Early life

When the Battle of Nanjing (1853) began, Zhang accepted a SOS order from Nanjing, he and his 15,000 men were the first troops to arrive and save Nanjing.

Nickname

Zhang Guoliang was nicknamed Big head sheep (goose) as a member of the Tiandihui gang and was a bandit with Luo Dagang (羅大綱). He was said to have the habit of hiding a dagger in his boot.

Recovery of Zhenjiang

In 1856, Zhang GuoLiang led his army in the recovery of Zhenjiang, which had been occupied by Taiping for five years. The Emperor rewarded Zhang with the Imperial yellow jacket and promoted him to First Class Senior General.

Death

In April 1860, Zhang was defeated and led his remaining 20,000 soldiers in retreat to Danyang. He left the city on horseback and drowned while trying to escape. His body was not found immediately; it was eventually buried in the Nanjing Pantheon.

Awards

• Royal BATURU (Manchu:the Brave) in 1853

• Imperial yellow jacket in 1857

• Baron Yiyong of the First Class, Order of succession (勇毅一等男爵, 世襲)