The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-07-27
THE NINTH AT TEN TSIN
THE AMERICANS TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE
IN FIRST DAYS FIGHT
MANY INSTANCES OF BRAVERY
By b Officers and Men-Lying Under
Heavy Fire All Day In the Mud With
No Food and no Surgeons to Attend
TO the Wounded-Thefr Withdrawal
Under Cover OF Darkness, Bringing
Out Their wounded-The Killed and
Wounded.

Tien Tsin, July IA, via Che Foo. July
16 and Shanghai, July 24--The Ninth
Regiment, United States infantry, en-
tered the fight at Tien Tsin with $50
men. An incomplete list of casualties
shows eighteen killed, seventy-five
wounded and two missing. The ma
rines had four killed and eighteen
Major James Reagan, Ninth infantry,
was wounded in the leg; Captain Ed
win V. Bookmiller, Ninth infantry, in
the leg n groin; First Lieutenant
Smelley d. Butler, United States ma
rine corps, in leg; Captain William
b. Lemley, United States marine corps.
in the arm; Lieutenant Frank r.. Lang,
Ninth infantry, in the foo
First Lieutenant Henry Leonard, OF
the marine corps, carried Lieutenant
Butler from the field under a fierce fire.
He was shot in the upper left arm.
while returning, but ran and swami a
mile under fire, getting to the rear.
His arm was amputated today.
Captain Charles r. NoyeS, who had
been slightly wounded in the arm and
leg, swan a mile, with only his nose
water, with a request for rein
forcements.
First Lieutenant Louis B. Lawton,
of the Ninth infantry, made a dash for
reinforcementS under fire, and received
three slight wounds.
Colonel Liscum was shot in the
abdomen and died half an hour later.
His last words were: Keep up firing"
The Ninth was ordered to support the
japanese, who were receiving an en-
fEding fire. After crossing a mud
val half a mile from the city wall, h
Ninth shifted, advancing against the
Hawking fire n reached a marsh be-
side the river at the southwest corner
Of the city. A body of Chinese in a
burned village under the wall just
across the river, where they were
strongly barricaded, poured in a fire,
and whenever an American raised a
hand he was shot. A Nordenfeldt gun
and two small cannon were also train
ed Upon them. They lay in the mud
all day, without a surgeon to attend
their wounds, and were unable to move
or help the wounded, without food
drinking the canal water. They had
exhausted their ammunition, except a
few rounds which were retained inor-
der to repel a charge if it should be
made. None expected to escape. A
few who reached the rear reported
that half of the command had been
killed or wounded, including heat
prostration in the estimate.
After the Americans had retired un-
der " of the darkness they strug-
gled back in squads all night, pitifully
Ak1d uSl0u LII III lIlSlI WOuiluCo.
The American hospital was crowded
and short of there having
been no expectation of such losses.
Today squads searched the fields,
collecting the dead n wounded. Col
onel Liscum'S body was escorted to a
boat this evening by two battalions of
English troops, with a general and a
colonel at their head. Lieutenant Col
onel Coolidge, who is now commanding
the regiment, and Major Lee were
among the pail bearers. The chaplain
of the marine corps read the services
at the canal lock. The body will be
shipped to an Francisco.
The total losses of the allies were
about eight hundred. The British lost
fifty. The Japanese estimate their
killed at fifty n wounded at ESQ. The
Russians estimate their casualties at
$50. All day long the work of bringing
in the dead and wounded was con-
tinued.
The Japanese were the heroes of the
battle. Their fighting was remarkably
brave, and was praised by all their col
officers counselled retreat last night,
the Japanese general said: when my
men move it will be forward" This
morning they charged the breaches in
the wall made by the artillery and
fought hand to hand in h streets.
Their ondu after the fight was
equally as good, as they refrained
from looting, while some Of the Euro
pear soldiers were having an orgie.
Dead Cinnamon cover the walls and
streets of Tien Tsin. Fifty guns were
captured. The place was full of NUM-
tons of wars.