Coup de grâce Coup de grâce A coup de grâce (; French for "blow of mercy") is a death blow to end the suffering of a severely wounded person or animal. It may be a mercy killing of civilians or soldiers, friends or enemies, with or without the sufferer's consent. Examples of "coup de grâce" include shooting the heart or head (typically the back of the skull) of a wounded, but still living, person during an execution or by humanely killing a suffering, mortally wounded soldier, in war, for whom medical aid is not available. In pre-firearms eras the wounded were finished with
Battle of the Barrier Forts quickly captured the first enemy fort, then used its 53 guns to attack and capture the second fort. When taking the second position, the Chinese launched several counterattacks with some 3,000 Qing Army soldiers from Canton. In a few more days of intense combat until November24, the U.S. force, with help from the blockade, pushed back the attacking Chinese army, killing and wounding dozens of the attackers, capturing two more forts and spiking 176 enemy guns. Chinese casualties were an estimated 250 to 500 killed or wounded. The Americans land forces sustained seven killed and 22 wounded. USS "Levant" suffered