Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-08
FAILED TO REACH PEkIN
EXPERIENCE OF THE FIRST RELIEF
EXPEDITION.
Story of Signalman James b. Smith
of the Newark of the Desperate
but Vain Effort.

The following is an extract from a letter
received here from Sailor James b. Smith,
signalman On the U. s. S. Newark, who
was with the first expeditionary force that
attempted to reach Pekin but failed. The
letter is addressed to his brother in this
city. 1t says in part:
Speaking truly. l did not expect to be
writing you or any one else letter after
what we have gone through, but thank
God that l was to come through both the
thick and the thin. l suppose that you
have heard of the landing parties that
have been going ashore here at Taku for
the past month? Well, the one that hap
pened to interest me the most was the
landing force from the U. S. flagship
Newark. On the morning of the 2sth of
May we disembark ed and started for Tien
Tsin, which was supposed to be about
ninety miles up the Pei Ho river. but it
seemed that The farther we got from the
ship the farthar away would be Tien Tsin.
I'VE reached our destination on the morn
ing of the 10Th very tired and hungry. For
my part l didn't have much of a kick
coming for only had a revolver and belt
and the signal flags, but, of course, l had
my knapsack haversack and canteen as
we'll as the rest, and l guess l was doing
my share of growing with the others.
Welcome mt Tfen Tsin.
They anticipated our coming q mean the
mssionaries) and had plenty of booze and
beer on tap for US, but old Bowman H.
Captain McCalla) had also anticipated
their preparations and everything was
called off except the cake. However, a few
swigs happened to get into the barracks
and pull at one did do fellow good. We
remained In Tien Tsn for about two weeks
having a pretty good time Occasionally
| there was a call that the Boxers were COM
ing down on the city or that they had torn
down and set fire to the next railroad sta
ton to Tien TSin.
AT last these reports began to get serious
and all the allied forces were gathered to-
gether to take the railroad to Pekin. The
comma nder-in- chief was Vice Admiral Sey-
mour and Captain B. H. McCalla was sec
ond in command.
Start for Pekin.
I'VE marched down and took the railroad
by force and started for Pekin on the 10th
of June, and lovely time we had of it.
Why we had to reconstruct the entire rail
road, and after all did not reach the celes-
tial capital We were surrounded by the
Boxers and imperial army and had to fight
our way back toward Ten -Tsin. after aban-
doning the trains. which we left to be
burned by the Boxers. We had four days
of hard fighting. the shot and she'll were
/ had to go. / had to keep near the skip
per who was in command of the advance
guard so as to signal back to the main body.
and 1t seemed If he would go where the
shots were failing the thickest. / tell you
it didn't feel healthy at all standing up
waving flag with lot of bullets whiZZing
past your head and tearing up the ground
around you, but / made up my mind to die
game, even If / was killed by a Chnaman.
Thank God, he spared me to get safely
back to the ship after about twenty-nine
days of a hard life. We had four killed
and twenty-five wounded. including Cap
tain McCalla and Naval Cadet Taussig.
The English and Germans lost the heaviest
of any, having about 300 killed and
wounded between them.
Heavier PropOrtionate Loss.
"Our loss. in proportion to the number
of men, was heavier than any, for out of
ffty-fve men we had twenty-nine disabled,
while the other nations had 200 and 800
men, The most of our men were sent to
Pekin when we first landed, and they are
there yet, poor devils, perhaps all mas
sacred. for all we know here, as 1t is inn
possible for any one to leave Pekin be-
cause 1t is surrounded by about $4,000 of
the imperial troops who are guarding the
gates and walls of the city like a cat does
more because by the time you receive
this the papers will have the whole af-
fair. The 9th Infantry was landed the
other day and went up to Tien Tsin. They
had a scrap on the 14th, lost 245 killed and
wounded. fifteen of them being officers.
colonel major of marines and captain were
among the killed"