In 1900, Private France Silva was a member of the Legation Guards (Marines) under the command of Captain Newt Hall, aboard the . The USS "Newark" was a United States Navy protected cruiser, the first modern cruiser in the U.S. fleet. On May 20, 1900, the "Newark" sailed for China to help land allied troops to assist civilians within the legations which came under siege by the Boxers at Peking. Arriving Tientsin on May 22.