The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-17
fHE PEKIN EXPEDITION
MeCalla's Bold Stand Forced the
Foreign Officers to Act.
American Commander Said His
the Capital and He Would Go
Alone If Seccssnry-Thc Eombard-
mcnt of Forts at Tni<u Described.

SAN FRANCISCO, July 1S.-Eye wit
nesses OF the first raid by Boxers on Tien-
tsin and the bGmbardment of Taku forts
by the foreign gunboats arrived en- the
steamer Coptic today from Shanghai.
| The most vivid story of the uprs-
ing is told by the Rev. Robert Colt
Nnan, pastor of the Presbyterian
Church at Lajunta, Col. With his wife
he escaped from Tientsin on June 16, go
ing by military train to Taku. and thence
| to Shanghai. OF his experience he said:
EARLY in June American marines to
the number of 107 came TO the American
| board of foreign missions compound and
encamped. Captain McCalla was in gen
eral charge. On the night CT Saturday,
June Q. word having been received from
the legations at Pekin that help must be
had. at once, meeting of the Consuls and
commanders was held at Tientsin.
Captain McCaila was spokesman for the
Americans. The Russian Consul declared
that he would not undertake to reach
Pekin with less than 5000 men. The
British officers were silent When Cap
tain McCalla was called on he said Amcri-
cans were in danger in Pekin, and that
he intended to start next morning to their
relief whether other forces went or not.
Then the British commanders and others
agreed to go and the result was the ILL.,
fated expedition under Admiral Seymour.
After the departure of these forces
matters became rapidly worse at
Tientsin. Finally on the night Of June 10,
soon after midnight the Boxers set fire
to the native chapels. the French Gathed-
raj, and many other buildings. The fire
was confined to the native city and the
line of flames seemed to be about a mile
long. The Boxers attacked the railroad
and tried to burn It and the station, but
were driven off by the Russians.
"0u the morning of the 18th my SON.
in-law, Prof. Clifford. went to hire tug
to take us to Taku. No tug could be had. |
but we accidentally learned that MILL |
tary train was to leave for Taku in forty |
five minutes. Permission was obtained to |
board this train and this We hastily did. |
Chinese engineers. firemen. brakemen, and |,
station men deserted in terror, but the |
train was handled by German officer in |
uniform, and American marines did the |
firing Of the engine.
I'VE left Tieutsin at p. m. and arrived !
at Taku in the evening. There we hired |
a sampan to conevy us out to the Chinese |
steamer Fiechin. which lay at anchor ready |
to sail for San Francisco. We reached |
the steamer in safety and could see the |
lights OF foreign gunboats lying in another
bend of the river which forms letter
C at that point. Mr.. Clifford returned to
Taku with the intention of returning to
Tientsin. We have not heard rom him
since. l arranged private code with
him and am expecting a cable at any mo-
ment. telling me something of the fate Of
my son and his family in Pekin.
I'VE could not sail that night for some
reason. and at 1915 in the morning Of
June Ii the bombardment OF the foreign |
gunboats by the forts began. The gum
boats returned the fire Immediately. We |
were lying up river with gunboats be-
tween US and the forts. Whenever the |
Chinese in the forts fired too high their
shells went over us.
How we escaped being scuttled cannot !
imagine. We stood ready to take the
small boats at 4 moments notice. Be-
tween our steamer and the gunboats was
a fleet of Chinese gunboats lying in wide
sweep of the river. Some of the foreign
gunboats attacked them, and that added
TO the uproar and confusion. Sometimes
there was such glare from the ships that
We thought them afilc. We did not see
the land operations, but AFTER daylight we
soon discovered that the forts were IN the
possession OF the foreign forces. The Chi
ne3e gunboats. dismantled and half burn
ing or containing dead and wounded, were
towed past us UP the stream.
Our steamer got under way that morning
and went down past the gunboats and forts
10 the gulf and on to Shanghai. The bat
tleships and cruisers we're ont beyond the
bar. out of range of forts, and therefore
unable to assist gunhoaJs.
We arrived at Shanghai June 23 and
were fortunate enough to catch the Cop
tic, leaving that afternoon. so we came
straight through to San Francisco