The assaulting column, composed of 1600 sailors and 400 marines, formed about a mile from the face of the fort (the fire of the fort being kept under by a heavy bombardment from the fleet) in four lines. The, marines forming the first line, were deployed as skirmishers, and advanced along the beach to a line of rifle-pits and occupied them within 600 yards of the sea-face of the fort. The other three lines advanced by the left flank (parallel to each other) along the beach, reaching the marines, and the column lay down while the fleet shelled the works, the marine line coming abreast the second line of sailors. At the word “Charge,” the column rose and charged by the flank to the stockade, extending from the salient of the fort to the water’s edge. Instead of keeping on past the stockade and then charging by the right flank up to the ditch, which would have brought the lines in proper position, the heads of the column turned up at the stockade and became mixed together. The charge was continued to the parapet, but the confusion of the wrong movement caused a break, ending in a panic, and the whole column retreated under a heavy fire from the fort, leaving about 60 men under the protection of the head of the stockade, who entrenched themselves there and stayed until the fort was taken by the troops entering at the other end of the fort. The assault was a failure in everything except as far as deceiving the besieged, who mistook it for the main assault, and thus permitted the 8000 troops at another point to gain a foothold. Casualties: killed, 80; wounded, 228; missing, 22. _Assault on the Corean Forts, June 11, 1871._