Li Chendian (李臣典)

Overview

Li Chendian was a general and Military Officer.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Xiangyun	祥雲	Xiángyún
Posthumous name	Zhongzhuang	忠壯	Zhōngzhuàng

Life and dates

Death

AD 1864 同治三年
Illness in camp · Stated Age 27
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 30

Age

18
Reckoning Sui · When enlistment
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 2
27
Reckoning Sui · When death
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 30

Attested activity

AD 1864 三年
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 21
AD 1863 二年
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 17
AD 1861 十一年
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 9
AD 1860 十年
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 6
AD 1862 同治元年
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 11
AD 1858 咸豐八年
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 3

Career and standing

Hunan Army officer 湘軍將領
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 2
regional commander of Guide Garrison in Henan 河南歸德鎮總兵
Appointed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 19
provincial commander-in-chief, brevet 提督銜
Granted
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 16
provincial commander-in-chief, recorded by name 提督記名
AD 1863 二年 · Nominated
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 18
regional commander, recorded by name 總兵記名
AD 1862 同治元年 · Nominated
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 11
deputy commander 參將
AD 1861 十一年 · Promoted
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 10

Show 8 more source-backed claims

company commander 都司
AD 1860 十年 · Promoted
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 6
garrison commander of the Baqing Battalion 寶慶營守備
Promoted
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 4
first-class viscount 一等子爵
AD 1864 同治三年 · Enfeoffed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 31
Gangyong Batulu 剛勇巴圖魯
AD 1861 十一年 · Granted
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 10
peacock feather 花翎
AD 1860 十年 · Granted
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 6
double-eyed peacock feather 雙眼花翎
Granted
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 31
yellow riding jacket 黃馬褂
Granted
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 31
Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent 太子少保
Posthumously granted
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 32

Places and affiliations

Polity Qing 清 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 2
At Shaoyang 邵陽
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 1
At Anqing 安慶 · Relation Shrine established
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 32
At Guide 歸德 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 19
At Hunan 湖南 · Relation Native of
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 1
At Ji'an 吉安 · Relation Shrine established
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 32

Show 2 more source-backed claims

At Jiangning 江寧 · Relation Shrine established
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 32
Organization Jizi Battalion 吉字營 · Relation Member of
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 2

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · With Zeng Guoquan (曾國荃) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passages 24-26
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passages 9, 13

Events and relationships

Broke siege
AD 1861 十一年 · Military · Vanguard · At Anqing 安慶
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passages 9-10
Captured
AD 1864 三年 · Military · Officer · At Tianbao Fort 天保城
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 21
Captured
AD 1864 三年五月 · Military · Officer · At Dibao Fort 地保城
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 22
Captured
AD 1862 同治元年 · Military · Officer · At Danyang Town 丹陽鎮
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 11
Captured
Military · Vanguard · At Jingdezhen 景德鎮
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 5
Charged and pursued
AD 1858 咸豐八年 · Military · Vanguard · At Ji'an 吉安 · With Zeng Guoquan (曾國荃)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 3

Show 16 more source-backed claims

Defeated relief
Military · Officer · At Zongyang 樅陽
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 8
Enlisted
Military · Recruit
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 2
Fought
AD 1860 十年 · Military · Officer · At Xiaochi Post Station 小池驛
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 6
Fought
Military · Officer · At Linghu 菱湖
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 7
Held line
Military · Defender
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 15
Mined wall
Military · Commander · With Wu Zongguo (吳宗國) · At Longbozi 龍膊子
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passages 26-27
Night assault
AD 1863 二年 · Military · Commander · With Zhao Sanyuan (趙三元) · At Yuhuatai 雨花台
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passages 17-18
Recovered
Military · Vanguard · At Fuliang 浮梁
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 5
Rescued
Military · Rescuer · With Zeng Guoquan (曾國荃)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 7
Rotating assault
AD 1864 六月 · Military · Officer · At Jiangning 江寧
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 23
Seized
AD 1862 同治元年 · Military · Officer · At Moling Pass 秣陵關
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 11
Shielded
AD 1862 同治元年 · Military · Bodyguard · With Zeng Guoquan (曾國荃)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 12
Stormed city
Military · Commander · At Jiangning 江寧
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passages 28-29
Stormed
Military · Commander · At Purple Mountain 紫金山
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 20
Relation Subordinate of · Person Wang Zhen (王珍)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 2
Relation Subordinate of · Person Zeng Guoquan (曾國荃)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 2

Assessments and attributes

Assessment courageous · Mode named-person-judgment Speaker Zeng Guoquan (曾國荃)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 4
Assessment merit ranked first · Mode named-source-report
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 31
Item yellow riding jacket 黃馬褂 · Relation Bestowed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 31

Source notes

the enfeoffment decree arrived only after his death
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 414, passage 32

References in the histories

Search passages

History

16 passages

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 414Volume 414 Biographies 201: Li Chendian, Xiao Fusi, Zhu Hongzhang, Liu Lianjie, Peng Yuju, Zhang Shiri, Wu Weishou, Zhu Nangui, Luo Fengyuan, Li Xianghe, Xiao Qingyan, Wu Zongguo · 16 passages

Open chapter

李臣典，字祥雲，湖南邵陽人。 Li Chendian, whose style was Xiangyun, came from Shaoyang in Hunan.

咸豐八年，戰吉安南門外，國荃受重創，臣典大呼挺矛進，追殺至永豐、新淦。 In the eighth year of Xianfeng, at the battle outside Ji’an’s south gate, Guoquan was badly wounded; Chendian charged forward spear in hand with a great shout and drove the pursuit all the way to Yongfeng and Xin’gan.

進規安慶，戰菱湖，逼賊屯，扼其北，國荃傷股墜馬，臣典馳救以歸。 During the advance on Anqing he fought at Linghu, pressed the rebel camp, and sealed off its northern side; when Guoquan was wounded in the thigh and thrown from his horse, Chendian rode to his rescue and carried him back.

十一年，攻安慶西門賊壘，陳玉成糾楊輔清數万人圍官軍數重，戰至日中未決，馳告諸將曰：「事急矣，成敗在此舉！」 In the eleventh year, while assaulting the rebel bastion at Anqing’s west gate, Chen Yucheng mustered Yang Fuqing and tens of thousands of men and wrapped the imperial forces in layer after layer of encirclement; the fight raged until noon with no outcome. Chendian rode to the generals and cried, “This is desperate—everything depends on what we do now!”

臣典橫槊前驅，與諸營合力決盪，賊大奔，斬首數千級，遂拔安慶，擢參將，賜號剛勇巴圖魯。 He charged at the head with spear levelled; the camps together delivered one crushing blow, the rebels broke and ran, and several thousand heads were taken. Anqing fell, Chendian was made deputy commander, and he received the title Gangyong Batulu.

同治元年，從國荃乘勝下沿江各城隘，進軍江寧，臣典會取丹陽鎮，奪秣陵關，以總兵記名。 In the first year of Tongzhi he followed Guoquan’s victorious drive along the Yangtze strongholds toward Jiangning, jointly took Danyang Town, and seized Moling Pass, earning nomination as regional commander.

軍中疫作，李秀成大舉來援，逼壘鏖戰，國荃督陣，砲傷頰，臣典與副將倪桂節力衛之，桂節陣亡。 When plague swept the army, Li Xiucheng marched up in strength; the rebels pressed the encampment in bitter fighting. Guoquan commanded from the front and took a shell wound to the cheek; Chendian and Deputy Commander Ni Guijie fought hard to shield him, and Guijie fell on the field.

賊方攻西路急，臣典曰：「此虛聲也，請備東路。」 The rebels were hammering the western approach; Chendian said, “That is a diversion—hold the east road ready.”

砲彈穿壁牆如雨注，臣典死守，卒不能入。 Shot tore through the walls like rain; Chendian held the line at all costs, and the rebels never broke through.

臣典搴旗大呼躍而上，諸軍繼之，擲火彈毀敵樓，城立拔，以提督記名。 Chendian snatched the banner, shouted, and vaulted the wall; the rest poured after him, threw fire bombs that wrecked the enemy tower, and the fort fell at once; he was nominated provincial commander-in-chief.

臣典偵知賊糧未盡，諸軍苦戰力漸疲，謂國荃曰：「師老矣！ Chendian’s scouts reported that the rebels still had grain in store while the troops, worn down by hard fighting, were flagging; he told Guoquan, “Our men are exhausted!