Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-11
BATTLE OF TEN TSIN
Official Account of Part Taken by
American Troops.
A CONTEST THAT Is HISTORIC
Reports of Officers of the Ninth
infantry.
MANY DEEDS OF BRAVERY


| Adjutant General Corbin today made pub
! lie the official account Of the part taken by
| the United States troops In the important
| and decisive battle at Tien Tsin, China, on
| July IS, 1900 It is embraced In reports
made by Lieut.. Col Charles A. Coolidge.
| Maj. J. M. Lee, Capt. C. r. Noyes and
! Lieut.. N. NJ. Weeks, all Of the 9th Infantry.
Report Of Col. Coolidge.
Colonel Coolidge's report, which Is dated
| Tien Tsin. July %. Is as follows:
IL had been left in charge Of the Sd Bat
| talon and regimental property on board the
| L. s. A. T. Logan on the departure OF regi-
| mental headquarters and the 1st and I'd
| Battalions at the anchorage off Taku forts.
up the Pei-ho river the 18th instant, ar
| irving at the encampment of the regiment
on the German Concession, T1en Tsin,
| China, about 10 am, July 49, 1900. Upon
list and I'd Battalions, under Colonel L s.
cum. at 3 am. July 13 for an attack on
the south gate of the walled city of Tien
| Tsin. Company had been sent to the
railroad station anu Company e left In en-
| campment to guard property. Genera. Lis
cum had taken 42O men with the six COM
panies.
while preparing my command to join
| the regiment staff officer from Lieutenant
! Colonel Bower of the British army, COM
mandng at the railroad station, arrived
and requested me to send him reinforce
ments, as they were hard pressed COnse-
quently / sent him two companies. X and
M. under command of Major Foote. 9th
Infantry. A messenger from Surgeon Ban
lister shortly arrived with a request for
medical stores. dressings water. etc. 1
procured some carriages. to be drawn by
Ing ammunition. and proceeded to the south
gate of the outer mud wall with Companies
l and l.. 9th Infantry. where We arrived
about pm. 1 reported to General Dor
ward of the British army. who was In COM
| mand OF the British and American forces
that day.
He informed me that he intended to
withdraw the 9th Infantry at dark under
the shelter of cannonade from his bat
teries; that 1t would be useless to reinforce
them. and that l could not get to them
without great sacrifice of life, which he
would not order; that the reinforcements
had would be of no utility even il we
reached the position held by the rest of the
regi ment; that it was impossible for the
regiment to advance from their position.
He then directed me to proceed to take
care and dispose of the wounded as they
arrived The men under Major Lee arrived
between and 10 pm, bringing in their
Wounded' which We're attended to by Major
Banister. who had established a temporary
field hospital at the south gate of the mud
wall, bringing back from nearly the adj
Yanced line Captain Bookmiller and other
are highly commended. as we'll as his as
sistants. Surgeon Marrow. who with
the firing line. and Acting Assistant Sur
geon Calhoun. who arrived with my COM
mand The wounded were all sent in to the
marine hospital In the British Concession
before midnight. and the men under Major
Lee, who had been lighting since daylight,
lying in the mud and water for over eleven
hours, were sent back to their quarters to
change their clothing. get something to eat
and to return to the south gate the next
morning Company A from the railroad
station had been relieved by Major Foote,
and reported to me at the south gate about
dusk.
ION the morning Of the 14th. the south
gate of the walled city of Tien Tsin having
been blown open by the Japanese and the
city entered by the allied forces our serv-
ices We're no longer required, and, by direc-
ton of General Dorward. the 9th Infantry
was returned to its encampment
Il am pleased to concur In the recon-
mendation of the company and battalion
commanders OF their men who distinguished
themselves during the battle and SO richly
deserve the breyets. medals Of honor, ETC.
or honorary mention for distinguished serv-
ices in the battle Of Tien Tsin. There were
one officer and nineteen men killed. four
officers and seventy-two men wounded and
one man missing
The body of Col E. H. Liscum was
brought in from the field by Major Lees
men and sent In to the hospital that even
ing His body was sent down to Tongku
the evening Of the 14th instant. the funeral
procession from the hospital to the boat
being attended by General Dorward of the
British army and his aids. also by officers
of the Marine Corps and all of his regi-
ment, the 9th Infantry. At Tongku he was
buried with military honors. under direc-
ton of Captain Wise of the United States
cruiser Monocacy, attended by all the Sc
| nior officers of the naval fleets of Russia.
Japan France America, Germany, Austria
and Italy.
The enlisted dead having been brought
of ha fial1 hat
were buried the evening of July Ii near
the southeast corner Of the compound
where the regiment is encamped. The body
OF one man was subsequently found on
the field Of battle by Lieut.. Hammond and
buried where 1t lay: one man reported
| missing, body not found.
Distinguished GaIIantry.
II deem 1t my duty to especially report
| that upon the wounding of Col. Liscum
| Maj. J. M. Lee fell into command Of the
9th Infantry. engaged on the firing line;
| his GOODNESS. good judgment and control
| of his men during these long trying hours
as related by his adjutant and others. pre-
served the efficiency of the line and lives
| of many of his command His execution
of the work of bringing off the fed the
| body OF Col. Liscum and all the wounded
| without the loss of an additional man IA
worthy of the greatest praise and reward
| have the honor to recommend him Tor
medal of honor and that he bc brevstied
| one grade beyond any brevets already con-
ferred upon him for bravery at TEN Tsin.
China. July IL, 1900.
| Major James Regan. 9th Infantry was
| twice seriously wounded in the arm and
| thighs. His conduct and bravery were of
| the highest order of merit, and l have tho
| honor to recommend that he receive a
medal Of honor and be brevetted for gal
liant services in the battle OF Tien Ts.n.
| China, July 13. 1900.
Capt. G. r. Noyes, regimentai adjutant
| 9th Infantry, was twice wounded in the
| arm and leg early in the engagement. yet
| managed to make his way by swimming,
j the canals for nearly two miles ari crawl
| ing back to the south gate. I have the
| honor to recommend him for a media! Of
| honor and brevet one grade above any pre-
| viously conferred upon him for bravery In
| the battle Of Tien Tsin, China, July 49,
1900.
Capt. E. v. Bookmiler, 9th Infantry
was seriously wounded in the thigh larry
In the morning. / have the honor to rec
ommend him for medal of honor and bre
vet of major for bravery in The battle Of
| Tien Tsin, China. July 10. 1900
First Lieut. L. B. Lawton, Battalion sd
jutant, 9th Infantry. and acting regimen. al
| adjutant (after Capt. C. r. Noyas, aliu-
tant 9th Infantry. was wounde,D, wncse
| distinguished services in coming back from
the firing line with Information from the