The foreign guard that arrived in Pekin on the evening of 31st May and
following days numbered only 18 officers and 389 men, far too few for
the defence, and ridiculously inadequately supplied with guns and
ammunition. The British brought one old type Nordenfeldt; the
Austrians, one quick-firing gun; while the Russians brought a supply of
12-pound shell, but left their gun behind. It seemed as if the powers
only contemplated a demonstration, whereas this little force was
destined to sustain a siege that will rank amongst the most memorable in
history, and to hold--against Krupp guns and hordes of Chinese, firing
at close quarters modern magazine rifles--gardens and buildings
occupying some ten acres of ground, surrounded by a high wall, but in
other respects before the commencement of the siege utterly unprotected.
The superior number of the enemy and the daily bombardment was not the
greatest danger they had to meet. One compound was crowded with women
and children and native refugees; famine and failure of ammunition daily
approached; the only hope of relief from these was the arrival of a
relieving force. The thought of the horrors that must follow if this
failed, and the awful fate at the hands of the fanatic and cruel Chinese
soldiery which must befall the women and children, was ever before each
member of the force, as day by day, for over nine weeks, day and night
he guarded his post, cut off from the world outside and with hardly a
hope of rescue.
The British party consisted of 75 non-commissioned officers and men of
the Royal Marines, under Captains Strouts, Halliday, and Wray. There
were also present of other nations--American, 3 officers and 52 men;
Austrians, 5 officers and 30 men; French, 2 officers and 45 men; German,
1 officer and 51 men; Italian, 1 officer and 28 men; Japanese, 1 officer
and 24 men; Russian, 2 officers and 79 men. The British brought an
old-fashioned five-barrel Nordenfeldt, the Italians one small gun and
120 rounds, the Americans a machine gun with good supply of ammunition;
but the supply of small arm ammunition was very scanty, ranging from 300
to 100 rounds per man.
In addition to these trained men the embassies supplied of students and
others 85 men, of whom 31 were Japanese armed with any rifle or weapon
that they could find; and these men shared in all the fatigues of the
siege, and added greatly to the strength of the garrison.
At this time fearful and indescribable horrors were occurring in the
Chinese city, thousands of Chinese Christians were cruelly tortured and
killed. Reports came in daily of the murder of missionaries, of railway
stations destroyed, and the gradual isolation of Pekin. Missionaries
and their families and native Christians took refuge in the legations,
and rescue parties were sent out to bring in others, and these reported
the most terrible scenes of massacre and indescribable cruelty.
The Paitang, the great Roman Catholic cathedral, saved some thousands of
Christians. These with the priests and sisters, assisted by 30 French
marines, were enabled to keep the attacking forces at bay till the city
was taken by the allies. The guard lost 10 killed, and some 200 of the
people died also, but the rest must have soon perished of starvation
when the supplies collected with wonderful prudence by Bishop Favier,
who foresaw what was coming, had been exhausted.
All this time Pekin was in the hands of the Boxers, with the Imperial
soldiers looking on, assisting, but the Chinese Government officially
professing great solicitude for the safety of the legations. This did
not prevent the Boxers firing, and upon the 17th June Imperial soldiers
were observed doing the same. Upon 19th June the storm burst; the
Government had heard of the attack upon the Taku forts, and gave the
ambassadors notice to leave Pekin within twenty-four hours. To have
done so would have been to leave all the thousands of Chinese Christians
to their fate, and to have ensured a massacre; nevertheless some of the
embassies at once prepared to move, and began to pack up. The British
decided to remain and hold the legation at all hazards, and the course
of events next day decided for the others.
The German minister, Baron von Ketteler, went unattended with his
secretary to the Yamen. On the way he was murdered and his secretary
wounded by Imperial troops.
The same day the Yamen withdrew the ultimatum, and requested the
ministers to remain in Pekin, as the country was so disturbed.
This expression of anxious care for the welfare of the Europeans was a
blind, for at four o'clock, the hour fixed in the ultimatum, fire was
opened upon the legations, and the siege began.
All the women and children were brought in to the legation compound, and
it was decided to hold the British Embassy as the last line of defence,
the supreme command being assigned to Sir Claude Macdonald, the
commanding officer of each guard being in command of their several
legations.
Three sides of the legation compound were surrounded by Chinese
buildings, and these constituted a very grave danger, as attempts were
made, by setting them on fire, to burn out the legation buildings; and
on the 22nd June one of these attempts nearly succeeded, the fire was
got under, and the building destroyed under a hail of bullets.
Just outside the legation and only a few feet away was the Hanlin
Academy. This was the most venerated and ancient building in Pekin, and
contained a priceless collection of books and ancient Chinese
manuscripts, which could never be replaced. These buildings were a
source of great danger if fired; the Europeans hesitated to destroy such
a building; not so the Chinese, and on the 23rd it was found to be in
flames, with a strong wind blowing towards the legation buildings.
Fortunately, the wind changed, or these could not have been saved.
On the discovery that the building was on fire, a party of British and
American marines and volunteers rushed in and drove out the Chinese,
killing a good many; but it was too late to save the library, and only a
few of its manuscripts were rescued. Thus the Chinese in their fury
against the foreigner had destroyed a collection which for many
centuries had been the pride of their literati.
The buildings had to be demolished on all sides as they were
successively set on fire, and at length the legation buildings were safe
from this source of danger, but the work was carried out under a
continuous rattle of rifle fire, and there were numerous casualties.
On 24th June Captain Halliday with 30 marines was sent to clear out a
party of the enemy who had set fire to the State buildings of the
British legation, and were taking cover in the buildings. A hole being
made in the legation wall, Captain Halliday followed by his men crept
through, and at once came upon the enemy, and before he was able to use
his revolver received a serious wound from a rifle at point-blank range,
the bullet breaking his shoulder and entering the lung; notwithstanding,
he shot three of the enemy and walked back unaided to the hospital. For
this gallant action Captain Halliday was awarded the V.C. Captain
Strouts then took charge, and driving back the enemy captured some
rifles, and, what was most valuable, a large quantity of ammunition.
Danger from incendiarism was now removed, but a new peril appeared. The
enemy on the 26th opened fire at 1000 yards with a Krupp 2.7-inch gun;
this was silenced by rifle fire, and the next day, when a sortie was
made to take it, it had been withdrawn. As, however, it was known that
there were ten more in Pekin, all hands turned to making bomb-proof
shelters, and on the 28th the enemy mounted another gun at 300 yards,
but soon withdrew it when a sortie was made to take it.
It was at length found possible to make some reply, for an old
smooth-bore gun was found, and the projectiles the Russians had brought
were made use of, and a 1-pounder gun, which the enemy had posted but
100 yards off, was silenced after the ninth round. What a curious
instance of our Western ways this incident affords; the Chinese firing
upon our own people with the latest artillery made by ourselves, while
they are left to improvise a gun from a relic found in an old iron
store!
The enemy now began to give up their attempt to get into the British
legation, and to devote their attention to the Italians, Japanese,
French, and Germans, who protected most of the Chinese converts, against
whom they were increasingly savage; consequently the British marines had
to reinforce all the posts outside the legation.
On 16th July, Captain Strouts was killed--a very great loss to the
defence--and Captain Halliday being wounded, Captain Wray took command
of the marines and Sir Claude Macdonald of the legation.
On the 17th the Chinese Imperial authorities were getting frightened, no
doubt affected by the fall of Tientsin, and till the 4th of August,
except for occasional sniping practice, suspended hostilities, and again
made suggestions that the embassies should retire under escort to
Tientsin, and leave the native Christians to the Government, who
promised them protection; but, nevertheless, the firing continued after
4th August, especially at night, and there were many casualties, but
beyond this there was no serious fighting.
On 14th August the sound of guns was heard, and shells were seen
bursting against the gates of the Tartar city, and the besieged knew
that relief was at hand, and so it proved. At three p.m. the British
native troops, followed by General Gaselee and staff, entered the
legation, and the siege was at an end.
The relief and thankfulness felt in Great Britain and throughout the
empire at the conclusion of this memorable siege could not be better
expressed than in the words telegraphed by Queen Victoria to the officer
commanding the marine guard:
"I thank God that you and those under your command are rescued from your
perilous situation. With my people I have waited with the deepest
anxiety for the good news of your safety and a happy termination of your
heroic and prolonged defence. I grieve for the losses and sufferings
experienced by the besieged."
The casualties among the British garrison amounted to 6 killed and 21
wounded, among the latter being Dr Morrison, the _Times_ Chinese
correspondent, the total amongst all the defenders being 65 killed and
160 wounded, although 4000 shells fell in the legation during the siege.
The relief arrived only just in time, as there were but three days'
rations left, and the Chinese were attacking with increasing rigour
towards the end.