THE SPLIT 211 when the Taiping troops do capture medium-sized cities,Qing command- ers have now been instructed to burn all their stocks of food and gunpow- der if the Taiping storm their walls-and though some are reluctant or too tardy to comply,those who do so reduce the chances of the Taiping resting and restocking their supplies.Forced much farther to the north- west than they have planned,the Taipings at last cross the Yellow River, but are caught unprepared by savage winter weather,which freezes many in their tracks or leaves them maimed from frostbite-"crawling on the snowy,icy ground with their legs benumbed"-for they are southerners, and not equipped with proper winter clothes.Reinforcements,sent to their aid,are also checked or turned back by local Qing forces,for the Taiping have not kept a main supply route from north to south open and defended at any point on the vast battlefield.? Astonishingly,by late October 1853 one of the thrusting Taiping col- umns pushes to within three miles of the outskirts of Tianjin,from which they might have opened up a path to nearby Peking,but they can get no farther.New Qing and local forces,including Mongol cavalry,are sent against them.Despite the initial enthusiasm of many local people for the Taiping message,and the military help of secret societies and the members of new rebel organizations like the Nian-who are also locked in struggle against their landlords and the government-the Taiping blunt their pop- ularity.Their search for food and clothing grows desperate,and the mas- sacre of all one town's civilian population sends a wave of fear ahead of them.3 Swiftly though the Taiping can build defensive redoubts,for they are veterans at this kind of warfare-throwing up earthworks,digging ditches,and crisscrossing open ground with foxholes in a single day of frenzied work-the Qing are learning to encircle these encirclements, recruiting thousands of local laborers from the farming population to build a solid ring around the Taiping forces.By May 1854,with the rem- nants of the Taiping vanguard forces thus encircled,the Qing commander orders a long ditch built to divert the waters of the Grand Canal to a dried-out riverbed that flows near the Taiping fortified position.The work takes a month,but slowly as the water enters its new channel the Taiping camp turns to mud,and then to a lake;the soldiers can neither sleep nor cook,their gunpowder is waterlogged and useless,and as they climb onto roofs,cling to ladders,or float on homemade rafts,the Qing troops pick them off in groups and execute them.So,ingloriously,die the warriors after fighting and marching over a one-year period for close to two thousand miles. Had the northern campaign had full call on all Taiping resources,per-THE SPLIT 211 、ˉhcn thc Taiping troops do capturc mcdium-sizcd citics,Qing command￾crs haⅤ c n0、 V bccn instructcd t° burn aⅡ thcir stocks of food and gunpov/- dcr if thc Taiping storlll thcir、 vaⅡ s——and though somc arc rcluCtant or too tardy to comply,thosc、 vho do so rcducc thc chanccs of thc Taiping rcsting and rcstocking thcir supphcs,Forccd much farthcr to thc north一 、Vcst than thcy havc planncd,thc Taipings at last cross thc Iˇ 'cllow Rivcr, but arc caught unprcparcd by savagc lovintcr wcathcr,which frcczcs rnany in thcir tracks or lcavcs thcn△ 1nairncd fron1frOstbitc— —‘‘craWling on thc snowy,icy ground、 vith thcir lcgs bcnumbcd” ——for thcy arc southcrncrs, and not cquippcd with propcr 、vintcr clothcs Rcinforccmcnts, scnt to thcir aid,arc als° chcckcd or turncd back by local Qing forcss, for thc Taiping havc n° t kcpt a rnain supply r° utc from north to south opcn and dcfcndcd at any point on thc vast battlcficld.2 Astonishingly,by latc Octobcr 1853onc of thc thrusting Taiping col￾umns pushcs tli,witllln thrcc milcs ofthc outskirts of Th殉 in,from whch thcy might havc opcncd up a path to ncarby Pcking,but thcy can gct no ±arthcr。 Ncw Qing and local forccs,induding Mongol cavalfy,arc scnt against thCm Dcspitc thc initial cnthusias1m° f rnany local pcoplc for thc Taiping1ncssagc,and thc rnⅡ itary hclp ofsccrct socictiCs and thc rncmbcrs 。f ncw rcbcl organizations likc thc Nian-— who arc als° lockcd in strugglc against thcir landlords and thc govcrnmcnt— —thc冖Γaiping blunt thcir p° p￾ularity.Thcir scarch for food and clothing grows dcspcratc,and thc1nas￾saclc of all onc toWn’ s civⅡ ian population scnds a、 vavc of fcar ahcad of tllcm,3 SwiRly though thc Taiping can buⅡ d dcfcnsivc rcdoubts,for thcy arc Ⅴctcrans at this kind of warfarc__throˇ Ving up carth、 vorks, digging ditchcs, and crisscrossing opcn ground lxfith f0xho1cs in a singlc day of △cnzicd work_thc Qing arC lCarning to cnordc thcsc cnordcmcns, rccruiting thousands of local laborcrs froΠ 1 thc farllaing population to bund a s。 hd ring around thc Taiping forccs By Ⅳ【ay1854,with thc rcⅡ⒈ nants ofthc Taiping vanguard凡 rccs tllus cncirclcd,thc Qing commandcr °rdcrs a long ditch buⅡ t to divcrt thc watcrs of thc Grand Canal to a dricd一 out riVcrbcd that noxx/s ncar thc Taiping forti丘 cd position。 tΓ hc 、vork takcs a month,but slowly as thc、 vatcr cntcrs its ncw channcl thc Taiping camp turns to mud,and thcn to a lakc;thc soIdicrs can ncithcr slccp n° r cook,thcir gunpowdcr is watcrloggcd and usclcss,and as thcy dimb onto rooFs,ding to laddcrs,or noat on h。 mcmadc raRs,tbc Qing troops pick thclll offin groups and cxccutc thcm,So,ingloriously,dic thc 、varriors aftcr f1ghting and marching ovcr a onc-ycar pcriod for closc to two thousand lllilcs,4 Had thc northcrn campaign had full call on all'Γ aiping rcsourccs,pcr一