West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-11-08
FIGHTING "CHlNk s."
A Brave Yankee Tar Tells How
II Goes.
The Taking ola fort-Captaln McCalla
the Idol OF His Gen.


paign in the interior. We first went to
Iten'Tsin 10y rail. Then we started by rail
Tor feeng to relieve the Europeans aud
Americans who were in great danger of their
lives from the Boxers who arc very strong
around Peking. rhey blame the white
people for their miSfortunes. and the lack of
rain. The foreign devils, as they call them,
they think are the cause of all Each be
lieyeS that II he kills one white he will clear
himself of all future misfortuncs and II he
kills two it clears his family, aud five will
clear whole village.
"Af,er leaving rien.1sin we got along
I'm ely for 20 miles, then our troubles com.
meneed The track was torn up for nearly
mile and the ties were DESTROYED, So we
set To work TO repair il. We had a construc-
ton train with us. In this way we advanced
for 2S miles further, repairing the tracks
as we went, as every few miles we found
them torn UP, and having frequent fights
with the Boxers. II was like falling of
log to whip them, but they caught five
Italians away from the train aud cut them
all To pieces with their swords. We then
learned that they had torn up the track IS
miles behind as, cutting off all our supplies
from rien'Tsn. So we had To fall bacl, To
the break in the track.
"China has already declared war on all
nations, aud the first thing we knew of IL
was when we were attacked by the Chinese
Imperial troops. We drove them back
abandoning the train. and started back to
Tien Tsin. We were in q bad hx but had
plenty of ammunition. As long as that
held out we had no fear of the soldiers. and
we didn't think there were enough China
men in China to whip MS. So we fought
our way, inch 10y inch, for seventeen miles,
losing heavily all the time. There was
fort three miles from Ten-Tsin that we had
to pass, aud in order to pass II we had to
capture IT, We Ill knew what had TO be
done aud knew IL we didn't do II there
would not be n man of MS alive To- tell the
story We took the foEt by surprise at
O'Clock in the morning, aud after FIVE hours
OF fighting they retreated. We occupied
the position for three days. until reinforce.
men,s came up from Tien-Tsin. We en-
gagged them from the front, while the
British, Germans and Japanese charged
them from the rear. Aficr the relief came
we left the fort, but destroyed it first, dis.
abled the guns and blew up the arsenal
1T is a severe loss TO China, as il was
one Of the best she had, and taken by
handful of sailors. We had about 1000 all
told, but the only ones who did any fighting
were Americans, English, Germans and
japanese making about 100. We lost the
heaviest in killed and wounded, losing over
80 per cent, but we were constantly being
pushed to the thiekcst of the fight
eve had - engagements with trained
troops, and ~ fights with boxers. CAPTAIN
MeCalla is the pride Of the men that were
ON the expedition. The Yankee skipper, as |
they called him, IS the most fearless man |
they ever saw. lie was wounded twice.
but still held up. It was no surprise To me.
for was with him on the Marblchead
during The war with Spain. lie is a man Of |
coolness, good judgment and great courage. |
! have been with him in three wars, the |
war with Spain, the Philippines and this |
one, and if it is my lot TO take par, in a |
fourth, Captain MeCalla is the man want
10 serve under. You are sure OF seeing the !
hottest Of the fighting, aud you are with a |
man that would not send a man where he
would not go himself. lie knows exactly |
what TO do at all times, and ereats his men |
like men. lie is as proud y his men as
his meu are Of him
"rhe Chinese caught few English ma
rines and a captain Of marines aud cut their |
heads off. One Of the men was found !
hanging in long strips from tree. Two |
days after reaching Tien.Tsin the Chinese
attacked us iu the city. We went out 10 /
meet them and they captured four more
wounded marines and horribly mmilatcd /
them. Thank God they got no Americans
10 muiila'c them, unless they dug up their |
dead bodies along the roads we came by.
''We lost more than our share in the |
killed and wounded, but we have the salts. /
faction Of knowing that We sent over 20 to |
every one lost. But IL we killed every |
Chink in all China IL would not pay for the |
lives Of our poor lads, and all for people |
who in times Of peace look upon a sailor
as little more Than dog. But out in the |
wiids Of a county thousands Of miles away |
from home, when They need protection they
look 90 Jack, who in times Of peace, is no
more 10 them than the peo le wc are now
Sighting
''We are cNp-ciing 10 be landed again, as
ihe Chinks are advancing from The north, in |
great numbers ON Tien-Tsin. II they need |
fcinforcemcnis a. Ticn-Tsiu we will no |
doubt be landed again 10 lei them know
what they run up agains, when they meet a
gang Of American sailors under Captain |
Bowman 10. McCalla
$500 REWARDt