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A Witness to the Boxer Rebellion


Dirk
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A recent, but I think historically interesting find. A previously unpublished account of the Seymour Expedition. But unlike other known accounts, this is the first one I have found to date written by an enlisted man: in this case a Yeoman off the USS Newark. For those unfamiliar with the Expedition, in the Summer of 1900 following the arrival of Legation guards to Peking, additional forces were requested as the foreign diplomats in the capital city realized the scope of the problem they were facing. After much debate English Vice Admiral Edward Seymour lead a 2,000 man multinational force of sailors and marines from Europe, Japan, and the USA by rail in attempt to augment the Legation defenses. The American contingent was lead by Capt Bowman McCalla who must rank as one the the Navy's most aggressive officers. Despite McCalla's fighting spirit, the Seymour relief force got about a third of the way from Tientsin to Peking before a combination of Boxers, regular Chinese troops, and destroyed rail lines in both directions stopped them and forced the Allied relief force to retreat by rail, barge, and ultimately foot, while under almost constant fire. America's contribution to this force was 112 sailors and Marines.

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This account comes in the form of a 12 page letter (written on both sides) and is dated 2 Jul 1900, once the sailor reached the safety of the USS Newark following their failed relief mission. He was writing to a young lady friend and promised to give her a more detailed account when he arrives home. Thankfully, this abbreviated account is quite substantial and matches an number of existing accounts with many added unique observations by a man who had to do some heavy fighting. He writes of having to initially sneak by the Chinese Taku forts guarding the entrance to the Pei Ho River in the hold of a British flagged barge. He writes about the 50 Marines sent to guard the Legation from Tientsin. He describes numerous Boxer attacks, calling them fanatics armed with sword and spear and dressed in red head dresses, wrist bands, a red sash about the waist, and having a little red packet attached to their blouse containing in his words "their ticket to heaven." He noted they carry red banners with "death to foreigners" printed on them. He added after routing the Boxers during one of their many attacks: Two Boxers held their ground waving swords at the Americans until shot down. Upon investigating, the Newark's men found a boy was tied to one of the Boxers. Although the boy was badly wounded the sailors tried to administer first aid. Surprised the young boy asked through an interpreter if he was to be beheaded, but was informed the sailors had no intention of killing him and in fact would do all they could to make him well. The boy, the sailor wrote, was very surprised by their answer. He also wrote about an attack on his train that killed five Italian sailors and had the Boxers getting within 20 feet of the train, before being driven back. But at that point Seymour heard his rear lines of communications were cut off and the sailor noted they must fall back toward Tientsin. But finding the rails ripped up the small relief force now set out on foot and barge in an attempt to reach safety. He noted the capture of several barges used to transport the wounded. He describes an intense fight the sailors had in support of a battalion of English Marines attacking a Chinese fort along their line of march. The Yeoman stated the man to his immediate right was hit in the forehead and died. The author then sprinted across 50 years of open field with several others to draw fire away from the main body. He notes a sailor near him received a severe scalp wound while firing from an embankment, but would not leave his position until he "got his man" which he did after several shots. The Yeoman also notes he, himself, "got his man" without "receiving so much as a scratch." He goes on to describe the seizing of the West Arsenal and their final desperate march toward safety, when the Germans suddenly spotted a relief column coming toward them. He noted the Seymour force arrived safety back in Tientsin with our sailor dressed in rags and with a month of beard, but safe. Lastly he highlighted the Cavite Marines (Maj Wallers boys) taking the East Arsenal with the Marines being the first over the wall. When the Marines had secured the arsenal and came out the Yeoman stated the captain of the English Marines, who had been in support, had his men give three cheers to the US Marines for their role in the attack. He ends the letter asking the receiver to save it for him to assist with remembering details. Thankfully she did.

 

This is how the Chinese portray the attack on the the lead train of the expedition. In reality only 5 Italian sailors were killed at the loss of several hundred Boxers

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The letter came with a letter from a US Congressman to whom the sailor presented a captured carbine, some miscellaneous Navy paperwork, and these two photos taken in Japan probably right before the Rebellion began. I find these unpublished 1st hand accounts fantastic, a good find, and this one that provides an unique perspective from a man in the thick of an almost month long campaign in which few documented accounts survive today.

 

Golden Arrow is doing a records pull for me. I did a check of the CRE List this man is not listed. We will see if his file yields any additional information.

 

The photo of British sailors doing track work comes from an English periodical. The bottom photo is from the Naval Press Insitute files and shows the Newarks sailor and a few Marines repairing the track near the point they were forced to turn back

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Dirk,

 

What an AMAZING (and surely under appreciated) piece of history. Congratulations on finding it. So happy that it found it's way into the right hands and was not lost to time

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Thank you both! Eric for us Boxer folks it's like the equivalent of finding an unpublished account of a major American civil war campgain. Your man would have been one of those men over the Wall in taking the East Arsenal.

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Dirk, thank you for once again posting such an interesting thread. Timely for me, as I am currently researching a recent acquisition-a Marine Officers Mameluke. I am awaiting Golden Arrow research on it as well, but have determined on my own the officer who possessed the sword not only commanded the Marine detachment on board the U.S.S. Boston during Deweys attack on Manila, but led one of the first Marine Corps legation guards in November of 1898, and returned to China in about July 1900. I suspect he was involved in either the Seymour expedition, or was one of Wallers Marines from Cavite (he was stationed in Cavite for much of the time during this period). Do you know or have access to a list of Marine Corps Officers involved in either of these groups? I have been on several sites on the internet, and I think I exhausted Wallers group as a possibility but I am not positive. I am looking for a Lieutenant Robert M. Dutton. He was awarded the China expedition campaign medal. I will post the sword with a write up once the research comes through.

 

Again, thanks much for posting this letter and associated research. I too find this time period to be fascinating. Kevin

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Kevin As soon as you said 1898 I knew it was Dutton! Came several years before, stayed a short time and then left when the earlier crisis seemed to abate....give me a few minutes to hunt for some stuff!

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Bob thank you!

 

Kevin it looks like for his return visit it was with the 5th Battalion 22 Aug 1900.....in early July he was at Leauge island in Philadelphia.....so part of the group that came from east coast stateside barracks with Dickens I believe. I think they left out of Annapolis. excited to see you post once Gold Arrow fills in the blanks

 

Below is the Marine Guards of all the Nations during the 1898-99 deployment. Dutton would be in that group.

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Wow Dirk, I cannot thank you eneough. This is fantastic. Last thing I wanted to do was hijack your thread, but just can’t say how much I appreciate this. Your letter is wonderful and adds so much history to this interesting period. Kevin

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Thank you all for your kind words! This is one of those unique "out of the workwork" items I like to see brought back to life through the Forum.

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