THE FIRST SIEGE OF TIENTSIN
By the siege of Tientsin is meant the siege of the European
settlements by the Chinese, not, as might be supposed, the siege of
the native walled city by the allies; this latter event not taking
place until the settlements had successfully withstood the attack of
some 30,000 Chinamen for two successive periods, broken by the first
relief, of altogether a calendar month.
[Illustration: NATIVE QUARTER, TIENTSIN _(from Pontoon Bridge),
destroyed because dangerous to Europeans on account of harbouring
Chinese soldiers_.
[_page 46._]
The settlements are built on the right bank of the river, to the
eastward of the native city, and abut on the Chinese suburbs. They
and the native city alike are enclosed by the same mud wall, a
structure about 12 feet high, and broad enough on the top for four
men to walk abreast, called “Sankolinsin’s folly.” Four miles to
the north-eastward of the British settlement was the large and
important arsenal known as the Pei-Yang; a mile and a half to the
south-westward was a smaller arsenal called Hi-Kuan-Su; and six
and a half miles to the northward was the large and valuable military
store, which went by the name of the Hsi-Ku arsenal. All these
positions were already full of Imperial troops by the 15th of June,
and as we know, the whole country was swarming with semi-religious
fanatics.
On the night of the 15th a great part of the French settlement,
which lay nearest to the city, was burnt by Boxers, and the troops
spent the night under arms. A train with a searchlight, which had
been cleverly fitted up at very short notice by an engineer from the
British flagship, patrolled the line till daybreak, and 200 Russians
were sent to a station situated half-way between Tientsin and Taku,
with orders to keep the line open and prevent damage being done to
the buildings. Inside the settlement the people were busy building
barricades in the streets, loopholing walls, and placing staging for
riflemen to stand on behind them. On the night of the 16th an attack
was made in force by the Boxers, who deliberately burnt the native
suburbs lying between the city and the settlement, doing pounds’
worth of damage to their own people in the futile attempt to burn
out the foreigners. After a time they incautiously moved across the
Russians’ front, and immediately came under a steady fire, which,
together with the fire of two guns, drove them over towards the
British settlements. Here they were similarly dealt with by our
sailors and marines; and about 5 a.m. they drew off, having suffered
heavily.
On Sunday, the day that the Taku Forts fell, a repairing train, which
had been sent out to clear the line, was fired upon by Imperial
troops, whereupon an armoured train was despatched to the spot with
200 Russians, who put them to flight after losing a few men. At two
o’clock on the same day the first shells came whizzing over the
settlement, and it was generally recognised for the first time, by
the commanding officers, that the existing state of affairs virtually
meant war with China. The prospect was hardly brilliant; inside the
settlement was a mixed force of 2400 men, with nine field guns, and a
few machine guns; outside were 15,000 Imperial troops, with immense
numbers of modern quick-firing guns. Their ammunition was of the
best, and practically unlimited, and they had the dreaded Boxers
at their back. The perimeter to be defended was about five miles
long, of which one-third was partially protected from a rush by the
mud wall, as much more by the river, while on the third side, the
Chinese houses were so close that it was practically indefensible.
Ammunition was very limited in quantity, and the only thing from
which encouragement could be drawn, was the fact of having several
hundred women and children to defend against the execution of the
hideous threats printed on the multifarious posters which had been
sent to all the Chinese in the settlement, to induce them to leave
before too late. A further source of weakness was the railway
station, which was actually isolated on the opposite bank of the
river, and which had to be held at all costs. This arduous task fell
to the Russians by reason of their numbers. Much loss of life was
undoubtedly saved by a very smart little engagement which took place
as soon as shelling commenced.
Opposite the eastern end of the British portion of the bund
stood some tin-roofed barracks, surrounded by a wall, where a
number of embryo officers and some hundreds of Chinese troops had
established themselves. With them were a battery of Krupp guns, and
it was doubtless their intention to open fire on the settlement
at point-blank range as soon as they got their orders from the
authorities. Luckily those orders had not arrived at the time that
the first gun was fired, and in the interval, their calculations
were upset by an attack on the position by the British marines.
The representatives of this fine corps, supported by some British
and German bluejackets, crossed the river and stormed the building.
The Chinese, a great many of whom corresponded to our military
cadets, called themselves the “Fight-to-the-death Boys”; they acted
right well up to their boast, for very few escaped! The effect was
decisive, and in half an hour after a desperate hand-to-hand fight,
the enemy fled, numbers being killed as they ran; the building was
burnt and the guns captured. On this day the fifty bluejackets, who,
with a lieutenant and two midshipmen, had been sent to guard Tongshan
on the 10th, arrived at Pei-ta-ho. Their little expedition had not
been devoid of interest. Tongshan is the seat of the most important
railway works in the north of China; it is situated on the branch
line to Shan-Hai-Kwan, and was right in the path of the rising. As
its fall would involve enormous pecuniary loss to the company, a
guard had been asked for, and the above-named force had left Tientsin
with that purpose.
Their troubles commenced early, for at Lutai, a place half-way
between Tong-Ku and their destination, the train stopped for water.
Had it not been for the order to avoid showing themselves as much
as possible, it is probable that they would never have left the
place alive, for there was a large force of Imperial troops at the
station with orders to open fire should any European force attempt
to detrain. This incident should suffice to show how the Chinese
government kept faith with the foreigners, because at that time it
was distinctly understood that the allied forces and the Imperial
troops were working together for the suppression of a common
nuisance. The bluejackets reached Tongshan that evening, where they
received an enthusiastic welcome from the small community who seemed
rather unnecessarily alarmed. However that may have been, they
could not do enough for the officers and men, who found excellent
accommodation and a good meal awaiting them.
At a first glance the situation seemed to be not especially
dangerous, but the attitude of the Chinese troops in the vicinity put
a different complexion on matters. Of these, there were 300 encamped
half a mile away, whereas the Europeans numbered twenty-four, of whom
twenty-three were men and one a woman; the men were rather nervous,
and the lady very ill. The first step taken was to send the lady to
Pei-ta-ho by a special train. This very naturally raised an argument,
but it was pointed out that the force had been sent to protect
them, and if they chose to oppose the measures which the commanding
officer thought necessary, well, the force would go away. Nothing
more was said. The next thing done was to commandeer 50 mauser rifles
and 30,000 rounds of ammunition, which were going up country to the
Chinese. These were served out to the civilians, and orders were
given that all hands were to sleep in the main compound at nights;
positions were assigned to them, and the place was put into a state
of defence.
During the next day the Chinese troops left, and the day was spent
in building flanking towers round the wall, and in otherwise
strengthening the position. Their main compound was in the shape
of a stringed bow, and was surrounded by an 8 foot high wall;
when loopholed and completed it would have been a hard nut to
crack without artillery, but against guns, the defence would have
undoubtedly broken down. During the third night a compound adjoining
the main building caught fire, and in the middle of this excitement
a man was seen galloping about on horseback. His horse was promptly
shot and he was taken prisoner. His explanations, however, seemed
to be _bona fide_; and he stated that he had come from a camp near
by, to ascertain the cause of the conflagration, when he had been
fired upon and his horse killed. He was remunerated and released. The
fire gradually burnt itself out, and for the next few days there was
neither alarm nor excitement.
One morning, however, the dull distant booming of heavy guns from
the direction of Taku made it evident that something out of the
ordinary was afoot; and when a European arrived by train from that
direction, all hands eagerly awaited his news. It was none of the
best; he reported that the allies were attacking the Taku forts,
that a furious bombardment was proceeding, and that the allies at
present appeared to be making but little impression on the forts. He
also volunteered that three of the gunboats had been sunk—a thing
that had only occurred in his imagination—that the forts at Peh-tang
had shelled his train, and that troops had searched it at Lu-Tai,
telling the Chinese driver and stokers that if they had found any
European on board, they would have killed every one with him. He had
escaped by hiding in the coal box. This was alarming enough, and
steps were taken to flee to Pei-ta-ho, where the “Humber” was in
readiness to take refugees on board. But worse was to come, for at
9.15 a telegram was received from the above mentioned town, saying
that General Ma, with 5000 men and 18 guns, was on his way south,
and might be expected at Tongshan at 10 a.m. Praying seemed about
the only thing to have recourse to now; but to use a platitude—“God
helps those who help themselves”—so it was determined to do all that
lay in their power to prevent Ma and his troops from remaining at
Tongshan. Steam was raised in an engine, and a train was prepared
in an out-of-the-way siding, and held in readiness for an immediate
start in either direction. Should all arguments fail, it was decided
to take up a position at point-blank range alongside the arrival
platform, where it would be possible to create enormous havoc amongst
the crowded troops, who, placed in such a position, would in all
probability lose their heads and flee. However, the unexpected
happened, and on two Chinese servants in the telegraph department
telling the commanding officer news had just been sent that his
presence was essential further south immediately, and moreover that
if he stopped at Tongshan his firemen and drivers would desert, he
promptly put guards on his engines and steamed gaily off. The last
that was heard of him was that he was detraining five miles away,
having no doubt come to the conclusion that he had been duped. In
half an hour’s time the Europeans were beyond his reach, for on his
departure they immediately proceeded in the opposite direction.
It seems rather ungrateful and rude to recapitulate the
idiosyncrasies of some of the civilians who were so very kind to
our men, and who were so loyal to their commander; but the idea of
runaways taking all their household gods with them in such a crisis
has its funny side, and it required in some cases a good deal of
argument to make them relinquish their pianos and chests of drawers
to the tender mercies of the Chinese. Having cut both wires and
rail in their rear, they headed for Pei-ta-ho, and their escape
from an extremely dangerous and difficult position was brought to a
successful issue at seven o’clock on the night of the 17th.
After this somewhat lengthy digression—which I trust will be excused
as much on account of the fact that the events recorded took place
at the same time as the opening days of the siege of Tientsin, as
that they are interesting—we will return to Tientsin, which we left
at a successful conclusion of the attack on the Military College.
As may be imagined, the defenders and citizens of Tientsin were
immensely elated at the result of their initial engagement, but on
the morrow they were to be attacked instead of attacking, and to be
attacked with such vigour, and in such numbers, that their powers
of endurance were tested nearly to the breaking strain. At a very
early hour on the morning of the 18th the enemy’s snipers occupied
the huts on the opposite bank of the river, and were only turned out
by two officers who crossed in a sampan and set fire to the village,
causing their temporary retirement, and giving the sailors time to
throw up breastworks all along the bund. These defences consisted of
bales of merchandise of all kinds: wool, silk, cotton goods, sugar,
rice, and peanuts,—the sentries’ posts among the latter being much
sought after, for the peanut is not unpleasant to the taste, and is
highly nutritious. At five o’clock a.m. a British officer left in
command of an armed train, and in virtual command of 300 Russians,
with orders to relieve and bring back the large Russian guard at
Chin-Liang-Ching; and some two hours afterwards a determined attack
was made on the Russians at that station.
The attack took the form of a semi-circle, and the enemy brought
10,000 men and many guns into action. The defence at first consisted
of 800 Russians, but at eight o’clock the fighting became so
desperate that they sent in for reinforcements. The only force
that could be spared for that purpose was two companies of our own
bluejackets, who quickly marched up to the threatened point, and
deployed on the Russian left. For four hours the rifle and shell fire
was incessant, and though there was abundant cover, the number of
casualties was rapidly increasing. The Chinese thought the time had
come for an advance, and began to press on the left flank; but our
men held their position with the utmost tenacity, and their fire was
so steady and effective that no ground was lost. Nevertheless at 2
p.m. the situation was as nearly desperate as possible, and when the
Russian guns, in the act of unlimbering, got three beautifully aimed
shells right amongst the battery and were forced to retire without
firing a shot, it looked as though nothing could save the station. A
gun of sorts was absolutely essential, and it came in the form of a
nine-pounder muzzle-loader, a disgrace to the glorious service which
at that time had to use them, and which was trundled up by a gun’s
crew from H.M.S. “Orlando,” by hand. Whatever critics may have said
about the weapon, there can only be one verdict about the skill and
devotion of the men fated to use it. It was superb. Teed up like a
golf ball in front of the platform, the mark of every hostile gun,
it was fought to such purpose that it indisputably turned almost
certain defeat into a grand victory. To show what the fire was like,
it is only necessary to mention that five “Number ones” went down in
as many minutes, and at the end of a short half hour, two officers
and two men were still working the piece alone. Its fire not only
kept down that of several hostile guns, but also effectively checked
the advance of the infantry, who were fain to take cover among the
numerous mounds to be found over the several acres of ground between
the opposing forces. All chance of a Chinese success was now at an
end, and, when the trainload of Russians returned about 4 o’clock,
having failed to reach Chin-Liang-Ching owing to the destruction of
the permanent way, the commanding officer, Colonel Wogack, felt able
to take the offensive. The whole force fixed bayonets, and under a
withering fire commenced their advance. On this occasion the enemy
did not wait, but, dismayed as much at the stubbornness of the
defence as at the impetuosity of the attack, broke and fled through
a village in their rear. So disorganised were they that the means of
egress became blocked with struggling humanity, and at this point
their loss was enormous. The bayonet was employed in clearing the
village, and in twenty minutes from the commencement of the advance
resistance had ceased. The village was burned and the exulting
troops returned to barracks, having administered a salutary lesson
to the Chinese. This engagement cost the enemy some 500 killed and
wounded: the loss of the allies being 230.
After the action the Russian colonel recognised the gallantry of
our men in a kindly speech, in which he said that he had on that
day witnessed the traditional pluck and endurance of the British
bluejacket, and that he was proud to have commanded such men;
further, that he hoped for the sake of civilisation that Great
Britain and Russia would always march side by side. The rest of the
evening was spent by the one side in building or completing defences,
and by the other in mounting guns in closer and more advantageous
positions, and when darkness had closed in, all the women and
children were sent into the cellars of the town hall, as well as
those residents whose houses had already become untenable, or whose
position rendered them liable to destruction.
The next day, 19th, was a day of unsuccessful attacks on both
sides. It was found that the enemy had mounted two guns on the mud
wall to the eastward, which were doing great damage to the British
concession, and it became necessary to dislodge them. A force of
130 bluejackets, under Commander Beatty, was told off to operate
in conjunction with 400 Russians, and it was decided that our
force should deliver the frontal attack at 10.30 a.m., by which
time the Russians were to have come up on our left and turned the
enemy’s right flank. Like many other carefully laid plans, this one
miscarried. To begin with, the Russians were late: they delivered a
semi-frontal attack instead of carrying out the preconcerted flanking
movement, and finally they lost all touch with our companies. From
that moment the affair became hopeless, the fighting line consisted
of but fifty men, who, although they advanced until all their
officers were wounded with the exception of one midshipman, were
ultimately compelled to retire, having effected nothing. In this
disastrous attack Commander Beatty was severely wounded twice in the
left arm, and a midshipman also received two wounds which eventually
proved fatal. However, it was imperative that those two guns should
be silenced, and a 9-pr., the hero of the previous day, was brought
in to the bund in front of the Consulate. During the duel which
ensued, Lieut. Wright, the gunnery lieutenant of the “Orlando” was
dangerously wounded by a shell which burst almost in his face; his
life was despaired of, but he made a miraculous recovery, and lived
to receive his well-earned promotion. It is to be deeply regretted
that this valuable officer died recently, doubtless from the after
effects of his terrible injuries. The 9-pr. was again handled with
exemplary skill, and eventually caused the retirement of the enemy,
who took their guns with them.
While these events had been going on to the northward of the
settlement, similar but opposite movements were taking place to
the southward. The Chinese brought guns out of the south gate of
the native city, and shelled the west face of the settlements. On
being engaged by the two guns on our south-westerly defences, namely
another 9-pounder and a 6-pounder Q.F., they turned their attention
to our gunners. An artillery engagement ensued which lasted till
our magazines, which had been dug in the base of the mud wall, were
exhausted, when our two guns ceased fire. This was interpreted by the
Chinese as an acknowledgment of defeat, and an attack was made on
the emplacement under cover of a bend in the wall. About 70 Imperial
troops got to within 300 yards of the guns under cover, when they
rushed towards them, keeping up a brisk fire as they came. Things
looked critical, for there was not a single round of ammunition left
for the 6-pr., and only three or four for the 9-pr.; besides which
the total force consisted of only one midshipman and eight men. The
officer and four men manned the gun; the other four maintained a
steady fire with their rifles. A single shrapnel was sufficient; it
burst full in the face of the advancing Chinamen, who bolted and were
pursued by the remaining rounds until out of range. This finished
active operations for the day, which had been slightly in favour of
the Europeans.
In view of the probable failure of ammunition and stores, it was
determined to endeavour to communicate the existing state of affairs
to the outside world. Volunteers were called for, and Mr James Watts,
a young Englishman, expressed his willingness to ride through the
Chinese forces and make his way to Taku with despatches. None could
have been better fitted for the duty. Young, plucky, possessing a
perfect knowledge of the country, and possibly the finest rider in
the east, Mr Watts undoubtedly had all the qualities necessary for
its successful performance. A guard of three Cossacks went with him,
and they had one spare horse between them. They started their ride at
nightfall, and were seen and pursued almost as soon as they had left
the settlement. The alarm was passed from village to village, and it
was found necessary to deviate considerably from the line decided
upon, in order to avoid the crowds of Chinamen who simply swarmed for
some miles round Tientsin. In one village Mr Watts was recognised,
and his name was shouted out, coupled with the most awful threats by
the erstwhile servants and grooms who had all become Boxers. Luckily
for the little troop, when the Imperial forces had passed, they had
firearms to fear no longer, and the most expeditious methods of
dealing with the mobs of armed peasants was to charge down on them
sword or revolver in hand. The pursuit was kept up till the four
horsemen hove in sight of Taku, which was reached safely next morning
after a ride of nearly fifty miles.
At dawn on the 20th, the Chinese opened a fierce bombardment,
bringing a 2-inch Krupp gun into use for the first time. One of the
fifty pound shells from this weapon struck the hospital, and piercing
the wall, fell in the passage outside the window of a ward full of
wounded officers. Luckily it did not explode, and beyond the shock,
which naturally affects one’s nerves when lying wounded in bed, no
harm was done. During the morning the French settlement suffered very
severely from a concentrated shell fire, and by the end of the day
there was hardly a habitable house in it. Practically no reply was
made by the Allies’ artillery, consisting as it did of small and
sometimes antique weapons, with a very limited supply of ammunition
which was carefully husbanded to stem any rush on the part of the
enemy. An attempt was made to silence the 5-inch, by mounting a Maxim
on the roof of a house and firing at the flash, but the big fellow
took no notice of its puny opponent’s angry mutterings, and went
on sullenly the whole night. Next morning the enemy turned their
attention to the south-westerly defences again, and when they had
tried unsuccessfully to elicit a reply from our two guns in that
direction, they vented their spite on the wool-mills, which were
held by a midshipman with forty men. These quickly had to leave
the buildings, and entrenched in the open in front of them, the
midshipman and several men having been wounded by splinters at almost
the first discharge. At half-past ten the mill was set on fire, and
blazed furiously, sending up dense masses of black smoke, as the
flames caught the large quantities of wool and dye which were stored
in the buildings. Machinery to the value of £100,000 was destroyed,
and the main building was completely gutted. Immediately the effect
of their shell fire became apparent, large masses of troops poured
out of the south gate of the city, and it looked as though the
Chinese were going to press their advantage. However, at this
moment, our two guns woke up, and burst a few shells among them, and
on the arrival of our reinforcements, the enemy desisted from further
operations, having done considerable damage, but without gaining any
military success.
For some time it had been suspected that the enemy had snipers
concealed about the settlement itself, and it became amply proved
when, in the afternoon, no less than seven were found concealed
in a large “godown,” all supplied with rifles and a quantity of
ammunition. These men were instantly shot, but nothing seemed to
check the system of espionage which enabled the Chinese to know
the time and meaning of every movement which took place inside the
settlement. As certainly as the Europeans fell in, even were it only
for the purpose of inspecting arms, so surely did shells commence
to fall among the houses around them; and although all spies and
signallers who fell into the hands of the allies were summarily
dealt with, this annoying power of foresight, which spoilt many a
projected surprise, served to harass the defenders, until the native
city finally fell into our hands. The only apparent way of stopping
this nuisance seemed to be the expulsion of every Chinaman in the
settlement, but as they all professed to be either native Christians
or faithful servants, this course of action did not commend itself
to the Provost-Marshal. There can be no doubt that if the step had
been taken, nine-tenths of them would have been slain, after torture,
by their countrymen.
On the 22nd June every one was kept in a flutter of excitement all
day. In the early morning a courier arrived from Pekin, bringing
the news of the death of the German minister, Baron von Ketteler,
and stating that the Europeans had been ordered to leave within
twenty-four hours. The man stated that he was only one of many
couriers who had endeavoured to reach Tientsin, and that he knew that
two had been caught by the Boxers. He himself had been caught by
some Imperial troops, but he had destroyed his message, and they let
him go after a close cross examination. None of the other couriers
came in, so it must be supposed that they too were caught, and
suffered death for their faithfulness to their European masters. In
the afternoon troops were seen advancing from the direction of Taku,
and hopes rose high; but heavy firing was heard, and the troops,
who were a small force of Russians and Americans, fell back. This
naturally caused some disappointment, but it was felt that at last
some movement for the relief of the place was on foot, and it was
optimistically supposed that the retiring column was merely the
advance guard of a powerful force, who would easily overcome the
Chinese opposition on the morrow. In the evening the bombardment of
the settlement suddenly ceased, and a very heavy fire was heard to
the north-westward.
Most of the Chinese guns were withdrawn, and opened fire in the
opposite direction; from which it was conjectured that the Admirals’
force was returning, and was being hotly engaged some six miles away.
The distant firing ceased about eleven o’clock, only to open again
furiously at dawn, when the Chinese again bombarded the settlement.
Contrary to their usual custom, they failed to attack our outposts
in the early morning, and it was generally felt that they were
bewildered at the presence of the two forces to the north-westward
and south-eastward of them, both of which were feeling for an opening
in the cordon. At nine o’clock troops were again seen to be advancing
from the south-eastward, and by ten o’clock an engagement was taking
place around the Pei-Yang arsenal, and in the villages between
this position and the river. All the troops in the settlement were
immediately moved about, to give the enemy the impression that they
were about to be attacked in rear, which would have been done had it
not been for the Allies’ paucity of numbers. At any rate the movement
probably bore some fruit, for the Chinese were on the run by eleven
o’clock, and by noon a column of 750 British, Americans, and Italians
arrived in the German Concession, leaving a force of 1150 Russians
and Germans on the other bank of the river. The Chinese, dispirited
at the result of the morning’s work, ceased their bombardment, and
the first siege of Tientsin was over.
What a change had taken place in the short fortnight that the
bluejackets had been in garrison. On their arrival they found a busy,
prosperous, and pretty European town, whose inhabitants vied with
each other in getting up amusements and sports for the men. Prettily
dressed women and children were everywhere in evidence, and by their
presence greatly added to the success of the various entertainments.
The officers were all billeted in the houses of civilians, who
appeared to be only too pleased to have them. The English and German
clubs both threw open their doors to the visitors, and it was felt
on all hands that if this was war, well, “Vive-la-Guerre.” Now,
however, trade was at a standstill, and the recreation ground which
had recently been prepared for a cricket match, was one of the
principal links in the chain of defence. Hardly a house but had been
struck by shells, the valuable contents of the warehouses going to
form barricades to keep out the bullets which lay thick about every
street, and studded every tree and wall. It was indeed a different
spectacle. Women and children were to be seen no longer, and the two
clubs were both turned into hospitals, which by this time were nearly
crowded with wounded officers and men. Instead of the abundance of
fresh food which had been the rule, there was now none; bully beef
and ship’s biscuits had taken the place of fresh mutton and new
bread. This is not mentioned as a hardship, but merely to indicate
the change that had taken place; for the sailors thrive even in peace
time on a certain amount of this substituted diet, besides which
they never grumble, so long as they understand the logic of the
situation, which in this case was palpable. The first siege was over
and the garrison had been reinforced, in fact doubled, but for many
days to come there was no certainty about the ultimate safety of the
settlements.