Ding Ruchang (丁汝昌)

Overview

Ding Ruchang was a general and Naval Commander.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Yuting	禹廷	Yǔtíng

Life and dates

Death

Cause took poison 飲藥死 · At Weihai 威海
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 32
AD 1895 二十一年正月
Suicide by poison · At Weihai 威海
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 494, passage 179

Attested activity

AD 1894 光緒二十年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 494, passages 169, 171, 174
AD 1894 光緒二十年八月
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 494, passage 150
AD 1895 二十一年正月
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 494, passages 179-181
AD 1894 二十年
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 467, passages 24, 27
AD 1883 光緒九年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 10
AD 1894 光緒二十年
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 460, passages 59, 65

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AD 1894 光緒二十年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 15
AD 1882 光緒八年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 460, passage 49; Draft History of Qing 462, passage 7
AD 1875 to AD 1879 光緒初
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 6
AD 1888 光緒十四年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 411, passage 212; Draft History of Qing 462, passage 12
AD 1884 光緒十年
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 411, passage 201
AD 1895 威海陷
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 32
AD 1868 捻平
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 462, passages 4-5
AD 1894 旅順陷後
Dated from the passage context · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 23
AD 1895 逾歲
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 25

Key source chapters

Career and standing

assistant brigade commander (canjiang) 參將
Appointed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 4
commander of the Tianjin garrison 天津鎮總兵
Appointed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 10
commander-in-chief of the navy 海軍提督
Appointed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 12
overall director of the fleet 綜水師
Assumed
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 6
provincial commander on the Dingyuan 提督坐定遠督船
AD 1894 光緒二十年八月 · Held
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 494, passage 150
admiral / provincial commander of navy 提督
Held
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 460, passage 56

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provincial commander-in-chief 提督
Promoted
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 5
official rank 官
Restored
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 34
yellow riding jacket 黃馬褂
Awarded
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 11
nominal rank of ministry president 尚書銜
Granted
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 15
Xieyong Batulu 協勇巴圖魯
Granted
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 5
posthumous condolence grants 卹
AD 1895 二十一年正月 · Refused
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 494, passage 180
stripped of office and detained for inquiry 褫職逮問
Dismissal and arrest · Suffered
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 23
Suffered
Denied posthumous honors · Negated false
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 33

Places and affiliations

Polity Qing 清 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 411, passage 201; Draft History of Qing 494, passages 150, 169
Polity Qing 清 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Draft History of Qing 462, passages 6, 12
At Lujiang, Anhui 安徽廬江
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 3
At Britain 英國 · Relation Traveled to
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 6
At Weihai 威海 · Relation Withdrew to
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 23
Organization Huai Army 淮軍 · Relation Member of
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 13

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Organization Yangtze River navy 長江水師 · Relation Member of
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 4

Works and attributed material

naval regulations on discipline and encouragement 海軍懲勸章程
Relation Author
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 22
Wrote to surrender asking that remaining troops not be harmed 書降於敵，且要敵軍不得殘馀軍
AD 1895 二十一年正月 · Document · Author · Paraphrased · Mode narrative
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 494, passage 179

Events and relationships

Battle of the Yalu
Military · Commander · At Dadonggou / Yalu estuary 大東溝、鴨綠江口
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passages 17-18
Bought warships
Diplomatic military · Purchaser · At Britain 英國
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 6
Campaigned against Nian
Military · Officer · With Liu Mingchuan (劉銘傳)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 4
Commanded fleet
Military · Commander · At Dadonggou 大東溝 · Ship Dingyuan 定遠
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 460, passage 65
Defended Weihai
Military · Defender · At Weihai 威海
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passages 26, 28
Directed battle from fighting top
Military · Commander
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 21

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Fought from Dingyuan
Military · Flagship commander · At Yellow Sea 大東溝
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 18
Ordered scuttle then surrendered fleet
Military · Commander
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 32
Oversaw Korea US treaty
Diplomatic · Supervisor · With Ma Jianzhong (馬建忠) · At Korea 朝鮮
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 7
Patrolled coast
Military · Commander · At Qinzhou / Bailongwei 欽州白龍尾
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 11
Protected merchants at Inchon Seoul
Military · Commander
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 8
Rejected advice
AD 1894 光緒二十年 · Military · Commander · With Huang Zulian (黃祖蓮) · Summary Would not follow Huang Zulian's plan and later again could not decide, and defeat followed 汝昌不從汝昌復不決，遂失利
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 494, passages 171, 174
Seized Daewongun
Military diplomatic · Commander · With Yi Ha-eung (李應罡)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 9
Surrendered
AD 1895 二十一年正月 · Military · Commander · At Weihai 威海
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 494, passage 179
Wounded
AD 1894 光緒二十年八月 · Military · Commander · At Yalu 大東溝 · With Liu Buchan (劉步蟾)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 494, passage 150
Relation Subordinate of · Person Li Hongzhang (李鴻章)
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 411, passage 201

Assessments and attributes

Assessment guilty yet repaid the state with death and still feared the law · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 97
paralyzed by fear 畏葸不知所為
Assessment paralyzed by fear and did not know what to do · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 494, passage 150
Assessment unversed in naval warfare; authority did not hold · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 460, passage 57
stunned and collapsed from flagship gun blast during battle
Injury
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 462, passage 21
Item Dingyuan 定遠 · Relation Commanded from
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 494, passage 150

Source notes

Main narrative: he wrote the surrender then took poison. Alternate: forced by subordinates, suicide in anger, letter written after death by a foreign petty officer.
Field surrender-authorship
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 494, passages 179, 181
Some said he was forced to surrender by his own men, killed himself in anger, and that the surrender document was written after his death by a foreign petty officer. 或謂汝昌實為所部脅降，憤而自盡，降書則死後出洋弁手也。
Field death-and-surrender · Mode rumor
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 494, passage 181
Historicity historical
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 494, passages 150, 169

References in the histories

Search passages

History

38 passages

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 411Volume 411 Biographies 198: Li Hongzhang · 2 passages

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乃檄提督宋慶、水師統領提督丁汝昌守旅順，副將羅榮光守大沽，提督唐仁廉守北塘，提督曹克忠、總兵葉志超守山海關內外，總兵全祖凱守煙台，首尾聯絡，海疆屹然。 He ordered Commander Song Qing and naval commander Ding Ruchang to hold Lüshun, Deputy Commander Luo Rongguang to hold Dagu, Commander Tang Renlian to hold Beitang, Commanders Cao Kezhong and Brigadier Ye Zhichao to hold the inner and outer defenses at Shanhaiguan, and Brigadier Quan Zukai to hold Yantai. The line from end to end was linked, and the coast stood firm.

十四年，海軍成船二十八，檄飭海軍提督丁汝昌統率全隊，週曆南北印度各海面，習風濤，練陣技，歲率為常。 In the fourteenth year the navy completed twenty-eight ships. He ordered naval commander Ding Ruchang to lead the full fleet on annual cruises through the seas north and south of India to master wind and waves and drill battle formations, making this an annual routine.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 460Volume 460 Biographies 247: Zuo Baogui Younger Brother: Bao Xian, Yong Shan, Deng Shichang, Liu Buchan, Lin Taiceng, Dai Zongqian · 12 passages

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從丁汝昌赴英購鐵艦，益詳練海戰術。 He accompanied Ding Ruchang to England to buy ironclads and grew thoroughly versed in naval tactics.

八年，朝鮮內亂，復從汝昌泊仁川，為吳長慶陸軍後距。 In the eighth year of Guangxu, during civil strife in Korea, he again followed Ruchang to anchor at Incheon and covered Wu Changqing's land forces from the sea.

十四年，台灣生番畔，以副將從汝昌往討。 In the fourteenth year, when the aborigines of Taiwan rose in revolt, he went as vice commander under Ruchang to suppress them.

時定海軍經制，借補中軍副將，而以汝昌為提督，其左右翼總兵則閩人林泰曾、劉步蟾也。 When the navy's permanent organization was fixed, he was made acting central vice commander under Admiral Ding Ruchang; the left and right wing commanders were the Fujian men Lin Taiceng and Liu Buchan.

汝昌故不習海戰，威令不行。 Ruchang had never been trained in naval warfare, and his authority did not hold.

世昌憤欲進兵，汝昌尼其行，不果。 Shichang, furious, wanted to advance to the fight, but Ruchang held him back and nothing came of it.

汝昌乘定遠居中，列諸船左右張兩翼。 Ruchang took the Dingyuan at the center and drew up the fleet in two wings to left and right.

日艦魚貫進，據上風，汝昌令轟擊，距遠不能中。 The Japanese came on in column, holding the weather gauge; Ruchang ordered his guns to fire, but at that range the shots fell short.

世昌身環氣圈不沒，汝昌及他將見之，令馳救。 Shichang was kept afloat by a life buoy and did not sink; Ruchang and the other commanders saw him and ordered a boat to hurry to his rescue.

顧喜引用鄉人，視統帥丁汝昌蔑如也，時論責其不能和衷，致僨事。 Yet he favored fellow provincials and treated Admiral Ding Ruchang with contempt; contemporaries blamed him for refusing to cooperate with his commander, which helped bring on defeat.

夜宿藥庫，丁汝昌詣籌戰守策，宗騫曰：「綏、鞏軍已西去，孤台危棘，恐資敵。」 That night he slept in the powder magazine; Ding Ruchang came to discuss strategy, and Zongqian said, "The Sui and Gong armies have already gone west; this isolated battery is untenable and will only arm the enemy."

汝昌令毀台，強掖之下。 Ruchang ordered the battery destroyed and had him brought down by force.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 462Volume 462 Biographies 249: Ding Ruchang, Wei Rugui Younger Brother: Ru Cheng, Ye Zhichao · 17 passages

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丁汝昌衛汝貴弟汝成葉志超 Ding Ruchang; Wei Rugui; Ru Cheng, his younger brother; and Ye Zhichao

丁汝昌，字禹廷，安徽廬江人。 Ding Ruchang, whose style was Yuting, came from Lujiang in Anhui.

捻平，賜號協勇巴圖魯，晉提督。 After the Nian were suppressed, he received the honorific Xieyong Batulu and was promoted to provincial commander-in-chief.

八年，朝鮮與美議互市，請蒞盟，汝昌與道員馬建忠東渡監約。 In year eight of Guangxu, Korea negotiated commercial treaties with the United States and requested a Chinese representative at the signing; Ruchang and Circuit Intendant Ma Jianzhong sailed east to oversee the pact.

既而朝軍譁變，焚日使署，遂率濟遠、揚威二艦赴仁川、漢城護商，而日軍已先至，汝昌還請益師。 Soon afterward Korean troops mutinied and burned the Japanese legation; he took the Jiyuan and Yangwei to Inchon and Seoul to protect merchants, but the Japanese had already landed, so Ruchang withdrew to seek more troops.

軍故多閩人，汝昌以淮軍寄其上，恆為所製。 The fleet had long been dominated by Fujian men; Ruchang, a Huai Army officer placed above them, was perpetually hamstrung.

朝亂再起，汝昌欲至濟物浦先攻日艦，將啟行，總署電柅之。 When unrest erupted in Korea again, Ruchang meant to strike Japanese warships first at Chemulpo, but as he was preparing to sail the Zongli Yamen telegraphed to hold him back.

定遠為汝昌座船，戰既酣，擊沉其西京丸一艘。 Ruchang fought from the Dingyuan; as the battle intensified, his force sank the Japanese Saikyo Maru.

汝昌猶立望樓督戰，忽座船砲震，暈而仆，舁以下。 Ruchang still stood on the fighting top directing the battle; suddenly a blast on his flagship stunned him and he collapsed, and men carried him below decks.

汝昌鑑世昌之死，慮諸將以輕生為烈，因定海軍懲勸章程，李鴻章上之，著為令。 Mindful of Shichang's death, Ruchang worried officers would treat rash suicide as glory; he drafted naval regulations on discipline and encouragement, Li Hongzhang submitted them, and they were issued as standing orders.

旅順陷，汝昌渡威海，是時兩軍相去二百二十餘里，朝士爭彈之，褫職逮問。 After Lüshun fell, Ruchang withdrew to Weihai; the two forces were then more than two hundred li apart, court critics clamored for his blood, and he was dismissed and placed under arrest.

汝昌亟以木簰塞東西兩口，復慮南岸三台不守、砲資敵，欲毀龍廟嘴台砲，陸軍統將戴宗騫電告鴻章，責其通敵誤國，不果毀。 Ruchang hurriedly blocked the eastern and western entrances with rafts of timber; fearing the three south-shore batteries might fall and arm the enemy, he also wanted to spike the guns at Longmiao Corner, but Army Commander Dai Zongqian wired Li Hongzhang charging him with collusion and treason, and the guns were not destroyed.

會日暮大風雪，汝昌盡毀緣岸民船，而南北岸已失，日艦入東口猛攻，定遠受重傷，汝昌命駛東岸，俄沉焉，軍大震，競向統帥乞生路，汝昌弗顧，自登靖遠巡海口。 At dusk a blizzard struck; Ruchang scuttled every civilian craft along the shore, but both shores had already fallen and Japanese warships stormed in through the eastern entrance. The Dingyuan was crippled; Ruchang ordered her driven toward the eastern shore, and she soon sank. The fleet panicked and officers crowded the commander begging for their lives; Ruchang ignored them and went aboard the Jingyuan to patrol the harbor entrance.

馬格祿欲以眾挾汝昌，德人瑞乃爾潛告曰：「眾心已變，不如沉船夷砲台，徒手降，計較得。」 Ma Gelu wanted the men to force Ruchang's hand; the German adviser Ruineier whispered to him: "Morale has collapsed. Scuttle the ships, destroy the batteries, and surrender without a fight—that is the shrewder course."

汝昌從之，令諸將同時沉船，不應，遂以船降，而自飲藥死，於是威海師熸焉。 Ruchang agreed, ordered the commanders to scuttle their ships together, and when they refused he surrendered the fleet; he then took poison and died, and with that the Weihai squadron was wiped out.

事聞，諸將皆被卹，汝昌以獲譴，典弗及。 When word reached the court, the other commanders received posthumous honors; Ruchang, already under censure, was denied the usual rites.

汝昌雖有罪，而能以一死報國，尚知畏法。 Ruchang was guilty, yet he atoned with his life and still showed regard for the law.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 467Volume 467 Biographies 254: Li Bingheng, Wang Tingxiang, Nie Shicheng, Luo Rongguang, Shou Shan Zu Sun : Rui Chang, Feng Xiang, Chong Yu · 1 passage

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聞旅順不守，劾罷丁汝昌、龔照嶼等，以警威海守將。 When he learned that Lüshun had fallen, he impeached Ding Ruchang, Gong Zhaoyu, and others, intending to warn the commanders at Weihai.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 494Volume 494 Biographies 281: Loyal and Righteous 8 · 6 passages

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提督丁汝昌坐定遠督船，畏葸不知所為，又被傷，總兵劉步蟾代之。 Commander Ding Ruchang directed the fleet from aboard the Dingyuan, but fear left him at a loss. After he was wounded, regional commander Liu Buchan took over.

中日釁啟，說丁汝昌以「嚴兵扼守海口，而以兵艦往搗之，攻其不備，否則載勁旅抵朝鮮東偏釜山鎮等處，深溝高壘，絕其歸路，分兵徇朝鮮諸郡邑，彼進則迎擊，彼退則尾追，又出偏師撓之。 When war with Japan broke out, he urged Ding Ruchang to "hold the harbor mouth with strong forces and send warships to strike where the enemy is unprepared; or else land crack troops on Korea's eastern coast at Busan, entrench deeply, cut off their retreat, and spread forces through the Korean countryside—meet them when they advance, pursue when they retreat, and send flanking columns to harass them.

汝昌不從。 Ruchang would not listen.

汝昌復不決，遂失利。 Ruchang again could not make up his mind, and defeat followed.

時汝昌書降於敵，且要敵軍不得殘馀軍，仰藥死。 Ruchang then wrote to surrender and asked that the remaining troops not be harmed; he took poison and died.

或謂汝昌實為所部脅降，憤而自盡，降書則死後出洋弁手也。 Some said he was forced to surrender by his own men, killed himself in anger, and that the surrender document was written after his death by a foreign petty officer.