The battles of the world : $b or, cyclopedia of battles, sieges, and important military eventsBorthwick, J. Douglas (John Douglas)
History
The battles of the world : $b or, cyclopedia of battles, sieges, and important military events
Borthwick, J. Douglas (John Douglas)
Battles; Military history
Before they came in sight of Colonel Walker and his few men, Tartar
cavalry, blowing their matches, and making other hostile gestures,
came galloping along the high bank on either side of our people,
who were in a hollow way. Presently the party was summoned to
halt; being surrounded, and ignorant of the ground, it was deemed
advisable to comply, both to insist on the sanctity of the flag
of truce, and to gain an opportunity of discovering the best way
out of their uncomfortable position. The Tartar officer in command
civilly told them, that as firing had commenced, he was unable to
let them pass, without orders from his General, to whose presence
he would conduct Mr. Parkes. Parkes, Loch, and one Sikh rode away
with the officer. Suddenly turning the angle of a field of maize,
they found themselves in the midst of a mob of infantry, whose
uplifted weapons their guide with difficulty put aside. Further
on stood San-ko-lin-tzin, the Tartar General, of whom Parkes
demanded a free passage. He was answered with derision; and, after
a brief parley, in which San-ko-lin-tzin upbraided Parkes as the
cause of all the disasters which had befallen the empire, at a sign
from the General our men were tossed off from their horses, their
faces rubbed in the dust, and their hands tied behind them, and
so, painfully bound, were placed upon carts, and taken to Pekin.
Orders, were, at the same time, sent to capture the escort, which
had been already surrounded by ever increasing numbers. Some of the
troopers suggested the propriety of cutting their way through, but
Anderson replied it would compromise the others, and refused to do
what his gallant heart desired.
Soon, however, the whole party was disarmed, and taken to Pekin on
their horses without dishonor. Next day they were removed to the
Summer Palace of Yuen-Ming-Yuen, where they were severally bound.
Their hands and feet tied together behind their backs, they were
thrown on their chests, and kept in the open air exposed to the
cold at night, and the still considerable heat by day, without
food or water, for three days and nights. From the first their
bonds were wetted to tighten them, and if they attempted to turn
or move to rest themselves, they were cruelly kicked and beaten.
On the third day poor Anderson’s fingers and nails burst from the
pressure of the cords, which were not even then relaxed. The wrist
bones became visible, and mortification ensued; the victim became
delirious, and thus mercifully made unconscious of the horror of
his position, this gallant soldier died. During his sufferings his
men made efforts to approach him and to gnaw his cords, but they
were savagely kicked away by his inhuman jailers. The condition of
the survivors was only ameliorated, after the lapse of three days,
by the bonds on their hands and feet being exchanged for heavy
chains and irons. But, from this time, they were regularly, though
most scantily and miserably, fed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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