On to Pekin/Chapter 28
CHAPTER XXVIII
THE FIGHT BEFORE PEKIN
Pekin, a very ancient city of China, is in extent about the size of Manhattan Island, upon which the city of New York is situated. It is located thirteen miles north-west of the Pei-Ho, with which it is connected by the Grand Canal and other watercourses.
The city as a whole is divided into two parts. On the north is the Tartar City, containing between fifteen and sixteen square miles of territory, surrounded by a wall fifty to sixty feet in height and twenty to fifty feet broad. In the centre of the Tartar City is the Imperial City, surrounded by another wall, where live the princes, nobles, and others of high degree; and inside of this is the Forbidden City, where the Emperor and Dowager Empress live and where are located the sacred temples. The Tartar City is full of fine buildings, including the public offices, National and Medical Colleges, Observatory, and Examination Hall, the latter containing ten thousand cells to be occupied by those who come to Pekin to be examined as to their qualifications for public office-holding. Many of the streets of the Tartar City are broad, but unpaved, and lined with one-story shops, huddled one against another and painted in almost all the colors of the rainbow.
To the south of the Tartar City, and joining it by three large gateways, is the Chinese City, about half as large as the other, and enclosed by a wall thirty feet high and fifteen to twenty feet broad. This is the heart of the real Chinese trade, and here are also located the theatres and the public execution grounds. The streets literally swarm with people, and are in activity day and night. Nothing is ever cleaned up; and to the babble of noise, which is nerve-wrecking, is added a smell which to a new-comer's nose is almost unbearable. Beyond the walls of Pekin as a whole are many suburbs, of more or less importance, chiefly devoted to agriculture.
The American, British, and other legations in Pekin are located closely together, on Legation Street, midway between the southern wall of the Forbidden and Imperial City and the northern wall of the Chinese City. Each legation occupied from an acre to five acres of ground, and was surrounded by a wall with watch-gates. During the bombardment nearly all these walls were demolished, only those around the British legation remaining intact. Everything was ripped up by shot or shell, and rifle bullets peppered the buildings by the thousands. It is said that one door of the German legation contained sixty-three bullet-holes, and that another at the American legation was literally splintered into toothpicks.
Being short of ammunition, those in the British legation did their best to make every shot tell; and, as the bombardment went on, the streets outside were filled with Chinese dead to the number of hundreds. Silver candlesticks were melted up, and made into bullets, and an old cannon, which had not seen service for twenty years, was repaired by several army engineers, and made to do excellent work against the enemy.
Among those who believed in holding out to the last was Rev. Mr. Wells. "I am willing to live upon next to nothing," he declared. "And I will take a soldier's place, when called upon. "We must hold them at bay until relieved." He had with him on coming into the compound thirty-six pieces of silver; and these he promptly handed over, to be cast iato bullets. This was paying back the Chinese in their own coin with a vengeance.
As the siege went on, it was curious to see how those of different nationalities became attached to each other. It was natural for the Americans and the English to stick together from the start, but not so for the Germans, French, Japanese, and others. But soon, when the peril grew greater, racial differences were forgotten; and each man stood shoulder to shoulder with his neighbor, ready to do or die, as the case might require. If any were more determined than the others, they were the Germans; for they could not forget nor forgive the foul murder of their consul, Baron von Ketteler, who had been shot down while making an official visit to the Tsung-li-Yamen.
As the Allies approached the capital, the bombardment of the British legation became more fierce than ever; and placards were posted throughout the Tartar City, proclaiming that all the foreigners must be exterminated within five days. A reward was offered for each foreign head taken; and it was only the timidity of the common Chinese soldiers which kept them from rushing in by the thousands to obtain these rewards.
This state of affairs was guessed at by those marching so swiftly to the relief; yet nothing was definitely known, and it was feared that all those pent up in the British compound would be killed before their friends could get to them.
It was raining furiously when Tung-Chow, a suburb of Pekin, was gained by the battalion to which Gilbert belonged. The road beside the canal was knee-deep in water and mud; and everybody was low in spirits, and almost ready to drop with exhaustion.
"It's the worst campaign I've ever seen," said one English officer to the acting captain of Company A. "We hadn't anything in South Africa to compare with it, or anything in Egypt, either," he added.
"We are at a disadvantage here," answered Gilbert. "Only a few of our transports have arrived, and we lack both men and supplies."
"Never mind. What there are of the Americans are doing nobly," answered the Englishman. "I saw you fight at Tien-Tsin, and it was grand. And, when it came to punishment, you took it like men."
The Japanese and Russians came first upon the Chinese intrenched just beyond Tung-Chow; and a sharp skirmish occurred, lasting the best part of two hours. But, as soon as the Japanese tried to turn the left flank of the enemy, the Celestials fled straight for the Chinese City of Pekin, leaving the battle ground to the foreigners.
A conference of officers was now held; and it was decided that Pekin should be attacked on the eastern side, first by the artillery, and then by the infantry. The Japanese and Russians were to attack north of the canal, and the Americans, English, and others south of that watercourse. The attack was to have begun on the 15th of August; but, by some misunderstanding, it started early on the day before, while the American and English troops were not yet in position. This caused the Americans a forced march of twelve miles from Tung-Chow in a heat which was fairly blistering.
The attack by the Japanese and Russian artillery was terrific, lasting from three o'clock in the morning untll five in the afternoon. The eastern gate of the city, north of the Tung-Chow canal, was completely demolished; and then the Russians, led by General Wasilewski, rushed through and up to the top of the great wall, where the flag of Russia was planted, speedily followed by the banner of Japan. But the fight was not yet over. It lasted far into the night, and the loss upon both sides was very heavy.
In the mean time the English troops attacked the south-east gate of the Chinese City; and, not being expected there, they met with but slight resistance. Some East Indian troops led the way, breaking down the gate with battering-rams. The troops were led by Brigadier-general Sir Alfred Gaselee; and, as soon as they were inside the city, they seized the Temple of Heaven and its extensive grounds, and then pushed, forward through the torn-up streets toward the legations. At three in the afternoon they reached the canal opposite the water-gate, and signalled to those within the British compound. A reply was speedily forthcoming for them to enter through the water-gate, and this they did.
But during all this time our friends were not idle, and what they did will be told in the chapter to follow.