Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1900-11-20
AWFUL EXPERIENCE.

NORTH DAKOTA BOY WHO WAS
IN THE FOURTEENTH IMAM
TRY DESCRIBES THE FIGHTING
IN CHINA.
John S. Johnson Of Sargent county.
who is a private in the Fourteenth in
fantry, which was recently on service
lin China, writes his relatives at Mil-
nor Of his experience, as follows:
On the morning of the 9th OF August
one column started out about 6so'clock
across the the river to make a swing
to the right of a town that was known
to be we'll fortified. When we got to.
about two miles outside of the town,
shells and shrapnels commenced to
fall close to us, so the order was given
.sby skirmishers march We marched.
in three lines of skirmishers under
heavy shell and shrapna fire until
within about 400 yards OF the enemy
when we got orders TO Xix bayonets,s
and charge the enemy. We then
drove the enemy across the railroad
and the Russian cavalry then followed
them up as they were retreaaing.
had three close calls in that fight, but
on the 9Th OF August never thought
of being afraid. ! was with the first
one up to the railroad, shooting after
the retreating Chinese. The first close
call / had was early in the fight when
a shell pursted right in front Of me.
and almost throWed me over, but 1T
didn't hurt me so went right on the
second close call I had was when a
shrapnlel bursted and pieces few all
around me, and a piece Of it went.
through the man ON the left OF me
over the heart; the next close CALI
had Was when a bullet went through
my eanteen. The bullets were com
ing terrible close to our heads when
about fifteen of us were sticking our
heads over the railroad to shoot after
the Chinese who were retreating, when
a poor fellow on the right of me got
it through the head and tumbled down
the railroad e~mbankment into the;
ditch where he laid doubled up and
dead for some time before anyone took.
him away. There Were 50 wounded
and nine killed in the fight Of the 9th
of August. After the fight of the 9Th.
of August we did not have any fight
until we took the walls Of Pekin, but
we had some marching that was ter.
rible. we marched through cane fields
almost all the way and dust clouds
were SO thick at times that we could
not e the company ahead and the
burning sun shining overhead all the.
time. and not the least bit ofa breeze.
The 9th, 10th and 11th were three so
terrible days that no pen can picture
it out as bad as it a I would
rather sc through the biggest battle
that VI was fought than TO expert
ence one Of those days again. There
were over 200 men that fell out%eVery
day during those three days; and out
of the Fourteenth regiment there
were soldiers lying all along the road
who were 30 completely exhausted
that they could not stand on their feet.
Isaw some terrible things on that
marcn, things that make me shiVer to
write about saw a number of men
get sa erazyLhat it took i've and six
men to hold them. saw ait one time
when we came to- well man fall
dead when he saw the water saw
men try to kill themselves. saw
men offer a handful of gold and silver
money for drink OF water. There
were ten Of us who had to fall out by
a tree, because we had become COM
pletely exhausted. We had laid there
but a moment when n Of the boys
got up and said: 'Oh! this is terrible,
boys! Then he took something out
of his pocket which we did not see, but
which was a razor, and then he said:
Well, good bye boys!, and then
walked out in the middle Of the road
and cut his own throat.
II,
HIS LIFE WAS SAVED.
MT. ]. .. Lilly, q prominent citizen