Chapter V: Diaries of the Author and His Son From June 20 to End of Siege (2)

Four days ago a ragged, dirty foreigner, hatless and coatless, of general disreputable appearance, was captured by Tung Fu Hsiang’s men and brought to Jung Lu. He was of medium height, blonde mustache and beard, and spoke Chinese. (This referred to a Swede named Nestergaard, who, on some slight offense, left the legation and went over to the Chinese.) He said he went out to find food. Meanwhile Boxers assembled around Jung Lu’s house, and demanded the foreigner, but Jung Lu sent him off under guard to the yamen of the Shun Tien Fu for safe keeping.

A messenger sent out on July 4 to go to Tientsin with our letter returned to-day, bringing the following note from the British consul at Tientsin:

Your letter of July 4 received. There are now 24,000 troops landed and 10,000 here. General Gaselee expected at Taku to-morrow. Russian troops are at Peitsang. Tientsin city is under foreign government, and Boxer power here is exploded. There are plenty of troops on the way if you can keep yourselves in food. Almost all ladies have left Tientsin.

(Signed) W. R. CARLES.

Dated July 22.

(The letter of July 4 gave details of the siege up to that date, numbers of killed and wounded, and stated that Chinese troops had fired into the legation quarter continuously since June 20, and that we were hard pressed.)

This answer of the British consul aroused great indignation among all the besieged. It had been impossible up to that time to get any word from the outside world, though many messengers were sent out, and then when one did succeed in getting through the Chinese lines, to receive a letter (and that from an official, too) which gave no information of any attempt to relieve us!

Following is the story of the runner’s trip to Tientsin and back: Lin Wu Yuan, sixteen years old, a messenger, native of Shantung, living in Peking, arrived this morning, from Tientsin. He left Peking with letters on the night of July 4, disguised as a beggar. He was let down over the wall by a rope, crept along the moat to the Chien Men, slept under the gate, and in the morning walked to the Yungting Men, passed through, and went to Machiapu station without being molested.

Hearing nothing there, he went to Tungchow and worked his way along the main road to Tientsin. At a village near Hoshiwu he was stopped by the villagers and made to work eight days. He reached Tientsin July 18, first met Russian, then Japanese, and on July 21 met the British troops at Peiving Men, the entrance through the defense wall, half a mile from Tientsin city, on the Peking road.

He delivered his letters to a foreigner in citizen, dress, who spoke Chinese. On July 22 he was taken to the British consulate; there the consul gave him a letter. He was then sent to the foreign outpost at Hungchian (Red Bridge over the Paotingfu river, a half mile west of Tientsin city).

On July 23 he left Hungch’iao, and soon met the Chinese troops. That night he slept at Yangtsun in a locomotive boiler near the bridge. The bridge there was not destroyed. That day he saw only Chinese infantry, the main body of which was at Peitsang; he saw no Boxers. The night of July 24 he slept near Hoshiwu; saw few soldiers and no Boxers. The night of July 25 he slept at Mat’ou. That day he saw a few parties of Boxers in villages, but none on the road.

At Mat’ou and elsewhere he saw that the river was in high flood; few boats moving, but many moored to the banks. On July 26 had no adventures; he spent the night at Yuchiawei, twenty li from Peking.

Elsewhere in this work is presented a view of the top of this wall, indicating its great width. The view above shows its height and form. To the left is the encircling canal, with its stagnant water and accumulations of filth; under a corner of the wall near the bend of the canal may be seen a caravan. A block house or fortification is shown on top of the wall. At the right the larger building upon the top of the wall indicates where one of the city gates is placed. The foundation of the wall is of great blocks of hewn stone, above which are tiers of sun-dried brick.]

On July 27 he reached the Sha Kuo gate, the east gate of the south city, at 10 A.M. He found the roads good; telegraph poles and wire along the river all gone; railway torn up everywhere, rails buried, or used for making Boxer swords.

He was not stopped at the gate, though there were many Boxers and Tung Fu Hsiang’s men there. He made his way without trouble to the Hatamen, which he found closed, and to the water-gate, which was too closely guarded to pass by day. The man slept last night near the Chien Men, crawled along the moat, and entered the water-gate without challenge before daylight this morning.

He said the high road to Tientsin is in good condition. Crops everywhere look well. Villagers are attending to their farms, but there is a Boxer organization in every village. When he left Tientsin, the foreign troops had not advanced beyond the defense wall, San Ko Hin Sin’s “Folly,” built by that general against the British and French in 1860 but never defended (hence the name “folly”) surrounding Tientsin city at a distance of one-half to one mile. All the yamens in Tientsin are occupied by foreign troops, chiefly Japanese. All Boxers have left the front at Tientsin because badly punished in the battle, so the Chinese soldiers despise them. Chinese army was concentrating on Peitsang, eight miles northwest of Tientsin. The messenger had a dollar in his pocket when he met the foreign pickets at Tientsin, and they relieved him of it, “lest he might lose it”!

Colonel Shiba’s informant gives the following dates of battles:

Battle at Tsaitsun, July 24, 1 to 12 P.M.

Battle at Hoshiwu, July 25, 10 A.M. to 3 P.M.

Battle at Auping, July 26, 6 to 9 P.M.

Chinese troops retired to Mat’ou on the 27th inst.

July 29. Reports from various sources, etc.: Foreign troops advance on the 26th from Auping toward Mat’ou, from 3 A.M. to 12 A.M., and were driven back to Auping by the Chinese at daylight on the 27th.

Foreign troops of three nationalities at Auping. Chinese ammunition short; southern rice boats in the hand of the foreign army. Russian troops are advancing toward Kalgan (from a man from Changpingchou, eighteen miles south of the Great Wall).

July 29 P.M. Reported Yangtsun completely destroyed by foreign troops two or three days ago, and foreign army in steady advance. The Empress Dowager desires Tung Fu Hsiang and Jung Lu to send her with an army to Hsianfu, the capital of Shansi. They do not consent, and suggest Li Ping Heng to help conquer us. He is ordered up, has arrived, and is now attacking the Peit’ang. During the night a strong barricade was built on the north bridge; two hundred Boxers took up a position on it and commenced firing.

July 30, 10 A.M. The Chinese army messenger left Changchiawan at 8 o’clock yesterday evening. He reports desultory fighting from 3 A.M. to 8 P.M. yesterday. Many Chinese were killed. The foreign army advanced to Mat’ou yesterday at 8 A.M. Chinese retreated on Changchiawan. They have about 10,000 men. Three cannon have been taken from the Chien Men to the front. Fighting at Peit’ang is continued by Boxers. The firing from the north bridge is by a company of two hundred Boxers having only thirteen rifles. The Empress has three hundred carts and Tung Fu Hsiang one hundred, ready to start west; the date is a secret. Tung’s fourth son, with five hundred men, has reached Lianghsiang on the way west. (This news was brought in by a soldier of Tung Fu Hsiang’s body-guard, who brings us regularly the report of the army messenger.)

Same date, 7:30 P.M. Yesterday morning Mr. Sugi sent two outside coolies to Tungchow to inquire in regard to the foreign army, etc. They returned this evening. They report that men in Tungchow affirm that the foreign army had fought the Chinese yesterday just south of Mat’ou. They also report having seen a man from Chiachiatuan (eight miles east of Tungchow) who says foreign troops have come to relieve the Catholics there, and are distant but a mile or so from the intrenchments, letters having already been exchanged.

The Peking gates, except the Chihua Men and the Pingtzu Men, are ready to be closed, with stone and sand-bags at their sides. Many Boxers have been killed at the Peit’ang; twelve regiments of General Ma’s troops are to go to Changchiawan.

We have given each of these coolies a small letter to the commander of the troops and offered a reward for a return to-morrow night with an answer. The troops must be pretty near us, and we may hope to see them in two days.

July 31, 11 A.M. The regular Chinese army courier arrived from the field of battle this morning at 4:30. He reports, in the hearing of one of Tung Fu Hsiang’s body-guard, the same man who has brought us the reports of the movements of the foreign army from Yangtsun, the foreign army advanced from Mat’ou, fighting from 8 P.M. on the 29th, and arrived at Changchiawan at 5 P.M. yesterday. The Chinese army is five miles south of Tungchow.

August 1. The following letter received to-day by Colonel Shiba, dated Tientsin, the 26th ult.:

“Your letter of the 22d received. Departure of troops from Tientsin delayed by difficulties of transportation, but advance will be made in two or three days. Will write again as soon as estimated date of arrival at Peking is fixed.”

One might imagine this picture to illustrate a scene in Bible times, in Palestine or Egypt; but time does not make any changes in China; nothing changes there, save through the influence of outside aggression. Here is a caravan from the interior of Asia, halted outside the city wall for entrance in the morning. The burdens have been taken from the camels and the beasts have settled for rest.]

A somewhat mangled but authentic telegram has been received from London. The telegram is undated, but was sent off probably between the 21st and 24th ult. It refers to a letter written by the Japanese minister about June 29, and to a telegram from the United States minister, dated July 18, from which it may be inferred that the state of affairs here on the latter date was everywhere known. It also says that the Chinese troops, after severe fighting, were finally routed from Tientsin on the 15th ult., and that arrangements for our relief were being hastened. It further asks if the Chinese government is protecting us and supplying provisions, etc.!

Very few provisions have been sent in to-day. A desultory firing has been kept up all the time from the north bridge and the Mongol market. The messenger, who has been bringing in the previous rumors of the progress of the troops, said that they had been driven back from Changchiawan to Auping. As the letter from Tientsin has proved him an arrant liar, in future no more attention will be paid to his stories. It is a great disappointment, after being told that the relief were within two days of us, to hear that they have not yet started and have not yet fixed a date for starting.

The messenger’s story has been well arranged all along, and has agreed very well with the letter received by the Japanese minister on July 18. As we have had no later information (the British consul’s letter gave none) as to the movements of the army, we have believed just what the Chinaman told us, and as long as he was getting paid for it he would give us any kind of rumors.

August 2. Extracts from various letters received from Tientsin: Mr. E. B. Drew to Sir Robert Hart, July 28. “Yours of 21st wired home. Keep heart; aid coming early. Troops pouring in. Enemy is at Peits’ang. Japs and Russians in his front. Very little rain. Yangtzu valley agitated. Lu and Chang trying to keep order. Li Hung Chang at Shanghai; doubtful if he is coming to Chihli. Tientsin is governed by a joint foreign commission. Manchuria rising against foreigners. Russians, hands full there. Newchwang much disturbed. Germany and America each sending 15,000 men, Italy 5,000—Canton, west river. Ichang threatening. Earnestly hope rescue of you all.”

Mr. E. K. Lowry to Mrs. Lowry, July 30. “Bearer arrived last Friday evening, with news from Peking.... The 9th and 14th regiments, United States, already at Tientsin; 6th cavalry at Taku on its way up. There was fighting at Piets’ang this morning. Everything quiet here now. Word came to-day that the Boxers are killing Christians at Tsunhua, Shanhaikuan, and many other places. Russians and imperial troops have fought at Chinhau. Tientsin is full of foreign soldiers and more are coming all the time. Railroad open between here and Tangku. Many ladies and children were taken to the United States by the transport Logan. All property at Peitaiho has been destroyed”.

Some idea of the great quantities of tea produced, and of the method of packing, may be gathered from this picture.]

Consul Ragsdale to Mr. Conger, July 28. “Had lost all hope of ever seeing you again. Prospect now brighter. We had thirty days’ shelling here, nine days’ siege—thought that bad enough. Scarcely a house escaped damage. Excitement at home intense, of course. Our prayers and hope are for your speedy rescue. Advance of troops to-morrow probable.”

From J. S. Mallory, Lieutenant-colonel 41st U. S. Infantry. “A relief column of 10,000 is on the point of starting for Peking; more to follow. God grant they may be in time.”

Colonel Warren to Captain Myers. “Have been trying to reach you ever since June 21. Relieved the foreign settlement June 23. Seymour, June 24. Captured east arsenal June 26; captured west arsenal July 10; captured Tientsin city July 14. Will advance in two days. Column 10,000 strong,—English, American and Japanese; 40,000 more following in a few days. Hold on by all means. First column will support you and divert enemy from you. There will be eight regiments of United States infantry, three of cavalry and two batteries of artillery; also five hundred marines. Infantry will be in the first column. Enemy strongly intrenched seventeen miles north of here (Yangtsun), and at two points farther on.”

The Customs volunteers took up a new position on the Mongol market, on the southwest of the British legation.

August 3. Another message was received from the yamen requesting us to leave the legation and go to Tientsin. The Chinese are extremely anxious to get us out of Peking, as they think that with us out of the way the armies will have no particular reason to come to Peking and will be content to settle up matters at Tientsin.

August 4. A great deal of firing all night. Two Russians were wounded while building a barricade, one of whom died during the night.

August 6. A sharp fusillade at 1 A.M., otherwise a quiet day. The firing, which throughout the first few days after the truce amounted only to a few scattering shots, has come to be nearly as hot as before the truce, and attacks are being made again every night.

August 8. The ministers received an official message from the tsung-li-yamen saying: “By an imperial edict dated August 7, full power has been granted to Li Hung Chang to discuss and arrange all matters by telegraph with the foreign offices of all the powers.”

Colonel Shiba reported that a Chinese outside coolie came in to say that all the troops in Peking, with the exception of five battalions of Jung Lu’s, have been, or are going to be, dispatched in great haste to meet the foreign troops; he does not know where the latter are. He adds that another 50,000 foreign troops have been landed at Taku.

China’s greatest Viceroy]

August 9. Sniper firing all day from Tung Fu Hsiang’s troops, especially at the customs position in the Mongol market. The latter were several times silenced by volleys from the Nordenfeldt machine gun mounted on a parapet built against the west wall of the legation. No firing from Jung Lu’s troops at all.

August 10. Very heavy rifle-fire from all sides about 3 A.M. A messenger sent out to meet the troops returned, bringing a letter from General Gaselee, the British general in command, also one from General Fukushima. General Gaselee’s letter is dated south of Tsaitsun, August 8: “Strong forces of allies advancing. Twice defeated enemy. Keep up your spirits.”

The following letter from General Fukushima to Colonel Shiba was received: “Camp at Changchiang, two kilometers north of Nantsaitsun, August 8, 1900—Japanese and American troops defeated the enemy on the 5th instant near Pietsang, and occupied Yangtsun on the 6th. The allied forces, consisting of American, British, Russian, and Japanese, left Yangtsun this morning, and while marching north I received your letter at 8 A.M. at a village called Nantsaitsun. It is very gratifying to learn from you that the foreign community at Peking are holding on, and believe me it is the earnest and unanimous desire of the lieutenant-general and all of us to arrive at Peking as soon as possible, and deliver you from your perilous position. Unless some unforeseen event takes place, the allied forces will be at Hoshiwu on the 9th, Mat’ou on the 10th, Changchiawan on the 11th, Tungchow on the 12th and Peking on the 13th or 14th.”

The messenger who brought in the letter told the following story: On August 6 he went by way of Tungchow, finding there that his family had been murdered by the Boxers. On the 7th, he met boat-loads of wounded and defeated Chinese. At Tsaitsun he met the advance guard of the allies. The evening of the 8th he marched with the middle division to Chuanchang, six miles south of Hoshiwu. On the morning of Thursday, the 9th, he started with this division, which expected to reach Hoshiwu that evening, but left them and returned to Peking by the road to the west. The troops have but few Chinese servants. They have many pack animals, led mostly by Japs. He saw a small number of Russians and a body of several hundred mounted black (probably Bengal) lancers, who made fun and charged at him with their spears. He asked how long they would be before reaching Peking, and was told five or six days, as the Chinese were not stubbornly resisting, the allies merely having to drive them on ahead of them.

The following is an extract from a telegram received by Mr. Conger from the United States consul at Chefoo: “All communications north of this pass through this office. So far as known, excluding army and navy, no Americans have been killed, and there has been but little loss of property south of Tientsin. All trouble confined to Peking and Taku. The high officials are doing their best to keep order. Very large force of all nations at Taku.”

August 12. Heavy firing all day.

August 13. The whole force of the artillery possessed by us was brought to bear on the Chinese position in the Mongol market, as the Chinese seem to be making a last desperate attempt to kill us all before the arrival of the relief force, and it is expected that from that quarter will come the fiercest attack.

Same date, 4 P.M. The yamen sent word that if we would refrain from firing they would positively stop all volleys on their side. This was agreed to, and five hours later, though they had been shooting all day, they made the most terrific attack of the siege. This was kept up all night, the very violent attacks being renewed at intervals of about two hours.

* * * * *

At 4.30 in the morning, having been up all night under the hottest fire mortals ever endured, I had just dropped asleep, which even the heavy shots did not prevent, when I was awakened by the pop, pop, pop, at regular intervals of only the fraction of a second, of an automatic gun. As I knew the Chinese had no such gun in their forces, and as our own Colt’s gun was just outside the British legation gate to prevent a rush down the moat between the British legation and Lu Wang Fu, I instantly came to the conclusion that the final rush, which would end the drama and our lives, was being made.

Grasping my double-barreled shotgun, I rose from the floor, where I had just thrown myself down, and stepped outside in front of the legation chapel. As I did so I heard the thunder of heavy guns in the direction of the Tungchow gate. Then the situation was clear. The relief were outside the city engaging the Chinese troops, and the automatic gun was not ours, but theirs.

I dropped on my knees in the roadway and put up a few words of thanksgiving to Almighty God, and then, rising, called out the good news to those inside the houses, in excited tones. Oh, the sweetness of those sounds! Shall I ever forget how delightful to our ears? How anxious I felt when they ceased for a few moments, and how happy when they were resumed!

The Chinese attacking us heard them too, and for a while somewhat slackened their fire to listen; but only for a while, for they kept up a hot fire all day.

Poor Mitchell, the brave American gunner, was wounded in the night, having his arm broken by a bullet from the Mongol market attack, but he smiled a grim smile when the guns were heard outside, and remarked: “Oh, you can keep up your devilish racket now, but in a little while longer you will be silent enough!”

The two Oriental types, East Indian and the Chinese, are plainly shown in this picture. The policeman looms up almost like a giant in the midst of his Celestial neighbors.]

At about four o’clock the Americans on the wall saw men in foreign uniforms directly opposite them. While the Americans and Japanese had attacked the Tungchow stone road gate and the Pieu gate, the English had found the Shahkuo gate entirely open and unguarded, and had hastened, as directed by our notes of advice, to the water-gate, directly under the eastern extremity of the American position on the wall. The Sikhs came pouring up to the gate, which they soon smashed in, and then the hurrahs that rent the skies told those in the houses and in the hospital that the siege was over.

Just as the relief forces were pouring into the British legation, the first woman to be wounded during the siege, Mme. Cuillier, a French woman, was struck by a Mauser rifle bullet in the thigh and seriously, but not dangerously, wounded.

* * * * *

The following table shows the number of officers and men who were killed or wounded, and those who died of disease during the siege:

═══════════╤════════════╤════════════╤════════════╤═══════════════════╕
│ Number │ Killed or │ │ Casualties in │
│ of │ died of │ Wounded │ per cent │
│ │ wounds │ │ │
├────────┬───┼────────┬───┼────────┬───┼──────┬──────┬─────┤
│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │
Nationality│Officers│Men│Officers│Men│Officers│Men│Killed│Woun’d│Total│
───────────┼────────┼───┼────────┼───┼────────┼───┼──────┼──────┼─────┤
Am’can │ 3 │ 53│ │ 7│ 2 │ 8│ 12.5 │ 17.8 │ 30.3│
Aust’an │ 5 │ 30│ 1 │ 3│ 3 │ 8│ 11.4 │ 37.4 │ 42.8│
British │ 3 │ 79│ 1 │ 2│ 2 │ 18│ 3.7 │ 24.4 │ 28.1│
French │ 3 │ 45│ 2 │ 9│ │ 37│ 22.9 │ 77.1 │100.0│
German │ 1 │ 50│ │ 12│ │ 15│ 23.5 │ 31.4 │ 54.9│
Jap’nese │ 1 │ 24│ │ 5│ │ 21│ 20.0 │ 84.0 │104.0│
Russian │ 2 │ 79│ │ 4│ 1 │ 18│ 4.9 │ 23.9 │ 28.3│
Italian │ 1 │ 28│ │ 7│ 1 │ 11│ 24.1 │ 41.4 │ 65.5│
───────────┼────────┼───┼────────┼───┼────────┼───┼──────┼──────┼─────┤
Total │ 19 │388│ 4 │ 49│ 9 │126│ 13.1 │ 35.6 │ 48.7│
═══════════╧════════╧═══╧════════╧═══╧════════╧═══╧══════╧══════╧═════╛

════════════╤═════════════╤═════════════╤═════════════
│ Died of │Volunt’rs and│ Total
│ disease │ independents│
├────────┬────┼──────┬──────┼──────┬──────
Nationality │Officers│Men │Killed│Woun’d│Killed│Woun’d
────────────┼────────┼────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────
Am’can │ │ │ │ 1 │ 7 │ 11
Aust’an │ │ │ │ │ 4 │ 11
British │ │ │ 3 │ 6 │ 6 │ 26
French │ │ │ 2 │ 6 │ 13 │ 43
German │ │ │ 1(a) │ 1(b) │ 13 │ 16
Jap’nese │ │ │ 5(c) │ 8 │ 10 │ 29
Russian │ │2(d)│ 1 │ 1 │ 7 │ 20
Italian │ │ │ │ │ 7 │ 12
────────────┼────────┼────┼──────┼──────┼──────┼──────
Total │ │ 2 │ 12 │ 23 │ 67 │ 168
════════════╧════════╧════╧══════╧══════╧══════╧══════

a Baron Von Ketteler.

b Mr. Cordes.

c Includes Captain Anlo.

d Cossacks of the Legation.