Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1900-07-25
COLONEL LLScUM'S
LAST WORDS.
Don't Retreat Boys, Keep
on Firing - Allies
Amazed at the Ac-
curacy Of Chi
nese Fire.

New York, July 21-The Even
ing World publishes the following
from it's Tien Tsin correspondent
under date of Chefoo, July 10, via
Shanghai, July 21:
aThe attack on the native city
of Tien Tsin on July 13 resulted
in the narrowest escape from what
seemed up to midnight would be
q terrible disaster for the allies.
ssThe Russians swinging north
and the other allies south, at day
break the Russians were to take
the forts near the native city wall
and The other allies the city itself
Seen. Fukushma, the japanese
commander, promised that the
Japanese engineers, after three
hours shell fire from all guns
would cross the bridge over the
\ moat before the wall and blow uI
the great south gate, making 8
breach for the infantry to enter.
.Upon this depended every
thing. Gen. Fukushima had not
secuted the bridge and in "a hours
had not secuted the ground over
which the charge on the bridge had
to be made.
aThe Chinese destroyed the
bridge and flooded the land around
il. The allies shell fire in nowise
subdued the Chinese rifle fire, from
the loopholes in the. wall, which
Yas30 feet high, with a moat 20
feet in depth aronnd 1t.
.sThe outer wall of mud made it
impossible for the infantry and
smarines coming on the field to re-
ply to the Chinese fire. They lost
so men in 10 minutes, then rushed
back from the mud wall, which
they had reached.
Seen Dorward, the British COM
mander, hastened forward with a
fragmentary instead of an integral
skirmish line.
ssThe American marines and the
Welsh Fusilers together, under the
command of Waller, were on the
extreme left. Then the British
marines and the French advanced
with the Japanese along the road
toward tho gate in the mud wall.
Forwards plan for the Ameri-
cans to support the Japanese was
not made clear to Col Liscum of
the Ninth United States infantry.
"Dorward lays the blame for the
blunder and sacrifice of life on
Liscum, but Forwards chief of
staff was heard to say when Lis
cum moved:
"sGet in down the road any,
where. quickly
"Col Liscum hurriedly led his
men through the gate in as open
order ss possible.
"They were Immediately under
fire. The staff saw them pass over
the bridge leading to a field, which
proved to be cul de sac.
"Before the two battalions of
Americans, numbering 426 men,
could extend themselves they were
subjected, besides the fire from the
loopholes in the fort, to a fierce
fire from the embrasuresin in a line
of fortified mud houses on their
flank.
"Three thousand rifles probably
were turned on them with an ac-
curacy that amazed every officer
among the allies.
.The blue shirts of the Ameri-
can troops made than distinct
marks where the khaki uniforms
of the other allies could not be
seen.
sCol Liscum, guiding his men,
walked up and down the line, not
even ducking his head while the
bullets fell around.
"The Americans charged into
the flank fire with rushes. The
ground over which they charged
was marshy and lined with bitches.
SIT was evidently Col Liscum's
intention to rush the houses from
which the flank fire was coming
and thus get a position for flank
ing the wall.
.aAt 1880 the line had just
reached the short of the canal and