Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-08-17
No Opposition Offered, the Legations Re-
lieyed aud Foreigners Liberated.

ners Liberated.
Since the early days Of June the foreign
minister's. with their families and off,
,ial households. together with handful
II marine guards, had been heeiegsd by
imperial troops on the compound of the
British legation. There were nearly 700 l
foreigners, including many women and
children. They represented the wealth,
culture. and refinement OF the entire
civilized world. They were guarded by
100 marines, representing the United
States, Great Britain, France, Germany,
Russia, Italy and Japan. These 400 men
defed and held at bay the millions Of
the Chinese capital for weeks. Night
and day, almost without ceasing. they
were under the rife and artillery fire
Of the Chints imperial, troops, but they
u. sented the massacre of every for
e.s..lsr in Pekin. As an act OF bravery
the conduct of this handful Of marines
stands out almost without parallel In; +
history.
The siege OF the foreigners in the Brit
ish legation at Pekin practically began
on June 10. For months before that date
the Boxers had been persistent in their
attacks on foreign missionaries in Pc
Chi Ii and Shan Tung provinces. In
Pekin the anti-foreign element was
daily growing bolder.
Finally on May Is the British minis
ter, Sir Claude Macdonald, in note to
the Tsung- Yamen, warned the Chi
nese government OF the Impending dan
ger. Two days later the diplomatic
corps in Pekin united in request that
the Chinese authorities adopt stringent
measures for the suppression of the
Boxers. 1t was not deemed necessary to
bring marine guards to Pekin at that
time. but foreign warships had been
quietly assembling at Taku.
The diplomatic corps met again in Pc
kin on May 26 and unanimously decided
that the failure of the Tsung -Yamen
to reply to the joint note of May 20
made the presence of guards for the le-s
cations imperative, and they We're SUM
moned ten days later.
The International guards were landed
at Taku on May 20, and on May 81 they
left Tien Tsin by special train for Pc
kin. The combined force was made up
as fOlloWS:
Officers. Men.
Americans ..... ....7 90
British ........ ........ss....3 az
Italian ....s..3 ~
French a.... ..Ts.. 1888 ~
RUSSIAN ..3..4 q
Japanese "a
A detachment of German marines fol-
lowed the next day.
BY this time the whole OF Pc Chi Ii
\ province was in a flame of revolt
i against the foreigners. The city of Pc
kin was the storm center. Missionaries
We're murdered thruout the province.
mission stations We're burned and the
lrefugees attacked. The Chinese troops
We're sent against the Boxer mobs. but
the general. We're punished for endeav-
Ioring to suppress them. The railroad
from Tien Tsin was destroyed in several
places. The empress dowager gave every
q levidence OF being in sympathy with the
lanti-forelgn crusade.
The powers, alarmed at the situation
banded several thousand marines at Ia.
ku. II was deemed expedient to increase
q the legation guards in Pekin and OF
June 10 force of 1,50O marines under
Il Vice Admiral Seymour left Tien Tsir
for the Chinese capital in two specia
trains. The following day a second de
tachment started, bringing the strength
of the expedition up to 2,044 men. divid
ed as follows:
! britlsn.....5 ....1,O3
: ............... ~
3 GERMAN. 20
frencn....5. $500. ..... IL
Amerlcans....S lU
Japanese. .........5s....... .
! .... .... SO. s........
Italians. ....... 3........ ........
Admiral Seymour's force neve
|, reached Pekin- After 1t left Tien Isl
1t practically was swallowed UP in tn
!. mysteries Of the interior. On June II
was known to have reached Ian
Fang, half way to the capital. Her
!, the railroad had to be abandoned and
battle fought in which the Chimes
: were defeated. But after June II n
word came from Admiral Seymou
Alarmed at the possibility Of the lit
: international force being wiped ont. til
!, admirals in command of the allied fe,
:. at Taku resolved on heroic measure
The commanders Of the Chinese for
!, at Taku seemed to be preparing x
i hostilities, and on June IL, after coul
!, Gil of war, an ultimatum demanded II
surrender OF the fortifica tions. In r
lply to the ultimatum the Chine!
Z opened fire on the allied fleet. An el
gagement followed, in which the Unite
. States warships took no part. II
forts we're finally captured after s
z Iyere struggle. in which the allies su
II fered heavily.
: The Taku forts no longer menac
4 the allies began the march on Til
Tsin. Russia and Japan landed troop
J. and marines were added from all Il
y warships in the harbor. It was not u
e tik June g that the allies were able
3 reach Tien Tsin, and only then after
severe engagement with the Chine
i. troops. Admiral Seymour's force W
q then reported to be within ten miles
"a Tien Tsin, and 1t was asserted by CT
n nese officials that the ministers, leg
tion attaches and all foreign reside1
a were with him.
a. This report, unhappily, proved fall
h "A courier succeeded in reaching I
at allied camp at Tien Tsin with the ne
e. that Admiral seymours force was 81
ns rounded ten miles outside OF the 81
H. and hard pressed. A force was protnl
ly sent to his relief and on June 2e
~ 49,