Part 2 - Reinforcements

The ship sailed for Taku on 14 June. Hours later, the U.S. Minister in Peking got word through to Washington that the foreigners in Peking had been completely besieged within the compounds with the entire city in the possession of a rioting, murdering mob, with no visible effort being made by the government in any way to restrain it.

On 19 June, at 0330, Waller's Marines debarked, reinforced by 30 more Marines from the USS Nashville, armed with a 3-inch landing gun and a Colt machine gun. With the help of machinist's mates and water tenders from the Civil War gunboat Monocacy, Waller coaxed a Chinese train back to life, loaded it with spare ties, rails and Marines, and traveled from Tangku toward Tientsin. Repairing track as they advanced, the Marines joined forces with a battalion of 440 Russian infantry halted 12 miles from Tientsin. At 0200 on 20 June, within earshot of Chinese guns now shelling Tientsin, the Marines and the white-bloused, booted Russians resumed the advance. By seven they were in the outskirts of Tientsin, under heavy fire and counter-attacked by more than 1,500 Boxers and Imperial troops. Outnumbered, the Marines and Russians, with Major Waller covering the withdrawal, disengaged.

The withdrawal was signalized by the rescue of a wounded Marine, inadvertently left behind, by a rear guard consisting of Lieutenants Butler and A.B. Harding and four enlisted Marines. Under continual Chinese pursuit and fire, by cavalry and artillery, the six Marines carried the wounded man seven miles without a stretcher. All four enlisted rescuers (two of whom were themselves wounded) got Medals of Honor. Since officers were not eligible to receive the Medal of Honor in those days, Butler and Harding were both brevetted captain for gallantry. By nightfall, having hiked 30 miles, fought all day on nothing but hardtack and sustained 13 killed or wounded, Waller's battalion was back where it started, on the railroad 12 miles from Tientsin. Here, within two days there accumulated some 2,000 British, Russians, Germans, Italians, and Japanese. Waller joined forces with the 600-man British naval force headed by Commander Christopher Cradock, RN, who was destined, as a rear admiral, to go down bravely in 1914 with his squadron. On the 23rd, at 1330, the column moved out. Young Butler recalled that, "After a terrible march in the face of a sand storm, and very severe fighting, we entered Tientsin about 1:30 p.m. . . . I forgot to say that while crossing a bridge the Chinese exploded a mine under us, but outside of being plastered with mud and stones, none of us were hurt. Am well except toothache and sore feet." (footnote 5) The Marines lead the way up Tientsin's Victoria Road with colors flying, while grateful Europeans, save for the second time, plied the troops with beer.

After the rescue of Tientsin's foreign concessions, two jobs demanded immediate action:

1. relief of Admiral Seymour's column still besieged in Hsi-ku arsenal (known to later China Marines as the French Arsenal); and
2. reduction of the fast strengthening Boxer stronghold within Tientsin's wall Chinese City.

On 25 June, after moving out before dawn, the relieving force reached Hsi-ku Arsenal, broke the siege, set fire to the Arsenal and marched back to Tientsin loaded down with souvenirs. In addition, they brought in 300 of Seymour's sick and wounded, including McCalla, who for once was glad to turn over command to Major Waller, who thereby became the American commander in chief ashore in north China. But more Marines were on the way. Under Colonel Robert L. Meade, veteran of the abortive assault on Fort Sumter and of the Panama Expedition in 1885, the remainder of the 1st Regiment at Cavite, Philippines, had embarked on the cruiser Brooklyn, and were at Taku Bar on 10 July. Meade brought one more infantry battalion, regimental headquarters, and an artillery company, 318 Marines in all.

Meanwhile, Waller's Marines in Tientsin had been in another fight. The Tientsin East Arsenal (not to be confused with Hsi-ku Arsenal), held some 7,000 Boxers and had to be captured. Cradock and the Russians were determined to do the job and asked for Waller's help. On 27 June, Russian soldiers, British sailors, and British and U.S. Marines charged the parapets, and the East Arsenal was captured.

While the thoroughly alarmed powers built up their forces for the campaign ahead, Major Waller reported on operation to date: "Our men have marched 97 miles in five days, fighting all the way. They have lived on one meal a day for six days, but they have been cheerful and willing always. They have gained the highest praise from all present, and have earned my love and confidence. They are like Falstaff's army in appearance, but with brave hearts and bright weapons." On the outside of this report, Waller scribbled to the captain of the Monocacy, Captain Wise, "Please open and read and add Russian casualties, 2 killed, 9 wounded. I need Whiskey. (footnote 6) Forwarding Waller's report, Rear Admiral Kempff, who commanded the China Squadron, added a resounding note: "I would suggest a suitable medal for Major Waller and five percent additional pay for life in various grades he may reach. It is with our Marines under Major Waller as with the force under Captain McCalla that foreign officers have only the highest praise for their fighting qualities." (footnote 7)

More Reinforcements

While the Marines and sailors on the spot were doing their best, reinforcements streamed toward Taku. The first substantial American force to augment the Marines was the 9th Infantry USA, which reached China on 6 July. The 9th was immediately sent up to Tientsin via the railroad which was now being operated by the bluejackets of the Monocacy.

Colonel Meade's contingent of the 1st Marines followed four days later. This gave the United States a brigade at Tientsin made up of the 1st Marines (including Waller's battalion), 9th Infantry (lst and 2nd Battalions only), all commanded by Colonel Meade, senior U.S. officer present. This American force (about 1,000 officers and men) was brigaded with the 2,200 man British column made up of Ghurka, Sikhs, Bengal Lancers, 2nd Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, and Royal Navy and Marine. The foreign powers now mustered 5,650 troops before Tientsin, of whom more than half were British and American, the remainder being French, German, Japanese, and Russian. The respective commanders agreed that the next step was to clean out Tientsin's native city, with its estimated 50,000 Boxers, and this would be done on 13 July. The native city was surrounded by two walls. One a 30-foot outer wall, a relic of the Taiping Rebellion, and a second wall about a mile inside which was 24 feet thick and likewise about 30 feet high. On the latter wall, the Chinese mounted the cannon with which they continued to shell the foreign concessions. Allied counter-battery fire came mainly from five British 12-pounder naval guns brought ashore, from HMS Terrible.

At 0300, 13 July, under command of British Brigadier General A.R.F. Dorward, DSO, the American, British, and Japanese forces attacked the south face of the native city. The Marines had the left flank; on their right were Royal Welch Fusiliers; still further right were the 9th Infantry (in support of the British naval brigade). Mr. Herbert Hoover accompanied the Marines as sort of a guide in their part of the attack on the Chinese city. The heat was suffocating (temperatures of 104 degrees were common), and the terrain between the two walls consisted of rice paddies, huge salt mounds, Chinese graves and much from sewage canals. Second Lieutenant Frederick M. Wise (son of the old Monocacy's captain) later wrote: "The sky was turning slightly grey. Chinese snipers across the river began fast as they could pull the trigger. Now they were shooting into our backs. We marched on, pouring out onto that plain. Snipers on our side of the river, behind those salt mounds, took up the chorus. Artillery began to blaze from the walls" (footnote 8). Moreover, Lieutenant Butler related: "We charged over the mud wall at seven in the morning and began our advance. The whole country was flooded. The Chinese had diverted the water from the canals into the open space between the two walls. We struggled through this filthy swamp, with bullets splashing and whining around us. The low mud walls of the rice paddies provided some slight protection. We crouched behind them, firing furiously, slipping, sliding, and stumbling from one to another." (footnote 9)

Butler's company, as well as some of the Welsh Fusiliers, made it to the stone wall. There they were stopped and Butler was wounded in the thigh. Butler commented that, "It was as pretty a hole as you ever saw." Sustained by brandy from a British officer's canteen, and aided by First Lieutenant Leonard (who lost an arm shortly after), he made it back to the field hospital.

While the rifle companies of the 1st Regiment and the Royal Welsh Fusiliers were thrashing through mud and debris, the artillery company, under Captain B.H. Fuller, went into position behind the mud wall. After firing all ammunition at the stone wall and the Chinese city itself, in a tradition that would distinguish Marine artillery on many another battlefield, the battery reformed as infantry to shore up the right flank of the 9th Infantry, who were in trouble. By eight that night, after a day of inconclusive action under intense though inaccurate fire, all hands pulled back behind the outer wall, and the operation was no further ahead than at dawn. Of 451 Marines engaged, 21 had become casualties, including four officers (one killed, three wounded). The 9th Infantry, which never got beyond the mud wall, suffered more heavily (18 killed, 77 wounded), including their commanding officer, Colonel Liscum, USA, who was killed carrying the regimental colors.

Before dawn the next day, in a well executed night attack, the Japanese blew in the gate of the Chinese city and broke through. By daybreak the whole allied force was inside, sweeping the Boxers before them. The native city was afire, and looting was rampant. Soldiers of all nations joined the orgy as men of the allies staggered through the streets, arms and backs piled high with silks and furs and brocades, with gold and silver and jewels. Meanwhile, Marines guarded the vault of the slat commissioner, where $800,000 in melted silver bullion was in the wreckage. In reporting to Washington, Admiral Remey, the Asiatic Station commander stated that information received by him cleared the marines of any involvement in burning houses or looting Tientsin.