The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-08-24
The FIRST MOVE
TOW ARD PENN.
Report Of Commander Of American
Contingent Made Public.
COOPERATION WAS PERFECT.
Tho Railroad Mas So Badly Torn Ur
and Opposition OF Boxers aud
Imperial Troops So Fierce rs
10 Ncccssi.atc Retreat.
Hy Associated Press

(By Associated Prcss)
WASHINGTON. August 2S.-Tbe Navy
Department has made public the report OF
CAPTAIN Z. Il. NcCaiia. who was N COM
n.and OF the American contingent OF the
international column under Admiral ses-.
nonr, that on June 10Th MADE the ilrst
move il, the relief of I'ekin. but which vas
cut OF by the Chinese troops on the road
and forced 10 turn back from Yang lsah.
being In dargcr CT compiete annshiiatio'l
before coming into touch with the rem
forcements sent out to meet them from
Tien Ts;n.
The force of which Captain Mceaiis'
command was a part was mace up o.
eight nationalities, British, Russian
man. Austrian. Italian, japanese, + ie ,
and American marines and +blue-'aehets,
Its aggregate strength was 2.ois men ai.H
officers, of which IL were The Ne"ai :
men The sea forces were al acting WIN
nominal independence, but were unde1 ,iis
command OF ADMIRAL Seymour and operated
as one body. ~
COOPERATION PERFECT.
The cooperation Of the entire force
seems 10 have been perfect, and Cap'aiii
McCaila has nothing but the "ar,'isss
nraise both for Admiral Seymour and an
of the other officers who participated AZ
the expedition.
The start of the international column Tor
Peiin was inauEurated otter lhe ieee &c ~
argent messages from both the British
md American Legations in PelSin. The
al,,ed force was furnished with railroad
{ RECONSIDERATION by the Chinese authorizes
in Tien Tsin, although 1t was 1housha d.
FIRST they might have TO selze ms neces-
sary trains The start was mace on .,e
10Th of June and from that LIME Oh 'he
advance was made under constantly ~
.r,easinr difficulties. Whole sections Oh
- -, +orr nm bridges and culyetS
were found wrecked, stations burned anu
,,,,-,,,,i,. APPLIANCES at the water tanks
were destroyed.
IMPERIAL TROOPS.
The first attack on the column was by
narties of Boxers, but these soon Were
5oir,ed by regular Chinese troops. IND the
little column had to fight its way forward
ueuair;ug the track almost rail oy fd'
with thanking parties out TO protect 'iie
construction train, while other detach-
ments foraged the surrounding country 1of
supplies.
The advance continued up to the 18th,
and was met by two messengers at Dill
serent times, bearing urgent requests from
<he besieged iesaroners Tor feliei.
CAPTAIN McCalla and his marines were
finally nut in charge of the construction
train by Admiral Seymour's directions, ana
the work pushed as far as the important
CITY of Yang Tsun From this point the
railroud was so badly crippled that evil
IDENTIFY it was impracticab.e 10 advance
further by train. and the international col
7.mns secured the country for horses and
carts. hoping TO make II forced march 10
Ptiin by road. The resistance encounter
ed at Lang Fang amounted to a pitched
battle and resulted in the killing OF seven
and the wounding of forty of the allied
forces. -Four hundred Chinese were Killed
IN this engn cement.
RETREAT DECIDED ON
The news from the direction Of Ten
Tsin showed that the railroad had been
destroyed in their rear, and after meet
of the commanders it was decided that a
retreat must be made by way Of the
river.
At this point a German force from the
column captured four large iunks. while
Ensign WurtZhaugh and Cadet Courtney,
with parties of the Newarks men gather
ed in four large Sam-puns. This little
fotilla was distributed among the allied
forces, and the whole column embarked
the 18th for the return to Ten Ism.
The sailors from the modren warships at
first made Slow work of navigating these
unwieldiy Oriental craft, but they made
fair progress. The strongest opposition
was met at Piet Sang. where sharp fight
occurred. The casualties OF the NewnrS's
officers and men in this fight were one
killed and nine wounded. while the allies
only lost the services of Captain Jellico,
Admiral Seymours chief of staff who
was severely wounded. The resistance to
the party increased steadily on the trip
down the river until they came in the
vicinity of the Chinese arsenal, where the
little column cleared out the Chinese oc-
cupying the walled enclosure and took
shelter in the position that the Chinese
had evacuated.
ALL DAY FIGHT.
Here the American gun was mounted
on a parapet commanding the road leading
into the arsenal and an all day fight oc-
CURED. Three of the NewariS,s men were
Killed and thirteen wounded, while the
percentage of loss among the British and
Germans was about the same /; was here
that the commander OF the Kaserin
Augusta was killed. while directing the
defense from the western ramparts
An attempt was made at midnight nf
The 22d to send a party of one hundred
British marines through to Tien TSin to
summon relief They met heavy opposi-
fion in the darkness. and were so siir-
rounded that there was nothing to do but
make a firm stand IN the arsenal grounds.
Communication was opened with Ticn
Tsin. five miles distant. BY means of signal
rockets. and on the :as'taa the relief force
consisting of a nniSea column under Lieu
tenant-C'elonel Sahrimsky. one of the
One Hundred and Twcnty-eighth East ST.
ferian heriment. came in sight and was
greeted with cheers as it scattered the
masses of Chinese. who We're continuing
the attacks on The arsenal enclosure.
On the 4sth the march back to Tien Tsin
began. the allies having first fired the
Chinese arsenal.
The casualties of the allied forces
amounted 10 two officers and ffty-five
men killed. and twenty-three officers and
tr.o hundred and Ten men wounded.
& In conclusion CAPTAIN Ncfalla. pays a
40 nd -