11 The training program at Fenghuang shan began auspiciously enough.By mid- August,only a month or so after the camp had been established,Gordon could already write of the "great progress"he had made with the troops in manual,platoon,and gun drill."It is,he wrote,"much easier than I supposed it would be."But the energetic British commander also found the mere instruction of troops to be "very tedious," requiring "a great deal more patience than I have."He decided,therefore,to return to Great Britain.His announced departure,in turn,provided impetus for negotiations between the Chinese and British over the future of Fenghuang shan.Gordon himself expressed satisfaction with the program,feeling that it should continue "to assimilate the men as much as possible to the Imperialists [i.e.the Chinese military]with respect to... dress,pay and discipline."Gordon acknowledged that under Li Hongzhang there had been no cause for complaint regarding the program at Fenghuang shan,but he believed that an understanding should be reached with the Chinese authorities which would place the camp on a more permanent footing in the event of Li's transfer.[36] The outcome of extended negotiations between Parkes and Ding Richang was a thirteen-point agreement,arranged on November 12,which satisfied both parties. Although Li Hongzhang had to accept Lieutenant Jebb of the 67th Regiment as head drillmaster replacing Gordon,he succeeded in making Fenghuang shan a Chinese institution in fact as well as name.According to the terms of the agreement,a Chinese commander(tongling)would assume responsibility for all matters of promotion and dismissal,camp discipline,payment,rations,and other major aspects of military administration.Jebb and his foreign drillmasters were responsible only for instruction and drill.With Pan Dingxin,a local Anhui Army officer as tongling,and Ding Richang as taotai(later financial commissioner Jiangsu and eventually governor of the province), Li could be reasonably sure of Chinese control over affairs at Fenghuang shan.Hart's journal entry of November 9,1864 indicates that although initially the Chinese authorities considered the camp to be a "sop"to foreigners,Li Hongzhang now fully supported it. According to his account,"3000 men and 60 gunboats,in all a force of 4500 men,are to be regularized,under Pwan Fantae [Finance Commissioner Pan Dingxin]."[37] Several months later,in May of 1865,Hart revisted Fenghuang shan,and reported favorably on the program.According to the I.G.,the nine hundred Chinese soldiers directly under Yu Tsai-pang and Yuan Jiugao of the Anhui Army "drilled remarkably well,the instructors interfering but little."Although Jebb told Hart that periodic interference by Parkes had "done harm"to the program and discouraged Pan Dingxin from more active involvement at Fenghuang shan,he"could not complain of anything done by the Chinese,or left undone with regard to the Camp."[38] When Jebb received his transfer back to England the next month,however,it raised the troublesome issue of who would succeed him.Parkes naturally felt that the new British commander-in-chief,General Guy,should name a successor;but Ding Richang,with Li's tacit support,cleverly bypassed regular channels to secure the appointment of William Winstanley,a former British officer who had also served in the Ever-Victorious Army.In justifying this move,Ding emphasized that Gordon had recommended Winstanley in a letter from home,and he took special pains to point out that Winstanley's lack of official connections with the British government would be an advantage.The British authorities at Shanghai protested Ding's coup vociferously,but to no avail.At Beijing,Thomas Wade affirmed China's right to appoint a successor to Jebb, asking only that the Chinese inform him of their final selection.[39]11 The training program at Fenghuang shan began auspiciously enough. By mid￾August, only a month or so after the camp had been established, Gordon could already write of the "great progress" he had made with the troops in manual, platoon, and gun drill. "It is, he wrote, "much easier than I supposed it would be." But the energetic British commander also found the mere instruction of troops to be "very tedious," requiring "a great deal more patience than I have." He decided, therefore, to return to Great Britain. His announced departure, in turn, provided impetus for negotiations between the Chinese and British over the future of Fenghuang shan. Gordon himself expressed satisfaction with the program, feeling that it should continue "to assimilate the men as much as possible to the Imperialists [i.e. the Chinese military] with respect to . . . dress, pay and discipline." Gordon acknowledged that under Li Hongzhang there had been no cause for complaint regarding the program at Fenghuang shan, but he believed that an understanding should be reached with the Chinese authorities which would place the camp on a more permanent footing in the event of Li's transfer. [36] The outcome of extended negotiations between Parkes and Ding Richang was a thirteen-point agreement, arranged on November 12, which satisfied both parties. Although Li Hongzhang had to accept Lieutenant Jebb of the 67th Regiment as head drillmaster replacing Gordon, he succeeded in making Fenghuang shan a Chinese institution in fact as well as name. According to the terms of the agreement, a Chinese commander (tongling) would assume responsibility for all matters of promotion and dismissal, camp discipline, payment, rations, and other major aspects of military administration. Jebb and his foreign drillmasters were responsible only for instruction and drill. With Pan Dingxin, a local Anhui Army officer as tongling, and Ding Richang as taotai (later financial commissioner Jiangsu and eventually governor of the province), Li could be reasonably sure of Chinese control over affairs at Fenghuang shan. Hart's journal entry of November 9, l864 indicates that although initially the Chinese authorities considered the camp to be a "sop" to foreigners, Li Hongzhang now fully supported it. According to his account, "3000 men and 60 gunboats, in all a force of 4500 men, are to be regularized, under Pwan Fantae [Finance Commissioner Pan Dingxin]." [37] Several months later, in May of 1865, Hart revisted Fenghuang shan, and reported favorably on the program. According to the I. G., the nine hundred Chinese soldiers directly under Yü Tsai-pang and Yuan Jiugao of the Anhui Army "drilled remarkably well, the instructors interfering but little." Although Jebb told Hart that periodic interference by Parkes had "done harm" to the program and discouraged Pan Dingxin from more active involvement at Fenghuang shan, he "could not complain of anything done by the Chinese, or left undone with regard to the Camp." [38] When Jebb received his transfer back to England the next month, however, it raised the troublesome issue of who would succeed him. Parkes naturally felt that the new British commander-in-chief, General Guy, should name a successor; but Ding Richang, with Li's tacit support, cleverly bypassed regular channels to secure the appointment of William Winstanley, a former British officer who had also served in the Ever-Victorious Army. In justifying this move, Ding emphasized that Gordon had recommended Winstanley in a letter from home, and he took special pains to point out that Winstanley's lack of official connections with the British government would be an advantage. The British authorities at Shanghai protested Ding's coup vociferously, but to no avail. At Beijing, Thomas Wade affirmed China's right to appoint a successor to Jebb, asking only that the Chinese inform him of their final selection. [39]