from the middle of 1861, định's gò công guerrillas focused on three objectives: to disrupt the newly created french bureaucracy, to disrupt their military outposts and to disrupt the transport of rice to cholon, the main commercial hub of southern vietnam. the first major attack against the french administration in the area targeted the gò công district office on june 22, 1861. at 05:00, 600 rebels under the command of do dinh thoai stormed the military post in the town, engaging the french troops in hand-to-hand combat with lances, bayonets, knives and bamboo sticks. the french were surprised by the attack, losing one soldier and having 100 wounded. by the time reinforcements and naval cover had arrived from mỹ tho, định's men had fled. thoai—who had been the district chief until the french invasion—was among the 14 killed.