Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-11-24
Continued next week.
IN PEklNG IN 1860.
How French and British Allies Occupied
IL at Tina Time.

How French and British Allies Occupied
1t at Tina Time.
London Chronicle: At the present
moment II is interesting 10 recall the
circumstances n some OF the Incl
dents of the entry Of an allied force
into Peking forty years ago. After a
long period OF friction between Great
Britain and China Mr.. Edward Bruce
was, early In 1859. appointed special
envoy to Picking to formally ratify the
treaty OF Tien Tsin. Admiral Houe. in
command Of the China squadron, made
special arrangements with a view to
protecting the envoy, having been
warned Of a threatened anti-foreign
demonstration-and not without rea-
son. Mr.. Bruce was stopped on his
way to Picking near Tieh Tsin, and
the admiral attempted to force a pass
age up the river past the Taku forts
age up the river past the Taku forts,
but met with stronger opposition than
he expected, and was repulsed with a
loss OF 81 killed and 800 wounded.
Stronger measures were necessary,
n France agreed to join Great Brit
ain In q military expedition. The Brit
ish troops, $4,000 In all, drawn mainly
from india, were commanded by Gen.
eral Sir Hope Grant with Colonel
Wolseley, now Lore Wolseley, as depu-
ty assistant quartermaster generaD,
and the French by General Montau-
ban. On August q, 1860, the British
and French forces captured the Taku
forts, losing 500 killed and wounded,
and then marched toward the capital.
were In great force, as we'll as in earn
We're In great force, as wei las In earn
est, declared that he was ready to con-
clude the treaty, but the generals in
sisted that 1t could only be done after
they had reached Tung Chow. Con-
Sui Parkes, accompanied by Henry
Loeb, Mr.. de Normann and Mr.. Bowl
by, the Times correspondent, and an
escort of t~wenty-six sabers under
Lieutenant Anderson, started ahead Of
the army to Tung Chow to make ar
engagements for a meeting. These ar
engagements having apparently been
successfully concluded, Mr.. Parkes and
his party, on their return to meet the
allied forces, found themselves
hemmed in by the Chinese, and were
eventually taken as prisoners to Pc
king, and Captain Brabazon, who had
just Joined the party from the Brit
ish column, was beheaded.
The allied generals ordered their bat
teries to attack the Chinese, and a not
engagement ensued, in which the Sikhs
especially distinguished themselves,
and both parties held their ground.
Attempts at negotiation were followed
by other engagements, and the British
and French gained the outskirts OF Pc
king and captured the emperor's sum-
mer palace, from which an enormous
amount Of prize property was secured
and divided among the troops.
Again the Chinese professed them
selves willing TO treat, and as a pre-
liminary Mr.. Parkes and Mr.. Loeb
were released, after having suffered
many indignities; Lieutenant Anderson
and Mr.. de Norman were never seen
alive again, having succumbed to the
effects OF h cruelest forms of tor
ture. Lord Elgin then refused to nego-
tiate until this barbarous crime had
been purged by prompt punishment;
palace by fire, and R100, 900 was de-
manded and subsequently paid as COM
pensation to the relatives of the MUIR
dered men. 1t had been outside the
summer palace where the British pris-
oners had been most b~arbarously
treated for the ediication of the en-
peror, who watched the proceedings
from his window.
Negotiations then followed, and on
October IL the allies. without firing a
shot, occupied Picking. the palace of
Prince Tsai, who had instigated the
anti-foreign movement, being appro-
priated by Lord Elgin as his official
residence. The treaty was signed on
October "a, and on November . the last
of the allied forces marched out of
Picking.