Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-06-01

DTlDHllB 10 0dAGtJ ~ 6Aa -
ceive a higher decoration IL not a ar
onetcy. just as he vas rewarded be-
fore for failing to keep his government
informed OF the Russians being the
real owners OF the Lu Han railroad,
receiving at that time some alphabet
ical additions TO his signature" John
Brown is much improved by being
called Sir John Brown, =. /. c., which
may mean perfectly Independent gen
tleman.
Posterity, however. will read OF this
siege with amaZcment n wonder
how so many blind and deaf men came
to be appointed to the same post at
one time. Truly a remarkable coinci-
dence.
sCHAPTER VII.
The Russian legation is situated on
the north side OF Legation street, d.
rectly opposite the United states lega-
ton, $50 yards west OF the moat that
runs %northward from the city wall to
the wall OF the forbidden city, between
the British legation and the Su Wang
Flu. Consequently the Russian legation
is directly south of the British Legal
ton and only separated from II by a
small street containing shops OF the
humber sort. Immediately upon a state
OF siege being declared, the foreign
guards took possession OF his street,
drove out the inhabitants, barricaded
both ends OF the street. and SO made IL
possible TO go directly from the position
held by the American marines on the
city wall, through the American ega-
ton, across Legation street (also barrl-
caded), through the Russian legation
and on into the British legation, n
continuous foreign occupation. Thls
was a necessity for our protection ana
TO secure for the American and Rus
sian marines q safe retreat into the
British legation in the event or their
own legations being no longer tenaD!e'
At the commencement OF the siege the
following persons were residing IN the
russian legation, namely: III. 10. NJ. de
Giers, envoy extraordinary and minis
ter plenipotentiary; his Wife, daughter
and son, and Miss Edith Miller. govern
ess TO his family; y. ~. K~roupensky,
first secretary; b. N. Evreinow, second
secretary; l.. S. Popof, Interpreter;
Mime. Popoff and five daughters; n. II.
Kolessoff, second interpreter; a. L.
~Beltchenko and ii. Il. Wuln, tuden IN
terpreters; V. V. Korsakon, M. d., sur
geon, wife and daughter; n. I. Com
loyeff, postmaster; A.. Po!ynanon, clerk
In postofice; Rt. Rev. Father Archi-
mandrite Innocent F~iguroffsky, Rev.
Father Abraham, Deacon Baslle,
Messrs. Osipof and Piskimoff, ecclesi-
astlcal students. This comprised the le-
cation personnel. There was also the
staff Of the Russo-Chinese bank, con-
sisting OF the following persons: ID. d.
Pokotiloff, company manager Tor CHINA
and Japan, and his wife; D.. M. Pozd-
neeff, his wife and child; II. I. Barber
wife and child; Mdlle. G, Titoff, r..
Wihlfahrt, cashier; F.. Vavier, book
keeper; Messrs. Brackmann, Mirny.
Alexandroff, Wasilieff, Brauns and
Keller. Also Mr.. A. w. Borodavkine,
professor of Russian In the Imperial
university. The Russian guards were
sailors from the battleships
and Sissoi Veliku to the number OF sew
enty-two men, under Naval Lieutenant
Baron Won Rahden and Sub-Lieutenant
Carl Won Dehn, and seven trans-Balka
Ian Cossacks. Captain Jean Wrou-
blevsky, who was On language leave,
| also resided In the legation n acted
with Baron o Rahdcn alternately az
| commander OF the forces. Captain
Wroublevsky belongs 10 the Ninth rllle
! corps stationed at Port Arthur. Some
Of the staff OF the Russo-Chine8e bank
served I'm the British legation under
the orders OF Captain Strouts until ms
death, and thereafter under Sir Claude
Macdonald, who assumed minan
but Messrs. Kroupensky, Evreinow,
kOlGSSOI, lbNllClltllhb, III. NV ohhc'
and Professor Borodankine constituted
themselves Russian volunteers and re-
NAMED by their legation Throughout
the siege, never becoming a part or the
so-called international volunteers serv'
Ing In the British legation. Thes Rus
sian volunteers did splendid service II
the defense of the Legation street ives
entrance, In the Mongol market to the
northwest and I'm the various posts ah'
barricades on the city wall, In conJunc'
ton with the American marines. Th'
Russian sailors and the American sail
ors fraternized at once. but the sailors
were quite pleased to find their dutie!
did MOI often bring them into contac'
with the British marines, for whom
they felt q natural antipathy. Not tina
there had been the slightest disagree
ment or open bad blood those
two nationalities, but they seem to nave
been mutually pleased TO remain apart
The s.ussian sailors did much more
manual labor than any others or TN
besieged. The Americans, English
French. Italians, etc, were quite sat
isled to have all their ~barricades pull
for them by the Chinese Christians
working under their missionary teach
ers or n foreign interpreter, but tn,
Russian sailors pitched In and built n
well as manned all their w barri
cades. Their commander, Baron Vol
Rahden, stated that upon his arriva
his men were mostly green farmers
recently enlisted as sailors, and yer!
few Of them had had any military eN
perience or ven knew the proper han
ding OF a rifle, but after associatiol
for a few weeks with the well traine,
American marines under constant fire
hey had developed wonderfully fast
and ne felt at the end of the siege h
had q body OF men under him we
trained, steady and cool. "A detach
ment OF these sailors accompanied tn
American marines in the expedition
to the south cathedral and assisted II
the rescue OF 800 native Catholic Chris
tians. At this place they killed seven
ty Boxers and ooh ten prisoners n
they afterward handed over to the Chi
nese authorities for punishment, bu
doubtless instead OF being Furnishes
they were well rewarded. While thes
ten ruftians were confined in the lie
cation Jail one man succeeded in get
ting his hands free and freed n 9th
er. Being discovered, they assaulte
their sentry with a brick and attempt
ed TO make their scape But n be
ing promptly shot and killed, the othe
surrendered and was again tied up.
During the many heavy attacks b
Tung Fu Hsiang's soldiers at the Yves
end OF Legation street these sailor
behaved with great courage, and wit
their American marine companion
never failed to drive the Kansu ruf
fans back, until finally the Chimes
became discouraged at their lack G
success in rushes and settled down
a policy OF sniping from behind thei
heavy barricades. They were sue
poor marksmen, however, hat not on
In a thousand of their rifle shots too
effect, and the Russian losses all tol
amounted only to o u killed and eight
cen wounded. Their outposts con
manded the entire Mongol marke
commanding the southwestern wall
the British legation, n they alor
commanded this district until Augu:
5, some weeks after the active shellin
had ceased, when Lieutenant vo
Strauch took up a new position in TT
extreme north of the Mongol mark
- 49,, 49, - haEoninnrc 6ysn