186
cavalry and guns. I then sent cavalry and the 24th Panjaub Infantry to the Temple of Heaven," to reinforce the left flank' breaking ground to the Legation, which was entered at 8p.m. by my Staff and 70 men of the 7th Rajputs and 1st Sikhs without loss.
Meanwhile the Field Artillery were fighting up to fire on the central gate of the Tartar city, but a sortie along the wall by Americans and Russians of the garrison anticipated us, and the gate fell into our hands.
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
Eeptember 8.1900.
The Chinese losses are about 600 up to date, one Italian, one American colt, one old The éxhot number is difficult to tell at present.Telt, one old gun used in 1880 which
"The Japanese trophies are five Krupp found in & brazier'#'shpp, a lot of old Crimes guns, one hundred öld guns, and quantities of guns from the "Russian Legation, ... bou small arms of all descriptions.
mödern rifles.
"The house of Prince Tuân” has been buried to the ground. The Japanese loss to date (during this engagement) is two hundred killed and wounded.
"The military telegraph line between Tien- tein and Poking was put up by the Japanese during the march to Péking.
About 5 p.m. the Americans under General Chaffee entered the Legations, and moved to- wards the central gate of the Tartar city for the
FRENCH OFFICIAL REPORT. night. During the evening the force attacked
The following is a translation of General the Temple of Heaven and were engaged, and Frey's report to the French Government on after inflicting heavy loss occupied the South the occupation of Peking by the Allied forces: Gate of the Chinese City. Our losses during The Allied troops entered the Capital on the the day were exceedingly small, but there are night of the 14th to the 15th ult, after a slow no details yet. The Japanese are supposed to cannonade lasting several hours. The Legations have lost heavily. They had the hardest task
were saved, and the Staff was in excellent spirits. to-day. Hope to assault Imperial city to-day. On the 16th of August a column made up of The march has been very arduous, owing to detachments of Russians, English and French, the great heat and heavy floods. The spirits under my orders, took possession of the Chuenten and endurance of our troops were beyond praise. Gate, which was strongly defended by Manchn I regret that owing to heavy roads and forced troops with twenty quick-firing guns. The march the Naval Brigade were unable to partic-column then attacked the Sihoumen Gate, of ipate in the entry yesterday. The way they which it took possession. The portion of the brought their guns by boat and road from Imperial City comprised between the Peitang Tientsin has been an achievement of which they and the Imperial Palace and the Marble Bridge may be proud.
was strongly held by Chinese troops. The Allied Column, however, after some street fight- ing, carried Coal Hill, which it still occupies.
The casualties of the garrison during the siege of Peking were:-
Killed-Capt. C. M. Strouts.
Pvt. A. Scadding.
C. W. Philips.
Dangerously wounded:
Pvt. A T. Layton.
"
J. E. Preston.
A. Sawyer.
Capt. Halliday (Orlando).
Severely wounded :-
Pvt. Lickney.
Roe.
31
Wounded-Corpl. Gregory.
Pvt. Sparkes.
$1
Hesp.
Westbrook.
JAPANESE OFFICIAL ACCOUNT.
The following is the report the Japanese General made to his Government, and for- warded to Tokio :-
*+
On the 14th, from 9 a.m., the Japanese division bombarded all day the two gates on the East side, and only between 8 and 9 p.m. did they succeed in forcing the two gates with dynamite. They entered the City, occupying the N. and N.E. gates.
They sent at once a regiment of in- fantry to the Palace and another regiment to the Japanese Legation.
存着
French-Captain Feldman, slightly wound ed; Ensign Marty, somewhat severely wounded; one sergeant and three soldiers killed, three soldiers wounded. The Russians and the Ja- panese had several killed and wounded.
The behaviour of the whole of the troops was admirable. More than five hundred corpses of Chinese Regulars or Boxers remained on the field.
I am anxious to make it known that the French Minister during the entire action march. ed by my side with his staff, and contributed ma- terially by his local knowledge to the success of the day.
The French troops will now co-operate with those of the rest of the Allies in purging the Tartar and Chinese cities of the small bodies of regular Chinese soldiers and of Boxers, who still hold numerous points.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.
The following is the N.-C. Daily News special correspondent's description of the capture —
Peking, 15th August. Peking has been reached, assaulted, and the troops are now within its walls. The British were the first to enter the city, and to relieve the Legations after their weary siege of sixty days.
The Americans, French, and Russians When they reached the East Gate of the directed their movements towards the Tung Chinese city they found it closed, but this' déter- mên, passing through the Tungpingmên, fight-red them never a whit. A section of the 24th ing hard all the way.
Punjaub Infantry at once scaled the wall and opened the gate from the inside. The Chinese did not fire upon them as they did this, and the troops rapidly advanced. A newspaper corres pondent guided General Gaselee and a company of the let Sikhs through the Water Gate of the Tartar city, and in a few minutes they were inside the Legation grounds.
The English troops entered the Kyang quimên and passed into the City through a dry aqueduct, which was only guarded by iron bars. They removed the bars and got the soldiers into the City without resistance, arriving at the English Legation at 3 o'clock in the afternoon of the 14th. A part of the Japanese division arrived at the Japanese Legation at 7 p.m. by There they were received with the great- the Tongpingtung gate, and found the Japa-est and most affecting 'delight and enthusiasm. nese Minister and residents safe in their Lega- Men cheered themselves hoarse, women and tion; part of which was destroyed.
children wept, and embraced their deliverers. The Indian troops grinded their pleasure, and generally answered the greetings extended to them with the greatest heartiness.
"On the 15th another Japanese regiment was despatched to the Palace, and after a hard tight with the Chinese who were occupying it had to withdraw on account of not wanting to bombard and destroy the Páláce. On the 16th we occupied all the gates and found that the Em- press and all the Imperial family and officials had fled towards Hsianfu, the capital of Shensi province, escorted by 3,000 of Tung Fohsiang's troops.
Peking is now in a state of complete disorder. English, French, Americans, Russians, Japanese, each chose delegates to restore order in the City Japanese appointed Col. Shiba for their representative. The City was divided into several districts, and half of the north part of the Tartar city is now under Japan control.
The regular Chinese troops are not to be seen in the city at present. All remaining' Chinese are the banner troops and Boxers.
▼
The replenishing of the ammunition done tider the "Orlando o rinourer, and was sccomplished with "wóndertál - ingenuity. "Every available scrap of sultable met i
lesticks, ornaments, and such valuables being "freely used—was employed in the making fot the ammunition. They even went to the extent of making one-poundkhot. Ingenuity did not stop Here, however, fora gun was actually constructed [from two cylinders forming part of a Ire extin-
guisher. This was not used, as the danger of being without an'éxtliguisher should fire break out was realised. In addition to all this 10,000 sandbags were made, some of silk brocade, and such valuable stuffs.
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U
It is impossible' to overpraise the skill and bravery of Colonel 'Shibe and the Japanese marines and volunteers, upon whom the main defence rested.
حمه
Whilst the Legation was being relieved, the 24th Punjabs and the 1st Sikhs, after a little street fighting captured the Temple of Heaven. Later on the 24th Punjaubs, with four guns of the 12th Field Battery bombarded and captured the Southgate,” which was held in force. The Royal Welsh Fusiliers" And 1st Sikhs, after a little fighting, captured the Chien-men. For some reason the Japanese, although a day ahead of the forces on the march, waited before the city after bombarding it, and followed the British when they arrived. Otherwise the honours of first entering would have been theirs. Probably there was some arrangement between the various forces.
The Americans, after bombarding another part of the city, entered by the same gateras the British, at later in the evening.
i
Throughout, the weakness of the Chinese opposition was inexplicable.
To-day the Americans bombarded lightly the Imperial city, but withdrew later, presumably as the result of overtures” from the Chinese. After what has happened, and in face of recent Imperial "decrees, if' is impossible to imagine the Foreign Ministers listening to such sp peals. If a strong lesson is not taught her,
hina will once more escape the punishment of her perfidy, and it will be represented that the foreigners are too weak to do anything.
China is now trying to thelter herself here under the plea that the reigners are only fighting Boters; ' ng“a” inatter of fact, all the serious fighting on the Chinese ride has been done by régalar "troops, led by high officials. The reports of these leaders, minimising their defeats have been printed in the Peking Gazette, together with intensely anti-foreign decrees. Among other things the Ministers' actions during the siege are driticised,
7
"The Chinese frequently endeavoured to in- duce the foreigners to capitulate under promise of safe escort. Fortunately they were un successful; as massacre would undoubtedly have followed the leaving of the Tregations. Heavier attacks that usual' always followed these over- tres. In order to support the statement that the Chinese Government was "protecting the Legation and feeding its inmates, two or three paltry presents of melons were sent to the Ministers.
Following the hoisting of the white fag.
flag with a promise "of "protection, there' always came heavy firing.
14
On hearing of the approach of the Relief Force the Tsungli Yamén asked for an inter view at the British Legation. Four of the eleven Ministers opposed the granting of this, but a reply was sent appointing the next day as the time for the mterview.
The Legation has been fortified in the strongest way, thanks to an American mis- sionary named Gamewell, An elaborate system of loopholed walls and deep trenches was de- On the morning following, the Tstingli Ya- vised to prevent the enemy mining. Notwith-mén complimed that the foreigners had in the standing this their condition was very critical, meanwhile fred on the Chinese and killed and in another day or two the relief would have twenty six men and one bulber.The Tamên been useless. The enemy had worked up to add that this made them feel unsafe in trusting within a few yards of these trenches, and the themselves to the Legation, in addition to which defenders could even hear their officers urging they were too busy to come. Their éronse was, and encouraging the troops to rush in and of course, ridiculous,” as the foreigners fred in
self-defence. massacre the foreigners.
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*It is a euridur fast that Bir Robert Hart re Provisions had grown woefully short, and there was very little horse-mest rankining.ceived a telegram "from the Tamén récently, The shortness of ammunition 'was another officially reporting the state of the Customs serious trouble.
returns, as though nothing tínusual The defenders' guns consisted of óme Austrian, 1 ed.
happen.