Our admiral was quick to act on the information received, and word was at once passed to the other warships and to the allied forces in and around Taku and Tongku. A relief force was immediately organized, consisting of four hundred Russian and one hundred American troops, the latter under Major Waller.
The march of the relief force was steady, up the bank of the Pei-Ho, but, as Tien-Tsin was neared, the resistance of the Chinese became stronger; and on the second day out it looked as if the allied forces would be surrounded and annihilated. But a force of one thousand British troops came up soon after this, and after a hard fight the relief guard entered the foreign quarter of Tien-Tsin.
This was as much as was known at Nagasaki when Gilbert arrived there; but other movements of great importance had taken place, and some of these were not yet finished. Arriving in Tien-Tsin, the relief column discovered that Admiral Seymour’s command had only gotten to within forty miles of Pekin, and had then had to retreat. Many of the number would have been cut to pieces, had it not been for the bravery of the American commander, Captain McCalla, and his fighting marines from the Newark.
As soon after the entrance to Tien-Tsin had been made as possible, another relief force went out from that city to look for Admiral Seymour, this command being composed of some of the troops which had just entered the city and some that had just come up from Taku. It was reported that the Seymour party was intrenched nine miles from Tien-Tsin. The relief force was less than two miles from Tien-Tsin, when the Boxers hove in sight; and a desperate hand-to-hand encounter ensued, in which many Russians and Japanese, as well as some Americans and English, were killed. The Boxers were beaten, and fell back up the river, where they were re-enforced by the Chinese regulars, and another battle ensued. But the Allies were protected by the high railroad embankment, and soon put the Chinese troops to flight by the accuracy of their fire. After the contest, hundreds of lifeless Celestials were found floating in the river.
The onward march of the relief column was now toward a large arsenal, which, it was rumored, was filled with guns and ammunition. On sighting the arsenal, it was discovered to be in the possession of the troops under Admiral Seymour, who had taken it from the Chinese some days before. The Celestials were doing their best to retake the buildings, nine in number, when the relief column came up with a rush; and the upholders of the Dragon were forced to withdraw, with another heavy loss.
The new-comers were hailed with joy by those in the arsenal, who had considered their position well-nigh hopeless, they having been continually surrounded by large bodies of Chinese troops since the start from Taku two weeks before. It was decided to abandon the arsenal at once, and return to Tien-Tsin; and this was done, the building being set on fire. Later on the Chinese tried to put out the fire, and many were injured by the explosions of powder and dynamite which occurred.
“Do you know anything about the Chinese army,—I mean how it is composed?” asked Gilbert of Captain Banner, as they continued to watch the shipping in Nagasaki Harbor.
“I do, because that is another play on my name,” replied the commander of Company A. “The Chinese army is made up of eight divisions, called the Three Superior Banners and the Five Inferior Banners, and number from two hundred thousand to three hundred thousand men. Each Banner has ten army corps; and these are divided into Lyanza, of about two hundred and fifty men each.”
“Then we have a pretty big crowd to whip,” was Gilbert’s comment.
“That is the Chinese army on paper. In reality, the standing army is much smaller; for each viceroy of a province keeps as many troops as suits him. The army is made up of the very scum of China, and a soldier is an object of ridicule to the ordinary merchant or artisan.”