Early life and military career

Liu was born into a poor family of farmers at Hefei, Anhui Province, China. His father died when Liu was 11 years old. At age 18, Liu joined a local gang of bandits in the mountains, and at 20 he took part in the early Nien Rebellion. At 23 he changed his mind and joined the Huai Army, beginning his loyalty to the Qing Empire.

In 1859 (Xianfeng 9th Year), during the Taiping Rebellion, he built his hometown's army, encouraged people to join, and suppressed several rebellions of the Taiping Army. In 1861 (Xianfeng 11th Year), he led about 500 men to join Li Hongzhang's Huai Army. He was made the head of Ming Camp (銘字營), and went with Li to Shanghai to aid Charles George Gordon's army in defeating the Taiping Army. There he learned the use of Western firearms. In 1864 Huai Army commander Li Hongzhang and vice commander Liu attacked Changzhou to recover the city. Major General Liu was promoted to Colonel General and appointed to defend the capital at Beijing.

The Qing government promoted him to be the local provincial head. He followed Zeng Guofan to suppress the bandits around Anhui and Hupei. The bandits were suppressed after four years, and he was promoted to Baron First Class. Apart from providing occasional support to the military, he then resigned from his position due to illness.

Sino-French War

In 1884, the Qing government triggered the Sino-French war over the possession of Vietnam. That same year, Liu arrived in Taiwan as Imperial Inspector Minister on Military Affairs. He planned and supervised the construction of forts at Courbet Harbor, An-Ling Tun, Tsien Tung, and others.

In June 1884, Liu was appointed imperial commissioner for the defense of Taiwan against a threatened French invasion. On 5 August 1884 Rear Admiral Sébastien Lespès destroyed three Chinese shore batteries in the port of Keelung in northern Formosa by naval bombardment. The French put a landing force ashore to occupy Keelung and the nearby coal mines at Pei-tao (Pa-tou), but on 6 August were counterattacked by a strong Chinese force under Liu Mingchuan's command and forced to re-embark.

Liu's leadership over the Huai Army enabled the Chinese to match up against the French forces in combat.

The French returned to northern Formosa in October 1884. On 1 October, 1,800 French marine infantry went ashore at Keelung and captured the town, supported by naval gunfire from French ships in the harbour. Liu Mingchuan attempted to defend Keelung with a Chinese division of 2,000 troops, but was forced to retreat. Anticipating that the French would follow up their success with a landing at Tamsui, he left half of his force in strong defensive positions around Lok-tao (六堵), astride the road to Tamsui, and retreated to Taipei with the rest on 3 October. It was rumoured that he intended to flee south to Tek-cham (modern-day Hsinchu), and his arrival in Taipei was greeted with rioting. Several of his bodyguards were killed and he himself was arrested and held for several days in the city's Lungshan temple.

Meanwhile, after an ineffective naval bombardment on 2 October, Admiral Lespès attacked the Chinese defences at Tamsui with 600 sailors from the Far East squadron's landing companies on 8 October, and was decisively repulsed by forces under the command of General Sun Kaihua, a veteran Xiang Army officer. French casualties in the battle of Tamsui were light, but as a result of this reversal French control over Formosa was limited to the town of Keelung. This achievement fell far short of what had been hoped for, and condemned the French to a long and frustrating campaign around Keelung.

Governor of Taiwan

By a decision of the Qing court, Taiwan Province was declared an independent province in 1887. Liu Mingchuan did not see the creation of a separate province on Taiwan as a priority; rather, he emphasized the urgency of upgrading the defense industry in Taiwan and having a naval unit stationed in the ports around the island. Having never gotten full support from China's Imperial court and the navy presence he wanted, Liu is instead remembered for his efforts to lay the foundation of modern infrastructure in Taiwan as its first provincial governor. He continued and enlarged Shen Baozhen's ideals for managing Taiwan, and started a massive modernization programme that included setting up defenses, developing transportation, taxation, farming, public security, commercial enterprises, financial affairs, and education. Construction works including telegram, railway, army machinery, telegram schools, Western schools, and modern forts, in addition to purchasing modern artillery and rifles.

Liu promoted a series of Western-style architectural developments, including the headquarters of Taiwan』s Telegraphy (辦理臺灣水路電報總局, 1892), Taipei Machinery Car Repair Factory (臺北機關車修理廠), an iron bridge, Western Supervising Dormitory (洋監督宿舍), and Western School (西學堂, 1890). In 1886 (Guangxu 12th Year), under the support of German military engineer Max E. Hecht, he built nine modern Western-style forts, including Keelung Sheliao Fort (基隆社寮砲臺), Uhrshawan Battery, Hobe Fort, Daping Mountain Fort (旗後大平山炮台, destroyed), Penghu West Castle Fort (湖西大城北砲臺), Penghu West-Islet Fort (西嶼砲臺), Penghu Mazu Fort (金龜頭砲臺), and Anping Fort.

Under Liu's auspices, a 28.6 km railroad connecting the cities of Keelung and Taipei (see Taiwan Railways Administration) became the earliest railroad system of China when it came into operation with nine Europe-made steam locomotives in 1891. An undersea telegraph line between Tamsui and Foochow was laid during his tenure. He sponsored the exploitation of coal using new technologies in northern Taiwan and the creation of a modern postal service. Liu's governance saw China's earliest nighttime electrical illumination when the walled prefecture city of Taipei was lightened up with street lamps in 1887. However, those lights would be turned off after the initial trial period due to a lack of operating funds.

Despite that these projects were limited in scope and scale, they were carried out against strong opposition and plagued with financial difficulties. Unassisted by the Qing court, the governor resorted to a series of radical means of funding his projects. These included forcefully seizing control of some areas traditional inhabited by aboriginal tribes in the northern part of the island province and imposing a land census on the island's landowning class to expand camphor and tea production and increase tax revenues. Some of the repercussions of these measures would work to suffocate Liu's plans for Taiwan and his political career. On 6 October 1888 a mob of land-owning farmers and militia revolted (施九緞事件) in Changhua County, attacking Qing officials led by Li Jiatang (李嘉棠), a county magistrate who had threatened to use capital punishment when carrying out the land census.

A longtime animosity between the Xiang and the Huai Armies is believed to be another factor in Liu's eventual political frustration. Liu Ao (劉璈), a Xiang Army veteran officer and Superintendent of Military Affairs in Taiwan (臺灣兵備道), was Liu Mingchuan's arch opponent when he took office. Although Liu Mingchuan succeeded in purging Liu Ao from his jurisdiction by accusing the latter of various misdeeds, which led to the latter's exile as a guarded prisoner to Heilongjiang in 1885, the governor himself was never free from targeted attacks as a representative figure of the Huai faction in the government and as an important associate of Li Hongzhang.

Resignation and death

In June 1891 (Guangxu 17th Year), Liu Mingchuan resigned his post as governor of Taiwan due to health reasons at the age of 56, and returned to his hometown in Anhui. Most of the modernization projects initiated by Liu came to a halt shortly after his resignation and were never restarted throughout the rest of the Qing reign over the island. This has led to speculation that Liu's resignation was actually due to political opposition in the Qing court to his work. Whether or not this is true, the policy reversal adopted by Liu's successors—affiliated with the Huai faction or not—illustrates the financial difficulties China's early modernizers faced while the empire's fiscal resources were spent on the creation of the Beiyang Fleet and the renovation of the Summer Palace.

After leaving Taiwan, Liu Mingchuan received no further official commissions and in 1895, Taiwan was ceded to Japan by the Treaty of Shimonoseki. Liu died in his hometown of Hefei in 1896 (Guangxu 21st Year), and was given the title of Grand Protector of the Crowned Prince (太子太保) and the posthumous name Chuang Tsu (壯粛). Permission was granted to build a temple and have his biography written.

Before his death, he had mentioned Taiwan, looking to the East, where Taiwan lay. He cried: "Blue sky! Give me back Taiwan!", in sorrow for the victory of Japan over China and the colonisation of Taiwan by Japan.

生平

早年經歷

1836年9月7日，劉銘傳出生于安徽肥西縣劉老圩一個世代耕織務農的農家，因排行第六、臉上有麻點，人稱劉六麻子。劉銘傳字省三，自號大潛山人，父親是鹽梟，他在15歲時也投入販運私鹽的行列。

1859年，劉銘傳（24歲）募集地方壯丁組成「銘軍」對抗太平天國。1862年（同治元年）二月，李鴻章受曾國藩指派，前往家鄉合肥招募淮軍。劉銘傳同張樹珊、潘鼎新、吳長慶等各領本部團練投奔。曾國藩對這批新募淮勇極為重視，所有器械糧餉的供應悉仿湘軍，手訂營制，親到校場檢閱，命劉銘傳充任「銘字營」營官。他因無如湘軍對儒家傳統的朿縛，加上鹽梟的冒險、開拓性格，所以能以積極接受西方的新觀念。「銘字營」中多為劉家子弟，劉銘傳在營中職務最高，輩份也最高，其骨幹將領皆為劉家子弟和劉銘傳辦團練中結納的「同里敢戰之士」，他們絕對服從劉銘傳的指揮，成了劉銘傳起家的重要幫手。

四月，劉銘傳率領「銘字營」和張樹聲的「樹字營」等淮軍一起，從安慶乘坐外國商船馳往上海駐防。五月二十日劉銘傳率部與太平軍初次接戰，先後佔領杭頭和新場兩地，直迫南匯城下。此時，南匯太平軍守將吳建瀛和劉玉林發生動搖，通過當地團練頭目前來乞和。

因吳建瀛還有所猶豫，劉銘傳一面派部將前往劉玉林處聯絡勸降，一面與潘鼎新率部進逼城下，劉玉林乘機挾持吳建瀛出城投降。吳建瀛是安徽人，部下士卒也多是皖北籍，劉銘傳以鄉情、高官厚祿相引誘，將吳部駐南匯太平軍1萬多人中老弱裁剪淘汰，收編為8營，大大擴充了自己的實力。

五月三十一日，劉又率部擊退從川沙方向來攻的太平軍，於第二天乘勝攻佔川沙。劉銘傳因此升遊擊，並獲賞頂戴花翎。

連戰連捷

淮軍在上海站穩腳跟後，隨即奉命進兵蘇南。劉銘傳與潘鼎新、張樹珊等率3000淮軍，由水路直撲福山。登岸後，驕兵輕進，在同觀山與太平軍遭遇激戰，被打潰。後來，在清朝雇傭軍組成的洋槍隊援助下奪下福山。劉銘傳升「以總兵補用」，不久擔任江蘇狼山鎮守使。隨後，劉率部同其他淮軍一起，連占太倉、崑山，攻下江陰縣城。劉銘傳又被升為記名提督。十二月，劉銘傳乘機向無錫太平軍發起進攻，經過一天巷戰，俘守將黃子隆、黃德懋父子以下 2 萬多人，被清廷「加恩賞頭品頂戴」。

1862年（同治二年）十二月，劉銘傳奉命率部參加合圍常州的戰役，由於城內太平軍「頑強抵抗，寸土必爭」，劉銘傳等部淮軍數次進攻均被打退，傷亡慘重，經過4個多月激戰，才攻下常州這座孤城。淮軍入城後，瘋狂屠殺了護王陳坤書以下太平軍將士近萬人，劉因功被賞穿黃馬褂。攻下常州、蘇州以後，淮軍實力大為擴展，劉銘傳部已獨立成軍。轄有左、中、右3軍，每軍6營，共18營，另有炮營1營，加上親兵營及幕僚人員，銘部擁有9000多人，洋槍4000多支，成為淮軍中的勁旅。

1863年（同治三年）七月十九日攻陷天京（今江蘇南京），清軍統帥曾國荃縱兵屠城、姦淫擄掠，三日夜火光不息，殺十餘萬；忠王李秀成率眾突圍不成，自殿後被俘遇害，尊王劉慶漢死戰護幼主洪天貴福至安徽廣德投奔幹王洪仁玕，後又被堵王黃文金迎往浙江湖州，不久復回廣德。劉銘傳奉令跟蹤追擊，連陷湖州、廣德，堵王黃文金重傷而死。洪仁玕、黃文英與洪天貴福輾轉逃至江西石城被捕，先後被巡撫沈葆楨當眾凌遲逾千刀殉難。14歲的幼天王成為人類史上凌遲死刑紀錄中最年幼者，劉銘傳亦因此戰功被清廷補授直隸提督。年僅28歲的劉銘傳，一步步登上清朝軍隊的最高軍階，成為當時淮軍將領中任軍職最高的人。

鎮壓捻亂

與僧軍殘部衝突

1864年（同治四年），曾國藩督師剿捻軍，劉銘傳奉令率軍由廣德北上。時清將蒙古親王僧格林沁正率精銳騎兵尾隨捻軍左奔右突，疲於奔命。銘軍秉承曾國藩、李鴻章旨意，保存實力，駐六安、霍山一帶按兵不動。。劉銘傳淮軍與僧格林沁軍隊互相輕視，互相彼此不支援。僧格林沁部 1.1萬多人馬在高樓寨之戰被捻軍全殲，僧格林沁斃命。

僧格林沁戰歿半個月內，時任直隸提督的劉銘傳率其親兵銘軍攻下捻軍高樓寨，即僧格林沁戰死之地。僧格林沁舊部總兵陳國瑞在參與高樓寨之戰後倖存，誓言要為僧報仇，然先率僧殘兵解嘉祥之圍，沒料到劉銘傳先率銘軍占領該地，因而大為不悅，雙方互相衝突廝殺，死傷甚重，甚至劉銘傳還軟禁陳國瑞。後山東巡撫丁寶楨出面調停。曾國藩事後調查發現雙方均有過失。因此支開兩軍，調劉銘傳進軍安徽北部，調陳國瑞進軍河南。 清廷聞訊震怒，嚴旨申飭曾國藩，給劉銘傳以革職留任的處分。

平定西捻軍

十一月，劉銘傳尾追捻軍，沖過周家口，強渡沙河，在宏濟橋與捻軍賴文光、任化邦、牛洛紅等遭遇，銘軍憑藉洋炮隊火力，殺傷捻軍甚眾，於次年三月攻下黃陂縣城，劉銘傳因此官復原職。九月，捻軍賴文光部與張宗禹部衝破曾國藩的沙河防線，進軍河南中牟，分為東、西捻軍。曾國藩河防戰略失敗，引咎辭職，清廷令李鴻章接任。李鴻章趁機擴充淮軍，由4萬人擴展到7萬人，銘軍馬營增加尤為迅速，在淮軍28個馬營7000多匹戰馬中，約有13營3500多匹隸屬銘軍。銘軍負責追剿東捻軍，歷時三載，最後在楊州瓦窯鋪將東捻軍戰敗。清廷授予劉銘傳三等輕車都尉世職，賞給白玉柄小刀等物品。劉銘傳以封賞太少，告積勞成疾不能坐騎為由，請假回鄉養病。在東捻軍垂危之際，西捻軍聞訊馳援，直逼天津。清廷驚恐，嚴旨不停催促劉銘傳率軍護衛。劉銘傳向李鴻章獻計，將西捻軍引到黃河、運河、徒駭河之間的狹長地帶，銘軍在西捻軍被圍後與之決戰，致西捻軍全軍覆沒。劉銘傳以收平西捻軍的全功而晉爵一等男。

失意閒居

隨後赴陝甘，配合左宗棠鎮壓回民叛亂。至陝甘後，劉銘傳頭傷後遺症復發，加之李鴻章保薦出任陝西巡撫未成，以「腦痛欲裂」為由，奏准獲假 3 個月回原籍（安徽合肥）休養。此時銘軍已有 2 萬人馬，劉銘傳推薦甘肅提督曹克忠統領。劉回家不久，銘軍武毅右營士兵因不服曹克忠管理而發生嘩變。因此，劉銘傳以薦舉非人而受革職處分。劉銘傳心灰意冷，退志更堅，即在家鄉大興土木，修建莊園，修成合肥西鄉的劉老圩和六安麻埠的劉新圩。

重啟重任恪守台灣

1883年12月（光緒九年十一月）法國軍隊進攻駐紮在越南紅河三角洲東京（越南稱「北圻」）的清軍並佔領了該地，中法戰爭爆發。初期清軍戰敗，於1884年（光緒十年）5月間由直隸總督李鴻章代表清廷與法國議和，在天津簽訂《中法會議簡明條款》，清朝承認法國對越南的保護權，並約明「將所駐北圻各防營即行調回邊界」。6月23日，法軍要求清軍撤離未果，發生軍事衝突。7月下旬，兩江總督曾國荃代表清廷與法國談判失敗，雙方重啟戰端。

清廷早先已探知法軍有意佔領基隆煤礦，故已加強台灣防務。8月16日（六月廿六日），清廷重新啟用劉銘傳，命令其以「巡撫銜督辦臺灣軍務」。9月9日（七月廿日），劉銘傳抵達臺北府就任。10月29日（九月十日），補授「福建巡撫」。

劉銘傳抵臺後積極整備岸防，主張亂世用重典，並表示「將在外，君命有所不受」，漸使當地軍民心悅誠服，萬眾一心，並得仕紳林維源、秀才丘逢甲協助。

法軍進軍雞籠

1884年8月4日，法軍遠東艦隊司令孤拔逼近雞籠（今基隆市），並派一副官登岸談判，要求守軍於翌日上午八時以前將所有炮臺交出，但守軍置之不理。翌日，法軍船艦在副司令利比士指揮下齊向當地砲台猛烈開火，並摧毀守軍數處炮壘及營房，基隆沒有腹地可以防守，將防守重點轉移到北部山區與滬尾，法軍遂登陸佔領雞籠港，將港內各種設施和砲台進行破壞。6 日下午，法軍陸戰隊向基隆市街搜索前進，並攻擊獅球嶺（今中山高速公路起點大業隧道與中興隧道之上）。守軍在劉銘傳親自統率下奮勇從各個方向進行反擊，逐漸縮小包圍圈。經過幾小時的激戰，法軍傷亡 100 餘人，狼狽逃回軍艦。

法軍侵犯基隆首戰失敗，於是又向清政府提出新的和議條件，清廷再次拒絕。此時，法艦已有預謀地集中于福州馬江，乘清軍將吏相信「和談大有進步」、絲毫不作準備之際，於 23 日下午發動突然襲擊，把福建水師所有戰艦全部擊沉，然後砲轟馬尾造船廠和馬江沿岸各砲台。從此，法軍就牢牢地掌握了臺灣海峽的制海權，得以隨心所欲地全力侵臺。

於是，孤拔艦隊得以再犯基隆，守軍奮勇抵抗約兩小時，傷亡百餘人，最後被迫後撤。法軍乘勢登陸進攻，基隆港灣及周圍陣地盡失，基隆市區終於淪陷。但法軍佔領了基隆後，因不習於陸戰，進攻獅球嶺時，一進叢林，便失去了統一指揮，只得各自為戰，花了四個月的時間，卻始終無法攻越獅球嶺，一名法軍軍官在他的日記中說：「獅球嶺拖住了我們四千兵力，目前除了基隆，所有的資源都在清國一方，如果遇到任何一名台灣原住民，也必定是清軍的游擊隊。」

法軍進軍滬尾

這時，法軍在海軍將領利士比的指揮下，也正在進攻滬尾（今新北市淡水區）。劉銘傳在得到大批法軍猛攻滬尾，滬尾不斷告急要求增援的消息後，考慮到臺北府城是統帥部所在地，軍資餉械集中於此，不可稍有疏虞。為保臺北，地理形勢上滬尾門戶防禦性非常低，法軍幾乎可從淡水河河口直驅大稻埕（當時臺北最繁華的物資集散地，今臺北市大同區迪化街一帶），而基隆有獅球嶺天然屏障，法軍難以越過，劉銘傳認為滬尾重於基隆，於是決定撤軍棄守基隆，移師滬尾。因戰況緊急，等不及告知朝廷軍機處裁決，先斬後奏棄守基隆，在班師之前，劉銘傳惟恐基隆煤礦落入法軍之手，下令破壞全部採掘煤礦機具，同時炸毀礦井（今八斗子清國井），並燒掉所有開採出來儲存的燃煤，作為必要防範措施。

利士比以戰艦七艘轟擊滬尾市街和各處據點，然後登陸，分幾路前進。湘軍孫開華等部的用兵之下，預先埋伏在各處的清軍從北、東、南三個方向奮起截殺，銳不可當。在短兵相戰中，守軍充分發揮自己的優勢展開近戰，而法軍卻潰不成軍，傷亡累累。到最後，法軍彈藥已罄，全線崩潰，只得奔向海灘，逃回艦上。在這場戰鬥中，法方自認死27名，傷49名；劉銘傳在給朝廷的奏摺中說：「我軍陣亡哨官三員，死傷兵勇百餘人，法軍被斬首二十五級，槍殺三百餘人。此外又俘獲法兵十四名，梟首示眾。」通過這次戰役，法國人不得不承認：「淡水的敗戰突然發生，它一方面使我們看出中國兵力的強大，一方面使我們明白局勢的危險。這次敗戰是難以補救的。」自此以後，法國艦隊撤往澎湖，加之基隆疫病流行，終使法軍放棄台灣，只能輪流在淡水河口對這個海港實施封鎖，法軍侵臺的計畫就此宣告破滅。

擔任臺灣建省後首任巡撫

中法戰爭落幕後，清廷於1885年決定在臺灣建省，劉銘傳便成為其首任巡撫；擔任巡撫的劉銘傳表示建設臺灣的重要性：

然而在改制的過渡期間，巡撫劉銘傳與原任按察使銜分巡臺灣兵備道（臺灣道），即臺灣的實際統治者劉璈（湘軍出身）之間權責歸屬不明，加之保臺戰功之爭深化兩人間的派系矛盾，終於演變成二劉間的政爭。撫道之爭雖以劉璈獲罪被流放告終，但過程中涉及冒功、誣告。

劉銘傳對臺灣建設的規劃，原以軍事為先，除希望在島上建立戰時可以自給的軍工產業外，同時對清廷亟陳在臺灣建立海軍力量的迫切性；但受限於財政條件，只能先從興利的近代化實業及增加稅收兩處著手。除建設多處砲台、兵工廠等現代化軍備外，他延續了沈葆禎的治臺理念，展開大規模的近代化措施，包括推動撫墾、開辦新式學堂、擴充行政區劃、設最初的臺灣鐵路、福州和滬尾（今新北市淡水區）間的海底電纜，辦理電報、煤務、郵務……等，

劉銘傳為確實推動山地行政及管理臺灣原住民，成立臺灣撫墾局，並設立「撫墾總局」於大嵙崁，其下再設八個地區撫墾局。此外，亦於台北設番學堂，贈與衣食、教算術、漢文、官話、臺語及儒家起居禮儀，行土蕃漢化教育。但在「撫番」期間，劉銘傳也同時對敵對的番人部落進行武力征討，造成部分土番部落被殲滅，或是被迫逃離原本的活動領域，往深山遷徙。劉銘傳並將漢人移往番人撤離的區域居住，導致漢番關係的緊張不斷。知名文學家胡適之父，曾任臺東直隸州知州的胡傳，曾對劉銘傳的「開山撫番」留下如此嚴厲的評語：

1885年（光緒十一年），劉銘傳推動於臺北大稻埕六館街設立「西學堂」，是臺灣第一個新式學堂，學習科目包含英文、法文、史地、理化、算數與測繪等。另外為培養實業人才，也於1886年（光緒十二年）在大稻埕建昌街設立「電報學堂」。

1887年10月3日（光緒十三年八月十七日），劉銘傳與兼署福建巡撫的閩浙總督楊昌濬會奏〈臺灣郡縣添改撤裁〉摺，重新規劃臺灣的行政區劃。其中關於省城之事，則參照之前的福建巡撫岑毓英之提議，於原彰化縣橋孜圖（橋仔頭）一地興建省城。10月24日（九月初八）奉准，於是臺灣的行政區劃正式改為三府、三廳、十一縣、一直隸州。

1887年（光緒十三年），劉銘傳奏請興建台灣鐵路，清廷准許自籌工款後即前往南洋招商，同年4月於台北大稻埕開工，臺北車站亦座落於大稻埕。1887年5月20日成立「全台鐵路商務總局」。開工初期最先興建的是由基隆港口經台北到新竹。同年大稻埕跨越淡水河之木橋竣工，是今台北大橋之前身。7月18日，台北（大稻埕）至錫口（松山）通車。1891年（光緒十七年）10月基隆到台北通車，然通車前劉銘傳即已去職。

此外，他還先後添購輪船八艘，遠航南洋；鼓勵農民種茶、棉、桑等經濟作物、養蠶並拓展水利灌溉設施；清丈全省田賦；設官銀局，造銀幣每年數十萬兩；引進發電機與電燈等。然而在推行上述新政的過程中，臺省財政負擔大增，規劃或經營不善、官員貪污等問題一一浮現，甚而引發了民間的反抗，其中以1888年彰化縣就因清賦問題而爆發以有力鄉紳施九緞的叛亂最具代表性，結果只有少數新政項目得以持續推展。

1890年（光緒十六年）10月5日，軍機處以劉銘傳在煤礦招商過程中的缺失，提交吏部要求革職處分，但獲裁示革職留任。1891年（光緒十七年）1月7日，劉銘傳呈請辭官。5月30日正式收到諭令。6月4日（四月廿八日）交接去職。

告老還鄉

1891年劉銘傳告老還鄉，臺撫一職先由布政使沈應奎署理，再由原湖南巡撫邵友濂接任。總結劉銘傳駐臺六年，始終未能建立游弋臺海的海軍艦隊，而他為開拓財源而興辦的近代化實業，其深度、廣度也有限，未竟全功；但仍開啟了臺灣官辦近代化建設的先聲，是清治二百十餘年間治理最為積極的一段時期。

1896年初，劉銘傳在家病逝，身前著述有《劉壯肅公奏議》及《大潛山房詩稿》刊行問世。

劉銘傳的骨灰由于種種原因一直沒有安葬，而是被放置在其後人的家中。2008年10月23日，劉銘傳墓園的建設項目在安徽省肥西縣正式動土。2011年4月12日，劉銘傳遺骨於大潛山安葬。

影響

命名紀念

為了紀念劉銘傳在臺灣的建設，以其名命名的事物包括：

• 臺北市市政大樓12樓簡報室命名為「劉銘傳廳」

• 臺北市士林區銘傳大學

• 臺北市大安區銘傳國民小學

• 基隆市仁愛區銘傳國民中學

• 基隆市的「劉銘傳路」（在仁愛區愛七路、愛九路間）等。

• 臺灣鐵路管理局也曾在1950年代初，將縱貫線北上2次對號特快車命名為「銘傳號」

• 1945年3月重慶國民政府通過之《臺灣接管計劃綱要地方政制》中，基隆郡（基隆市前身）曾一度改制為「省三縣」，為該地方政制的30個縣之一。「省三」為清代臺灣首任巡撫劉銘傳之別號，也是為了紀念劉銘傳在此經營，並於西仔反戰役中，收復該區域。

軍艦

• 中華民國海軍2014年起向美國採購之派里級巡防艦，為成功級巡防艦9號艦銘傳號PFG-1112是一艘以劉銘傳來命名的軍艦

電視劇

以劉銘傳其人其事為本的藝文創作，出現在若干通俗電視劇中，包括：

註釋