A heavy attack on the Station--Chinese daring--A joint
movement of British and Russians--A gallant attempt to seize
two Chinese guns--Captain Beattie’s bravery--To the relief
of Tientsin--A stubborn resistance--Held in check--Mutilated
Americans--Casualties--Tientsin relieved--The force landed--Unfounded
statements--At Taku--Captain Warrender and the transport
arrangements--A protocol on board the _Rossia_--Captain Wise in
control at Tongku--Captain Bayly in command in Tientsin--The Admirals
and the Shanghai Consuls.
Another armed train was being got ready to start on the 18th, with 600
Russians and one 6-pounder. There was a heavy attack upon the Station,
which was held by the Russians, and it was not till 3 +P.M.+ that an
advance from it was possible. The Chinese, who were eventually driven
back, had showed great daring, forcing their way under the trucks, and
holding their own with surprising tenacity. The French took part in
this operation, but were at first unable to cope with the enemy, and
had to retire till reinforced.
The Allies lost three killed and twenty-two wounded.
In the forenoon of Tuesday, the 19th, the British went across the river
in a joint movement with the Russians.
Captain Beattie of the _Barfleur_ and 200 bluejackets made a gallant
attempt to seize two Chinese guns which had been placed at the two
white houses, where the mud wall is crossed by the railway to Tongku.
These guns did no end of damage to the Settlement. The British, with
their plucky leader, got ahead of the Russians, and reached within
a short distance of the Chinese guns, when they were met by a most
appalling cross-fire which forced them to retire; but on the arrival
of reinforcements the position was triumphantly carried, and the enemy
with their guns driven back.
[Sidenote: A BRAVE LEADER]
[Illustration: TIENTSIN RAILWAY STATION SHELLED]
Captain Beattie, although twice wounded, continued with great bravery
to lead his men to the last, but the day cost the British five officers
and thirteen men wounded. Among them, besides Captain Beattie, were
Lieutenant Sterling, Midshipman Donaldson (since dead), Lieutenant
Wright of the _Orlando_, and Lieutenant Powell.
On the 20th the Chinese amused themselves by throwing shells into the
Settlement and sniping across the river. Their firing was unpleasantly
accurate.
June 21.--Heavy shelling and sniping all day, otherwise very quiet.
While the Settlement was intermittently shelled, several large
detachments left Taku, on the 22nd, to relieve Tientsin. They pushed on
by rail as far as possible, nearly half-way, and then marched on foot,
the British and Americans on the right, the Russians and Germans to the
left.
On nearing Tientsin they met with a stubborn resistance from the
Chinese, and the Russians and Germans, who tried to force their way
with great determination, lost heavily. One company alone had ten
killed and twenty wounded, including Lieutenant Friedrich. The Allies
were held in check the whole night, being exposed to a well-directed
fire from the yet uncaptured arsenal, north-east of the Settlement.
Two Americans who were killed were shockingly mutilated by the Chinese,
and an American gun was captured. In a future chapter will be seen how
the Chinese soldiers were specially rewarded for this by the Viceroy of
Tientsin.
The killed and wounded of the Allies amounted to 224. Whether because
the Chinese had concentrated their forces on the east in order to
impede the advance of a relieving force, or for some other reason,
the Settlement was fairly quiet on the 23rd. There was practically no
shelling, and very little sniping.
The force reached the Settlement in the morning, and relieved Tientsin.
The British contingent, 570 strong, consisted of bluejackets and
marines, under Commander Cradock, and Royal Welsh Fusiliers, under
Major F. Morris. Seventy men were sent in two companies to occupy the
Chinese College, but on arriving there found it in flames, and the
force returned to barracks. This event practically marked the relief of
Tientsin Foreign Settlement, but the Chinese troops and Boxers remained
in possession of their walled native city and forts, whence they
continued to shell the European Concessions.
[Sidenote: UNFOUNDED STATEMENTS]
The force which had been landed was: Americans, 335; Austrians, 26;
British, 570; French, 421; Germans, 1340; Italians, 138; Japanese Naval
Brigade, 602; troops, 1050; Russian Naval Brigade, 235, troops, 3500.
Two thousand one hundred more Japanese and one French battalion of
infantry, with one battery of artillery, were expected to arrive at
Taku on the 25th and 26th.
The Russians had previously to this landed about 4000 men in all, and
Germany 1300.
It is a great satisfaction to be able to denounce as unfounded the
statements constantly circulated that friction and jealousy were
rampant among the various Admirals and Commanders of the Allies. There
existed absolutely nothing of the kind, the Allied Admirals working
in most perfect accord, as officially reported to the Admiralty by
Rear-Admiral Bruce on June 23. The Russian Vice-Admiral was Senior
Officer, and the council of Admirals had control over all the
operations.
[Illustration: CAPTAIN WARRENDER]
On land at Taku, a Russian Major-General, with a German second in
command, and Captain Warrender, of H.M.S. _Barfleur_, were in charge
of the operations from Taku for the relief of Tientsin. The general
control of the operations was entrusted to a Russian Major-General,
while the mail and telegraph were organised by J. E. Sainsbury, of the
U.S.S. _Monocacy_.
Captain Warrender was subsequently entrusted--and no better man
could have been selected--with all the transport arrangements by
river from Taku. In this he was assisted by William F. Cullman,
assistant-paymaster of the _Terrible_.
At a meeting of all the Admirals on board the Imperial cruiser
_Rossia_, a protocol was signed, under the presidency of the Senior
Vice-Admiral Hildebrant, by which:
1. Admiral Wesselago was placed in command of the Taku forts, with
the assistance of Commodore Kirshoff and the naval forces.
2. Captain Wise, of the U.S.S. _Monocacy_, was given control, in the
town of Tongku, of all the buildings, the Railway Station, the water
supply, rolling-stock, &c. In this charge he was to be assisted by an
officer from every nation for the purpose of transmitting orders to
whatever detachment might be using the Station.
In case of attack it was stipulated that the forces present at Taku
should support one another, and all should be under the orders of
Admiral Wesselago.
Pilot Webster was to be paid the sum of 200 dollars a day and expenses
for his services, which were found indispensable to vessels crossing
the bar and others moving up river.
The protocol was signed by the following Admirals and
Vice-Admirals:--J. Hildebrant, Bendeman, H. Togo, Cour Jolles, Kempff,
James Bruce, C. Casella.
In Tientsin, Captain Bayly, of the _Aurora_, was the Commander of the
defence of the Settlement, assisted by Captain Burke, of the _Orlando_.
[Illustration: THE RAILWAY STATION AND WHARF AT TONG-KU]
The _doyen_ of the Consuls in Shanghai had wired to the Admirals to
send down at least four men-of-war for the protection of foreigners.
The British Admiral, at a meeting, remarked that the presence of five
Chinese cruisers did not naturally mean that a warlike demonstration
was intended there any more than at Chefoo, where Chinese men-of-war
were peaceably moored.
[Sidenote: A COMFORTING NOTE]
The Admirals then decided that it was not possible to satisfy the wish
of the Shanghai Consuls. Each Admiral undertook, however, to write to
the Consul of his own country the following comforting letter, which,
to the minds of these plucky sailors, was no doubt calculated to quiet
all apprehension, if any existed:--
“After attending a meeting of the Admirals I answer your request.
“We will send some ships when we can. In the meantime take all possible
precautions, so that if danger arises your families and yourselves may
not be taken by surprise.”[7]
[7] “Après la réunion des amiraux je réponds à votre demande. Nous
enverrons des navires dès que nous le pourrons. En attendant prenez
toutes les précautions possibles pour que le danger, s’il éclate, ne
surprenne ni vos familles ni vous.”