ABSTRACT
Zeng Guofan's hometown of Xiangxiang was to the southwest of Changsha. The Heaven and Earth Society in southern Hunan had in fact risen in rebellion any number of times, and thus there were experienced rebels to be found there. The fact that their uprisings had never spread and were usually frustrated midstream was due to organizational weaknesses and a lack of strict military discipline. With such a stronghold, the Taipings would rest their troops, refurbish supplies, and raise more troops. It became known as the Expanded Hunan Army, because they were building up their military forces in the southern part of Hunan. Southern Hunan had once been a site of powerful Heaven and Earth Society influence, and there were people affiliated with Heaven and Earth Society organizations among the Taipings, as represented by Luo Dagang. Some fifty thousand men had already responded to the call and joined the movement.
