A reply has been sent to-day declining, on the part of the foreign representatives, the invitation to proceed to the tsung-li-yamen, and pointing out that no attacks have been made by our troops, who are only defending the lives and property of foreigners against the attacks of Chinese government troops. The reply concludes with a statement that if the Chinese government wishes to negotiate, they should send a responsible official with a white flag.
CLAUDE M. MacDONALD.
This message is thought by every one to be a rank fraud. It is supposed to come not from Prince Ching, but from the leader of the Kansu troops, and is probably intended to lure some of the foreigners outside the legation and then to shoot them.
Same date, 3 p.m. Twenty Russians and four Americans made an attack on a house to the west of the Russian legation, where there were about sixty Chinese snipers. On arriving at the wall they found there was no way to get into the yard. So each man took a brick, and, at a given signal, heaved them all together into the yard, shouting and reviling the Chinamen.
Alarmed by this they fled, and the men took the building without a shot being fired on either side. At this time the Chinese at other points started up a brisk fire, lasting about ten minutes.
July 16, 7 a.m. While on a tour of inspection in the Su Wang Fu, in company with Dr. Morrison and Colonel Shiba, Captain B. M. Strouts, R. M. L. I., was shot and mortally wounded by a sniper. Dr. Morrison was shot in the leg, though not seriously. Captain Strouts died at 11 a.m. and was buried at 6 p.m. yesterday. One of the United States marines, Private Fisher, was killed the same day.
It is indeed a pitiable plight that we are in now. Neither the Americans nor the British have any leader. Captain Meyers is disabled by the spear wound he received in the sortie of July 3. Captain Strouts is dead; Captain Halliday, the only other able British captain, is crippled by a wound received three weeks ago. Sir Claude MacDonald, though he assumes charge, is no man for the situation, and the French and Germans deny his authority.
GENERAL SUNG CHING
Commander-in-Chief, who fought the battle of Tientsin against the allied international armies.