Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-11-27
ABOUT THE NAVY
SECRETARY LONG MAKES HIS
REPORT TO PRESIDENT.
ANNUAL STATEMENT is OUT.
History of the Legations at Pekin
Officially Reiated-Praise for
Men.

Washington, No. 27.-John D.. Long.
Secretary of the navy. has issued his an
nual report to the president. Among
other things the report takes up the his
tory of the ~beleaguered legations at
Pekin. This story, though it has been
often told, is interesting because It is
presented by a high government official.
This is Secretary Longs language:
The annals of history present few
examples of mere dramatic interest than
the story of the ~beleaguered legations in
Pekin, from June 20. 1909. the date on
which the German minister was killed
and the siege began, until August IA,
when the allied forces entered the Chi
nese capital. Official and unofficial re-
ports. and particularly the dispatches of
our minister, show that the American
marines bore their full shares in the
burdens of defense during this memora-
bile siege. The United States legation
was situated just inside of n near
ito the wall of the Tartar city. When
the legations We're assaulted, the Ameri-
can detachment Immediately occupied a
position on the city wall, a strategic
point of great Importance: established
an innprovised sandbag fort there, which
enable them to defend the section of
wall Immediately commanding the Legal
lions, and. although repeatedly at
tackled by overwhelming numbers. and
on two occasions driven for a few min
utes from the wall. they were never per-
manently d%islodged. but held this vital
pos ton until relief came.
Some days before the siege began.
and While railway communication with
the Chinese capital was still open, ar
engagements had been made for tls
prompt dispatch, for the protection of
the lives and property of Americans IN
the city, of another and larger detach-
ment from our fleet at Taku. This Sec
Ond detachment was made up chiefly
of seamen. under command of Capt.
Bowman H. McCalla. United States
navy. and was ready in the early part
of June to join such expedition as the
other governments interested might de-
termine to send forward from their fleets
at the mouth Of the river.
"On the night Of June 9 Admiral Sey-
mour of the British navy, the ranking
naval officer. received a telegram from
the British minister at Pekin. advisins
him that unless those at Pekin were
relieved soon, it would be too late A.
$50 the next morning a relief column,
under of Admiral Seymour,
started for the Chinese capital by train.
the expedition consisting CT 915 British
officers, seamen and marines, $50 Ger
man, 312 Russian, 15S Fsench, 112 Ameri-
can, "a Japanese, 40 Italian and % Aus
trian, a total of 2,066. Finding at Lang
fang that the railway had been so mucl
ged as to render it useless as
means of advnce, this column, after II
days fighting in a difficult country
without the transportation, ammunition
or supplies necessary to an EXTENDED
campaign, encumbered by wounded t.
the number of go, and entirely cut of
from communication front and rear
was obliged, on June 20, to fal
back, and having on their retur,
march captured the imperial armor
near Hsiku, a few miles above Tien
tsin. there awaited reinforcement
OF the part borne in this hazardous e,
petition by the American sailors. honor
able mention is made in all reports. TT
British admiral himself, in a letter to tt
senior United States naval officer
Taku. says:
4 cannot conclude my letter withol
expressing to you, sir. the high admir-;
ton l have for Capt. B. H. McCalla, WI
accompanied US in command of your O
ficers and men. Their post was usual
in the advanced guard, where their re
and go was praised by all. 1 regret
state that Captain McCalla was Jul
ed in three places, but considering t
gallant way in which he exposed himst
I am only equally surprised and than
full that he is alive
I'm the meantime the foreign settl
ment in Tientsin itself was subjected
attack. and communication between tn
city and Taku was interrupted. On t