WORK DURING SIEGE DONE BY RUSSIANS—WORK BY AMERICANS

THE Russian legation is situated on the north side of Legation street, directly opposite the United States legation, one hundred and fifty 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 Fu. Consequently, the Russian legation is directly south of the British legation, and separated from it only by a small street containing shops of the humbler sort.

Immediately upon a state of siege being declared, the foreign guards took possession of this street, drove out the inhabitants, barricaded both ends of the highway, and so made it possible to go with safety directly from the position held by the American marines on the city wall, through the American legation, across Legation street, also barricaded, through the Russian legation, and on into the British legation—one continuous foreign occupation. This was a necessity for our protection, and to secure for the American and Russian marines a safe retreat into the British legation in the event of their own locations being no longer tenable.

At the beginning of the siege the following persons resided in the Russian legation: His Eminence M. de Giers, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, his wife, daughter and son, and Miss Edith Miller, a governess in his family; B. N. Kroupensky, first secretary; B. N. Evreinow, second secretary; P. S. Popoff, interpreter; Mme. Popoff and five daughters; N. F. Kolessoff, second interpreter; A. T. Beltchenko and H. P. Wulff, student interpreters; V. V. Korsakoff, M.D., surgeon, wife and daughter; N. T. Gomloyeff, postmaster; A. Polyanoff, clerk in post office; the Rt.-Rev. Father Archimandrite Innocent Figuroffsky; the Rev. Father Abraham, Deacon Basile, Messrs. Osipoff and Piskimoff, ecclesiastical students. This comprised the legation personnel.

There was also the staff of the Russo-Chinese bank, consisting of the following persons: D. D. Pokotiloff, company manager for China and Japan, and his wife; D. M. Pozdneeff, his wife and child; R. T. Barbier, wife and child; Mlle. C. Titoff; E. Wihlfahrt, cashier; F. Vavier, bookkeeper; Messrs. Brackmann, Mirny, Alexandroff, Wasilieff, Brauns, and Kehler; and Mr. A. W. Borodavkine, professor of Russian in the Imperial University.

The Russian guards were sailors from the battleships Navarine and Sissoi Veliku, to the number of seventy-two men, under Naval Lieutenant Baron von Rahden and Sub-Lieutenant Carl von Dehn, with seven trans-Baikalian Cossacks.

Captain Jean Wroublevsky, who was on language-leave, also resided in the legation, and acted with Baron von Rahden alternately as commander of the forces. Captain Wroublevsky belongs to the Ninth Rifle Corps, stationed at Port Arthur.

Some of the staff of the Russo-Chinese bank served in the British legation under the orders of Captain Strouts until his death, and thereafter under Sir Claude MacDonald, who assumed command, but Messrs. Kroupensky, Evreinow, Kolessoff, Beltchenko, Dr. Korsakoff, and Professor Borodavkine constituted themselves Russian volunteers, and remained by their legation throughout the siege, never becoming a part of the so-called international volunteers serving in the British legation.

These Russian volunteers did splendid service in the defense of the Legation street west entrance, in the Mongol market to the northwest, and in the various posts and barricades on the city wall, in conjunction with the American marines.

The Russian sailors and the American marines fraternized at once; but the sailors were quite pleased to find their duties did not often bring them into contact with the British marines, for whom they felt a natural antipathy. Not that there has been the slightest disagreement or open bad blood between those two nationalities, but they seem to have been mutually pleased to remain apart.

The Russian sailors did much more manual labor than any others of the besieged. The Americans, English, French, Italians, etc., were quite satisfied to have all their barricades built for them by the Chinese Christians, working under their missionary teachers or a foreign interpreter; but the Russian sailors pitched in and built, as well as manned, all their own barricades.

Their commander, Baron von Rahden, stated that upon his arrival his men were mostly green farmers, recently enlisted as sailors, and very few of them had had any military experience or even knew the proper handling of a rifle; but after association for a few weeks with the well-trained American marines under constant fire, they had developed wonderfully fast, and he felt, at the end of the siege, that he had a body of men under him well trained, steady, and cool.

A detachment of these sailors accompanied the American marines in the expedition to the south cathedral, and assisted in the rescue of three hundred native Catholic Christians. At this place they killed seventy Boxers and took ten prisoners that they afterward handed over to the Chinese authorities for punishment; but, doubtless, instead of being punished they were well rewarded.

While these ten ruffians were confined in the legation jail, one man succeeded in getting his hands free and loosing one other. Being discovered, they assaulted their sentry with a brick and attempted to make their escape; but one being promptly shot and killed, the other surrendered and was again bound.

During the many heavy attacks by Tung Fu Hsiang’s soldiers at the west end of Legation street, these sailors behaved with great courage, and with their American marine companions never failed to drive the Kansu ruffians back, until finally the Chinese became discouraged at their lack of success in rushes, and settled down to a policy of sniping from behind their heavy barricades.

They were such poor marksmen, however, that not one in a thousand of their rifle shots took effect, and the Russian losses all told amounted only to four killed and eighteen wounded.

Their outposts commanded the entire Mongol market, overlooking the southwestern wall of the British legation, and they alone commanded this district until August 5, some weeks after the active shelling had ceased, when Lieutenant Von Strauch took up a new position in the extreme north of the Mongol market, and drew some of the snipers’ fire in another direction.

The Chinese, early in the siege, planted a Krupp gun on the Chien Men or main gate of the city, and from this position of vantage shelled the minister’s house and other buildings of the legations very severely; but their aim was so bad that many of their shells passed not only over the Russian legation, but over the British legation and Su Wang Fu as well, finally falling or exploding among their own people more than a mile away from their intended target.

Doubtless more Chinese have been killed by their own shells and rifles than we have killed. As they always fired high, and completely surrounded us, the balls that have constantly whistled over our heads for two months must have fallen among themselves.

They attribute to our good shooting a large mortality that we know is a result, certainly in part, of their bad shooting. In the sortie made on the city wall the night of July 3d under Captain Myers, which resulted in capturing the Chinese barricades, several banners, and some ammunition, the Russian sailors ably seconded the United States marines.

Captain Wroublevsky on one side found it impossible to pass in, and joined the marines in forcing entrance into the other side. In this sortie Baron von Rahden was struck on the head with a brick and two sailors were wounded. Of the Americans, Captain Myers was severely wounded and two marines killed.

Some of the best work of the Russians was that done in burning many native houses and then pulling down the walls in the Mongol market that concealed sharpshooters of the enemy. Had this not been done, the entire southwestern part of the British legation would have been under a constant sniping fire, such as they really were exposed to during the first few days of the siege, and until the Russians made a dash into the Mongol market, drove out the Chinese, and burned down their cover.

The Russians also joined in an unsuccessful sortie, during which an attempt was made to capture a cannon in the Su Wang Fu, but owing to incorrect information as to its whereabouts, the Italian officer commanding led his men in the wrong direction, and after having several men wounded, the party returned without having accomplished anything.

In the fortification of their own legation they have been untiring, and besides loop-holing and building barricades, have dug a very deep trench all along inside their west wall, or only exposed side, which effectually prevented underground mines from being undetected.

Russian sentries have, all through the siege, been posted on the moat bridge at Legation street, commanding the water-gate under the city wall. Curiously enough, no attack has ever been made from this quarter, yet to a foreigner it appears a most advantageous opening for attack.

The Russo-Chinese bank was held by the volunteers as long as it was possible to hold it, but after the Chinese built a high barricade on the wall just over the bank, it grew too hot to hold and had to be evacuated.

Mr. Wihlfahrt’s house, directly under the wall, was made a Chinese fort for a while, and the Americans lost several men from snipers posted there, until, finally, a rush was made and the place destroyed.

The Russians have several times gone to other places to assist in repelling serious attacks, on one occasion to help Colonel Shiba in holding back the Boxer forces at the Su Wang Fu. On this occasion one man was seriously wounded. Another time they were called to help the German legation. They have always cheerfully rendered any assistance when called upon, and Baron von Rahden, his fellow officers, and all the volunteers are highly thought of by the besieged.

Few people are aware that when all the troops had left their outposts and retired into the British legation, owing to a mistaken order, four Russian sailors still remained alone at a barricade commanding the Mongol market, and by keeping the Chinese soldiers from being aware of the general retreat into the legation, made it possible for the guards to return to the American, French, and German legations and the wall, which otherwise could only have been done at a frightful cost of lives.

The United States legation, usually spoken of as the American legation, is pleasantly situated on the south side of Legation street. It is, however, a very small compound. There is only one building in it of foreign style of architecture, utilized as a business office. The second secretary had his residence in the upper portion of this building.

At the commencement of the siege the following persons were residing in the compound: His Eminence E. H. Conger, minister, his wife, daughter, niece, governess, and two lady guests from Chicago, Mrs. and Miss Woodward; Mr. H. G. Squiers, first secretary, his wife and four sons; Mr. W. E. Bainbridge, second secretary, and his wife; Mr. F. D. Cheshire, interpreter. These comprised the legation staff.

There were also the following refugees, who had been obliged to abandon their residences and seek legation asylum: Dr. W. A. P. Martin, president of the Imperial University and author of the “Cycle of Cathay,” “Hanlin Papers,” and other works, both in English and Chinese; Dr. Robert Coltman, Jr., professor of surgery in the Imperial University, author of “The Chinese—Medical, Political and Social,” with his wife and six children; Mr. William N. Pethick, secretary to Li Hung Chang, and three American missionary ladies, Mrs. Mateer, Miss Douw, and Miss Brown.

In Mr. Squiers’ family there was also a visitor of distinction—Miss Condit-Smith, a niece of Chief Justice Field, of the United States Supreme Court—as well as a French and a German nursery governess.

The marine guard of fifty men was under the command of Captains Myers and Hall, who, with Surgeon Lippett, constituted the officers of the detachment. Captain Hall, with twenty marines, had been for several days at the Methodist mission compound, east of the Hatamen or extreme southeast gate of the city, but on June 20, when it was decided to abandon that compound, and have the American missionaries all move into the British legation, Hall and his men returned to the American legation and thereafter served there.

The fatigue endured by the United States marines in their constant service on the city wall and in their barricade under the wall, as well as the barricade at the western end of the compound in Legation street, was simply killing. That the men did not succumb is a marvel.

To Mrs. H. G. Squiers, more than any one else, is due the credit of sustaining them with coffee and biscuits sent out hot and refreshing at midnight and at various times throughout the day. Indeed this lady has acquired, by her hospitality and unfailing kindness, the affection of not only her own nationals, but the regard of every one besieged within the city. Many poor fellows wounded in the hospital have blessed her with their fevered lips for a cooling drink or a nourishing broth prepared by her own hands. Her well-furnished storeroom was placed at the disposal of every one who was in need of food, either as a necessity for the healthy or a delicacy for the sick. The author has to express his own unbounded gratitude for many a tin of peas, tomatoes, or oatmeal that has helped to render palatable the daily ration of horse-flesh and rice that has been his own and his family’s sustenance throughout our imprisonment.

Under the most trying circumstances Mrs. Squiers has preserved a cheerful demeanor, and, assisted by the ever calm and always sociable Miss Polly Condit-Smith, has daily entertained at her hospitable board the officers, civilians, diplomats, and missionaries with the same cordiality.

When Dr. Velde, the able German surgeon in charge of the hospital, was worn out with fatigue and unable to find a quiet place for a night’s rest, he was provided by Mrs. Squiers with a comfortable pallet, covered with a mosquito curtain, in a little closet room, usually occupied by the German nurse, and so enabled to obtain a rest that was an absolute necessity to his continuing in service.

All of the American ladies have worked with patience and perseverance, constantly making the sand-bags which have so efficiently protected the soldiers and the entire community from the unceasing fire of bullets from the enemy. Everything in the line of cloth has been used for this purpose. Handsome linen table-cloths, rich silk draperies, towels, gowns and dress materials have been freely sacrificed to provide for the defense.

When the wounded became numerous in our quarters, and were nightly worried by those infernal pests, the mosquitoes, the ladies cheerfully sent all their mosquito curtains to the hospital to be used by their brave defenders to alleviate their discomfort.

Every one realized when we became besieged that we were in a position that only divine help and a speedy rescue could avail us. Surrender under any circumstances now could only mean butchery. We had seen the survivors of the massacre at the south cathedral come among us with little children almost hacked to pieces by the cruel knives of the fanatical Boxers, and, knowing their hatred for us, we well knew that if the men were overcome, the women and children must suffer a horrible death or worse.

Many of the men had resolved that at the last fight they would themselves kill their wives and daughters to prevent their suffering at the hands of the incarnate devils that surrounded us. My own wife never allowed me to leave her upon a night-attack without first giving her my revolver for the purpose of using it as a safeguard to herself and daughters in the event of my non-return, and the overpowering of our forces.

The American marines led in the expedition to the south cathedral to rescue the Catholic Christians being killed there, and were accompanied by a Russian detachment and by civilians W. N. Pethick and W. J. Duysberg. Here they rescued over three hundred Christians, and brought them safely to the American legation, where their wounds were dressed by Drs. Lippett, Korsakoff, and Coltman, and they were then sent into the Su Wang Fu to be fed and cared for until the end of the siege.

The American marines also took part in the expedition to the Boxer rendezvous temple, north of the Austrian legation, in which fifty-six Boxers were cornered and killed. Their bravery and endurance has been noted by all. Their main task—that of holding the city wall—should render their fame immortal. True, they have been ably helped in this task from time to time by both Russian and British marines, but the post was theirs, and to them belongs preËminently the glory of holding the position that, like the Su Wang Fu, was a key to the place of last stand—the British legation.

In the brilliant sortie on the night of July 3, led by Captain Myers, both Russian and British marines took part, and, although the credit has usually been attributed to the Americans, English and Russians are equally deserving. When on the point of springing over our barricade to attack the Chinese position, Captain Myers addressed his men with ringing words of encouragement.

The Chinese had their first intimation of his movement when they were saluted with a deafening yell directly under their barricade, for our little force gave a tremendous shout, as instructed, as they rushed around the one open side and clambered over the breastwork.

Many of the Chinese fled, but the remainder poured a hot fire into the ranks of the invaders, Privates Turner and Thomas of the Americans being instantly killed by bullets, as reported, and Captain Myers severely wounded by a spear. Corporal Gregory of the British marines was also shot, and two Russian soldiers were wounded by bullets; but the position was captured, and the retention of the post on the wall assured, as henceforth it would be possible to ascend the ramp without being exposed to Chinese fire.

The Chinese fled to their second barricade, a few hundred yards nearer the Chien Men, which they have held ever since, and, although they have shelled the American position captured from them for days, they have never been able to dislodge our men.

When the United States minister and his family left the legation and sought refuge in the British legation, they were given the house of the British legation physician, Dr. Poole, for a residence, and into this six-roomed house were crowded four men, ten women and nine children.

Mr. Squiers, Mr. Cheshire, and Mr. Pethick continued to remain at the United States legation. The legation building was peppered with bullets the livelong day, and shelled at intervals with three-inch shells from both city gates, east and west, until all the roofs were full of holes, and the gate-house completely demolished, the flagstaff being cut through and the flag falling to the ground. It was speedily picked up, however, and nailed to a tall tree near the gate-house, from which it still floats, though riddled with holes.

Dr. Lippett, the surgeon of the guard, received a bad wound of the thigh, fracturing the bone and completely disabling him, on June 29, and has been in the hospital ever since. Dr. G. D. Lowry, a medical missionary of the Methodist mission, immediately took his place.

Sergeant Fanning, Corporal King, and Privates Kennedy, Tutcher, and Fisher have been killed in the barricades, and Privates Silva, Shroder, Mueller, and Hall were wounded early in the siege. The Americans killed were all buried in the Russian legation compound just across Legation street.

There were no American civilians serving as volunteers with the American guard, but Dr. Coltman, his son, Robert Coltman, 3d, and Mr. W. E. Bainbridge served guard-duty in the British legation among the international volunteers.

Mr. H. G. Squiers, who was elected by Sir Claude MacDonald as his chief of staff, and second in command after the death of Captain Strouts, has been indefatigable in his service, not only at the American legation, but in general oversight of the situation at all points. That the United States government will recognize his unusual ability by a promotion in the diplomatic service, for which he is so well fitted, and to which he has devoted his talents, is sincerely hoped.

He it was who conceived the plan of occupying the city wall and insisted on its being regained when abandoned. This, as a key to the whole position, was recognized in its full importance by Mr. Squiers. He, too, with Captain Wroublevsky, forced a way down the wall to the Chien Men, and let in the first Sikhs that came through the gate.