Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-25

fast at the enemy's lines. From the walls
and the mud villages came CALLING fire
that halted us frequently. Our men were
on open ground, unable to find cover. and
the casualties We're frequent and unnerving.
Who was 1t said the Chinese could not
shoot? We entertained the same delusion
about the Spanish before the battle of Sam
tiago. The Chinese in the mud villages and
on the walls on the 18th shot as well as
the Spaniards. These Chinese could not
have been other than the best product Of
training by European officers.
While the walls were too solid for
preaching by artillery, it proved also i'm
possible to reach the walls, for deep
canal lay between the attackers and the
wall. At bend in the river the 9th was
halted. There was slight protection be-
hind a mud wall, but every time our men
rose to fire casualties resulted. The dis
play Of head or an arm resulted In
wound. The 9th's splendid fellows were ly-
ing in water, exposed to a fire that threat
ened to annihilate them, yet obeying every
order with GOODNESS and precision that
have since brought them unstinted praise
from British General Dorward 1t was Dor
wards mistake, since frankly admitted by
him, that placed our men in such a posi-
ton. But 1t was not Forwards fault 1t
was one Of those awful mistakes that must
sometimes happen in war, and no American
officer has other than praise for the En-
glish commander.
Holding Their Position.
Down the line travelled the news that Col.
Liscum had been killed. It did not dis
hearten the 9ths boys, but made them all
the more determined on victory. 1t was
proposed at one time to withdraw them
from their position along the river. Their
officers protested. As it was finally decided
that to withdraw would result in as many
casualties as to advance, the 9th was al
lowed to have it's way and stuck to it's
position, firing heavily at the Chinese rifle
md
The light artillery fire of the Chinese dur
ing the morning proved a snare. Those
yellow fiends had abundant cannon masked
along the walls. Besides heavy ordnance,
there were numerous machine guns, adj
mirably served
Are white men serving those pieces?"
was a question that americans frequently
asked each other. We have heard plenty
Of rumors that renegade white men were
the ones who ran I'D our list Of dead and
wounded. So far we do not know If 1t be
dead Chinese.
The 9th's men wore their blue flannel
Shirts without khaki blouses. Those same
blue shirts have before this proved splendid
marks in the field. All day the surgeons
were busy, they and the hospital men show
ing splendid pluck Men with trenching
tools and men using their hands made artif1-
cial depressions In the ground back of the
firing lne and here the wounded were
taken whenever possible and cared for. But
there was no safety. There was not even
comparative safety for our wounded. Mai.
Regain, Maj Lee and Capt. Bookmiller
when wounded, resisted the idea of leaving
the firing line The other wounded officers
among our men behaved with equal gal
lantry. Many of the men were so slightly
hit that they refused to report to the sur
geon, but kept on firing.
So the day wore on to night. Some three
quarters of an hour before dark the artil-
lery of the allies opened terrifcally on the
walls.
Under Cover of Darkness.
This means night assault on the wall"
was the word that passed along the 9th's
line. It meant murder, pure and simple as
these faded fighting men saw 1t. To swim
the canal and try Ito get through those
thick, high walls seemed an impossible
feat, as, indeed, 1t would have been. But
the artillery fire continued with undimin-
ished ferocity until after dark. Then word
came that a conference of commanders had
decided that the 9th was to be withdrawn
under cover Of the darkness During the
latter part OF the afternoon Lieut.. Col
Coolidge, now commanding the 9th, had
fOreseen this possibility. He had been anx-
iously debating whether 1t would be possible
to carry away all the wounded on with
drawing. Unless he could do so with COM
parative safety for the wounded he was OPP
posed to the idea of retreat. But dark came,
and the tired men were moved back in small
parties. others OF their comrades remaining
In position to cover their retreat. Stretches
and imprOvfsed stretchers were used in get
ting the wounded back. The maneuver was
accomplished. And now the officers of the
9th had thsir 0xyt opportunity to do more