The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-11-14
FOUGHT PEKING BOXERS
THE COMMANDER OF LEGATION
GUARD ARRIVES.
Was in Legations During all of the Ter
rible siege-Imperial troops Attacked
the Ministers.

Captain j. T. Myers of the United
States Marine Corps, who was in COM
mand of the legation guaru at Peking
during all of the siege by the Boxers is
a passenger on the Doric, en- route to
the States on sick leave.
He is not a stranger to Honolulu for
he was one of the officers aboard the
cruiser Charleston when she came
through here with the first relief eXpe-
dition to Manila in 1898. Before the
Charleston reached Manila she stopped
and annexed Guam by way of an APP
tizer. Captain Myers was with her
during the bombardment of Manila and
after that sanguinary and opera bouffe
engagement was transferred to the
Baltimore. He served with that cruiser
and then went to the Oregon and was
detached from the battleship and Dut
on the Newark and sent to China in
May.
by the latter part of May" said
Captain Myers this afternoon" the Box
er uprising had started ana the Chi
nese had even gone so far as to burn
two stations between Taku and Pc
king. Minister Conger was keeping the
wires hot sending notices AOr a guard
to be dispatched to the legation. On
May 80 Commander McCalla ordered me
to take a body of 80 marines and go inn
mediately to Peking. We tried to go by
rail but the Chinese refused to sell us
tickets The result was that we got
lighters and were towed up the canal.
The other countries sent along troops
with us and when we reached Peking
the same night we were from 400 to 500
strong.
"As soon as we reached Peking each
detachment was distributed about to
guard the legations of their respective
countries. The sentiment against the
foreigners was daily increasing and
finally on June I4th communication
with the outside world was shut off On
June goth Baron Won Ketteler was as
-sassinated That night we moved the
women and children into the English
legation and the following day the Chi
nese began an attack upon the legations
THE foreign legations are built in a
line along the great wall which is 40
feet in height and 80 feet in width At
first no attempt was made by either
side to take this wall in fact the Chi
nese sent word that they would keep
off of it If we would. This was agreed
to but the Chinese soon broke their
compact and seized a portion of the
wall. Owing to its height the wall gave
them a command over the surrounding
country and especially the legations so
realizing the imperative necessity of
getting possession of the position we
charged and drove the Chinese off of
it.
1--WE held about 600 yards of the wall
and although there were bastions at
every hundred yards we added further
fortificationS to protect the men. The
Americans guarded one end of the wall
and the Russians the other, while the
other nations had troops distributed be-
tween the two wings. Another import
ant reason for holding the wall was the
fact that the great canal passed under
1t close to the legations and we specula-
ted that if the relief expeditions, when
they did arrive should fail to carry the
gates they could get into the town
through this canal.
ITO what extent the Empires Dow
ager encouraged the Boxers 1 can not
state but 1 know that we were attacked
by thousands of Imperial troops men
who wore the uniform of the imperial
army and carried the imperial banners.
In fact, in charge that we made and
where | was wounded in the leg by a
spear, we captured several banners
which gave the name of the colonel of
the Chinese regiment and told to what
portion of the imperial army he be-
longed.
81 can't say that any set of troop.
conducted themselves with more credit
that did the other. It was a root-hog-
or-die case with us all and every man
realized that he had to do his utmost
to hold that position or else his throat
would be cut so he naturally put forth
every effort in him.
Regarding the report that Minister
Conger had filed charges of cowardice
against Captain Hail. the second in
command of the marines, will say that
I am certain Mr.. Conger did not make
any charges at all. A rumor started
that Hall had showed the White feather
and he demanded a court martial.
number of people were asked if they
would prefer charges against Hall, my
self among the number and we declin'
ed Hall was eXonorated by the
court. So far as 1 saw he was an eff
cient officer"