Private John Moyse of The Buffs refusing to bow
Private John Moyse, The 3rd (East Kent, The Buffs) Regiment of Foot refuses to bow down before Sengge Rinchen (1811-1865) (or Senggelinqin or Tsan-koo-lin-sin) during The Second Opium War (1856-1860). Moyse was captured by Tartar cavalry at the Taku Forts on 12 August 1860 and after refusing to kow-tow (bow) to the Mandarin was executed. His defiant action was later immortalised by Sir Francis Hastings Doyle in his poem A Private of the Buffs'. The cause of his refusal has been a subject of much dispute. The popular story was that it was on the grounds that it would disgrace his country. However, it has been surmised that Moyse, who had a history of insubordination, refused out of personal pride and stubbornness. When the prisoners were released a week later, their tale of Moyse's bravery spread through the army
