August 10. Very heavy rifle-fire from all sides about 3 a.m. A messenger sent out to meet the troops returned, bringing a letter from General Gaselee, the British general in command, also one from General Fukushima. General Gaselee’s letter is dated south of Tsaitsun, August 8: “Strong forces of allies advancing. Twice defeated enemy. Keep up your spirits.”
The following letter from General Fukushima to Colonel Shiba was received: “Camp at Changchiang, two kilometers north of Nantsaitsun, August 8, 1900—Japanese and American troops defeated the enemy on the 5th instant near Pietsang, and occupied Yangtsun on the 6th. The allied forces, consisting of American, British, Russian, and Japanese, left Yangtsun this morning, and while marching north I received your letter at 8 a.m. at a village called Nantsaitsun. It is very gratifying to learn from you that the foreign community at Peking are holding on, and believe me it is the earnest and unanimous desire of the lieutenant-general and all of us to arrive at Peking as soon as possible, and deliver you from your perilous position. Unless some unforeseen event takes place, the allied forces will be at Hoshiwu on the 9th, Mat’ou on the 10th, Changchiawan on the 11th, Tungchow on the 12th and Peking on the 13th or 14th.”
The messenger who brought in the letter told the following story: On August 6 he went by way of Tungchow, finding there that his family had been murdered by the Boxers. On the 7th, he met boat-loads of wounded and defeated Chinese. At Tsaitsun he met the advance guard of the allies. The evening of the 8th he marched with the middle division to Chuanchang, six miles south of Hoshiwu. On the morning of Thursday, the 9th, he started with this division, which expected to reach Hoshiwu that evening, but left them and returned to Peking by the road to the west. The troops have but few Chinese servants. They have many pack animals, led mostly by Japs. He saw a small number of Russians and a body of several hundred mounted black (probably Bengal) lancers, who made fun and charged at him with their spears. He asked how long they would be before reaching Peking, and was told five or six days, as the Chinese were not stubbornly resisting, the allies merely having to drive them on ahead of them.
The following is an extract from a telegram received by Mr. Conger from the United States consul at Chefoo: “All communications north of this pass through this office. So far as known, excluding army and navy, no Americans have been killed, and there has been but little loss of property south of Tientsin. All trouble confined to Peking and Taku. The high officials are doing their best to keep order. Very large force of all nations at Taku.”
August 12. Heavy firing all day.
August 13. The whole force of the artillery possessed by us was brought to bear on the Chinese position in the Mongol market, as the Chinese seem to be making a last desperate attempt to kill us all before the arrival of the relief force, and it is expected that from that quarter will come the fiercest attack.
Same date, 4 p.m. The yamen sent word that if we would refrain from firing they would positively stop all volleys on their side. This was agreed to, and five hours later, though they had been shooting all day, they made the most terrific attack of the siege. This was kept up all night, the very violent attacks being renewed at intervals of about two hours.
At 4.30 in the morning, having been up all night under the hottest fire mortals ever endured, I had just dropped asleep, which even the heavy shots did not prevent, when I was awakened by the pop, pop, pop, at regular intervals of only the fraction of a second, of an automatic gun. As I knew the Chinese had no such gun in their forces, and as our own Colt’s gun was just outside the British legation gate to prevent a rush down the moat between the British legation and Lu Wang Fu, I instantly came to the conclusion that the final rush, which would end the drama and our lives, was being made.