第二次鴉片戰(zhàn)爭時期的第二次大沽口之戰(zhàn)，是最值得紀念的戰(zhàn)斗。咸豐八年六月 (1858年7月),為了加強天津至海口的戰(zhàn)備，清政府派科爾沁親王僧格林沁率師督辦?？诜绖?wù)，派禮部尚書瑞麟為直隸總督，協(xié)同重修大沽炮臺。在大沽口除重建了原來的5座炮臺外，又在北岸增建了1座石頭縫炮臺；并大力加強了雙港至?？谝痪€的戰(zhàn)備設(shè)施；恢復(fù)了水師營建制，定額兵士3000名。還從外地增調(diào)軍隊，加強新河、北塘一線的駐守兵力。大沽口防線得以加強。
咸豐九年二月 (1859年3月),新任英、法公使拒絕與清欽差桂良在上海進行《天津條約》的換約談判，堅持要 “入都換約” ,決定再犯大沽口，“不惜用武力來打開白河的大門”。美國公使也乘機北上，入京換約。
五月 (6月),英公使普魯斯、法公使布爾布隆、美公使華約翰各率艦隊由上海北犯。五月十七日 (6月17日),3國艦隊22艘，士兵2000多人，到達大沽口外。英、法兩國不理會清政府讓其由北塘登陸入京的要求，堅持要走大沽口水陸入京換約。并從五月二十日 (6月20日)起，連續(xù)向大沽口防線挑釁。駛過攔江沙，撞斷鐵索，拔出鐵戧，蓄意挑起戰(zhàn)爭。五月十七日聯(lián)軍艦隊駛抵大沽口外時，清政府便嚴飭炮臺守軍，不得輕啟戰(zhàn)端；所以在敵艦猖狂挑釁面前，大沽各炮臺一直穩(wěn)忍靜伺，沒有開炮還擊。
五月二十五日 (6月25日)下午2時30分，英、法聯(lián)軍的8艘軍艦，駛近內(nèi)河向炮臺開炮轟擊。蓄怒已久的炮臺守軍，突然撤掉炮簾開炮還擊。在新建炮臺群和各營壘大小炮位的環(huán)轟疊擊下，入侵敵艦不斷被擊沉擊傷，大沽口兩岸人民也奮起參加戰(zhàn)斗，冒死運送給養(yǎng)。下午5時，敵艦隊被迫向外海撤退； 但隨之又派出10多艘舢板船，滿載士兵1000余人，在南岸強行登陸。當時正值退潮，登陸敵兵陷入泥濘之中，紛紛被守軍火炮擊斃。天明時敵軍棄下100余具尸體，狼狽逃回船上。
經(jīng)過一晝夜的戰(zhàn)斗，打死、打傷敵人470多名；俘獲英、美士兵各1人；英艦隊司令賀布被擊重傷；美軍達底拿幫助英軍指揮，其坐船被打碎，也倉皇逃命； 法軍也有傷亡，其司令也被擊傷。此役擊沉敵艦4艘，擊傷多艘。清軍僅陣亡32人； 直隸提督史榮椿、大沽協(xié)副將龍汝元犧牲；守備奇車布等也陣亡。
這次大沽口保衛(wèi)戰(zhàn)的勝利，譜寫了中國近代反帝史上輝煌的一頁，也是中國近代史上反侵略戰(zhàn)爭的唯一的一次勝仗，使大沽炮臺的聲名遠播海內(nèi)外。

·1859年6月25日，大沽炮臺守軍抵抗英法侵略軍

The second Dagu battle during the second Opium Warwas the one most memorable. In July 1858 (the eighthyear of Emperor Xianfeng),the Qing Government sentPrince Sengge Renchin to supervise the defence at theDagu Emplacement. Rui Li,the Minister of the Board ofRites,was appointed as the Governor-General of Zhili toassist Sengge Renchin to rebuild the Dagu Emplacement.Besides the former five cannon emplacements,a newone was built in the north. The defence line fromShuanggang to Dagu was reinforced. The navy battalionwas rebuilt with fixed soldiers of 3,000. New armieswere relocated from other places and stationed fromXinhe to Beitang. The Dagu defense line was reinforced.
In March 1859,the new ambassadors of UK andFrance refused to negotiate in Shanghai with Gui Liang,the imperial envoy of the Qing Dynasty. They insistedon the treaty exchange in Beijing and decided to attackthe Dagu Emplacement once again. The US ambassadoralso supported the idea.
In June,the British ambassador Bruce,Frenchambassador Bourboulo and American ambassador Johnled respective fleets marching northward from Shanghai.On June 17,there were 22 warships with 2,000 soldierson board arriving at the Dagu Emplacement. The QingDynasty required them to enter Beijing by way ofBeitang,but UK and France paid no attention to thesuggestion and insisted on the entrance by land and seaof the Dagu Emplacement to Beijing. The Qing Dynastyordered the stationed troops maintain idle to avoidenkindling war. From June 20,the enemies intended toprovoke war before the Dagu line. To initiate the war,they rolled by the bank sand and knocked down the ironchain. The army at Dagu Emplacement remained silentinstead of fighting back because of the order.
At 14:30 on May 25,eight warships of UK andFrench allied fleets sailed to freshwater and fired shells.The angry defending troops removed the cannon curtainsabruptly and fought back. With the reinforced fire of thenewly-built cannon emplacement,many of the warshipsof the invaders were sunk or damaged. The residentsaround the Dagu Emplacement also arouse to fightand risked their lives to carry provisions. At 17:00,theenemies had to retreat to open-sea. Soon they dispatchedanother 10 barges carrying 1,000 soldiers to land thesouthern bank. The ebbing began. The soldiers werestuck in the mud and killed by the fire of the cannons.At dawn,the enemies ran for their lives to the warships,leaving 100 bodies behind.
During the one-day and one-night battle,theChinese army killed and injured 470 enemies andcaptured one UK and one US soldiers. The UK admiralHope was severely hurt. The US commander Tattnallran in a flurry because his warship was sunk. A Frenchadmiral was also injured and felt sorry for his casualties.A total of 13 warships got sunk or were badly destroyed;while only 32 Qing soldiers died,including ShiRongchun,Governor-General of Zhili; Long Ruyuan,Deputy General of Dagu Emplacement; and Qi Chebu,Head of the Garrison.
The victory of Dagu Emplacement Defence isa glorious one in China`s modern history against theinvasion of the imperialists. It was the sole victory of thewars against invasion in China`s modern history,whichmade the Dagu Emplacement famous worldwide.