Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-10-18
LETTER FROM PEKINC.
Jesse Fleming, Davis County Boy
With United States Troops.
SAYS THE RUSSIANS ARE EDWARDS.
Young Man Was Twenty Years of Age
the Day the United States Troops
Started to Take the Gate Leading TO
the Imperial City.


Started to Take the Gate Leading TO
the Imperial City.
A Davis county boy is with the Uni
ted States troops in China and d few
days ago wrote from Picking to his pa
rents in Belknap, Davis county,
among other things describing The sit
uation just before entering the impe-
rial city. In his letter to his parents,
Mr.. and Mrs. John Fleming, Jesse,
who is but twenty years of age and is
a private in Company G, Fourteenth
united States infantry, says that the
Russians are towards and gives as
reason the fact that they had stormed
one of the gates and refused to enter.
The United States troops went in
thru the breach. Jesse says the boys
are we'll supplied with watches, rings,
money and silver bullion, the MAORI
ty OF which they found, having prob
ably been thrown away in the haste
of the Chinese to get away. The let
ter follows:
Picking, China, August 25, 1900.
Dear Father, Mother and Sisters:
AS am at leisure today l thought
would take the pleasure of writing
few lines to let you know that l am
safe and sound. The regiment is
camping outside the Chinese city but
still in the city of Picking. 1 cannot
go into details as I would like to, but
will tell you little of my experience
since I've been on this expedition. In
starting out on this trip we expected
to run into the real thing here at
Peking, as the number of troops were
reported TO be large. On July Ia we
were loaded on the transport Flint
shire and steamed out of Manila bay
Sunday morning, July Is. The trip
was fine one, or rather would have
been had the transport been used for
transporting men instead of cattle
and horses. Once l remember we
were led up to dinner to eat raw
prunes and hard tack.
ION the morning of July 81 we an
chored in the bay at Nagasaki, Japan,
and were allowed shore leave, pro-
viding we were dressed neatly. OF
course the poor fellows who were
broke, were out of luck. AS for my
self l went ashore twice and enjoyed
myself, taking in the scenes in Ma
gasaki. On the morning of July "a,
we steamed out and were soon off for
China. By this time our trip on the
water was making some of the boys
wish they were on land again, but on
the evening of July q, we anchored
about five miles from land, and on
August l, we landed at Taku. About
noon we were loaded on passenger
coaches such as they were, and taken
to Tien Tsin, We were given a rest
here and permitted to visit the city.
1t did not take long to do that, how
ever, as there was nothing but ruins
of brick buildings and dead Cinnamon
lying all around. On the evening of
August we were marched out of
Tien Tsin about five miles and camp
ed. The next morning the bugler
reused us by blowing Fall in" We
were soon in the ranks and marching
off by tours. All that day we were
held in support of the Japanese
troops, as they had very hard battle.
The march we had was very hard
one. On August the American fore
es had very fierce engagement, but
of course we accomplished our aim,
losing eight men killed and fifty-seven
wounded
"There was no more fighting until we
reached the walls of Pekin, but the
marching was very fierce. We had so
many corn fields to go thru and the
sun was SO hot that many mothers
boy fell out completely exhausted. On
the march the colonel issued an order
that any man falling out of ranks
without permission would be shot, but
that did not take any effect on the
boys for any number fell out and had
to hike along and catch up as soon
as possible. l stood the march great
deal better than I had anticipated and
am glad to say did not fall out when
there was any fighting to do, but was
right there with the company. There
were some, however, who fell out and
stayed behind and when the fighting
was over joined their companies. The
boys nickname such fellows cold.
footed individuals
81 stopped to eat dinner and have
taken little rest and now will try
to finish this letter. On the afternoon
of Aug. IA, we reached the big wal
which surrounds the city OF Pekin
Making rough guess OF it in my judg
ment the wall is about 60 feet in
heighth Two companies f and II
climbed it, My company and bat
terry of artillery. which consisted Of
ST. three and two seven-inch guns
W mt in at the big gate which the
Russian troops had blown open, but
were afraid to enter. The co1npan,
entered this gate and we went down 9
, little alley while the Chinese We're fir
ing upon us. The boys were placed
on the tops of houses and it took but
a short time to get the Chinese on the
run.
"On the morning of August is
which l shall never forget, it being
my Goth birthday, we started to tax;
the gate entering what is called tht
Imperial city. The captain command
ing this battery of artillery was sho
thru the head early in the morning
1t took until about noon to blow oper
these five gates and the companies o.
infantry put the Chinese to fight.
/ after opening five gates orders
were received for the American forces
to withdraw and go into CAMP ST.