Show ATTACK ON TAKU PORTS American Admiral Held Aloof Taking Ta-king no Part Still the peril Increased Tire legations lega-tions reported the development of the seditious movement In Peking and the need of Increased provision for defense against It While preparations were In progress for a larger expedition to strengthen the legation guards and keep thc railway open an attempt from the foreign ships to make a hlndlng at TaInt was met by lire from the Chinese Chi-nese forts The forts were thereupon shelled by the foreign vessels the American AdirUrnI taking no part In the attach upon the ground that we were not at war with China and that a hostile demonstration might consolidate consoli-date the antiforeign elements and strengthen lire Boxers to oppose the relieving re-lieving column Two days later the Taku forts were ctlplured after a sanguinary san-guinary conflict Severance of communication com-munication with licking followed arrd a combined force of additional guards which was advancing to Peking by the Pel Ho vns checked at Langfang The Isolation of the legations was complete SIEGE OF PEKING The siege and the relief of the legations lega-tions has passed Jnlo undying History ln nIl the Kllrrlng chapters thich records re-cords the heroism of the devoted band rlinplng to hope lu tin face of despair and the undaunted spirit that led Elicit I relievers through UtUlll ana suffering f I lo lire goal olt Ism memory of which I my countrymen may be Justly proud I tluit lh honor our flag witi J maln talncdallltclsrthefllcge I and th > rescue res-cue and that Bl tuut American hearts I have again set high In fervent emulation emu-lation with true men of others ace and language the indomitable courage that ever strives for the cause of right and justice MURDER OF VON KETTELER By June 9lh thc legations were cut oft An identical J note from the Yamcn oidcred each Minister to leave Peking under a promised escort within twenty four hours ro gain time they replied asking prolongation ot the lime which was after vard granted and requesting an Interview with the Tsung11Ynmen on the following day No reply being received on the morning of thC 20th the German Minister Baron von Ket teler set out for the Yarnen to obtain a response and on the way was murdered mur-dered An attempt by the legation guard to recover Ms body was foiled by the Chinese Chi-nese Armed forces turned out against the legatlons Their quarters werE surrounded sur-rounded and attacked The mission compounds were abandoned their inmates In-mates taking refuge in the British legation le-gation where all the other legations and guards gathered for more effective defense Four hundred persons were crowded Into Its narrow compass Two thousand native converts were assembled assem-bled In a nearby place under protection of the foreigners Lines of defense were strengthened trenches dug barricades barri-cades raised and preparations made to stand a siege which at once began PROLONGED SIEGE From June 20lh until July 17th I writes Minister Conger there was scarcely an hour during which there I was not lining upon some part of our lines and Into some of tho legations varying from a single shot to a general and continuous attack along the whole line Artillery was placed around tho legations and on the overlooking palace walls and thousands of threeInch shot and shell were llred destroying some buildings and damaging all So thickly did the balls rain that when the am munjtlon of the besieged ran low five quarts of Chinese bullets were gathered In an hour In a compound and recast LEGATION A FORTRESS Attempts were made to burn the legations le-gations by setting neighboring houses on fire but the flames were successfully fought off although the Austrian Belgian Bel-gian Italian and Dutch legations were then and subsequently burned With the aid of native converts directed by tho missionaries to whose helpful cooperation co-operation Minister Conger afterward gave unstinted praise the British legation lega-tion was made a veritable fortress The ton British Minister Sir Claude MacDon aldwas chosen general commander of the defense with the secretary of the American legation E G Squiers as I chief of staff SAVED THEIR AMMUNITION To save life and ammunition the besieged be-sieged sparingly returned the Incessant fire of the Chinese soldiers lighting only to repel attack or make an occasional sional successful sortie for strategic advantage ad-vantage such as that of fiftyfive American British and Russian marines led by Capt Myers of lire Uniled States marine corps which resulted In the capture cap-ture of a formidable barricade on the wall that gravely menaced the American Ameri-can position It was held to the last and proved an Invaluable acquisition because commanding the water gate through which he relief column en leicd tereDuring During the siege the defenders lost sixtyfive killed 135 wounded and seven by diseasethe last all children |