A PAGE OF PERSECUTION IN COCHINCHINA
By Mr. Geffroy, Foreign Missions of Paris, Missionary to Eastern Cochinchina
In the midst of the struggle, the missionaries could only provide us with brief updates: we learned by telegraph about the number of deaths and the distress of the survivors. Our readers consistently responded to these appeals with admirable charity.
Today, our missionaries share their memories and send their benefactors the story of their misfortunes.
This account is one of those dramatic pages in the history of persecution that we are beginning to publish. Although the immediate danger has passed, the needs of our brothers in the East have not diminished, and we continue to look with hope to the support of Catholics in Europe.
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Quang Nam (Quảng Nam) province is divided into three areas: the northern one, towards Tourane (Đà Nẵng), served by Father Maillard; the central one, towards the citadel of Quang Nam, directed by Father Bruyère; and the southern one, entrusted to an indigenous priest, Father Can Du.
For reasons unknown to me, the revolt of the Van Than’s followers[1], which began in Tu Ngai, spread quickly to Binh Dinh (Bình Định) and the south but reached Quang Nam only slowly.
This delay might be due to the area’s proximity to the capital Hue and the presence of a company of marines and a French warship, the Chasseur.
Christians were able to move freely throughout this province a month and a half after the Tu Ngai massacres.
In early August 1885, a group of two hundred Christians from Father Garin’s area in Tu Ngai crossed the southern part of Quang Nam and arrived at Tra Kieu (Trà Kiệu), Father Bruyère’s parish, without incident.
However, alarming rumors began circulating as early as late July.
On August 1st, Father Maillard learned that Tra Kieu was surrounded by Van Than’s followers, so he went to Tourane, spoke with Captain Ducrès, commander of the post, and persuaded him to help rescue Father Bruyère. They reached Tra Kieu without encountering any Van Than’s followers; the rumors about the attack were like those in other places—unverified and inconclusive.
By 15th, August the rumors intensified, causing Father Can Du and more than half of his Christians to flee. Some took refuge in Tra Kieu, others in Tourane, and some in Phu Thuong (Phú Thượng). The poorest remained, preferring to die at home rather than face starvation elsewhere.
From August 20th to 25th, the disturbing rumors subsided. It was even suggested that the Van Than’s followers of Quang Nam, fearing severe reprisals from the French, would not follow the example of those in Tu Ngai and Binh Dinh. Some Christians from Can Du’s parish, believing that calm had been restored, remained at home.
Father Du, who had taken refuge in Tra Kieu, prepared to return and sent dignitaries ahead to manage affairs at the parish.
However, from August 26th, worrying rumors resurfaced. Father Du left Tra Kieu, intending to go south but instead headed north to Tourane. He barely arrived there safely, but Christians returning home found their paths intercepted and were massacred, as were all Christians in Quang Nam who could not take refuge in Tra Kieu, Phu Thuong, or Tourane. The death toll exceeded a thousand: six hundred and fifty from Can Du’s area, two hundred and eighty from Tra Kieu, and a hundred from Phu Thuong.
On August 31st, the Van Than’s followers captured the citadel. In Quang Nam, events unfolded as in Binh Dinh and elsewhere: Van Than’s followers and former mandarins traveled through parishes before the massacres, making false promises and assurances to prevent Christians from fleeing, ensuring that the greatest number could be killed on the appointed day.
Commander Nguyen Duy Hieu, now leading the rebels in Quang Nam, deceived many with his smooth talk.
A former grand mandarin from Nai Hien (Nại Hiên), near Tourane, attempted to deceive Father Maillard’s parish similarly. He visited a pagan village near Phu Thuong and was told by Father Maillard that if he entered his house, he would not leave.
On October 18th, 1885 this mandarin led an attack on Phu Thuong and was killed in a battle at the Loc Hoa (Lộc Hoà) pass. The great mandarins of the citadel had pledged their loyalty to France and claimed to protect Christians, but in reality, they did nothing to resist the Van Than’s followers. They opened the citadel gates to the first leader of Van Than’s followers who arrived. Despite the missionaries’ efforts to defend themselves, they faced blame regardless of their actions: those who failed to organize resistance were criticized, while those who did were blamed for causing trouble in the country.
Tra Kieu was surrounded on 1st September 1885 the day after the citadel was captured. Christianity was in a precarious position; Father Bruyère underestimated the violence and persistence of the attack, believing it would be less severe than at Trung Son in Tu Ngai, where eight to nine hundred Christians had withstood the Van Than’s followers for over a month. He hoped to hold out for a few days to give the French time to come to their rescue. Captain Ducrés had promised to assist as soon as he learned of the attack, and Father Bruyère relied on this promise and the protection of the Holy Virgin. He believed it was better to defend Tra Kieu than to seek refuge in Tourane, which offered no shelter or food.
For arms, Father Bruyère had four snuffbox rifles with ten cartridges each, five flint rifles from Father Maillard, and a Le Faucheux rifle. His Christians made spears day and night to arm everyone. He had three hundred and seventy men capable of bearing arms and organized them into seven teams. The women, numbering five to six hundred, formed the reserve. Father Bruyère assigned each team a section of the enclosure to defend and prepared for the defense with confidence in God and the Blessed Virgin.
The position of Tra Kieu had its disadvantages for defense, unless one occupied the heights surrounding it. To the west, the last hillock of Kim Son Mountain was only one hundred and twenty meters from the church, while to the east, a small hill called Non Troc rose about one kilometer from Kim Son. To the south, a wide causeway, remnants of an ancient Champa citadel, provided a strong position for the enemy. Only the north side offered a slight depression, a sandy area that was dry in summer and covered with water in winter.
Late at noon on September 1st, the Van Than’s followers arrived from all sides, forming a large encircling force around the parish, which continued day and night for twenty-one days. That evening, the enemy did not attempt to breach the enclosure but took positions and fired a few shots.
The Christians occupied Kim Son Hill, but on September 2nd, intimidated by the overwhelming number of attackers, they retreated to the defensive enclosure. They suffered four casualties and offered little resistance. This setback nearly led to disaster. Discouraged, the Christians abandoned their weapons and prepared to die. They gathered at the Father Bruyère’s house, seeking final absolution, preferring to die in the church rather than anywhere else.
“We must die,” they said, “all resistance is useless and we would rather die in church than anywhere else.”
Father Bruyère was deeply pained and struggled to uplift their spirits. Learning that the enemy was approaching from the east, he sent a young man to instruct his second team to abandon the isolated gardens and regroup in a better-protected area.
The young man misunderstood the order, spreading the false message that the Father Bruyère had given up and was preparing for final absolution. Fortunately, the team did not believe this and, upon seeing the enemy approaching, fought back. They managed to capture an abandoned cannon from the enemy, though their morale remained low.
If the Van Than’s followers had discovered the Christians’ despair that night and attempted an attack, they could have easily massacred them without resistance. Fortunately, the Van Than’s followers did not attack at night to avoid letting any escape. They continued to beat drums and rattle, and a leader frequently reminded sentinels to be vigilant and prevent any escapes. Despite this, Father Bruyère felt comforted by the Holy Virgin’s protection and managed to encourage his people to fight on.
By midnight, Father Bruyère rallied his dignitaries and persuaded them of the necessity to continue fighting. They, in turn, motivated the others, resulting in a unified resolve to fight, believing it was God’s will and the Blessed Virgin’s wish.
“Let us listen to the Father,” they said, “and if we must die, let us die with weapons in our hands.”
They prepared for battle the next day, cooking rice early in the morning to avoid delays. 3rd September was a brutal day of fighting, with the enemy routed five times. Despite exhaustion and setbacks, the Christians resolved to continue fighting.
Some Christians, exhausted and demoralized, wanted to surrender, proposing to parley with the enemy for safe passage to Tourane. They considered using a canvas with their conditions displayed on a bamboo pole to negotiate. Meanwhile, the church was filled with people refusing to confront the advancing enemy. Father Bruyère could not reinvigorate their courage; they prostrated themselves, seeking final absolution and preparing to wait for death.
The Van Than’s followers, hearing the lamentations from Kim Son Hill, taunted the Christians, claiming that Father Maillard was on his way to rescue them. In this dire situation, Mr. Pho, the leader of the first team, proved crucial. His unwavering courage inspired the Christians to keep fighting. He urged them to maintain their weapons and resist, warning that surrendering would only ensure their deaths. Despite fatigue, he rallied his soldiers to confront the advancing enemy. Meanwhile, the catechist Phan encouraged those in the church by falsely assuring them that Father Maillard was arriving. This boosted their morale, leading them to take up arms once more and join the fight.
He had just arrived at the front door when the second dignitary began negotiating. As he prepared to surrender, Mr. Pho suddenly stopped him and declared:
“No, no, we will never surrender; we will either win or die!”
Then, opening the door, he charged with his people towards the Van Than’s followers with such determination that they were terrified and fled at full speed. Only then could the beleaguered Christians catch their breath.
It’s worth noting that wherever Christians have defended themselves, the third day of an attack has always been the most gruelling.
On the first and second days, Christians only faced pagans from nearby villages. However, if they managed to hold their ground, the number of attackers would double and triple.
From a human perspective, it’s hard to understand how, on this third day, Christianity was not overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
Tra Kieu, being nearly central in the province, saw almost all of Quang Nam’s Van Than’s followers gathered there. What saved Tra Kieu was the disorganization among the Van Than’s followers. They were led by different commanders, each eager to test their own people against the Christians. While one group fought, others merely watched, jeering and holding their spears at the ready. They never coordinated to cut off the Christians’ escape routes, allowing the Christians to pursue fleeing attackers over long distances. The lack of unified command and rampant rivalry among the leaders worked in the Christians’ favour.
At night, the Van Than’s followers did not attack but instead watched and fired at Christians from two hills where they had stationed their cannons and rifles. They targeted any visible lights and barking dogs during the night and shot at anyone who stood out during the day. Father Bruyère, in particular, was a constant target. Despite shaving his beard and disguising himself, he was always recognized.
“The European! The European!” they would shout when they saw him, and bullets would whiz past his ears.
Poor Father Bruyère endured immense suffering during this prolonged siege. By day, he was at the center of the parish, overseeing the most threatened points, organizing sorties, and running to the ramparts.
During moments of respite, he tended to the sick; his house and church were overflowing after seven or eight days of fighting. He could neither eat nor sleep. The nights were especially terrible with gunfire, the watchmen’s cries, and constant worry preventing any rest. He sometimes dozed off during the day, only to wake abruptly. He often wept during those long days and sleepless nights, but frequently his tears were tears of joy. Witnessing the visible protection of the Blessed Virgin brought him comfort and solace.
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On the 4th day, the Christians had to repel two attacks: one in the morning and another in the evening. When the Van Than’s followers approached the bamboo defense fence of the parish, the Christians would charge out immediately, and the battle would ensue. These skirmishes rarely lasted more than ten minutes, as the pagans, despite their numbers, would quickly retreat, turn their backs, and flee. The Christians, growing bolder, would pursue them. Although they didn’t always kill many, they managed to capture cannons and rifles abandoned by the fleeing Van Than’s followers. Occasionally, they faced greater resistance, with spears crossing in a stalemate. The Christians used deception to break through: they would shout:
“There they are, they’re running! Courage, everyone! Jesus, Mary!”
The pagans, turning their heads to see if it was true, would be caught off guard and pierced by the Christians. The rout would follow, and the fastest runners prevailed.
The reserve team, consisting of women, often arrived on the battlefield but rarely had time to engage in combat. The sight of these women, charging with their hair flowing and brandishing blades or cutlasses while shouting, “Jesus, Mary, Joseph, have mercy on us, please protect us,” was enough to make the pagans flee before they could even reach them. Proud of their victories, the women would return to thank the Virgin Mary.
From the beginning of the siege, Father Bruyère had placed a statue of the Blessed Virgin on a table in the center of his house, with a candle on each side. Each time an attack was imminent, candles were lit, and those unable to fight, like the elderly and children, would pray the rosary together. After repelling an attack, the combatants would return to thank the Good Mother for their victory, prostrating themselves before her image with their spears, some still stained with blood, only rising after fervent prayers. They would then rush off to new battles but always returned to thank their dear Protector for their victories. Confidence grew, and hope was renewed, preventing the dreaded third day of failure.
On the 5th and 6th days, the pagans refrained from attacking directly and instead surrounded the Christians, fortifying themselves to the north across the small sandy plain. Their aim was likely to further encircle the Christians and cut off any chance of escape. They may also have intended to force greater resistance from the Christians by trapping them between two palisades. The pagans’ leaders frequently reproached their soldiers for breaking ranks too easily. Conversations from their camp on Kim Son hill revealed their dissatisfaction and plans.
As they completed their palisade, the pagans erected barracks and transported large amounts of straw to the sand separating the two enclosures. The entire northern side of the parish, from Kim Son hill to Non Troc mound, was covered with straw, evidently to burn the bamboo hedge surrounding the village.
The threat was imminent, and it was decided to launch an all-out attack the following day, September 7th. Everyone prepared for it.
At dawn, after imploring the help of the Blessed Virgin and buoyed by Father Bruyère’s encouragement, the Christians positioned themselves at the north gate, ready for battle. When the gate opened, they charged with fierce determination, uttering their war cry. The Van Than’s followers, pushing their straw towards the bamboo defenses, were led by Can Hoc, the son of General Ong Ich Khiem, who had defended Thuan An against Admiral Courbet. Frightened by the Christians’ bold advance, Can Hoc fled in shame, closing the gate behind him, which trapped his troops. They were slaughtered by the Christians, who continued their advance, seizing everything in the Van Than’s followers’ camp. The Christians sustained only a few injuries. The women, in particular, distinguished themselves, and the Christians returned to thank the Most Holy Virgin for their stunning victory.
The next day, September 8th, the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was another grueling day. Immediately after Mass, news came of a new enemy advance from the north. They arrived in such numbers that they covered the entire Cham rampart and the fields separating it from the parish enclosure. On this side, as on the east side, Father Bruyère had to abandon several Christian gardens to avoid defending too large an area. The enclosure on this side was weak, with only a thin hedge easily crossed compared to the strong bamboo thickets on the north side. The pagans attacked less from this side, as the terrain was more difficult for their retreat.
The attack was so vigorous that the Christians could not withstand the initial assault. The defenders of the south had to yield one garden after another. The rebels were close to reaching the convent enclosure, their numbers overwhelming. Meanwhile, the Van Than’s followers continued to fire from the two hills, with bullets whistling from all directions. Father Bruyère, in desperate need of reinforcements, rallied the reserve team, which emerged between the convent and the orphanage to face the enemy, while another group flanked from the right. The pagans, confronted from both sides, quickly faltered and fled in disarray.
The women, the most intrepid among the defenders, later boasted of having saved Christianity that day. “Without us,” they claimed, “everything would have been lost. You wouldn’t have been able to hold on.”
The Van Than’s followers suffered significant losses, with thirty-six corpses left on the battlefield. The number of wounded they took away was much greater. A reinforcement from the north, seeing the wounded being carried away, was so frightened that they fled. The palisade, straw, and barracks were set ablaze, and the fire was so intense that it was said Tra Kieu was burning entirely. The Christians rejoiced and eagerly thanked the Most Holy Virgin for their victory.
On the 9th day, the focus shifted to transporting and positioning heavy cannons on the two hills.
By the morning of the 10th, a terrifying cannonade began, echoing throughout the province. In Phu Thuong, forty kilometers away, Christians were dismayed.
Father Maillard feared for his colleague and the Christians at Tra Kieu. The fate of Phu Thuong depended on Tra Kieu’s survival. If Tra Kieu fell, Phu Thuong would likely be overwhelmed as well. From the mountains of Phu Thuong, he saw no fire or smoke, but the cannonade was so intense that he despaired of Tra Kieu’s resistance.
In Tourane, the immense detonations did not inspire reassurance.
It was widely believed that Tra Kieu would inevitably fall. Yet, thank God, it did not; Tra Kieu held its ground, quietly resisting the rage of the Van Than’s followers. Their cannons, positioned on the two hills, primarily targeted the church, but often, the cannonballs flew from one hill to another, killing the Van Than’s followers themselves. They fired so much that the church was riddled with cannonballs. It is extraordinary that it wasn’t overturned, as the cannon fire from the hill of Kim Son was almost at point-blank range.
After the church, the main targets were the convent chapel and the Father’s house. The pagans knew where he usually sat—on a large bench in the middle of his house. This spot was pierced through by five large cannonballs. The lamp hanging above his table was shattered; rubble and photographs on the partition behind him were carried away or torn up. For a moment, the enemy sang victory on the hill, shouting:
“-The European is dead, the European is killed.”
Upon hearing this, Father Bruyère went out onto his veranda and said:
“- It’s not that easy to kill me. Come here, and you’ll see.”
As he finished speaking, a cannonball pierced a column beside him.
Knowing that the missionaries were the soul of the Christian resistance, the pagans sought to capture them at any cost. A large reward of twenty to thirty bars of silver (1,800 to 2,700 francs) was promised to anyone who could bring them in, dead or alive. On three different occasions, Father Bruyère was nearly killed at night by pagans who took advantage of the darkness to break into the fence near his residence. In one unexpected encounter, Father Bruyère owed his survival to the fact that the pagans were determined to take him alive. He managed to escape thanks to the dedication of his Christian followers.
Father Bruyère recounts these events with a certain humor now, but at the time, there was nothing to laugh about. He was forced to evacuate his house along with all his patients. They needed to find another place for themselves and for all the wounded who were lying in the church.
Fortunately, there was no combat that day. The Van Than’s followers were content to observe the effects of their cannonade. They were furious to see that nothing was moving, and despite their efforts, everything was still standing.
Among the large cannons, one in particular was of enormous caliber. Despite being placed less than a hundred meters away, it only hit the church once, striking the small rose window above the altar. The other shots all went too high. This wasn’t due to a lack of aim; the gunner was a former military mandarin known for his skill. He later admitted that while trying to hit a beautiful lady dressed in white who was standing on the church roof, all his shots, save for one, went too high.
All that day and the next, the pagans on the hill of Kim Son kept shouting:
“- It is very extraordinary that this woman always stands on the top of the church. No matter how much we aim at her, we never reach her.”
Was this a miraculous apparition of the Blessed Virgin? Did this good Mother personally protect the church dedicated to her Immaculate Heart? It is not for me to comment on such a profound event. However, it is certain that the pagans kept repeating over those two days that they saw a woman standing on the church roof. Sometimes they spoke of her with respect, calling her a beautiful lady dressed in white; at other times, they insulted her, frustrated that they couldn’t hit her. The Christians, hearing what the pagans were saying, looked, but neither they nor Father Bruyère himself saw anything.
Moreover, this was not the only extraordinary event at Tra Kieu. Similar occurrences have been observed elsewhere in similar circumstances. I am referring to legions of children dressed in white or red, advancing like a formidable army against the Van Than’s followers. In Tra Kieu, the pagans proclaimed more than once that they were not just fighting the Christians but also thousands of children who accompanied them during their sorties. These children seemed to come from above, descending along the bamboos when the Christians emerged. However, these extraordinary phenomena did not manifest during every sortie. In Tra Kieu, the Christians only heard the pagans speak of it two or three times.
Regardless of whether these events were miraculous, they are not the only evidence of God’s mercy towards us during our hardships. His mercy has been evident in many other circumstances, as if to compel us to believe that, while God has allowed such cruel trials to assail the Church of Annam, He will not allow its destruction. The storm is followed by calm; after long hours of pain and anguish, I hope the time of joy and consolation will come. But it’s been so long, my God! Please, hurry to our aid! Lord, haste to help… Save us, we are perishing!
September 11th was even more terrible, as we had to fight under enemy fire, with the Van Than’s followers shooting at the Christians almost at point-blank range. They managed to set fire to a bamboo thicket within the convent enclosure, and a battle broke out in the stream separating the parish from the hill of Kim Son. The Christians retreated at the first shock, and the convent enclosure was on the verge of being breached. The nuns performed wonders, both in extinguishing the fire and in repelling the enemy. One of them was hit by a bullet. The situation was critical. Finally, Father Bruyère arrived with reinforcements. He rebuked the retreating Christians, rekindling their courage. They all charged into the stream, causing the frightened enemy to flee. In this battle, one of the Van Than’s followers commanded, on behalf of Heaven, that the Christians stop fighting and surrender.
“It is the will of Heaven,” he said. “Woe to you if you resist.”
A Christian rushed at him, spearing him as he climbed the other side of the stream. He, along with four others, were killed, entangled in the bamboos. Their bodies remained there, stinking up the parish until the end of the siege.
Father Bruyère’s greatest concern, however, was the cannon fire. The collapse of the church would have had a disastrous moral effect, leading to discouragement among the Christians, and that would be the end—total ruin. The church, moreover, was far from offering any guarantee of stability. Supported by eight brick columns inside, if a ball broke one of these columns, the church would collapse completely. The Father therefore made an energetic decision: to capture the hill of Kim Son and hold it.
He gathered his dignitaries and military leaders to explain his plan. It was around three o’clock in the afternoon, and the time to attack was now. The leaders were silent, frightened by the difficulty of the task. Indeed, the Van Than’s followers’ headquarters was at the top of the hill, surrounded by a strong palisade at the base. They asked Father Bruyère to wait until early the next morning before daylight; the Van Than’s followers would then be less vigilant, offering a greater chance of success in a surprise attack than in a direct assault. The Father agreed with their suggestion, and the attack was set for 3:30 in the morning.
All that night, Father Bruyère, with alert ears and anxiety in his soul, awaited the appointed time. In the middle of the night, a muffled voice called to the Christians from across the stream. To hear better, he approached with a few men and clearly heard the voice say:
“Christians, come to this side of the stream and take our cannon, so we no longer have to guard it. We are tired of this war and want nothing more than to return home. If you don’t come and take it, we’ll throw it into the stream.”
An hour later, they heard a sound like something heavy falling into the water. What it was, they didn’t know, but they never found this cannon, either in the stream or at the location where it had been firing the day before.
Around three o’clock, Father Bruyère went to wake his warriors and prepare them for the attack. After they crossed the stream, he returned home and positioned himself where he could best see them ascending the hill. Darkness still covered the hill, and he couldn’t make out anything. He waited until daylight appeared but still did not see his men. Growing impatient, he wondered what was causing the delay. The men had been taking time to breach the fence. Not daring to strike the wood with heavy blows of a billhook, they cut it little by little, tearing it out slowly to avoid raising an alarm. By the time they finished, daylight had already broken, and the Van Than’s followers were beginning to appear on the hill’s crest. While tying their hair buns, they noticed Father Bruyère, who stood in the most visible spot to draw their attention away from his approaching men. For a moment, the Van Than’s followers turned their backs as if called from the other side of the hill. The Christians then nearly reached the summit, and moments later, they were there, shouting their war cry. They overthrew the pagans from the top of the hill, killed some, and set fire to all their barracks.
They captured four large cannons, five small ones, and around ten rampart guns.
September 12th was a beautiful day, and confidence began to grow among the Christians. But the battle was far from over. The pagans were indeed dismayed – so much so that from Non Troc, they did not fire a single cannon shot that day nor the following day. Yet, they still surrounded the entire parish. While they did not attempt to recapture Kim Son, which they had lost, they kept a vigilant watch on the other side to prevent the Christians from communicating with the outside world. Their obvious goal was to starve the Christians and overcome them, if not by arms, then at least by starvation.
In fact, food was becoming scarce in the parish. Father Bruyère’s provisions were nearly exhausted because he had to feed a crowd of Christians who had taken refuge with him, unable to bring anything with them. Nevertheless, they placed their trust in God and hoped that the Blessed Virgin, who had supported them for so long, would not abandon them now.
Throughout the province, in the dreary silence that followed the terrible cannonade of the previous two days, people believed that Tra Kieu had fallen. The Van Than’s followers, eager to declare victory, sang of it in every tone and even threatened to descend on Tourane. They attacked Phu Thuong to conceal their defeat, but Father Maillard repulsed them, forcing them to return to Tra Kieu.
This time, they were led by a former admiral, Mr. Chuong Thuy Ty, whom they had sought out to put his military genius at their service and finally overcome these devils of Christians.
On September, 14th they were seen coming from the south in considerable numbers. Father Bruyère, who had gone up early in the morning to the hill of Kim Son to observe the movements of the Van Than’s followers, was surprised to see the entire plain on the southern side covered with troops advancing towards the parish, shouting and beating drums.
He quickly descended to give orders to prepare for an attack. He had barely reached his people when the Van Than’s followers began to cover the Cham rampart and started erecting a palisade with extraordinary speed, anticipating an attack. Judging it very dangerous to let them establish and fortify themselves on this rampart, from which they could flank the entire parish, Father Bruyère ordered an immediate counterattack.
The third team was to start from the west, climbing to the end of the rampart that was not yet occupied, and follow it by driving the Van Than’s followers back or tumbling them into the rice fields on the other side. Part of the reserve was to support this effort, while the other part would assist in the frontal assault. They expected strong resistance and prepared to fight valiantly, but were surprised to see the Van Than’s followers turn and flee even before being reached.
Chuong Thuy Ty shouted and struggled to stop them but failed. He was almost alone on the rampart, with barely ten men around him. Seeing the Christians advancing, he attempted to flee but was too late. Two young Christian men chased after him, and as they closed in, even his guards abandoned him to flee more quickly. Seeing he was about to be caught, he turned and humbly begged the two young men to spare his life.
“If you valued life so much,” they replied, “you should not have come to bring us death. There’s no mercy here!”
And they thrust their spears into his body, then took his sword, cut off his head, and carried it away.
Some may find this act cruel, arguing that it is not in accordance with the laws of war. But alas, poor Christians! Were any laws observed toward them? Young or old, men or women, all those caught anywhere in the province were brought to Tra Kieu to be slaughtered before the eyes of their loved ones.
This is cruelty! I could never finish recounting all the atrocities if I tried.
That day, for the first time, an elephant appeared in the Van Than’s followers’ army. The Christians were unfamiliar with this new type of fighter, and they were understandably worried; the women were especially fearful of being attacked by the animal.
A young man volunteered to put the elephant to flight on his own.
“Give me a lit torch,” he said, “and you will see how quickly it turns tail.”
Indeed, he attacked it with his flaming torch, and the frightened elephant fled, despite the efforts of its mahout to control it. The young man thrust his spear into its side as he pursued it, but he didn’t have the strength to penetrate deeply. The mahout fell or slipped into a bush and ran away as fast as he could. From then on, the elephant was no longer feared, and the Van Than’s followers could not deploy it against the Christians in the two other battles where it appeared.
On the 15th September, there was no combat. The Van Than’s followers were busy fortifying the eastern side, all around the hill of Non Troc. At the foot of the hill, on the side opposite the Christian stronghold, lay the pagan part of the village of Tra Kieu, where the town hall—a beautiful building covered in tiles and surrounded by a brick wall—was located. There were still two or three pagodas and a beautiful bonzerie, all also covered in tiles and surrounded by walls.
Driven from the hill of Kim Son, the Van Than’s followers chose this place to establish their headquarters and fortified themselves there to avoid being surprised. Their cannons, placed on Non Troc, bombarded the parish and inflicted significant casualties. They now targeted the people more than the church and houses, loading their cannons with grapeshot. Each shot consisted of 80 or 100 bullets enclosed in a small rattan basket that burst upon discharge.
One day, Father Bruyère, hidden behind a thicket of bamboo, took a full load of this grapeshot. It was a veritable hail of bullets. At first, he thought he was doomed and instinctively passed his hand over himself, hardly believing that he was unharmed.
Poor Christians! If they survived this cruel siege, they certainly owe it to the very special protection of the Blessed Virgin. But let us continue, for the story is not yet over.
On the 16th, there were three battles: two in the small sandy plain to the north (the Van Than’s followers preferred this battlefield because it offered no obstacles to their retreat), and the third to the southeast, in front of the enclosure guarded by the first company. The Van Than’s followers bore a particular grudge against this division, which had inflicted so many losses on them. Mr. Pho, the leader who had fought against the Christians’ resistance in the early days, had so effectively communicated his bravery to his soldiers that they sometimes even pushed it to the point of recklessness. Since this team was the main support of the Christian cause, it was also the most exposed to the pagans’ fury. The Van Than’s followers left no stone unturned to overcome them. To burn the bamboo defenses, they transported a large quantity of straw to this side, behind which they hid their cannons and rifles. The elephant appeared again, but this time ridden by a bachelor.
Mr. Pho’s soldiers, hardened by so many battles, hardly feared this new attack and even laughed about it. One of them, perched in a bamboo thicket, taunted the enemy loudly: “Captain,” he said, “they are really numerous, but not very formidable; they all have long nails and the faces of opium smokers.” (It is a vanity of the Van Than’s followers to have long nails, sometimes seven to eight centimeters long). A gunshot, which fortunately missed him, was the enemy’s response, and the young man quickly descended. The fight did not last long, as the Christians rushed like lions at the Van Than’s followers, pursuing them far and taking their rifles and cannons. When they saw someone fleeing with a gun, they shouted: “Quickly, quickly, shoot the one carrying the gun!” The pagan, thinking he was already under attack, hastened to throw down his weapon to run faster.
On the 17th, the Van Than’s followers remained all around as usual, but did not approach to give battle.
On the 18th, there was only one skirmish, which lasted only a few minutes. One notable detail highlighted the Van Than’s followers’ inventive genius. Their greatest fear was the Christians’ intrepidity, as they would charge headlong, almost always forcing a retreat on the first impact. So, the Van Than’s followers sought a way to stop them, to entangle them by their long hair or clothing, and hold them almost immobile to pierce them with spears without fear of reprisal. They devised bundles of a thorny plant whose excessively sharp and hooked spines were impossible to escape once encountered.
These bundles, firmly attached to bamboo poles, were to be thrown over the Christians’ heads as they approached. Hooked in one way or another, the Christians would be arrested, held almost immobile, and easily speared. It was not a bad idea, but whether they devised it on their own or found it in Confucius’ ancient books, I wouldn’t dare say. When the Christians saw these bundles being carried like banners at the end of poles, they were quite surprised. Father Bruyère, observing them with his telescope, discovered the ruse. The battle was to be fought in nearly ripe rice fields on the southern side.
“Do not be afraid,” he told the Christians, “When these bundles fall into the rice, it will be impossible to lift them. Just avoid them the first time.”
The Christians, forewarned, avoided them skillfully, and the disappointed Van Than’s followers fled, leaving several of their own behind on the battlefield.
The passage effectively conveys a vivid account of the struggles and conflicts faced by the Christians during a siege. However, to enhance clarity and readability, I suggest some minor edits:
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Next two days, 19th and 20th, September there was no fighting. The ranks of Van Than’s followers were thinning little by little, more through desertions than through battlefield losses. It became necessary to seek reinforcements. Villages were once again requisitioned; all were required to provide men according to their resources and means. However, the fervor of the early days had significantly waned. The profession of arms held little appeal for these poor farmers, who were generally so peaceful, and they had no desire to compete with the Christians of Tra Kieu.
The Van Than’s followers, desperate, resolved to open the prisons and bring to Tra Kieu all the convicts they contained people condemned to death or hard labor, who, they believed, would have little regard for death. They were wrong, for these prisoners were less interested in fighting than in regaining their freedom, and they escaped at the first opportunity. Finally, the Van Than’s followers had to shave the prisoners’ heads and guard them very strictly. During the day, under numerous chiefs, they were led to defend the small hill of Non Troc; at night, they were brought back to the camp and held in iron chains.
Days passed, and the poor Christians saw no end to their woes. They had hoped that help would rush from Tourane, but it was the twentieth day of the siege, and no aid had arrived to break their chains. They felt abandoned to their sad fate. Time was running out, as famine, an enemy more terrible than the literati, was fast approaching. Father Bruyère had searched all the houses and nooks and crannies. He found only a few measures of rice, carefully preserved by the wealthiest to sow their fields the following season. Everything was pooled, but there was only enough food for two or three days. The Christians could no longer entertain any illusions; they had to break free or starve. Waiting any longer was as useless as it was dangerous; famine would soon sap their will to fight.
They resolved to attack the enemy the next day, trying to take Non Troc. They prepared by imploring the help of God and the protection of the Blessed Virgin. The task was fraught with difficulties; it would have been reckless if not imposed by necessity. They had to drive out the enemy not by surprise but by an open attack. Before reaching the foot of the hill, they had to force back the Van Than’s followers and reclaim several gardens that Father Bruyère had abandoned in the early days. The 1st, 3rd, and 4th teams were to begin the attack and push the enemy east and south. They achieved this without much difficulty, as the Van Than’s followers, not expecting an offensive, retreated in disorder behind their palisades.
The 1st team advanced to the south of the hill to make it accessible from the west. The 4th team made the same movement to the north, while the 3rd, walking in the middle, stood ready to support the most threatened side. Ten young men from the 4th team volunteered to climb the hill and overthrow the prisoners guarding it.
First, they hid behind a small pagoda at the bottom of the hill to the west to escape enemy fire. Then, spying a favorable moment, they ran halfway up the hill and took cover behind a large rock.
Meanwhile, below, the Van Than’s followers’ leaders urged their men to advance and prevent the Christians from taking the position. They tried to push the elephant forward, but it refused to move despite the mahout’s repeated blows.
Instead of advancing, the elephant retreated; the mahout then shouted to the leaders that the elephant, frightened by the sight of countless Christians descending the bamboo-lined slopes, refused to advance:
“See,” he said, “this legion of children descending along these bamboos. Better to flee; there are too many Christians.”
They heard these words clearly but saw nothing. Finally, one of the young men climbing the hill managed to fire a shot at those defending the summit. One of the leaders fell, and the others retreated. The Christians, seizing the opportunity, climbed and reached the summit, from where the Van Than’s followers fled in fear. It was a general rout; the Van Than’s followers around Tra Kieu fled, running 15 to 20 kilometers away, believing they were still being pursued by the Christians.
For once, Tra Kieu was unlocked; soon, the fire from the communal house, pagodas, and bonzerie spread terror all around. The pagans now began to fear revenge.
In the scholar’s camp, the Christians found three large cannons, a few rifles, and a considerable amount of powder and ammunition. Since they found very little rice, they suspected the Van Than’s followers had hidden their provisions at the top of the village. Without wasting time, they ran there and indeed found a large quantity of rice. The rest of the day was spent transporting everything to the parish.
That evening, with what joy and fervor did they not give thanks to God, to the Blessed Virgin, their tender mother, to whom they owed their salvation, and to the holy Angels who had deigned to join them in battle. Their hearts overflowed with joy, for instead of dying from famine or the enemy’s sword, they now saw their lives assured and their victory certain. The siege had lasted twenty-one days. The Christians lost fifteen men, and twenty-five were killed by bullets outside the fighting. As for the Van Than’s followers’ losses, it is difficult to estimate precisely, but without fear of being mistaken, we can affirm that their dead numbered more than three hundred.
The next day, the 22nd September, the Christians, pursuing their victory, chastised the surrounding villages known for their hostility. Nowhere did they encounter resistance; the pagans either submitted or hastened to flee.
Several villages came to ask for forgiveness for the forced assistance they had provided to the Van Than’s followers and promised not to separate their cause from that of the Christians. Father Bruyère was very lenient and forbade his people, under severe penalties, from harassing the pagans who had sincerely submitted.
As for the Van Than’s followers, they were far from admitting defeat. They regrouped at the citadel and spread proclamations everywhere, ordering new levies of troops and threatening all those who refused to follow them.
On the 23rd, they left the citadel early in the morning and headed towards Tra Kieu, carrying a large cannon and around forty shells. They had already passed Cho Cui, five kilometers from Tra Kieu, when a tremendous explosion was heard. Soon they learned that the French had seized the citadel after blowing up the gate with a dynamite cartridge. Abandoning their cannon, they fled after burying the shells in a nearby field. Father Bruyère, informed of what had happened in the village of Cho Cui, had these shells taken, but left the cannon there because it was too heavy.
From that day on, the Van Than’s followers did not reappear for quite a long time. They went to complain about the missionaries and the Christians, claiming to be victims of their attacks and trying to obtain through hypocrisy what they could not by force of arms. They might have succeeded without the intervention of Navy Lieutenant Colonel Touchard, frigate captain, and commander of the ship Le Hagon, who kindly postponed the disarmament of Father Maillard, ordered by the French authorities in Hue.
Believing the disarmament to be complete, the Van Than’s followers attacked Phu Thuong on October 18th, 1885 in considerable numbers, fighting this Christian community for three days. Without his weapons, Father Maillard would have undoubtedly perished along with his four thousand Christians. Fortunately, he was able to keep his arms and, thanks to them, managed to disperse the Van Than’s followers. Since then, he has not been seriously attacked.
However, the Van Than’s followers continue to regroup, organize, and take refuge in strategic locations. From there, they threaten the citadel, Tra Kieu, and Phu Thuong. Even Tourane is not safe from their incursions. Dispersed in small, untraceable bands, they terrorize the countryside, pillaging and burning villages that submit to them, spreading terror and anarchy everywhere.
During the three months I stayed in Quang Nam, sometimes in Phu Thuong, sometimes in Tra Kieu, not a day went by without the threat of an attack, especially at night. Parishioners who dared to stray even a little from their parish were captured and mercilessly massacred.
Finally, on 20th, April Tra Kieu was surrounded again around 2 o’clock in the morning. The attack did not last long; at daybreak, the Van Than’s followers were dispersed.
What is happening today in Quang Nam is also happening in Qui Nhon, where five thousand Christians are crowded around the French concession. They cannot travel two kilometers into the countryside without risking capture and massacre. My God! My God! When will our trials end?
Pray for us, and please continue to recommend us to the charity of the benefactors of the missions. Without that love redoubling its efforts, we risk disappearing before our hardships come to an end.
[1] Văn Thân – Van Than = scholar’s movement. Van Than’s followers, soldiers, (translator’s note)
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