February 10, 1626 · Liaodong corridor (modern Liaoning) Theater
February 10, 1626
Yuan Chonghuan, a brilliant Ming general, organized the defense of the fortress of Ningyuan using recently acquired European-designed cannon (hongyi pao — 'red-haired barbarian cannon' from the Portuguese). When Nurhaci's Manchu host attacked in January 1626, the cannon tore devastating holes in the charging bannermen. Nurhaci, who had never suffered a significant defeat in his forty-year career, was forced to withdraw. He died eight months later, possibly from wounds sustained during the siege.
Commanders