Biography of Song Huaxuan
Song Huaxuan (?-1950) was born in Nanmianshui, Xinglongchang, Nanxiang, Zunyi County, Guizhou Province (now Xinglong Village, Longping Town, Bozhou District, Zunyi City). Originally from Weiyuan County, Sichuan, his father's name was Derong. He moved to Zunyi in the early years of Guangxu's reign in the Qing Dynasty. Song Huaxuan grew up in Nanmianshui. He has five brothers. He is ranked first in Ji. He is a man of pride and righteousness. He entered the green forest when he was young and later joined the army. During the Republic of China, he served as the brigade commander of the 4th Brigade of the 2nd Division of the 43rd Army of the Guizhou Army (Commander Li Shen), and the commander of the 3rd Independent Brigade of the 25th Army (Commander Wang Jialie). Another person said that he was the division commander. The designation of any division is unknown. . "Leading the troops to improve their morale and discipline will bring benefits wherever they go." (Yu Shengyu's "Song Derong Cemetery Epitaph").
After the Revolution of 1911 (1911), Guizhou entered an era of military warfare. In 1922, during the Xingyi Clan's military expedition, Yuan Zuming recruited Luo Chengsan, a famous green forest soldier in northern Guizhou, into the 9th Regiment of the Guizhou Army, with Luo Chengsan serving as the regiment commander. Stationed in Songkan, Tongzi, and guarding the tunnels, he benefited from the salt tax on Qi'an, and his power grew rapidly. Song Huaxuan served as company commander in the 9th Regiment Yang Qichang Battalion.
In April 1923, Zhou Xicheng was killed in a firefight with Luo Chengsan in Zunyi, and Luo died. At that time, Yang Qichang was guarding Songkan, and Song Huaxuan was guarding Jiupan (in today's Qijiang territory). Song Huaxuan, Cao Tianquan and Wang Jialie fought in Jiupan and were defeated. They followed Yang Qichang to Sichuan and surrendered to Yuan Zuming. The 7th Brigade of the Guizhou Army (brigade commander He Houguang) was reorganized into the 4th Column, with Song Huaxuan as the column captain and subordinate to Commander Zhang Tingguang. Stationed in Shuicheng in 1924. In April 1925, he and Liu Shuhuai's 17th Regiment of the 9th Brigade were stationed in Pingba, and were soon transferred to Maha (today's Majiang County). In 1926, he followed Zhang Tingguang (Commander of the Hunan-Guizhou Border Region) on the Northern Expedition to Hunan.
On January 30, 1927, Yuan Zuming, the leader of the Northern Expedition of the Guizhou Army, was killed in Changde by his generals commanded by Tang Shengzhi. The Guizhou Army stationed in Northern Hunan was leaderless and each was looking for a way out. Song Huaxuan followed Zhang Tingguang to the 43rd Army of Li Shen (alias Xiaoyan) stationed in western Hubei, and served as the commander of the 6th Regiment of the 2nd Division of the 43rd Army (division commander Zhang Tingguang), and was later promoted to the commander of the 4th Brigade.
In 1928, Li Xiaoyan led the 43rd Army back to Guizhou to compete with Zhou Xicheng's 25th Army for Qian Province. On September 10, he came to Laifeng, Hubei to swear an oath to attack Zhou Xicheng. In October, Li Xiaoyan gathered the main 1st and 2nd divisions to capture Songtao via Xiushan in Sichuan. On November 19, he besieged Tongren, which was guarded by Wang Jialie. The siege lasted for more than ten days and could not be captured for a long time. Zhou army reinforcements arrived, and Li Xiaoyan was forced to withdraw from Tongren. On December 2, Li Xiaoyan led Song Huaxuan's 6th Regiment and Xiong Zhanyuan's 5th Regiment, the main forces of the 2nd Division, to retreat from Hakka Village. On the same day, the Zhou army captured Zhaiying. On the 3rd, Li Xiaoyan ordered Song Huaxuan and Xiong Zhanyuan to lead troops to counterattack Zhaiying, severely damaging the Zhou army and occupying Zhaiying again. On the 4th, they were defeated again by Luo Jianxiong's troops of the Zhou army, and Zhai Ying was lost again. From the 6th to the 8th, Song Huaxuan led the 6th Regiment and the 4th Regiment and the Division Independent Battalion led by Deputy Division Commander Zhang Qi once again besieged Tongren. They once invaded the city but failed in the end. On the night of the 11th, Zhang Tingguang commanded Song Huaxuan and others to sneak attack Zhou Xi's Chengchuan Dongchang camp, but was repulsed by the Zhou army. After a series of battles in eastern Guizhou, Li Xiaoyan was defeated and retreated to Gongtan in Youyang, Sichuan, and Zhou Xicheng returned to Guiyang in triumph. In January 1929, Li Xiaoyan personally led Zhang Tingguang, Song Huaxuan, Xiang Maozhang and other officials and 3,000 elite soldiers to take a shortcut and long-distance attack on Guiyang, but was blocked by Zhou Army Liao Huaizhong's troops in Guiding. Li Xiaoyan oversaw the battle and was wounded and retreated. He passed through southwestern Guizhou and entered Yunnan to receive protection from Longyun's Yunnan Army. In March, the coalition forces of Li Xiaoyan and Long Yun captured Guizhou. In May, Zhou Xicheng died in battle on the back of Ji Gong in Zhenning, and Li Xiaoyan took over Guiyang and became the provincial chairman. At this time, civil strife broke out in Dian Province, and Long Yun led his army back to Dian. Li Xiaoyan was immediately defeated by Tongzi's Mao Guangxiang, Wang Jialie, and You Guocai. There is a folk song: "In the 18th year of the Republic of China, there were 18 rounds of the Han Ban, and the 18th son of the chairman only sat for 18 days."
After this battle (the specific time is unknown) Song Huaxuan voted for Wang Jialie and served as 25 Commander of the 3rd Independent Brigade of the Army.
In 1932, internal strife broke out in the Guizhou army, and Wang Jialie and Jiang Zaizhen went to war. In March, Wang Jiali Lieutenant Liao Huaizhong was the commander-in-chief of the former enemy. He led the 25th Army Guard Brigade and the Song Huaxuan Independent Third Brigade to march north to conquer Jiang Zaizhen and occupy Zunyi. On April 30, Jiang Zaizhen gained support from Liu Xiang, the Sichuan army, for reoccupying Zunyi.
In early May, the Wang Army attacked Zunyi again. Liao Huaizhong defeated Zunyi, and Song Huaxuan led the independent third brigade to capture Meitan. On May 12, more than 2,000 men from the 4th Brigade of Yang Jiafeng of the Jiang Army, plus two battalions of Huang Shouying, counterattacked Meitan. After three days of fierce fighting, Song Huaxuan was defeated and retreated to Maoping Mountain. This internal strife ended up with the various factions of the Guizhou army having to reconcile and stop fighting.
In 1934, Song Huaxuan served as the commander of the 25th Military Direct Independent Third Brigade and the commander of the 18th Regiment, stationed in Luohu (now Luodian County). In February, Sun Wenguang, the county magistrate of Changzhai County (today's Changshun County was formed from the merger of Changzhai and Guangshun counties) colluded with the bandit Lu Yunqi, and caused harm to the local area. Song Huaxuan sent company commander Liu Boxun to capture him and shoot him, and the place was peaceful. In March, Song Huaxuan was transferred to Yinjiang County. The Dejiang Chaodi Shen soldiers besieged Yinjiang and Song Huaxuan was defeated.
In May of the same year, He Longhong's 3rd Army entered Guizhou, and various units of the Guizhou Army fought with the Red Army in counties in eastern Guizhou. On September 28, five regiments of the Guizhou Army (including Song Huaxuan) came out from the Yinjiang River, occupied the highlands of Laozhai and Yankouping, and launched a fierce attack on the Red Army. The 7th Red Division crossed the Muhuang River and occupied Jiangjun Mountain, while the 9th Red Division took a detour to occupy Guanyin Mountain and Sunset Field to counterattack the Guizhou Army. It was severely damaged by the Guizhou Army, with more than 400 casualties, and was forced to move. On October 8, the Red Army attacked Yanhe County from Xiaojing and Shuitianba. On the same day, Song Huaxuan led the 16th Regiment (leader Cao Yongxing) and the 17th Regiment (leader Huang Jianhou) of the Independent 3rd Brigade to Yinjiang. Li Chengzhang commanded the 16th Regiment to attack the Red Army, and Song Huaxuan commanded the 17th Regiment to station in Dejiang to respond. On October 28, Bai Huizhang of the Guizhou Army led Song Huaxuan, Li Chengzhang and other troops to fight against Xiao Kehong's 6th Army in the Shiliang River area. The 2nd and 6th Red Army moved to eastern Guizhou, could not gain a firm foothold, and fought elsewhere.
In December of the same year, Song Huaxuan was transferred to guard Taigong (today's Taijiang County). In that month, the Central Red Army entered Guizhou. On the 20th, Taigong County was captured by the Red Army, and Song Huaxuan moved to Shi Bing. On the 25th, the Red Army attacked Shi Bing but was repelled by Song Huaxuan's troops. On the 26th, the Red Army increased its troops and gathered the 2nd Red Division and the 15th Red Division to besiege Shi Bing again. Song Huaxuan was defeated, Shi Bing fell and retreated to Yuqing. On the 29th, Yang Dezhi led the 1st Red Regiment to attack Yuqing. The city was broken and Song Huaxuan was defeated.
In January 1935, the Central Red Army occupied Zunyi and soon moved to Chishui. In February, they turned back from Chishui and attacked Zunyi via Tongzi. Liu Heming's 6th Regiment of the Bai Huizhang Division of the Guizhou Army was guarding Loushanguan, and the situation was critical. Song Huaxuan led the 10th Regiment out of Banqiao to reinforce Liu Regiment's right wing at Niuwangtun, Xiaoqing and other places. Fighting with the Red Army Deng Guoqing's 11th Regiment at Black Temple, Xiaoqing, and Guanyin Pavilion. On the 26th, Song Huaxuan was guarding Dianjin Mountain on the right side of Loushanguan Pass. He hurriedly deployed his formation, but was attacked by the 13th Red Regiment and fell. Subsequently, reinforcements were obtained from two companies of Hu Jiwen Battalion of Liu Regiment. Song Huaxuan organized a supervising team to supervise and force the soldiers to counterattack three times fiercely, but they were all repelled by the 12th Red Regiment. The Song regiment lost two battalion commanders and many officers and soldiers below. Then the 3rd Red Army Corps launched a fierce attack on the Song and Liu regiments guarding Xiaoqing and the pass. Song Huaxuan's regiment was defeated first, Loushanguan fell, and Song Huaxuan led the remaining troops to retreat eastward. Subsequently, Zunyi City was also captured by the Red Army. The various units of the Guizhou Army retreated in the direction of Dagu Xinchang (today's Jinsha County). On March 14, the Guizhou Army organized two regiments, Song Huaxuan and Zhou Xiangkui, to counterattack the Red Army from Panshui. Song Huaxuan led his team to block the Red Army's retreat. On the 15th, they were defeated by the 13th Red Regiment and the 10th Red Regiment. Song Huaxuan was injured during this battle.
In April, after the Red Army left Guizhou, Wang Jialie organized the Guizhou Army in western Guizhou, and Bai Huizhang still served as the commander of the 2nd Division (Note: Later, the 2nd Division was reorganized by Chiang Kai-shek into the National Revolutionary Army 102 division). Song Huaxuan's 10th Regiment had too few soldiers, so its designation was revoked, and the remaining soldiers were added to the regiments of the 2nd Division. Song Huaxuan left the army due to an injury and returned to his fields, living in Zunyi.
Not long after he settled in Zunyi, Song Huaxuan was elected by Brother Pao as the most numerous "Yizi" general hall master because of his great influence in the local area. Zhang Zhiqing (formerly the staff director of the 34th Brigade, Wuchuan County magistrate.) as deputy. Together with Zhang Zhaokui, the uncle of Rentang, Conan Ting, the uncle of Litang, and Zhang Shaoan, the uncle of Zhitang, they lead the Zunyi Pao Gehui. He also had close contacts with local celebrities Yu Jiefan (also known as Shengyu, president of Zunyi Chamber of Commerce) and others. Taking advantage of the majority of businessmen in the "Yizitang" brothers, they colluded with the Salt Bureau to monopolize the salt market in northern Guizhou and obtain huge profits.
December 1945. In the election of the Zunyi County Senate, Song Huaxuan participated in the preparatory meeting of the County Senate as a local gentleman and was subsequently elected as the county senator. In November 1946, due to factional struggles, the newly elected chairman and deputy speaker Mou Lin were unable to carry out their work normally and were forced to resign and the Senate was re-elected. Song Huaxuan used his influence in Sixiang and Zhang Zhaokui used his influence in the city to help Yu (Yu Jiefan) send Liu Zhaoji and Hu Zichun to be successfully elected as the Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
In 1947, Liu Jianqun, an important member of the Kuomintang, returned to Zunyi to participate in the legislative election and made a special trip to visit Song Huaxuan. Liu Jianqun learned that Song Huaxuan had a high prestige in the four townships of Zunyi, and was worried that Song Huaxuan would support his opponent Wu Jianping in the same constituency (Wu once served as the district commander of the Zunwu Division, and Song Huaxuan is a son and daughter), so he visited his house and asked him to help him in the election. Song Huaxuan made the decision not to help each other and stayed at home for more than two months. Although the two sides do not help each other, it is actually beneficial to Liu Jianqun. Liu Jianqun deeply admired Song Huaxuan's "bright attitude and crisp words" and described his appearance: "He is very strong, and his words are short and powerful." (Liu Jianqun mentioned this in his article "Recalling the Election and Thinking of Hometown".)
In July 1949, Guizhou Provincial Security Commander Han Wenhuan went to Zunyi to organize the implementation of the "anti-Japanese contingency plan". In October, Zunyi County established the Anti-Japanese Mobilization Committee, with County Magistrate Shen Linshu as the director, Senate President Liu Zhaoji as the deputy director, and Song Huaxuan, Zhang Zhaokui and others as members. On November 1, Zunyi County's "Urban Anti-Suppression Headquarters" was established, with Zhang Zhaokui as the commander, Song Huaxuan as the deputy commander, and the team members were composed of brothers Pao Ge. On the 19th, Lu Jie, the puppet commissioner of Zunyi, fled to Renhuai. The defense of Zunyi City was taken care of by Zhang Zhaokui and Song Huaxuan's "Anti-Suppression Headquarters". Due to the situation, Zhang Zhaokui and Song Huaxuan accepted the leadership of the underground party of the Communist Party of China in Zunyi and were responsible for protecting Zunyi City from the retreating Kuomintang troops and maintaining local order.
In February 1950, Song Huaxuan followed the Kuomintang Chiang Kai-shek and set up a registration station at home under the instructions of Bai Huizhang and Jiang Pixu (named Zaizhen) in accordance with the earlier "contingency plan". Registered members of the Kuomintang and the Three Youth League, and organized with Zhang Zhiqing, Yu Mingzhe and others to establish the "Zunyi Branch of the Chinese Kuomintang Anti-Japanese National Salvation Association". Contact the reactionary remnants in urban and rural areas to carry out anti-new regime activities. He was arrested on September 16 and sentenced to death in public trial and execution on December 5, ending his life of green forest, military service, state leader, and businessman.
(The information collected is limited, and errors and omissions are inevitable. I hope those with knowledge of the matter will correct me and add to it, especially the descendants of the Song family who have read this article. Please forgive me if there is any inconsistency with the facts.)
Mou Zhijun wrote in Xinglongchang
April 2020