THE BOXER’S WAR AGAINST THE FOREIGNER BY ROBERT COLTMAN, Jr. , M.D. Professor of Surgery in Imperial University; Professor of Anatomy, the Imperial Tung Wen Kuan; Surgeon, Imperial Maritime Customs; Surgeon, Imperial Chinese Railways. Author of “The Chinese, Their Present and Future: Medical, Political, and Social.” Illustrated with Seventy-seven Photo-Engravings PHILADELPHIA: F. A. DAVIS COMPANY, PUBLISHERS 1901 Copyright , 1901 By F. A. DAVIS COMPANY Mount Pleasant Printery J. Horace McFarland

Peking, China , September 10, 1900. Beleaguered in Peking RIOT AT MARCO POLO BRIDGE—MEN WOUNDED BY CAPTAIN NORREGAARD—DR. COLTMAN ACCOMPANIES GOVERNOR HU AS SPECIAL COMMISSIONER TO INVESTIGATE—ANTI-FOREIGN FEELING EXPRESSED BY GENERALS OF TUNG FU’S ARMY—A BARGAIN WITH PRINCE TUAN. The author in Chinese dress IN THE autumn of 1898, in the month of October, very shortly after the famous coup d’état of the Empress Dowager of China, an event occurred which may have been the influence that shaped aft

To connect this line with the existing Peking-Tientsin railway, a short track was laid from Fengtai, the second station south of Peking, to Lukouch’iao, and a fine iron bridge built over the Hum Ho or Muddy river, a few hundred yards west of the original stone Marco Polo bridge. This short connecting line is but three miles in length, and is the property of the Peking-Tientsin railway. With this prelude, allow me to proceed with the event with which I was somewhat closely identified, and am able

The foreign residents of Shantung, who had hoped the new government would be an improvement over the old, soon found they were worse off than before. The native Christians were persecuted most bitterly by their heathen neighbors, and their complaints at the yamens treated with disdain. Yu Hsien did his work thoroughly and rapidly, knowing the foreign power which had compelled the removal of Li Ping Heng would also cause his removal. But as he was only placed in Shantung for the deliberate purpos

January 15. An imperial edict was issued yesterday which really commends the Boxers, and is sure to cause trouble. Upon Baron von Ketteler representing this to the tsung-li-yamen he was given no satisfactory answer to account for it. January 24. Boxer movement is rapidly spreading, and the situation fills many with alarm. Prince Tuan’s son has been chosen as the successor to the Emperor, which is an unfavorable omen. January 25. An edict has been promulgated apparently from the Emperor, but real

Sir Claude MacDonald, for whom the entire English community outside his legation feel, and have openly expressed, the greatest contempt, would not believe that there was any danger coming, and vigorously opposed Pichon’s advice that the troops be sent for ten days ago. Mr. Conger seconded Sir Claude, partly because the United States legation quarters are so limited that the second secretary and his wife are obliged to live in two rooms over the main office building, and partly because he believe

Sir Claude MacDonald, the British minister, who is an ex-major in the army, and should have instructed in this very important duty, was, equally with marine officers, culpably silent. The American missionaries, however, no sooner arrived than they formed committees on fortification, sanitation, food, etc., and set actively to work; and to them belongs, as every one agrees, the credit of placing the legation in a defensible condition. To Mr. F. D. Gamewell, of the American Methodist mission, more

It has been most interesting to observe the dissolution of previous friendships, often of years’ standing, and the making of new ones between individuals formerly more or less at variance. This has come about sometimes from a man or woman with a sick child, or sick member of his or her family having no supplies of their own, begging a tin of milk or a can of soup or some little delicacy or necessity from a friend having abundance of stores. Upon a flat refusal on the ground that he has none he c

At the beginning of the siege the following persons resided in the Russian legation: His Eminence M. de Giers, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, his wife, daughter and son, and Miss Edith Miller, a governess in his family; B. N. Kroupensky, first secretary; B. N. Evreinow, second secretary; P. S. Popoff, interpreter; Mme. Popoff and five daughters; N. F. Kolessoff, second interpreter; A. T. Beltchenko and H. P. Wulff, student interpreters; V. V. Korsakoff, M.D., surgeon, wife and

As the Austrians had been driven out of their legation before any of the others had yielded, and as their compound overlooked and commanded the inspectorate-general compound, however, that place had become untenable by June 20, and Sir Robert Hart reluctantly retired with all his staff and their families to a building allotted to them in the British legation. This building is situated just within the main gate of the legation, north of and adjoining the gate-house, and consists of three fair-siz

The next day the traffic on the Chang An street crossing Customs street was stopped by an outpost, and later on by a wire fence, in order to prevent the smuggling of disguised Boxers into the legation quarter. During the night the guard at the Belgian legation was attacked, but beat off the Chinese. A patrol caught some suspicious people, who were handed over to the Chinese authorities. A part of the French detachment assisted them in their night watches at the barracks. On June 20, the detachme

“The officials of our neighboring nations on duty in Peking should receive our protection in every possible way, particularly in such times as the present [when we are planning to kill them all at once], when every exertion must be used, because desperadoes are as thick as bees. “We have repeatedly commanded the various local officials to secure the most perfect quiet in their districts, yet in spite of these orders we have this case of murder of the Japanese chancellor occurring in the very cap

Germany, France, and Italy are all discussing the slice that they desire, and only Uncle Sam has finished his task and wants to go home. But is his task finished? What about the missionaries murdered in Paoting Fu? Since being relieved, we have heard of the murder, with shocking mutilation, at Paoting Fu, of Mr. and Mrs. Simcox and their three children, of Dr. George Yardley Taylor, of Dr. and Mrs. Hodge, of Mr. Bagnall and his family, of Mr. Pitkin, Miss Morrill, and Miss Gould. Is Paoting Fu t