3 Significantly,the concerns expressed by Qing officials over Ward's devotion to the imperial cause were not entirely groundless.According to letters written in the summer of 1862 to the American Minister,Anson Burlingame,Ward complained vociferously about the "rascally officials"at Shanghai who,he claimed,had robbed him of credit for his accomplishments against the Taipings,and had witheld some 350,000 taels of payment due him.Significantly Ward asked Burlingame to "say a word"to Prince Gong"about my people,and remarked:"if I had not my foot so deeply in the mire I would throw them all overboard."This last remark is a telling one,for it suggests that by August of 1862 Ward had become ensnared in an elaborate web of control spun by local officials.Although claiming to be disgusted with the "lying,swindling and smuggling"that surrounded him,he had become,in fact,a part of the problem by virtue of his multifarious dealings with the undeniably corrupt Yang Fang and Wu Xu.[7] Li was well aware of Ward's involvement in at least some of the illegal activities of Yang and Wu;yet while the American commander remained alive he did not move overtly against either him or them.As a result,Ward continued to work closely with Li, providing advice and assistance in obtaining arms,and cooperating closely with the Anhui Army in military operations against the Taipings.Despite Ward's occasionally complaints over the policies and practices of the "Devilish Governor,"he and Li seem to have been on generally good terms.The American commander recognized the need for Li's political support,while the Jiangsu governor saw in Ward a strong,fearless,and well-connected Western leader,whose weapons were extremely powerful and whose Chinese soldiers were "no different from foreign troops."[8] Ward's death at the battle of Ciqi (in Zhejiang)in late September,1862,brought both opportunities and difficulties to Li.On the one hand,it helped him to undermine the power of Wu Xu,since the Shanghai taotai had relied heavily on Ward.On the other hand,it deprived the Jiangsu governor of a valuable foreign adviser,and brought a raft of administrative problems to his door.These had to do with the politics of replacing Ward as commander of the EVA.Although both the British and the French put forward their own candidates for leadership of the force,Li steadfastly insisted that if a Westerner were to head the Ever-Victorious Army that person would have to be "a man of Ward's stamp, ability,sagacity and willingness to attach himself to the Chinese cause"--someone who would be entirely under Chinese jurisdiction "as to praise or blame."Beijing expressed a similar view,indicating that if foreigners were to lead Chinese troops they had to petition to become Chinese subjects and accept Chinese control as Ward had done.[9] Ward's right-hand man,Henry A.Burgevine--also an American adventurer-- seemed to fit the bill.Like Ward,he was a brave officer who had petitioned to become a Chinese subject,taken a Chinese wife,and devoted himself wholeheartedly to the anti- Taiping cause.Unlike Ward,however,he was impetuous,short-tempered,extravagant, unreliable and difficult to get along with.In early January,1863,after several months of continuous bickering with the Chinese authorities,Burgevine had a particularly serious altercation with Yang Fang over payment of the EVA,during which he struck Yang and took from him forty thousand dollars.Li Hongzhang immediately called for the American commander's dismissal,accusing him of robbery,rebellion and treason. Reportedly,the Chinese government place a reward of 50,000 taels on his head.After failing to secure reinstatement,Burgevine eventually joined the Taipings,only to be captured by the Qing authorities.He "accidentally"drowned in their custody during 1865.[10]3 Significantly, the concerns expressed by Qing officials over Ward's devotion to the imperial cause were not entirely groundless. According to letters written in the summer of 1862 to the American Minister, Anson Burlingame, Ward complained vociferously about the "rascally officials" at Shanghai who, he claimed, had robbed him of credit for his accomplishments against the Taipings, and had witheld some 350,000 taels of payment due him. Significantly Ward asked Burlingame to "say a word" to Prince Gong "about my people," and remarked: "if I had not my foot so deeply in the mire I would throw them all overboard." This last remark is a telling one, for it suggests that by August of 1862 Ward had become ensnared in an elaborate web of control spun by local officials. Although claiming to be disgusted with the "lying, swindling and smuggling" that surrounded him, he had become, in fact, a part of the problem by virtue of his multifarious dealings with the undeniably corrupt Yang Fang and Wu Xu. [7] Li was well aware of Ward's involvement in at least some of the illegal activities of Yang and Wu; yet while the American commander remained alive he did not move overtly against either him or them. As a result, Ward continued to work closely with Li, providing advice and assistance in obtaining arms, and cooperating closely with the Anhui Army in military operations against the Taipings. Despite Ward's occasionally complaints over the policies and practices of the "Devilish Governor," he and Li seem to have been on generally good terms. The American commander recognized the need for Li's political support, while the Jiangsu governor saw in Ward a strong, fearless, and well-connected Western leader, whose weapons were extremely powerful and whose Chinese soldiers were "no different from foreign troops." [8] Ward's death at the battle of Ciqi (in Zhejiang) in late September, 1862, brought both opportunities and difficulties to Li. On the one hand, it helped him to undermine the power of Wu Xu, since the Shanghai taotai had relied heavily on Ward. On the other hand, it deprived the Jiangsu governor of a valuable foreign adviser, and brought a raft of administrative problems to his door. These had to do with the politics of replacing Ward as commander of the EVA. Although both the British and the French put forward their own candidates for leadership of the force, Li steadfastly insisted that if a Westerner were to head the Ever-Victorious Army that person would have to be "a man of Ward's stamp, ability, sagacity and willingness to attach himself to the Chinese cause"--someone who would be entirely under Chinese jurisdiction "as to praise or blame." Beijing expressed a similar view, indicating that if foreigners were to lead Chinese troops they had to petition to become Chinese subjects and accept Chinese control as Ward had done. [9] Ward's right-hand man, Henry A. Burgevine--also an American adventurer-- seemed to fit the bill. Like Ward, he was a brave officer who had petitioned to become a Chinese subject, taken a Chinese wife, and devoted himself wholeheartedly to the anti￾Taiping cause. Unlike Ward, however, he was impetuous, short-tempered, extravagant, unreliable and difficult to get along with. In early January, 1863, after several months of continuous bickering with the Chinese authorities, Burgevine had a particularly serious altercation with Yang Fang over payment of the EVA, during which he struck Yang and took from him forty thousand dollars. Li Hongzhang immediately called for the American commander's dismissal, accusing him of robbery, rebellion and treason. Reportedly, the Chinese government place a reward of 50,000 taels on his head. After failing to secure reinstatement, Burgevine eventually joined the Taipings, only to be captured by the Qing authorities. He "accidentally" drowned in their custody during 1865. [10]