The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-08-29
FALL OF TIEN-TSIN.
Story Told by Major Lee, Who Was I'm
the engagement.


Special to the indianapolis Journal.
GREENCASTLE. Ind, Aug. 2S.-Rela-
tives of Mayor John NJ. Lee. who was in
the battle of Tien-Tsin, are in receipt of
a letter from him giving an account of that
engagement. The letter was written I'M
der date of July IA, and says in part:
with twenty dead and eighty wounded
of our regiment lying just outside you can
imagine how L feel. s . . On July IS We
left the transport Logan at about noon with
two battalions on lighters, on which We re-
manned all night opposite Taku. Next
morning we tried the experiment of taking
the troops up the crookedest river l ever
saw. L spent most of the day on the
lighter with over 500 men, and it was hot
almost beyond endurance.
I'VE had "A curious and interesting pas
sage up this strange river. AT midnight we
reached Tien-Tsin and after some delay
were unloaded, marched into camp ana
given supper. That day, July IL, after
much hunting, we succeeded in getting
quarters for men and officers in a building
over which foated the German flag.
There was much TO do and our men had
to work all day and all night unloading
the mass of stores from the lighters. We
kept it up till S a. m. July II, when we were
relieved by the Second Battalion. We got
orders to get ready for the allied attack
which was to be made at 3:l5 a. m. july Is.
We were all kept busy till near midnight
and was nearly played out. L got three
hours sleep, thinking it might be my last
sleep on earth. o AT 8 a. m. our bat
talions were formed. We had all told, only
42S men. 1t was a weird sight, the moon
shining brightly and troops of almost
every nation marching by. We took our
place and by 5:45 a. m. were in position.
The ca%nnonading had begun and musketry
opened, and bullets dropped all around us,
wounding Noyes and ~wounding and killing
several of our men.
THE arsenal in our front was taken by
the Japs and we were ordered up to sup
port them in an attack on the Taku gate
in walled city, the wall being thirty feet
high. We waved our hats. Commanding
Forward by rushes! We met an enfilad-
ing fire and the bullets fell thick and fast.
We crossed square bankm bitches
filled with water, sometimes over waist
deep. The Chinese fire became hotter and
swept every foot of the ground, and many
of the men were exhausted. General Lis
cum and 1 urged them forward and we got
within 300 yards of the town, which was
well fortified and defended, and came to a
moat fifty yards wide and swimming deep.
In a few minutes / missed General Liscum
and inquiring learned he had been shot
and was dying. / had to take command.
BY this time the men had got under
cover behind ~mbankments ana soon the
fighting was over.
1--WE were furthest in advance, no sup
ports could reach US, ammunition ran
short, night came on and with scores of
dead and wounded to take out We worked
till IL d. m. and then went back to our
quarters. Pickett (my orderly followed
right at my heels and every now and then
would say Look out major, they are shoot
ing at you"
Major Lee is now inspector general on
General Chaffee's staff and this detail ends
his ever doing duty again with the Ninth
infantry.