Mr. J. H. Smyth entered the British legation when he was convalescing from scarlet fever, and was placed in quarantine for some weeks. Consequently he was prevented from taking any part in the early proceedings of the siege, but as soon as allowed out he at once went on duty. Mr. Origlia came down with scarlet fever also on July 10, and thereafter could render no military service.
The staff of the British legation who were actually in the siege consisted of the following persons: Sir Claude M. MacDonald, G. C. M. G., K. C. B., envoy extraordinary, etc., his wife, two children, and sister-in-law; Herbert G. Dering, secretary; Henry Cockburn, Chinese secretary, and wife; W. P. Ker, assistant Chinese secretary, wife, and child; Wordsworth Poole, M.D., surgeon; B. G. Tours, accountant, wife, and child; D. Oliphant, consular assistant; W. Russell, consular assistant; Rev. W. Norris, acting chaplain; Rev. R. Allen, curate, and the following student interpreters. Messrs. T. G. Hancock, A. T. Flaherty, H. Bristow, T. C. C. Kirke, H. Porter, W. M. Hewlett, A. Rose, R. Drury, L. R. Barr, H. Warren, L. Giles, W. E. Townsend. Captain F. G. Poole, who was living with his brother, the doctor, while on language-leave, was also considered of the legation household, as well as several guests, Mr. Clarke-Thornhill and the legation keeper, Sergeant R. Herring.
The military guard consisted of Senior Captain B. M. Strouts, Captains Halliday and E. Wray, Sergeants J. Murphy, A. E. Saunders and J. Preston; four corporals, one bugler, one armorer, and one hospital steward, with sixty-eight privates. They had one Nordenfeldt quick-firing gun. The greater part of the civilians serving as volunteers also served under Captain Poole in the British legation.
When the siege commenced, the western side at the south end of the compound, which adjoined a lot of Chinese buildings, was a most vulnerable point, which the natives readily discovered, and a number of vigorous attempts to set fire to the legation were made by firing these buildings, so that a fire-brigade was organized under B. G. Tours and Tweed, of the volunteers, to fight this dangerous form of attack.
During one of these fires in the first few days of the siege, Captain Halliday led a brilliant rush through a hole knocked in the wall, and drove off the attacking party, killing over twenty of them. Unfortunately Captain Halliday was severely wounded by a shot through the lungs, which rendered him helpless, and lost to the besieged the services of a brave and kindly officer.
The British marines took part in the expedition to the Boxer rendezvous and the taking of the city wall, where Sergeant Murphy distinguished himself as the leader after the fall of Captain Myers. Brave Captain Strouts, who was much loved by his men, was shot and mortally wounded in the Su Wang Fu on July 16, while on a tour of inspection. Dr. G. E. Morrison was injured by the same volley, and Colonel Shiba, who was with them, narrowly escaped, several bullets passing through his clothing.
The British legation compound being of such dimensions, necessitated a larger guard for lookouts than any other one place. Notwithstanding this, men were daily detached for duty with the Americans on the city wall, and to help Colonel Shiba in the Su Wang Fu. A barricade was built across the moat connecting the legation with the Fu, and thus the men could cross without being seen from the north bridge just under the Forbidden City walls, where a strong force of the enemy was posted. To replace these detachments sent out, the civilian volunteers were largely called upon, and rendered excellent service.
Sir Claude MacDonald, after the death of Captain Strouts, assumed command of the garrison, and directed some of the outposts of other nationals; but the French and Germans denied his authority at their outposts, and controlled their own movements. Captain Poole was in charge of the international volunteers within the British legation and had command of the north stables, north wall, Hanlin Yuan, and students’ quarters. He led one expedition into the carriage-park, a large tract of land which came close to the legation on the northwest side of our enclosure.
