Gilbert had looked for a few days’ rest, but in this he was mistaken. It was true there was no fighting; but preparations were continued for the advance on Pekin, and this gave him plenty of work to do.
General Chaffee was now in command of all the American forces in Tien-Tsin and on the way; and these numbered in round figures five thousand men. The British troops numbered about the same, and the French and German about half as many. Of Russians there were at least ten thousand, and twice that many Japanese. Of course, all of these could not participate in the forward movement; and the actual army which struck out for the Chinese capital numbered only sixteen thousand men.
Before the Allies left Tien-Tsin there were numerous heavy rains; and these caused the Pei-Ho to overflow its banks, and rush through the broken dikes the Chinese had left behind them. As a consequence, the marshlands were covered with water and mud for miles around, rendering the advance of the soldiers exceedingly slow and difficult. The rains continued; and, when it was not raining, the sun shone down so fiercely that many a man was prostrate by the heat. The water was so impure as to be unfit to drink, and the whole territory abounded in fever and malaria for the foreigners.
By the last day of July all was in readiness for the advance; and the first movement was made by the Russian contingent, which advanced up the river a distance of several miles, and, after a slight resistance, captured some additional mud forts. This movement up the muddy stream was followed by the starting of the transports, which had to be poled along, for fear of running into the junks the Chinese had sunk in the channel. A few of the craft were towed by Chinese coolies, but their progress was not satisfactory.
Following the advance of the Russians came that of the French, and these two commands went up the Pei-Ho between the river and the railroad. The Americans, English, Japanese, and other commands advanced along the west bank of the Pei-Ho, the Americans being two thousand strong, including a battery.
The Chinese were strongly intrenched at Peitsang, in a position ten to twelve miles north of Tien-Tsin. They had over twenty thousand troops on the firing line, and half as many more in reserve; and several of their batteries held excellent positions for defence.
The main portion of Peitsang is on the left side of the Pei-Ho. It is a town of considerable importance, containing many thousands of inhabitants and a long wharfage. Back of the town is a long lake, connecting with the river by canals. These canals had all been cut, and the roads beside them ploughed up.
The going out of the Allies from Tien-Tsin proper was like the moving of some immense caravan, or what many a boy in America knows as a “Wild West” show. The troops were arrayed in a dozen different uniforms, and marched as pleased them; and behind them came the quartermasters’ turnouts, horses and wagons, cows and carts, little donkeys with loads which almost placed them out of sight, and huge, awkward camels with their burdens towering skyward. There were also Chinese coolies with packs, and with rickshaws—that is, carriages meant to be pulled by human hands. Everything that could “go” was pressed into service.
“It’s on to Pekin now, sure!” exclaimed Captain Banner, as he trudged once more beside Gilbert. “And, in my opinion, we are going to have our hands full.”
“I am ready to take what comes,” answered Gilbert. “I was getting tired of hanging around Tien-Tsin.”