Firing in the direction of Tientsin--The Pei-tsang fight--Under
heavy fire--Captain Jellicoe mortally wounded--Four hours’ hard
fighting--Tientsin hard pressed--Hampered by wounded--Short of
ammunition and food--A Chinese feint--The Allies in a trap--The
storming of a fort and arsenal--An unsuccessful attempt to open
communication with Tientsin--The Chinese gallantly endeavour to
recapture their lost position--Captain McCalla--The death of Captain
Beyts.
The anxiety of those in command of the Relief Expedition was not
lessened by the fact that for the last two days constant firing had
been heard in the direction of Tientsin, particularly early in the
morning and in the afternoon.
On June 21, shortly after the Allies had started on the march, the
Imperial troops were seen to convey their guns to the village of
Pei-tsang, which is intersected by the road to Tientsin. Then, at a
quarter-past eight in the morning, a mass of Nieh’s cavalry came into
action, while the Chinese from Pei-tsang began to shell the position
of the Allies. The enemy had apparently measured the range beforehand,
and made very good practice, especially when firing at the junks, which
were easy targets. The Chinese fire was the most severe to which the
expedition had so far been subjected, and the behaviour of all the men
alike, whether British, Russian, Japanese, Italian, French, German or
Austrian, was admirable in every possible way. The 9-pounder guns
were placed in position, and kept up an accurate fire on the enemy. An
advance was made on the village under the rattling fire of the Maxims
from the _Endymion_ and the American 3-inch gun, using shrapnel. The
enemy was driven away, and retired to the next village of Pei-tsang
proper, a short distance off, where the Chinese had made trenches,
which they held with dogged resolution.
[Sidenote: DOGGED RESOLUTION]
[Illustration: DEAD BOXERS AND SOLDIERS]
In the advance, while the Russians and Germans were marching at the
extreme left on the opposite bank of the stream, the Allies were
exposed to a heavy fire. Unhappily the brave Flag-Captain Jellicoe,
of the _Centurion_, was mortally wounded, while Lieut. Bamber, two
midshipmen, and ten men sustained more or less serious injuries. It
took the Allies four hours’ hard fighting to enter the village of
Pei-tsang, the ground having to be conquered inch by inch. The Chinese
were in the meantime heavily shelling the Allies as they passed through
the village, and as, with one or two exceptions, they used smokeless
powder, our gunners could not succeed in placing and silencing the
enemy’s field pieces. When darkness began to set in, the actual
fighting ceased, but firing continued spasmodically from the Chinese
all through the evening.
Hampered by the many wounded, depressed at the news that Tientsin
settlement was hard pressed and unable to despatch help; with
ammunition running short, and the enemy getting more formidable every
hour; tired and hungry, the Allies left camp soon after twelve, under
cover of the night.
June 22.--Matters went fairly well until sunrise, when several volleys
were fired at the expedition by the Chinese from the left bank of the
Pei-ho. This was no doubt an expedient on their part to mask their
actual position, and the Allies, who had been unable to carry on a
successful system of scouting, walked unawares into a trap laid by the
enemy. The advance guard and main body of the expedition marched gaily
into the ambush, and were suddenly confronted by a deadly rifle and
artillery fire from four guns.
Two parties, one of German marines, the other British, crossed the
river almost simultaneously to occupy a position commanding the
Chinese forts, and at half-past six a bayonet charge, led by Major
Johnstone, was made upon the fort which had fired on the Allies. The
marines and their leader showed great pluck in carrying the fort and
seizing five most excellent modern guns, with plenty of ammunition. The
Chinese soldiers, who had fought quite well under cover, fled at the
approach of the marines, and at close range made no kind of stand. With
considerable smartness the British and German marines turned the newly
acquired guns upon the retreating enemy, and inflicted much damage on
them.
[Sidenote: RESOLUTE FIGHTING]
In the Arsenal were found quantities of Mauser and Mannlicher rifles
and Winchester carbines, with masses of ammunition of German, American,
and Chinese manufacture.
An endeavour was made to open the line of communication with Tientsin
by sending a force of 120 marines, under Captains Beyts and Doig,
guided by Currie, the Allies in the meantime holding the forts, which
afforded good protection, and in which there was ample ammunition to
make an effective defence against attack. The small party started in
the morning.
The Chinese, 6000 strong, returned early in the afternoon, and made
a fierce attempt to recapture the position which they had lost in
the morning. They rushed the forts and Arsenal with astounding and
unexpected determination, and poured a heavy shell-fire into the forts
with their artillery--one well-manned gun, in particular, mounted on
the railway line, only a mile off, causing the Allies much discomfort
and some damage.
After two hours’ resolute and really business-like fighting, the
Chinese, who had made several gallant rushes to recapture the forts,
were repulsed, routed, and hotly pursued. The Allies, who killed many,
set on fire the neighbouring villages, which might have afforded
protection to the enemy.
Much comment was, as usual, aroused among critics at home by the
exaggerated report that in this engagement the Allies had killed the
Chinese wounded “wholesale.” Some of the wounded were, in fact,
killed, but only in cases of absolute necessity. For instance, men,
seemingly dead, suddenly rose treacherously to stab officers and men
from behind, and naturally had to be shot in self-defence.
Among the many wounded on the Allied side was the American Captain
McCalla, of the _Newark_. Captain Bucholtz, of the _Kaiserin Augusta_,
was killed.
From sunset to sunrise nothing happened, but with the first rays of
light the Chinese opened a well-directed fire on the forts. Along the
defences of the Allies men were constantly falling. During the night
the party that had started for Tientsin returned, having met with
severe opposition from Boxers and troops in overwhelming numbers.
Captain Beyts, to whose gallantry no sufficient tribute can be paid,
and three men, had been killed, while two others were wounded.