THE FIGHT BEFORE PEKIN
Pekin, a very ancient city of China, is in extent about the size of
Manhattan Island, upon which the city of New York is situated. It is
located thirteen miles north-west of the Pei-Ho, with which it is
connected by the Grand Canal and other watercourses.
The city as a whole is divided into two parts. On the north is the
Tartar City, containing between fifteen and sixteen square miles
of territory, surrounded by a wall fifty to sixty feet in height
and twenty to fifty feet broad. In the centre of the Tartar City
is the Imperial City, surrounded by another wall, where live the
princes, nobles, and others of high degree; and inside of this is
the Forbidden City, where the Emperor and Dowager Empress live and
where are located the sacred temples. The Tartar City is full of fine
buildings, including the public offices, National and Medical Colleges,
Observatory, and Examination Hall, the latter containing ten thousand
_cells_ to be occupied by those who come to Pekin to be examined as to
their qualifications for public office-holding. Many of the streets of
the Tartar City are broad, but unpaved, and lined with one-story shops,
huddled one against another and painted in almost all the colors of the
rainbow.
To the south of the Tartar City, and joining it by three large
gateways, is the Chinese City, about half as large as the other, and
enclosed by a wall thirty feet high and fifteen to twenty feet broad.
This is the heart of the real Chinese trade, and here are also located
the theatres and the public execution grounds. The streets literally
swarm with people, and are in activity day and night. Nothing is ever
cleaned up; and to the babble of noise, which is nerve-wrecking,
is added a smell which to a new-comer’s nose is almost unbearable.
Beyond the walls of Pekin as a whole are many suburbs, of more or less
importance, chiefly devoted to agriculture.
The American, British, and other legations in Pekin are located closely
together, on Legation Street, midway between the southern wall of the
Forbidden and Imperial City and the northern wall of the Chinese City.
Each legation occupied from an acre to five acres of ground, and was
surrounded by a wall with watch-gates. During the bombardment nearly
all these walls were demolished, only those around the British legation
remaining intact. Everything was ripped up by shot or shell, and rifle
bullets peppered the buildings by the thousands. It is said that one
door of the German legation contained sixty-three bullet-holes, and
that another at the American legation was literally splintered into
toothpicks.
Being short of ammunition, those in the British legation did their best
to make every shot tell; and, as the bombardment went on, the streets
outside were filled with Chinese dead to the number of hundreds. Silver
candlesticks were melted up, and made into bullets, and an old cannon,
which had not seen service for twenty years, was repaired by several
army engineers, and made to do excellent work against the enemy.
Among those who believed in holding out to the last was Rev. Mr.
Wells. “I am willing to live upon next to nothing,” he declared. “And
I will take a soldier’s place, when called upon. We must hold them
at bay until relieved.” He had with him on coming into the compound
thirty-six pieces of silver; and these he promptly handed over, to be
cast into bullets. This was paying back the Chinese in their own coin
with a vengeance.
As the siege went on, it was curious to see how those of different
nationalities became attached to each other. It was natural for the
Americans and the English to stick together from the start, but not so
for the Germans, French, Japanese, and others. But soon, when the peril
grew greater, racial differences were forgotten; and each man stood
shoulder to shoulder with his neighbor, ready to do or die, as the case
might require. If any were more determined than the others, they were
the Germans; for they could not forget nor forgive the foul murder of
their consul, Baron von Ketteler, who had been shot down while making
an official visit to the Tsung-li-Yamen.
As the Allies approached the capital, the bombardment of the British
legation became more fierce than ever; and placards were posted
throughout the Tartar City, proclaiming that all the foreigners must be
exterminated within five days. A reward was offered for each foreign
head taken; and it was only the timidity of the common Chinese soldiers
which kept them from rushing in by the thousands to obtain these
rewards.
This state of affairs was guessed at by those marching so swiftly to
the relief; yet nothing was definitely known, and it was feared that
all those pent up in the British compound would be killed before their
friends could get to them.
It was raining furiously when Tung-Chow, a suburb of Pekin, was gained
by the battalion to which Gilbert belonged. The road beside the canal
was knee-deep in water and mud; and everybody was low in spirits, and
almost ready to drop with exhaustion.
“It’s the worst campaign I’ve ever seen,” said one English officer to
the acting captain of Company A. “We hadn’t anything in South Africa to
compare with it, or anything in Egypt, either,” he added.
“We are at a disadvantage here,” answered Gilbert. “Only a few of our
transports have arrived, and we lack both men and supplies.”
“Never mind. What there are of the Americans are doing nobly,” answered
the Englishman. “I saw you fight at Tien-Tsin, and it was grand. And,
when it came to punishment, you took it like men.”
The Japanese and Russians came first upon the Chinese intrenched just
beyond Tung-Chow; and a sharp skirmish occurred, lasting the best part
of two hours. But, as soon as the Japanese tried to turn the left flank
of the enemy, the Celestials fled straight for the Chinese City of
Pekin, leaving the battle ground to the foreigners.
A conference of officers was now held; and it was decided that Pekin
should be attacked on the eastern side, first by the artillery, and
then by the infantry. The Japanese and Russians were to attack north
of the canal, and the Americans, English, and others south of that
watercourse. The attack was to have begun on the 15th of August; but,
by some misunderstanding, it started early on the day before, while the
American and English troops were not yet in position. This caused the
Americans a forced march of twelve miles from Tung-Chow in a heat which
was fairly blistering.
The attack by the Japanese and Russian artillery was terrific, lasting
from three o’clock in the morning until five in the afternoon. The
eastern gate of the city, north of the Tung-Chow canal, was completely
demolished; and then the Russians, led by General Wasilewski, rushed
through and up to the top of the great wall, where the flag of Russia
was planted, speedily followed by the banner of Japan. But the fight
was not yet over. It lasted far into the night, and the loss upon both
sides was very heavy.
In the mean time the English troops attacked the south-east gate of the
Chinese City; and, not being expected there, they met with but slight
resistance. Some East Indian troops led the way, breaking down the
gate with battering-rams. The troops were led by Brigadier-general Sir
Alfred Gaselee; and, as soon as they were inside the city, they seized
the Temple of Heaven and its extensive grounds, and then pushed forward
through the torn-up streets toward the legations. At three in the
afternoon they reached the canal opposite the water-gate, and signalled
to those within the British compound. A reply was speedily forthcoming
for them to enter through the water-gate, and this they did.
But during all this time our friends were not idle, and what they did
will be told in the chapter to follow.