Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-31
THE DASH TO PEKIN
Troops Had a Hard March to Chinese
Capital.
OFTEN WENT WITHOUT FOOD
Appeal to National Pride Kept Up
Their Tagging Spirits.
SCENES AFTER THE RELIEF
Copyright, 1900, by the Associated Press.)

| Copyright, 1900. by the Associated Press.)
| PEKIN, August IA, by post, via Tien
Tsin.-One disadvantage that the Ameri-
| cans had during the hard march to the
relief Of Pekin that their transporta-
ton wagons were late in arriving. The 9th
Infantry possessed the only outfit which
reached Tien Tsin up to the time Of start
ing. The supplies were divided among the
soldiers of the 9th and the 14th Infantry
regiments and the battery. The Ameri-
cans, with haversacks blankets and tent
rolls, started under the heaviest loads. but
| they soon stripped to fighting trim, prefer
| ring to forego their blankets rather than
| to sweat under them. During the last two
| nights of the march they slept tired and
| worn out in the rain without shelter or
| cover.
One night the wagon train lost the road
| and passed the American camp. The
drivers plodded along four miles in the
| darkness and rain. They might have
| driven into the Chinese camp, but, fortu-
nately, the Russians stopped them just In
| time.
Went without RatiOns.
| The Americans often bivouacked supper
| less and breakfastless, and toward the end
| the officers kept the men at work only by
appealing to their national pride.
Don't let the Britishers beat you. Don't
| let the Russians get ahead" they urged
constantly.
The army transport when it reached
| Pekin was q unique spectacle. Miles of
animals, vehicles and coolies trailed behind
everything imaginable on wheels, from
farm wagons to fashionable equipages.
The Japanese had cows bearing packs,
and the Russians had camels. Cinnamon
pulled the carts, staggered under heavy
packs, the soldiers cursing and beating
them. Several dropped dead. Two hundred
junks and scOws bearing munitions were
towed up the river by coolies. Had the
Chinese taken the offensive most of the
transportation might easily have been cap
tured and cut to pieces by small thanking
parties.
After 1t waG apparent that the enemy
was demoralized the generals trusted the
transport to luck, and bent their efforts to-
ward getting ahead. Only such an emer
gency as existed could have justified such
hardships as were imposed upon the troops.
Medal for the Survivors.
A medal will be struck commemorating
the siege of Pekin. 1t will bear the legend:
Men, not walls, make a city,
In the grounds of the British legation,
| where a handful of men withstood the
millions of the Chinese capital for fifty
six days, a memorable celebration is in
progress tonight in vindcation of that
principle. Missionaries assembled about
Rockets are blazing. Soldiers and civilians
of all nationalities are fraternizing. The
women are applauding the sound of can
non that smashing the yellow roofs
of the forbidden city.
The tired Sikhs are planting their tents
On the lawn. and the American and Rus
sian contingents are lighting campfres
along the stretch Of turf extending be-
You'd the Tartar wall
Through the ruins of the foreign settle
ment eager cosmopolitan crowd is
observation-disclosures. Cossacks, legation la
dies diplomats. Americans from the Phil
tppines and French disciplinarans from
Saigon who Kept discreetly to the rear
while the fighting was in progress, but
came conspicuously to the front when
looting began Only the Japanese, who
have earned the first place, are absent
Luxury of Peace.
Resident foreigners welcome the luxury
of walking about and immunity from bull
let's The newcomers are anxious to in
spect the evidences of historic defense.
These barricades are, after all, the most
wonderful sight in Pekin. The barriers
hedging the British legation are mar
vel of stone and brick walls and earth
works. Sandbags shield every foot Of
space The tops of the walls have inches
for the riflemen and the buildings at their
porticoes and windows have armor boxes,
bags stuffed with dirt and pillows, too.
Back of the United States legation is a
rines held. completely screening both sides
of the walls, with steps leading to 1t.
There is a loopholed barrier across the
wall, which faces a similar Chinese work
a few yards away. Another wall bars Le-
CATION street in front of the German le-
cation, and confronting the enemys bar
ricades within those limits are yet more
walls enabling the foreigners to contract
the area Of defense If pressed.
The tops of the American and British
buildings were badly torn by the Chinese
shells The rest of the foreign settle
sand eight hundred shells fell there dur
ing the first three weeks of the lombard
ment 400 in one day. Bucketsful of bull
lets were gathered in the grounds.
Four hundred and fourteen people lived
in the compound through the greater part
Of the siege. Three hundred and four ma
rines, assisted by eiehty-fve volunteers,
commanded by the English Capt. Poole.
defended the place. Eleven civilians were
killed and nineteen wounded. Fifty-four
marines and sailors were killed and 112
wounded.
Losses of the Americans.
The American loss was seven killed and
eleven wounded. Mr.. Gilbert Reid, who was
wounded in the feet. was the only American
civilian injured. Two foreign ladies were
wounded.
The reception which the survivors gave
the army was worth the hardships the
troops had undergone The entrance was
not spectacular Sir Alfred Gaselee. with
his staff and company of Sikhs, waded up
a bed of sewage in the canal under the
Tartar wall. The besieged removed the
barricades, and when the gates swung in
ward and the British colors appeared there
| arose a great continuous cheer on both
sides.
Generals. soldiers and correspondents
scrambled UP the banks. through the filth
elbowing to be first. Men and women cur
rounded the rescuers and shook the hands
of the Sikhs, patting them on the oack
|, Everybody was hustling excitedly along into
the legation grounds, where the colors were
planted. The soldiers surrounded the wall
which had been the salvation of the be-
sieged. The ministers and officers de-
manded the latest news on both sides.
Gen. Chafee.
An hour afterward Gen. Chaffee, riding at
| the head of the 14th United States Infantry
marched to the Tartar wall. An American
marine who was on top Of the wall shouted
| l..