Firing in the direction of Tientsin--The Pei-tsang fight--Under heavy fire--Captain Jellicoe mortally wounded--Four hours’ hard fighting--Tientsin hard pressed--Hampered by wounded--Short of ammunition and food--A Chinese feint--The Allies in a trap--The storming of a fort and arsenal--An unsuccessful attempt to open communication with Tientsin--The Chinese gallantly endeavour to recapture their lost position--Captain McCalla--The death of Captain Beyts.

The anxiety of those in command of the Relief Expedition was not lessened by the fact that for the last two days constant firing had been heard in the direction of Tientsin, particularly early in the morning and in the afternoon.

On June 21, shortly after the Allies had started on the march, the Imperial troops were seen to convey their guns to the village of Pei-tsang, which is intersected by the road to Tientsin. Then, at a quarter-past eight in the morning, a mass of Nieh’s cavalry came into action, while the Chinese from Pei-tsang began to shell the position of the Allies. The enemy had apparently measured the range beforehand, and made very good practice, especially when firing at the junks, which were easy targets. The Chinese fire was the most severe to which the expedition had so far been subjected, and the behaviour of all the men alike, whether British, Russian, Japanese, Italian, French, German or Austrian, was admirable in every possible way. The 9-pounder guns were placed in position, and kept up an accurate fire on the enemy. An advance was made on the village under the rattling fire of the Maxims from the _Endymion_ and the American 3-inch gun, using shrapnel. The enemy was driven away, and retired to the next village of Pei-tsang proper, a short distance off, where the Chinese had made trenches, which they held with dogged resolution.

[Sidenote: DOGGED RESOLUTION]

In the advance, while the Russians and Germans were marching at the extreme left on the opposite bank of the stream, the Allies were exposed to a heavy fire. Unhappily the brave Flag-Captain Jellicoe, of the _Centurion_, was mortally wounded, while Lieut. Bamber, two midshipmen, and ten men sustained more or less serious injuries. It took the Allies four hours’ hard fighting to enter the village of Pei-tsang, the ground having to be conquered inch by inch. The Chinese were in the meantime heavily shelling the Allies as they passed through the village, and as, with one or two exceptions, they used smokeless powder, our gunners could not succeed in placing and silencing the enemy’s field pieces. When darkness began to set in, the actual fighting ceased, but firing continued spasmodically from the Chinese all through the evening.

Hampered by the many wounded, depressed at the news that Tientsin settlement was hard pressed and unable to despatch help; with ammunition running short, and the enemy getting more formidable every hour; tired and hungry, the Allies left camp soon after twelve, under cover of the night.

June 22.--Matters went fairly well until sunrise, when several volleys were fired at the expedition by the Chinese from the left bank of the Pei-ho. This was no doubt an expedient on their part to mask their actual position, and the Allies, who had been unable to carry on a successful system of scouting, walked unawares into a trap laid by the enemy. The advance guard and main body of the expedition marched gaily into the ambush, and were suddenly confronted by a deadly rifle and artillery fire from four guns.

Two parties, one of German marines, the other British, crossed the river almost simultaneously to occupy a position commanding the Chinese forts, and at half-past six a bayonet charge, led by Major Johnstone, was made upon the fort which had fired on the Allies. The marines and their leader showed great pluck in carrying the fort and seizing five most excellent modern guns, with plenty of ammunition. The Chinese soldiers, who had fought quite well under cover, fled at the approach of the marines, and at close range made no kind of stand. With considerable smartness the British and German marines turned the newly acquired guns upon the retreating enemy, and inflicted much damage on them.

[Sidenote: RESOLUTE FIGHTING]

In the Arsenal were found quantities of Mauser and Mannlicher rifles and Winchester carbines, with masses of ammunition of German, American, and Chinese manufacture.

An endeavour was made to open the line of communication with Tientsin by sending a force of 120 marines, under Captains Beyts and Doig, guided by Currie, the Allies in the meantime holding the forts, which afforded good protection, and in which there was ample ammunition to make an effective defence against attack. The small party started in the morning.

The Chinese, 6000 strong, returned early in the afternoon, and made a fierce attempt to recapture the position which they had lost in the morning. They rushed the forts and Arsenal with astounding and unexpected determination, and poured a heavy shell-fire into the forts with their artillery--one well-manned gun, in particular, mounted on the railway line, only a mile off, causing the Allies much discomfort and some damage.

After two hours’ resolute and really business-like fighting, the Chinese, who had made several gallant rushes to recapture the forts, were repulsed, routed, and hotly pursued. The Allies, who killed many, set on fire the neighbouring villages, which might have afforded protection to the enemy.

Much comment was, as usual, aroused among critics at home by the exaggerated report that in this engagement the Allies had killed the Chinese wounded “wholesale.” Some of the wounded were, in fact, killed, but only in cases of absolute necessity. For instance, men, seemingly dead, suddenly rose treacherously to stab officers and men from behind, and naturally had to be shot in self-defence.

Among the many wounded on the Allied side was the American Captain McCalla, of the _Newark_. Captain Bucholtz, of the _Kaiserin Augusta_, was killed.

From sunset to sunrise nothing happened, but with the first rays of light the Chinese opened a well-directed fire on the forts. Along the defences of the Allies men were constantly falling. During the night the party that had started for Tientsin returned, having met with severe opposition from Boxers and troops in overwhelming numbers. Captain Beyts, to whose gallantry no sufficient tribute can be paid, and three men, had been killed, while two others were wounded.