Early in 1900, after the war in the Philippines had developed into a series of assassinations and guerrilla combats against our soldiers, the attention of the United States and the rest of the civilized world was called to a change of affairs in China, which required foreign intervention for the protection of the lives and property of all classes of foreigners residing within the limits of the Chinese Empire.
An organization known as "Boxers" conceived the idea of exterminating all "foreign devils" in China and began operations by murdering the missionaries and other foreigners in the interior. The "Boxers" were originally an athletic society which, among other ceremonies, worshipped an immense sword or knife, and became known first, as the Great Sword Society, and later as the Society of the Avenging Sword. The Chinese characters have been variously translated to mean, not only the above, but also, the Righteous Arm Society, and this, by a still more liberal interpretation, was converted into the present name "Boxer." The organization has existed for nearly a hundred years, but until the introduction of railroads, foreign improvements, and the presence of missionaries in the interior of the country, it has given no trouble. With the presence and continued advance of foreigners, however, the ruling class of Chinese lost power over the common people, and consequently the Boxers are said to have been instigated by the Empress Dowager, together with some of the Princes and Viceroys, to exterminate all Europeans and Christian Chinese, thus hoping to return the country to its former state of exclusion and solitude.
In March, 1900, the situation began to look serious. The Boxers appeared in uniform in great numbers, armed with knives and spears, their distinguishing marks being red belts and red trimmings on their weapons. They first threatened the outlying missions along the line of the new railroad to Hankow, and later the Christian Chinese in and around Peking itself. The Chinese government took no notice of the movement and maintained that there was nothing to be feared from the Boxers, although evidence has since been found showing beyond all doubt the complicity of the Empress Dowager and others, and also showing that a general uprising had been planned to take place in September of this year.
The foreign ministers became alarmed, despite the protestations of the Chinese government, and in May asked for guards to protect the legations. Marines and bluejackets were sent up by the navies present at Taku until a force of about 600 armed foreigners were in Peking protecting lives and property. Early in June, the railroad communication between Tientsin and Peking was destroyed and actual hostilities began in the streets of the capital.
In the meantime a large fleet of war vessels of the various nations had assembled off Taku, and as soon as the news of hostilities was received, Vice-Admiral Seymour, R. N., with an allied force of about 2000 men, started towards Peking for the relief of the foreign ministers. This force was transported to Tientsin by rail and from there it proceeded on foot, the railroad above Tientsin being repaired as the troops advanced and used for the transportation of provisions.
Later, on the 14th of June, a force of about 800 allied troops, which had been landed at Tongku, were peremptorily ordered to return to their ships by the Chinese general commanding the Taku forts at the mouth of the Pei Ho. At this, the foreign naval commanders held a conference at which, the American admiral dissenting, it was decided to take possession of the forts in order to avoid further trouble with them, and an ultimatum was accordingly sent to the Chinese general on the 15th, demanding that he evacuate the forts before 2 A. M. of the following day.
Lying in the river at this time were the British ships Algerine, Whiting and Fame; the Russian ships Mandjur, Giliak and Koreetz; the French gunboat Lion; a Japanese gunboat; the German ships Iltis and Jaguar; and the U. S. S. Monocacy, the latter having orders not to take part in the attack unless directly fired. upon, and having besides another reason for not taking part, in that she had on board a large number of women and children refugees who could not be disposed of otherwise. Consequently, the foreign force available for the reduction of the forts consisted of the other gunboats named and the 800 British, Japanese and Russian soldiers and sailors at Tongku. The large fleet outside was nine miles away and hence took no part in the fight.
The Chinese forts, three in number, were all well-built mud forts with high walls and a large number of modern breech-loading rifles and rapid-fire guns mounted in barbette behind shields, the largest caliber being 8 inches. There were about 2000 well-armed imperial troops defending the forts and four new torpedo destroyers in the river at the Imperial Dock Yard a short distance above the forts. With this force at his command, the Chinese general did not choose to evacuate, but instead, at 1.30 A. M., on June 16, opened fire on the foreign ships in the river, some of which were anchored at Tongku, two miles above. These, with the exception of the Monocacy, got under way, dropped down the river and returned the fire until daylight, by Which time several of the ships had been struck repeatedly, the advantage being clearly with the Chinese.
At daylight the troops on shore advanced, the Japanese and British on the north side and the Russians on the south side of the river, while the ships moved in between the forts and bombarded them at very short range. The British and Japanese troops assaulted the north fort, but were repulsed with considerable loss. They were quickly re-formed and advanced again, the rapid-fire guns of the ships keeping the Chinese behind their walls, when, just as the attacking force reached the wall the second time: a shell from the Algerine exploded the Chinese magazine, which was in an unprotected position above the wall. This so demoralized the Chinese that the attacking force was allowed to scale the walls and, after a short fight, to obtain possession of the fort.
On the south side of the river the Russians were equally successful, and the Chinese were driven out of all their forts. The Chinese lost heavily in killed and wounded. The foreign loss was 70 killed and wounded.
The four destroyers in the river were abandoned by the Chinese crews, taken possession of by the British, and placed under the care of the Monocacy until later, when they were disposed of by giving one to the Russians, one to the French, one to the Germans, while the remaining one was retained by the English. These boats afterwards did excellent service as despatch boats between Tongku and the fleet outside the bar.
The damage to the foreign fleet engaged was as follows:
The Russian gunboat Giliak was sunk by a shell exploding in her magazine, but as the water was shallow, she was afterwards raised and repaired; the Iltis was badly damaged above the rail and had her executive officer and several men killed and her captain badly wounded; the Whiting received a shell in a cold boiler; and the Monocacy, lying at Tongku, was struck by a 6-inch shell which shattered a boat on her starboard side and then passed down and out through the port bow. A number of other shells came near her, and, on account of the refugees on board, she was moved farther up the river out of the line of fire of the north fort on the ships coming down the river, many of the Chinese shells going high and falling in and about Tongku.
The damage to the forts was slight except for the destruction of the magazine in the north fort, and but for the assault of the landing party they could not have been taken. On the advance of the troops to the assault, the ships were from 400 to 1000 yards distant from the forts, and at these ranges were able to drive the Chinese from the walls and even from the guns with shields by means of their rapid-fire and machine-guns.
The imperial troops were dispersed in the direction of the Peitang forts and Tientsin, followed by the Russian troops. A line of Cossack posts was established along the railroad between Tongku and Tientsin and the road put in operation from the former place to where it had been torn up by the Chinese, 16 miles out. By the mutual agreement of the foreign naval commanders, Commander F. M. Wise, U. S. N., commanding the U. S. S. Monocacy, was placed in charge of the railroad, buildings, rolling stock and wharves at Tongku, all of which were to be employed to the best advantage of all the powers. A representative of each of the foreign naval powers was stationed at Tongku, each to look after the interests of his own government in regard to railroad transportation and landing facilities, subject to the approval of the commandant in charge. The fine tugs and lighters of the Taku Tug and Lighter Company were all commanded and used for landing troops, which soon began to arrive in large numbers, the disembarkation of which was no small matter under the circumstances of the location and also of the weather.
Up to this time Admiral Seymour had been advancing slowly towards Peking against the opposition of the Boxers, but now the imperial troops joined the Boxers and the relief force was compelled to turn back in the hope of reaching Tientsin. At Sikoo, a few miles above Tientsin, the care of the wounded and the scarcity of ammunition caused the relief force to halt and capture the arsenal there, where they found large supplies of new Mannelicher rifles and ammunition, with which they armed themselves and so were enabled to hold out until the arrival of the second relief force on the 21st of June, when the place was abandoned and the allies returned to Tientsin. The American loss in this expedition was 4 killed and 27 wounded.
In the meantime the Chinese had taken the offensive at Tientsin and were attempting to destroy the foreign concession. A portion of the railway to Tongku had already been destroyed and the Chinese had endeavored to capture the railway station which was the key to the whole situation. There were now in Tientsin about 8000foreign troops, but they were practically without artillery, while the Chinese were well supplied with all kinds of guns and ammunition and were bombarding the concession from three sides day and night. They carried on most of their operations from the East and the West Arsenals and from a battery outside the east Mud Wall. There were also a fort and battery north of the concession and a number of guns on the walls of the old city. The fire from the arsenals became so annoying that Major Waller, U. S. M. C., with 130 marines, a detachment of the Welsh Fusileers and some Japanese troops, went against them and captured them by bayonet charges and destroyed the batteries.
Reenforcements with artillery began to arrive early in July, some of the British guns throwing lyddite shells, and the foreigners again began to assume the offensive. A battalion of U. S. marines was landed on the 9th, one company of which was immediately sent to reenforce the railroad station which was then guarded by the Sikhs, the Wei hai wei Chinese regiment, two companies of French, and a detachment of Russian troops. A few days later the Chinese made a determined effort to drive out this force and obtain possession of the station. Hand-to-hand fighting took place, whereupon the French troops withdrew across the river, delaying somewhat the advance across the pontoon bridge of a battalion of Japanese troops that were coming as reenforcements. Upon the arrival of the Japanese troops, however, the Chinese were driven back, but they continued to bombard the place until the walls of the engine house were almost shot away and the defenders had to take shelter in the engine pits and cover themselves with railroad ties to avoid the flying bricks. The Wei hai wei Chinese regiment in the service of the British did excellent work in this fight, thus showing the possibilities of the Chinese soldier when properly led.
The 9th U. S. Infantry arrived in Tientsin on the 11th of July, and on the 12th a regiment of Russian artillery was sent up, bringing the number of foreign troops up to about 14,000 men, so that it was decided to attack the walled city on the 13th. The Russians were to capture the batteries along the east Mud Wall and then take the fort and battery north of the concession, while the British, Americans and Japanese were to advance on the south wall of the old city and force an entrance through the South Gate. The success of the latter movement depended upon the efforts of the Japanese to blow up the gate with dynamite.
Early in the morning the allies made their attack. The Russians succeeded in clearing the Chinese away from the east Mud Wall but met with such opposition that they could not get inside the wall to attack the fort and battery to the northward. The other foreign troops went over and through the south Mud Wall at the West Arsenal and advanced towards the walled city under a terrible fire until forced to take shelter behind graves and other obstructions.
The American marines were on the extreme left, with the British next, and then the Japanese, while it was intended for the 9th Infantry to take the right of the line. Owing to a broken bridge and a lack of knowledge of the ground, the 9th became detached from the main body and advanced alone as far as a diagonal road leading to the South Gate. Here they met with both a front and a flank fire which made their position untenable. In attempting to drive out the flanking force it became necessary to charge across a level piece of ground behind which was an impassable body of water, and when our troops arrived at the edge of the water they were met by a murderous fire from the Chinese on the opposite side. General Liscum was killed here and the troops forced to lie down in mud and water under a heavy cross-fire at short range and remain there from 9 A. M. until dark. Fortunately only one battalion was engaged, over 20 per cent of which were killed or wounded.
The main body fared somewhat better, but even they suffered terribly and were compelled to take what shelter they could get in mud and water, behind graves, while the ground in front and in rear of them was kept torn up by the Chinese fire, so that they could neither advance nor retire. The Japanese made repeated attempts to force the gate, but were each time repulsed with heavy loss, so that when dark came the battered allies made a run for safety behind the Mud Wall, carrying their dead and wounded with them.
The foreigners were actually defeated, and with an energetic foe they would have been annihilated. A heavy force of Chinese cavalry remained off the left flank all day without attempting to make any attack, although they were opposed by only two troops of Japanese cavalry and 50 of our marines.
When the allies had re-formed behind the Mud Wall after dark the Japanese were the only troops with any energy left, and during the night, while the British and Americans rested, they made repeated attempts to blow up the South Gate and were repeatedly repulsed. Finally, at 2 A. M., on the i4th, a detachment succeeded in blowing up the outer gate, scaled the wall, and after a hand-to-hand fight, opened the inner gate from the inside and held it until daylight, when the main body reinforced them.
The bombardment of the walled city on the 13th and the night attacks of the Japanese, followed by the explosion of the gate, so demoralized the Chinese army that it fled to the northward early in the morning, leaving the city to the foreigners. The Japanese marched through and went out at the North Gate, capturing the fort and battery there, after which the walled city was allotted in sections to the British, French, Americans and Japanese, who immediately began to remove the dead from the streets and walls.
The city was a terrible sight after the battle. A large portion outside the wall had been burned and fires had also broken out inside in many places, while the dead were lying in heaps on the battlefield, on the wall itself, and in the streets. There had been much destruction by shell fire, which, together with the blackened and deserted streets, made a picture of desolation seldom seen in modern times. No quarter was asked nor expected, the entire population leaving the city and flying to the country for safety, while the foreign troops proceeded to loot the city. In two days Tientsin was changed from a rich and important city of over a million inhabitants to a burned and battered heap of ruins.
In and about Tientsin, during the fighting, the foreigners lost nearly 2000 men in killed and wounded, while a very conservative estimate places the Chinese loss in killed alone at 10,000.
Two days after the fall of the city the inhabitants began straggling back to their homes, each individual relying for protection on a small painted flag of the nation in which he seemed to have the most confidence. On the approach of any foreign soldiers the refugees would drop on their knees and grovel in the dirt. After a few days the city was patrolled, the looting stopped, and a proclamation issued inviting the Chinese to return to their homes and assuring them protection in their legitimate business.
Guns and arms of all kinds were captured in the arsenal, and nearly four hundred thousand dollars in silver bullion were found in the mint, while evidence was also discovered showing the complicity of the Viceroy of Tientsin in the early movements of the Boxers.
Preparations were now made for the relief of the foreign ministers in Peking, from whom no news had been received for over three weeks, and when last heard from were being constantly bombarded. On the 24th of July a runner came through with messages from the ministers saying that a truce had been agreed to and that there had been no fighting since the 17th, but that food and ammunition were getting scarce.
On August 4, a force of 14,000 Japanese, 6000 Russians, 2000 British, 2200 Americans, and about 3000 French, Germans and Italians advanced from Tientsin on both sides of the river towards Peking. On the 5th, at Pietsang, a hard battle was fought in which the Chinese were defeated, and on the following day at Yangtsun they made another stand, but were driven out, the Americans losing heavily in the attack, and later from the fire of the Russians owing to an error. From Yangtsun to Tungchow there was little fighting, but the march was very trying on account of the heat. After a short rest at the latter place the allies moved on Peking, the Japanese and Russians attacking the north wall, the British the east wall, and the Americans the south wall, all entering the city after very little opposition and finding the legations still holding out against heavy odds.
With the relief of the minister, the operations of the American army were practically over with the exception of a fight of the 6th Cavalry, together with a detachment of the Bengal Lancers and some Japanese troops against a force of about 4000 Boxers six miles from Tientsin on the 19th. After considerable skirmishing, the 6th Cavalry made a charge, routing the Boxers and killing over 400 of them.
After the first few weeks of operations it was readily seen that the Japanese army was far ahead of all others in organization, discipline, endurance, equipment, and second to none in fighting. The detail to which their organization was perfected could best be seen oil the battlefield, where their ammunition supply was so perfect that, besides looking after themselves, they still had time to assist the British and Americans in bringing ammunition from the city for the troops under fire. Our own wounded can testify to the efficiency of the Japanese Field Hospital Corps at Tientsin, even when the Japanese loss was over 18 per cent of the troops engaged.
Besides observing the relative merits of the various troops off duty as well as in the field, there was abundant opportunity to study the various methods of landing from transports under varying conditions. In the beginning the Russians and the British used large lighters towed by tugs, but this was advisable only when the lighters could be towed direct to Tientsin without stopping and the troops marched ashore. The best method of landing troops from outside the bar, and the one finally adopted by all nations, was to use light-draught river steamers which would carry from one to two battalions with supplies enough for 48 hours. These could load in all kinds of weather, were of only slightly greater draught than the lighters, and having their own steam were independent, so that in the river they were much safer and more easily handled, while the men were more comfortable on board and could be landed in better condition. Similar steamers were used for landing horses and artillery, and while slightly more expensive than lighters, they were also more expeditious and, under the conditions obtaining at Taku and Tongku, much more practicable, as there were landing docks to which the steamers could be made fast at any stage of the tide.
After landing, the troops were transported to the front in various ways, the Russians and the Americans using the railway almost entirely, although some tugs and lighters were also used on the river. The British used tugs and lighters after their troops had been landed from steamers at their station at Sin ho, a few miles above Tongku. The Japanese used the railway until it was turned over to the Russians, after which they marched their troops overland via the Taku road to Tientsin and found it a very practical method, their men arriving in good condition and ready to take the field.
The greatest objection to using long lighters was the danger of grounding in the river bends at high water or on a falling tide and having to remain until the next high water, frequently blocking the river or forcing other vessels aground.
The naval operations in this war were necessarily confined, but nevertheless important, for besides keeping communication open between the armies and the outside world, the various navies kept the few Chinese ships blockaded so that they could not interfere with transports or the landing of troops. Early in the struggle the greater number of the men on shore were marines and bluejackets who had to receive all supplies from the ships. A number of naval guns were landed, mounted on improvised carriages and made to do excellent service in the fighting at Tientsin. And the old Monocacy, although she took no pail in the fighting, did sufficient good work as an international headquarters while she was in the river to cause her to be remembered by all nations which took part in suppressing the "Boxers."