Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-08-30
An Interesting Letter.

Leo Gross, son of Charles Gross of 1907
Locust street, Allegheny, is amember OF
Company D, Ninth Infantry. He has
written his father an account of the bat
tie of Tien-Tsin, in which he took part
Incidentally he gives his opinion of the
conduct of some of the allied troops.
The letter is dated Tien-Tsin, July IA,
and was received by Mr.. Gross on Thurs
day last. The letter follows:
II guess by the time you receive this
note you will have heard about our first
battle, and it was fierce. don't know
but think l am pretty lucky, as L did
not receive wound, although l was hit
| in the leg by pieces of shells bursting.
| lost no blood, but our boys got it proper
and the English and Japs suffered aw-
fully. Well, here goes to tell about my
first time under fire. We landed in
China July and lay in the harbor three
DAYS. Then we moved up the river to
the new city of Tien-Tsin and lay up in
a building captured by the Germans
1t is about five miles from the old town.
The night of the 18th three companies
of us were ordered out on the right of
the firing line with the United States
marines, and English. French and
Russians to hold the railroad station.
which is about mile from the Chinese.
who had the eight-inch gun trained on
us.
About o'clock on hemorning of the
18th. when we were eating breakfast. a
shell landed among us, and, sorry to say,
it killed two of our boys, wounded seven,
and the marines and English had three
killed and eight wounded. We were or
dered over to the left of the line to help
hold the gate, and | don't see how we
ever got away alive. for we were sur
rounded. Colonel Liscum ordered
charge. We started with the Japs and
the English followed We had gone
about hundred yards when our colors
went down. The Colonel grabbed them
and started to the front, and then it was
that he got killed. About the same time
Major Reagan and Captain Showfield
got hit We kept going, and ran out of
ammunition, and they called for volun-
teers. The whole six companies res
ponded; we got all we wanted, then
started forward, with Lieutenant Law
ton leading. He was very cool ard
brave. He was shot three times before
he gave up, and then he was cheering his
men. We got within 100 yards of the
wall. and were ordered to halt, for the
Japs had got into the city.
s'Thefght lasted "a hours, and in that t
time the loss to Americans was 96 killed
and wounded and to all the allied forces
was about 1000 killed and wounded.
The Chinese loss was about $4,000. We
marched into the city on the morning of
the 10th, and it was and awful signt.
The Chinese were piled five and six
high-men women and children. We
captured the arsenal, the mint full of
silver and big guns TO SELL but we are
not allowed to take away anything.
You can talk about your German
army for bravery, but they did not dare
to make charge across the field; they
are all right in trench, but they never
charged under the fierce fire of the
Chinese. The Russians and French are
about the Same, but the French refused
to advance The Japs are the best fight
ers on earth. / know they could give
us good, hard fight. The English
could not set within 200 yards of us, and
they were very kind and good to us. and
their officers treat US fine. When we
were carrying our wounded from the
| field the French refused us water, soyou
know what our boys think of them.
1.-The English have the native troops
of China, and also some from India.
Well, they had to lash the Indians to
the front.
Il am feeling fine and am in good
| haa1t1-