Indiscreet Letters From Peking: Being the Notes of an Eye-Witness, Which Set Forth in Some Detail, from Day to Day, the Real Story of the Siege and Sack of a Distressed Capital in 1900—The Year of Great Tribulation
History
Indiscreet Letters From Peking: Being the Notes of an Eye-Witness, Which Set Forth in Some Detail, from Day to Day, the Real Story of the Siege and Sack of a Distressed Capital in 1900—The Year of Great Tribulation
Beijing (China) -- History -- Siege, 1900 -- Personal narratives; Putnam Weale, B. L. (Bertram Lenox), 1877-1930 -- Correspondence
As we stood about, twisting our fingers and cheering, and trying to
find something sensible to say or to do, there was a rush of people
towards the lines connecting with the American Legation and the Tartar
Wall This caused another tremendous outburst of cheering and
counter-cheering, and led by C----, the American Minister, columns of
American infantry in khaki suits and slouch hats came pressing in. In
they came--more and more men, until the open squares were choking with
them. These men were more dog-tired than the Indian troops, and their
uniforms were stained and clotted with the dust and sweat flung on
them by the rapid advance. Soon there was such confusion and
excitement that all order was lost, until the Americans began filing
out again, and the native troops were pushed to the northern line of
defences. In the turmoil and delight everything had been temporarily
forgotten, but the growing roar of rifles had at length called
attention to the fact that there might be more fierce fighting. Every
minute added to the din, and soon the ceaseless patter of sound showed
machine-guns were firing like fury. Somebody called out to me that
there was a fine sight to be seen from the Tartar Wall, for those who
did not mind a few more bullets; and, enticed by the storm of sound
that rose ever higher and higher, I ran hastily through our lines
towards the city bastions. Every street and lane from the Ch'ien Men
Gate was now choked with troops of the relieving column, all British
and American, as far as I could see, and already the pioneers attached
to each battalion were levelling our rude defences to the ground in
order to facilitate the passage of the guns and transport waggons....
Strange cries smote one's ears--all the cursing of armed men, whose
discipline has been loosened by days of strain and the impossibility
of manoeuvring. One word struck me and clung to me again; everybody
among the Indian troops was crying it: "_Chullo, chullo, chullo_,"
they were calling.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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