New Britain herald., 1930-07-12

B9tTlCk ATOWG. bTQlItI OL NlIS. d. J. Tarrant Of Jubilee street, now liv- ing in the south. was the only New Britain man to fight on Chinese soil during the famous Boxer rebellion 50 years ago. MT Grove was member of the 9th |, s. Infantry which was the only American regl- ment to get into the thick of the lighting outside of the walled city of Tientsin. Fortunately. he was not wounded nor taken i'll, as were a great many of the 9th Regiment bows, and upon his honorable dis charge from the service, several years later, returned to New Britain and lived here for some time until going south.
 Thirty years ago tomorrow United States infantry were locked in dead ly combat with Chinese troops and the hordes ct Boxers who were de lending the walled c-ty Of Tentsin. The Boxer outbreak of tap0 had re- suited in creating chaos throughout north China. The foreign legations in Peking N ere besiegcd. as was the foreign community in Tientsin. Con- muniCation with the seaboard was cut, and all foreigners throughout the interior Of north China had either been killed or were in immi- nent danger.
 Fight Way In From Coast
 To protect their nationals, and primarily 10 relieve tke beleaguered legations al Peking, the great pow CTS had Joined in an armed eNpedi- ton to the danger area. Their aC- ton formally aligned the Chinese government with the Boxers. and what followed was in effect q small war. The relief Of the foreigners had been forced to start at the seaboard, One June 17th the coast forts at Taku were bombarded and taken by naval action. Tientsin. 30 miles rom Taku and so from Pe5ing was un- der the Chinese siege until July E. when the allied forces were strong enough to attack and defeat the hos tile forces in the walled native city It was here that the 9th United States Infantry. commanded by Col l. H Liscum, Of Burlington. Nt provided he first contribution of OuI army 10 the expedition.
 Long before daylight the regiment was on the move, and at 7:20, 1T the face of withering fire from vastly superior forces, carried mud wall which formed the first line ot defense and depIoyod under the doubtful protection of few mud huts But scaling the wall did no route the enemy. That gallant rcgi- Haent had yet to cross q canal, anG advance over q wide open space 10. ward the city wall from which its men were being moved down by musketry and machine gun fire Captain Edwin Y. BooknliIler. o1 Findlay. Ohio, now living in Wash ington. D. C.. fell severely wounded Captain Andre ". Brewster Of De troit, Mich, now living in Datroit continued the advance .at the head Of "B" company.
 soldiers Lie Tn Mud
 The ground was 2 chcckerooard ot d:,tes and dichcs. with water three 10 eight feet deep on all sides, and it was impossible to dig trenches because Of the marshy character o the ground. All that the doughboy! could do was to hug the ground ane take comfort that their fire va. holding immobile a large contingcn of the enemy. who otherwise could have thrown their weight against tht simultaneous attack which the allies were conducting on their left
 By 10 o'clock the troops could ad. vance no further-and retreat was not in the scheme Of Colonel Lis cum. General Forward, of tn, British army, was commanding thu allied attack, and to reach him anl secure endorsements q mcssengt must cross the ditches and dikes. target for all the enemy marksmcn Lieutenant Louis B LaWton. Of In dependence, Ohio, and now livin: in Skaneateles. x. Y, adUtant 0 the first battalion. took the messa ge In two hours he returned. twict wounded, but with the assurance c help. Colonel L.scum fell mortall. wounded and Major J. M Lee, 0 Grcencastle, Indiana. assumed com mand. With it's numbers greatly re duced and it's ammunition aImos gone. the 9th Infantry spent the da, under the enemy fire. some of it men up to their armpits in wate and mud. At o'clock that nigh the remaining members Of the com mand were relieved and the wound cd removed to a place of safety.
 The battle resulted in the captur of Tientsin, which in addition 10 in suring the safety Of the foreigner in that city, opened the road t Peking. which was finally relieve, after severe fighting on August A.
 9th Infantry Sticks
 The 9th Infantry continued "it. the expedition on it's march to tn capital, and at the conclusion 0 operations remained at Peking @ part Of our legation guard. With service record embracing numerou Spanish-American war, the Philip pine instruction. the China relic expedition, and the World war it 1 now stationed at Fort Sam Houston Texas as part of the 2nd division One of it's most cherished posses sions is huge bowl of hammere silver, obtained in China, and caIle the "Liscum Bowl" in memory of it beloved colonel who fell at Tien tsin.