Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-08-18
Americans Placed In a Hard Posi-.
lion, but Held it Success.
fully

ters, to attack the city about daybreal
the next day, the report in descrIbIur
the early fighting, in which the marine
and Ninth infantry took part says
1--WE reached the advanced position
about S "a. M. / took $50 rounds pei
man with me-lQ0 rounds In the belt
| and eighty I'm the hayersaCks This i
! not sufficient for an aIl-uuy fight. am.
as 10 grow toward night / began 20 b0
! appTehensiye of being LEFT iu the al
vance position Ina a fight where no pris
oners were taken, with only the bayo
net 90 eight with.
"On the firms lire the action was es
! pecialiy not and the enemys fire es
| pecialy rapid and accurate and al
about $3.50 a. M. the enemy appeared 10
| large numbers upon our left. among th,
! grave mounds of the field IN which W,
were. with the evident intention OF
thanking us. 1 made a turning move.
meHt 20 the left and rear and we drove
! them away.
Later In the day. about p. m, they
again made "A thanking EFFORT. but al
! this time the infantry support OF the
| artillery company was on the mud wal
Of the city and aided us by a cross
| IRE The effort Of the enemy proved q
/ failure and We drove them In.
we remained In the trenches until
| about p. m, when We received an or
/ der from the brIgadier- general COM
handing 20 withdraw, which was
| probably the most difficult action Of the
/ day. since the enemy had so we'll COW
cred our position that their shots struck
/ the crests Of the trenches and threw
| dirt IN our faces. many being hit,
Gen Dorward ordered that the
troops should sleep on their arms that
night, and on the following morning 10
enter the city. The south gate had TO
be blown In by gunC0tton
The troops had had nothing what
ever 70 eat on the 18th save the small
luncheon which each man carried in
/ his haversack 1t was not expected
when We started that the action would
prove 70 long, but Gen. DOrWard
knowing the situation kindly sent 70
the reservation for food and other ne
cessarIes, and the biyouac proved a sue
cess. and the men, although fatigued.
were ready for duty.
ron the 18th instant. the south gate
having been blown H. we moved into
the walled city at about 6 o'clock a. m.
We found the city filled with dead
Cinnamon and animals. No resistance
was made 10 our occupation In the
walled city itself but infantry FIRE was
kept up by the japanese infantry upon
the enemy, who responded from the
suburbs. Since then we have had un-
disturbed possession OF an Tien Tsin"
Col Meade inCl0sed the following let
ter from Cen DOrWard the commander
Of the British forces.
From the general officer command
ing British forces IN China, 10 the Off
Ger commanding the United States
forces:
''Tien Tslu, China, July 49, 19OO-Sir-
! desire 10 express the high. apprecia-
ton Of the British troops Of the honor
done them IN serving alongside their
comrades Of the American army during
the long and hard lighting Of the 18Th,
and the subsequent capture Of Tien Tsln
city. and Of my appreciation Of the high
honor accorded 90 me by having them
under my command
"The American troops formed part
0f the front lius % the British attack
and so had more than their share OF
the fighting that took place. The ready
and willing spirit Of the officers and
men made their command easy and
pleasant. and when one adds 10 that
The steady gallantry and power Of hold
ing on 20 exposed positions which they
displayed on the 18th inst, the result
IS soldiers Of the highest class.
eve an deeply sympathize with you
IN the heavy loss you have suffered, and
especially with the Ninth regiments
loss OF their gallant colonel =. IT. Lis
cum. while az the head Of his men. and
with the first regiment Of marines In
tho death of Cant. Davis. who met "a
soldiers death IN the very front Of the
fight.
81 blame myself for the mistake
made in the taking up OF their position
bv the Ninth regiment, not remember
ing that troops wholly fresh 90 the
scene OF action and hurried forward IN
the excitement were likely 10 lose their
way. still the position they took up
and gallantry stuck 20 an day undoubt-
edlv prevented O large body Of the enc
nv from turning the right OF che at
tacking marty and inhictlng serious
loss on the French and japanese.
among many Instances OF personal
bravery i'm the action. 7 propose espa- |
clally 10 bring 90 notice I'm dispatches
the conduct of First Lieut. Smed-
lev ID Butler. United States marine
corps. In bringing wounded man from
the front under heavy and accurate
fire. Lieut. Butler was wounded while
so doing. but ] am glad 10 learn. not
seriously. The regimental adjutant
First Lieut.. Henry Leonard. as Lieut..
Butler was suffering severely. yolun-
teercd 10 carry him out OF the firing
line. This gallant feat he successfully
accomplished, but | regret 10 say, was
very dangerously wounded IN so doing.
THE Ninth regiment was fighting
somewhat outside OF my sphere OF ac-
ton. so j am 20 bring forward only one
instance Of personal gallantry IN that |
regiment although circumstanced az
they We're, fighting for about twelve /
hours almost alone and unsupported, /
and never giving back a foot OF ground /
until directed 90 retire under cover of |
the night and the fire OF the naval /
guns. such instances must have been /
very numerous. The one / would refer /
70 is the bringing back 10 me by the |
acting regimental adjutant, Capt. Law /
ton, OF the account OF the position OF /
the regiment across a wide and fire.
swept space. and returning with reln- !
forcements % guide them 90 his regi- /
ment when he was severely wounded.
"rhe Withdrawal OF the regiment was |
a delicate operation, finely carried out |
on which ] congratulate Lieut. -Col |
Coolidge and the officers and men uu-
der HIS command
Maj. Waller. who accompanied the /
expedition OF June 18Th. |
OF 400 Russians and 100 .
Americans that sought 10 reinforce the !
rien Tsin garrison, reports that he
objected 20 the movement, but was
overruled in count. He describes the
meeting with 1900 intrenohed Chinese.
the Abandonment o. the American
Colt gun. and the retreat abandoning !