1901 CHINA FROM WITHIN: BOXER REBELLION SIEGE OF PEKING

China From Within

The Siege of Peking
 

IN this chapter we shall avail ourselves almost entirely of Dr. Morrison's account. This first extract, however, is from the North China Herald:

" On the morning of June 20th, when the Legations all moved into the British grounds, there were few who thought that the siege would last over a week or ten days. Consequently, many came bringing only a food supply for a few days, while some completely forgot to bring any. Wiser heads, however, worked all that afternoon with mules and carts, emptying the foreign stores of all their provisions, and carrying into the besieged quarters thousands of pounds of rice from near' by grain shops.

"In the Chinese mill near the Canal were found over five tons of Honan wheat. This mill, containing four grinding stones, was moved into the Legation, and every day an allowance of wheat was ground into coarse flour. By six o'clock in the evening, when the Chinese attack began with vigour, there had been carried into the Legation, or within the lines of defence, enough food to last ten weeks. The grounds were well supplied with water, which for the most part was used unboiled, and up to the closing of the siege no case of fever had resulted from so drinking it. By this time Foreign Ministers and every one knew that our position was one of great danger. It was decided at once to begin a plan of fortifications, and the Rev. F. D. Gamewell, of the American Episcopal Mission, was placed in charge of the work. Night and day, for almost two months, he carried them on. In fact, when the Indian troops came into the south gate of the compound, Mr. Gamewell was in the north end with his fortifying crew.

"The morning of the 21st found an organization ready to begin work. Mr. Tewkesbury, of the American Board Mission, was made Chairman of the Committee for Public Comfort. This committee looked after the general well-being of those in the compound.

"Prof Oliver, Mr. King and Prof Russell were in charge of the food supply and giving out of stores. C. H. Fenn was made the miller. Mr. Hobart, of Tientsin, was in charge of the Chinese labour. Among the 3,000 native converts were hundreds of preachers, teachers, medical helpers and assistants ; these men worked like common coolies. Mr. Hobart had them numbered and worked in companies of ten to thirty. Mr. Stelle and Mr. Gait were in charge of the labour registration and time-keeping. Dr. W. S. Ament was the overseer of confiscated goods. Mr. Verity, Dr. Ingram and Mr. Ewing were in charge of the native Christian quarters.

" The British Legation students and the young men in the Imperial Chinese Customs, Banks, etc., formed a Volunteer Guard to assist in the protection of the Legation. These men did most excellent service, and were brave to a man,

" Drs. Dudgeon and John Inglis formed a Sanitary Committee to look after the general health of the compound. The siege was fortunate in having a number of trained nurses, who, with the many female physicians, gave the sick excellent care ; the latter also acting as nurses,

" Mr. Tours, of the British Legation, was the head of the Fire Department. During the first week of the siege, fires formed the greatest element of danger. The ladies formed a Committee on Sand Bags, They are said to have made 50,000 the first six weeks. Almost every conceivable thing that would make a sand bag was turned into one. Tablecloths and bed linen, portieres and silk curtains, carpets and window curtains, foreign and Chinese clothes, silk from Chinese shops inside the lines, were all used to make the much-needed sand bag."

The following are extracts from Dr. Morrison's account : —

" On June 22nd, by a blunder of Captain Thomann, the Austrian commander, a panic, that might have proved disastrous, occurred. He had without reason ordered the abandonment of most of the Legations. On this, at the request of all the Ministers, Sir Claude MacDonald assumed chief command. The positions were re-occupied, except one barricade.

" It was obvious from the first, that the great danger at the British Legation would be from incendiarism. A fire was started behind Mr. Cockburn's house, and only by desperate work were the flames got under. It was then proposed to pull down an unimportant building of the Hanlin Academy. The proposition was vetoed. Such desecration, it was said, would wound the susceptibilities of the Chinese Government. It was 'the most sacred building in China.' So little do the oldest of us understand the Chinese !

" A strong wind was blowing from the Hanlin into the Legation, the distance separating the nearest building from the Minister's residence being only a few feet. Fire the one, and the Minister's residence would have been in danger. Suddenly there was the alarm of fire. Smoke was rising from the Hanlin. The most venerated pile in Peking, the great Imperial Academy, centre of all Chinese learning, with its priceless collection of books and manuscripts, was in flames. Every one who was off duty rushed to the back of the Legation. The Hanlin had been occupied during the night by Imperial soldiers, who did not hesitate, in their rage to destroy the foreigners, to set fire to the buildings. Ii was first necessarjto clear the temple. A breach was made in the wall, Captain Poole headed a force of marines and volunteers, who rushed in, divided, searched the courts, and returned to the main pavilion, with its superb pillars and memorial tablets. Chinese were rushing from other burning pavilions to the main entrance. They were taken by surprise and many were killed, but they had done their evil deed. Other great libraries have been destroyed by the victorious invader. What can be thought of a nation which destroys its own most sacred edifice, the pride and glory of its learned men through centuries, in order to wreak vengeance upon the foreigner ?

"Then were fired the Dutch Legation, the Russo-Chinese Bank, and all the Customs buildings. Flames were on every side, the smoke was tremendous, while the fusillade was incessant

" Then Krupp guns opened fire, and they b^an to make bomb-proof shelters for the women and children. On the 25th the Chinese tried to throw the Legation people off their guard by treacherously putting up a board, on which were the words : ' Imperial command to protect Ministers, and stop firing. A despatch will be handed in at the Imperial Canal Bridge.' A hundred rifles were levelled at the one who went for it, the despatch was never received, and vigilance was redoubled. On July 1st M. Wagner was killed by the bursting of a shell, the first civilian to lay down his life for the besieged women and children. It was a day of misfortune. In the afternoon a most disastrous sortie was made to take a Krupp gun. The party consisted of sixteen Italians, four Austrians, two French, seven British marines, and five British students, who behaved with great pluck and dash. They were caught in a trap, and it was considered fortunate not more were involved. Three men and an officer were killed, and five wounded.

" The gun that was not captured was brought up again next day into play, and continued battering down the Fu walls (the ' Fu ' was Prince Su's palace, where were the refugee Christians). The enemy were working their way ever nearer to them. Their rage to reach the Christians was appalling. :They cursed them from over the wall, hurled stones It them, and threw shells to explode overhead. Only after the armistice, when we received the Peking Gazette, did we find that word to burn out and slaughter the converts had come from the highest in the land.

" The Japanese were driven still further back. Already they had lost heavily, for upon them had fallen the brunt of a defence, the gallantry of which surpassed all praise. When the siege was raised, it was found that of the entire force of marines posed to a heavy fire, retired within what had been the Chinese barricade, and employed it against the enemy who had built it. Captain Myers was wounded in the knee by tripping over a fallen spear.

"News of the successful sortie gave much pleasure to the community. Chinese coolies were sent on the wall, and a strongly intrenched redoubt was built there ; the camp was made safe by traverses. Unfortunately, the wound of Captain Myers proved more serious than was at first suspected, and he was not again able to return to duly. The services of a brave and capable officer were lost to the garrison ; his post on the wall was taken most ably by Captain Percy Smith, and other officers in turn.

" Most of the shelling was now directed against the French and German Legations and Chamot's Hotel. The hotel was struck ninety-one times, and was several times set on fire, but the flame was extinguished. Work continued there, however hot the shelling, for food had to be prepared there for half the community in Peking, Russians, French, Germans, and Austrians. The energy of Chamot was marvellous. He fed the troops and a crowd of Christian refugees, killed his own mules and horses, ground his own wheat, and baked 300 loaves a day. Shelled out of the kitchen, he baked in the parlour. His courage inspired the Chinese, and they followed him under fire with an amazing confidence.

" Then suddenly a new attempt was made to reduce the British Legation. Guns firing round shot, eight-pounders and four-pounders, were mounted on the Imperial City wall overlooking from the north the Hanlin and the British Legation. With glasses — the distance was only 350 yards — one could clearly see the officers and distinguish their Imperial peacock feathers and Mandarin hats. Adjoining the battery an upper row of stones on the wall was raised to form loopholes for sharpshooters, who could thus enfilade the canal and our communications eastward. Round shot were hurled into the Hanlin and crashed through the roofs of the British Legation. One pierced both walls of the dining-room, passing behind the portrait of the Queen. Two came crashing through the wall of a student's room, where a few minutes before Sir Claude MacDonald had been standing, watching the preparations being made to bombard us. Another struck the room occupied by a lady who was in bed and fell at her side. Another ploughed through the carts. Three batteries in all, carrying five guns, were mounted on the Imperial City wall where the bombardment could be witnessed by the Empress-Dowager and her counsellors, and day after day round shot were thrown from them into the British Legation, into a compound crowded with women and children. This is what His Excellency Lo Feng-Luh was describing to Lord Salisbury as 'giving effective protection to the British Legation.'  . . .