CONGRESS. (THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.) 



145 



preparations made to stand a siege, which at once 

 began. 



From June 20 until July 17, writes Minister 

 Conger, " there was scarcely an hour during which 

 there was not firing upon some part of our lines 

 and into some of the legations, varying from a 

 single shot to a general and continuous attack 

 along the whole line." Artillery was placed 

 around the legations and on the overlooking palace 

 walls, and thousands of 3-inch shot and shell were 

 fired, destroying some buildings and damaging all. 

 So thickly did the balls rain that, when the am- 

 munition of the besieged ran low, five quarts of 

 Chinese bullets were gathered in an hour in one 

 compound and recast. 



Attempts were made to burn the legations by 

 setting neighboring houses on fire, but the flames 

 were successfully fought off, although the Aus- 

 trian, Belgian, Italian, and Dutch legations were 

 then and subsequently burned. With the aid of 

 the native converts, directed by the missionaries, 

 to whose helpful cooperation Mr. Conger awards* 

 unstinted praise, the British legation was made 

 .a veritable fortress. The British minister, Sir 

 Claude MacDonald, was chosen general com- 

 mander of the defense, with the secretary of the 

 American legation, Mr. E. G. Squiers, as chief of 

 .staff. 



To save life and ammunition the besieged spar- 

 ingly returned the incessant fire of the Chinese 

 soldiery, fighting only to repel attack or make 

 -an occasional successful sortie for strategic ad- 

 vantage, such as that of 55 American, British, 

 and Russian marines led by Capt. Myers, of the 

 United States Marine Corps, which resulted in the 

 capture of a formidable barricade on the wall that 

 gravely menaced the American position. It was 

 held to the last, and proved an invaluable ac- 

 quisition, because commanding the water-gate 

 through which the relief column entered. 



During the siege the defenders lost 65 killed, 

 135 wounded, and 7 by disease the last all chil- 

 dren. 



On July 14 the besieged had their first com- 

 munication with the Tsung-li-Yamen, from whom 

 a message came inviting to a conference, which 

 was declined. Correspondence, however, ensued 

 and a sort of armistice was agreed upon, which 

 stopped the bombardment and lessened the rifle 

 fire for a time. Even then no protection whatever 

 was afforded, nor any aid given, save to send to 

 the legations a small supply of fruit and three 

 sacks of flour. 



Indeed, the only communication had with the 

 Chinese Government related to the occasional de- 

 livery, or despatch of a telegram or to the demands 

 of the Tsung-li-Yamen for the withdrawal of the 

 legations to the coast under escort. Not only are 

 the protestations of the Chinese Government that 

 it protected and succored the legations positively 

 contradicted, but irresistible proof accumulates 

 that the attacks upon them were made by imperial 

 troops, regularly uniformed, armed, and officered, 

 belonging to the command of Jung-Lu, the im- 

 perial commander-in-chief. Decrees encouraging 

 the Boxers, organizing them under prominent 

 imperial officers, provisioning them, and even 

 granting them large sums in the name of the 

 Empress Dowager, are known to exist. Members 

 of the Tsung-li-Yamen who counseled protection 

 of the foreigners were beheaded. Even in the dis- 

 tant provinces men suspected of foreign sympathy 

 were put to death, prominent among these being 

 Chang- Yen-Hoon, formerly Chinese minister in 

 Washington. 



With the negotiation of the partial armistice of 

 July 14, a proceeding which was doubtless pro- 

 VOL. XLI. 10 A 



moted by the representations of the (hineso envoy 

 in Washington, the way was opened tor the con- 

 veyance to Mr. Conger of a test, mr. -;,.,<. H( , r ,t by 

 the Secretary of State through the kind offices of 

 Minister Wu-Ting-Fang. Mr. Conger's reply, des- 

 patched from Pekin on July 18 through 1 he same 

 channel, afforded to the outside world 1 he lir>t tid- 

 ings that the inmates of the legations \\eie still 

 alive and hoping for succor. 



This news stimulated the preparations for a 

 joint relief expedition in numbers sufficient to 

 overcome the resistance which for a month had 

 been organizing between Taku and the capital. 

 Reenforcements sent by all the cooperating gov- 

 ernments were constantly arriving. The United 

 States contingent, hastily assembled from the Phil- 

 ippines or despatched from this country, amounted 

 to some 5,000 men, under the able command first 

 of the lamented Col. Liscum and afterward of Gen. 

 Chaff ee. 



Toward the end of July the movement began. 

 A severe conflict followed at Tientsin, in which 

 Col. Liscum was killed. The city was stormed 

 and partly destroyed. Its capture afforded the 

 base of operations from which to make the final 

 advance, which began in the first days of August, 

 the expedition being made up of Japanese, Rus- 

 sian, British, and American troops at the outset. 



Another battle was fought and won at Yang- 

 tsun. Thereafter the disheartened Chinese troops 

 offered little show of resistance. A few days later 

 the important position of Ho-Si-Woo was taken. 

 A rapid march brought the united forces to the 

 populous city of Tung-Chow, which capitulated 

 without a contest. 



On Aug. 14 the capital was reached. After a 

 brief conflict beneath the wall the relief column 

 entered and the legations were saved. The United 

 States soldiers, sailors, and marines, officers and 

 men alike, in those distant climes and unusual sur- 

 roundings, showed the same valor, discipline, and 

 good conduct and gave proof of the same high 

 degree of intelligence and efficiency which have 

 distinguished them in every emergency. 



The imperial family and the Government had 

 fled a few days before. The city was without visi- 

 ble control. The remaining imperial soldiery had 

 made on the night of the 13th a last attempt to 

 exterminate the besieged, which was gallantly re- 

 pelled. It fell to the occupying forces to restore 

 order and organize a provisional administration. 



Happily the acute disturbances were confined 

 to the northern provinces. It is a relief to recall 

 and a pleasure to record the loyal conduct of the 

 viceroys and local authorities of the southern and 

 eastern provinces. Their efforts were continuously 

 directed to the pacific control of the vast popula- 

 tions under their rule and to the scrupulous ob- 

 servance of foreign treaty rights. At critical mo- 

 ments they did not hesitate to memorialize the 

 Throne, urging the protection of the legations, the 

 restoration of communication, and the assertion 

 of the imperial authority against the subversive 

 elements. They maintained excellent relations 

 with the official representatives of foreign powers. 

 To their kindly disposition is largely due the suc- 

 cess of the consuls in removing many of the mis- 

 sionaries from the interior to places of safety. In 

 this relation the action of the consuls should be 

 highly commended. In Shantung and eastern 

 Chi-Li the task was difficult, but, thanks to their 

 energy and the cooperation of American and for- 

 eign naval commanders, hundreds of foreigners, 

 including those of other nationalities than ours, 

 were rescued trom imminent peril. 



The policy of the United States through all this 

 trying period was clearly announced and scrupu- 



