liu Songlin, an alternate magistrate of Jiangsu, and led the township to serve as the magistrate of Ningguo. He was appointed by Tang Shiquan, a magistrate of Kaihua and asked the magistrate to stay in Kaihua and asked him to serve as the magistrate of Kaihua. During the fierce battle between Kaihua and Taiping Army, Tang Shiquan died in battle, and Liu Songlin was stabbed several times, almost losing his life in Kaihua. In August, Liu Songlin rushed to Ningguo after healed his wounds.
Ningguocheng was occupied by the Taiping Army, and Liu Songlin led his hometown and moved his family to Shangyuan Village, Sijia, 34th Capital, Xixiang, Ningguo County. Liu family is harmonious and harmonious with local villagers, especially with the Yuan Xiangfu family. At this time, most of the offices of the magistrate of Ningguo were in a place without a fixed place, and they were ordered to fight in the east, west, south and north at any time. For example: In the ninth year of Xianfeng (1859), the imperial court ordered Cao Kezhong, a native of Tianjin, Zhili, to be the magistrate of Ningguo County. In the tenth year of Xianfeng (1860), Cao Kezhong led his troops to attack and defeated the Taiping Army in the areas of Qianshan, , Taihu, , and promoted to , gang general , and was given the title of "Hangyong Batulu", and was rewarded with a yellow jacket. During this period, two county magistrates of Ningguo, Wu Shichang and Li Hong, were killed in battle one after another.
When the Qing army and the Taiping army fought on both sides of the Yangtze River, Liu Songlin led the village to join the Qing army, Li Yuandu and Zhang Yingchao's troops, and fought in the Jiangnan area. Because Liu Songlin was good at strategy and brave in combat, he was promoted to a guerrilla position. When the Qing army Li Yuandu and Zhang Yingchao's troops retreated to Ningguo, Liu Songlin led his troops and his second son Liu Yifa to participate in the Qing army's Inlaid Yellow Banner Senggelinqin tribe, and moved to the north and south of the Yangtze River. He had dozens of battles of all sizes and made many extraordinary achievements. He was highly valued by Senggelinqin and promoted to a garrison.
Fight against Britain and France
In the eighth year of Xianfeng (1858), Zhili Governor Tan Tingxiang and Tominga were defeated in defense of Tianjin Dagu Haikou. The Qing Dynasty peacekeeping faction signed the " Tianjin Treaty " with the British representatives. After learning about it, Senggelinqin filed a petition to Emperor Xianfeng, firmly demanding the withdrawal of the negotiators, and advocated calling for the call of troops from all over the country, dividing the country's food, rectifying the army, and driving foreign invaders out. But because the Lord and the Sect prevailed, his opinion was not adopted.
In the ninth year of Xianfeng (1859), Emperor Xianfeng ordered Seng Gelinqin to go to Tianjin to supervise Dagukou and JD Defense. Senggelinqin learned from the lessons of the failure of the first Dagukou Battle, actively planned to build defensive fortifications in Dagu Haikou and Shuanggang, cleaned up the army, and made preparations for anti-aggression. In June of the ninth year of Xianfeng, Liu Songlin led his second son Yifa to follow Senggelinqin to fight against the British and French coalition forces and participate in the defense battle of Dagukou, Tianjin.
Dagukou Fort site
Dagukou is Baihekou, it is the gateway between Tianjin and Beijing, and an important military fortress. The new British and French ambassadors to China, Prussian . Boulbron led the so-called fleet of contracts from Shanghai to the north along the waterway. When he arrived at Dagukou, Tianjin, he despised the defense of the Chinese army, refused to listen to the dissuasion and warning of the Chinese army, and blatantly broke into Dagukou, which aroused great indignation among Chinese officers and soldiers. Senggelinqin issued a combat order to resolutely fight against the invaders and supervised the army's strength. Liu Songlin actively asked Senggelinqin for battle and led his soldiers to fight back, destroying three British warships, causing 464 British soldiers to be killed and injured, and the British Navy Commander He Bu was seriously injured. After several days of stalemate, the British and French warships were defeated.
This Dagukou defense battle is the biggest victory achieved by the Chinese army since The First Opium War . The Qing court rewarded Senggelinqin and the meritorious soldiers with great rewards. In this battle, Liu Songlin always rushed to the front with his officers and soldiers, fighting bravely, was seriously injured on many sides of his body, and still held a big sword in his hand to fight with the British and French coalition forces.After this battle, he was deeply admired by Senggelinqin and requested Emperor Xianfeng to promote Liu Songlin to Senggelinqin's deputy general (from the second rank). From then on, Liu Songlin followed Senggelin to fight in Shanghai, Tianjin, Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Anhui and other provinces to fight against the British and French coalition forces, with outstanding military achievements.
can't bear internal fighting
The Qing army and the Taiping army fought in the southern region, causing a large number of casualties of civilians and soldiers, repeated internal friction, causing plague epidemics in most areas. Nine out of ten villages in the southern region, uninhabited and desolate. Liu Songlin couldn't bear it and was unwilling to fight with the Taiping Army.
Taiping Army found that Liu Songlin was unwilling to fight with him. In the 11th year of Xianfeng (1861), Taiping Army served Wang Li Shixian and Fu Wang Yang Fuqing sent people to persuade Liu Songlin to surrender, but Liu Songlin was hesitant. The Taiping Army had no choice but to capture his eldest son Liu Yufa, forcing Liu Songlin to compromise, stop fighting with the Taiping Army, and promoted Liu Yufa to the position of centurion of the Daping Army. After Liu Yufa was arrested, he had no intention of joining the war. In 1862, Liu Yufa took the opportunity to escape from the military camp and lived in seclusion in the home of Yuan Xiangfu, a gentleman in the 34th capital of Ningguo County. Liu Songlin has released a large number of Taiping Army soldiers many times to appease and relieve the villagers in difficulties after the war, buried the Taiping Army and the Qing army's soldiers in a unified manner, and buried the bones of innocent people who were killed in the plague (commonly known as the Baibow Tomb).
Portrait of Liu Songlin
All of this aroused another deputy general Wang Zhengqi and reported to Senggelinqin that Liu Songlin's eldest son Liu Yufa participated in the Taiping Army's collaboration with the enemy. In the first year of Tongzhi , most counties in Jiangnan were occupied by the Taiping Army, and the war was very tight. It was the time for people to use, Senggelinqin did not punish Songlin in time and continued to use it, but she had a grudge in her heart. In the fourth year of Tongzhi, Senggelinqin led Liu Songlin and his son (Liu Yifa) to fight fiercely at the forefront of Caozhou, Shandong Province, and Senggelinqin died in battle.
After the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom movement failed, Liu Songshan troops guarded southern Anhui. Hunan Army was laid off in large numbers, some of which were placed on site in southern Anhui, and most of them were still stranded in various prefectures and counties along the Yangtze River . On June 20, 1868, Li Hongzhang sent deputy general Liu Songlin's troops to surround and intercept Zhang Zongyu's troops at the Yanshan , Cangzhou and other places. In the same year, in order to commend the generals from Anhui and Hubei who participated in the war, the imperial court awarded the honorary title of " Batulu ".
was reported
In the tenth year of Tongzhi (1871), Deputy General Wang Zhengqi was jealous of Liu Songlin because he did not award the title of "Baturu". He also reported to Emperor Tongzhi that Liu Songlin's eldest son Liu Yufa participated in the Taiping Army. Emperor Tongzhi authorized Dali Temple . The Ministry of Justice Censorate Third Courts held a meeting to investigate Liu Songlin's unsolved case and dismissed Liu Songlin back to his hometown, and lived in Ningyi to wait for investigation (the investigation was unsuccessful after a long time of investigation).
On July 11, 1882, Liu Songlin relapsed due to injuries in fighting the British and French coalition forces and was not properly treated. He died of illness in Shangyuan Village, Xixiang, Ningguo County at the age of 63. The last words before death: If it is not clear, it must not be buried. The coffin was parked for twelve years, and it was not until the twentieth year of Guangxu (1894) that it was buried in Shangyuan Village, Ningyi, and the cow was shaped like a cow, Guishan Dingxiang.
Liu Songlin is simple in nature, has a good moral character, is hardworking and accumulates subtlety, and is happy to donate money to build a ancestral tomb. In his late years, his family was a little rich, and he was kind and generous, and the villagers were kind to him.
seeking justice
In the 20th year of Guangxu, Ni Tingqing, the governor of Fuzhou, Jiangxi Province (the grandson of Liu Songlin's uncle), the Qianzong Huang Wannian, the seventh-rank military merit Ni Guorong (the son-in-law of Liu Songlin, who also moved to Ningguo from Tongcheng), and the 34th capital of Ningguo Jia, a gentleman of Ningguo (respected as Yuan Laohan), and other couplets submitted to Emperor Guangxu to defend Liu Songlin's grievances... Liu Yu raised a hundred taels of silver and returned to Kongcheng, Tongcheng County to borrow hundreds of taels of silver from the uncle's house of Ni's mansion. The gentleman Yuan Xiangfu also donated 40 taels of silver. The local villagers of Ningguo donated silver generously.
The eldest grandson Liu Bingyi wrote letters overnight and the royal relatives of the Qing Dynasty The founding old minister and the second-class enthronement of Hahafan Prince Liu Shijie (son was Kang Hou Wang Liu Renshou) used silver dollars to deal with the eunuch and the Ministry of Justice in the palace. He also personally submitted a memorial to Empress Dowager Cixi, saying that Liu Songlin participated in various battles against the British and French invading troops and pacifying the Taiping Army, and made many contributions, and was awarded the title of "Batulu". Liu Songlin's eldest son Liu Yufa was coerced and had no choice but to enter the Taiping Army and took the opportunity to escape and lived in seclusion in the mountains and fields; Liu Songlin's second son Liu Yifa became the garrison of the Qing army (fifth rank). In December of the second year of Tongzhi, he died in the fierce battle with the Taiping Army in Xuancheng . His contribution was greater than his fault and strived to protect Liu Songlin.
After hearing this, Empress Dowager Cixi sighed and ordered Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice to be polite to Liu Songlin. The final review of the three departments of the Dali Temple, the Ministry of Justice, and the Inspectorate, and the handling was carried out according to the Qing law: Liu Songlin was buried with the second-rank position as the deputy general, with the posthumous title of "Zhaozhong", and was given the four-claw dragon costume and the four-claw dragon pattern carved in the tombstone, and was buried in Yuan Village, Xixiang, Ningyi; the eighth-rank Dengshilang Liu Yufa was given the title of "Zhengshilang"; Liu Yifa was posthumously awarded the title of "Loyalty and Righteousness". The court also praised Ni Tingqing, the governor of Fuzhou, Jiangxi Province, to express condolences to Liu Songlin's widow Ni, and gave the congratulations plaque "Wu De Qi Fang". Fang Xiangkun (Liu's In-law) praised Liu Songlin's wife Ni, and said: "I am proud of my merits and prudence,... I praise my neighbors."
Reference materials:
(1) "Draft History of Qing Dynasty" Volume 491 "Biography of Tang Shiquan".
(2) Tongcheng's "Liu Family Branch Genealogy·Biography of Liu Songlin", compiled in the 23rd year of Guangxu.
(3) 2018.7.14 "Yanxin News", author Yihao.
(4) Volume 240 of "Tongzhi Dynasty Records".
(5) Tombstone of Liu Songlin in the 20th year of Guangxu in the Qing Dynasty.
(6) Volume 7 of "Ningguofu Continued Records" "Wu Beizhi•Xian Joint Military Affairs", compiled by Shi Wei, published by Huangshan Bookstore.
(7) "Tongcheng Zhilue", majored in Xu Guozhi in the 25th year of the Republic of China.
(8) "Ningguo County Chronicles•Major Events" (Published by Sanlian Bookstore, 1997).
(The author Gao Shengyuan is a retired teacher in Ningguo City and a director of Xuancheng Historical and Cultural Research Association; Liu Wulin is the honorary president of Ningguo Dahan Culture Research Association)
