Show DONT RETREAT boya last words spoken by col liscum in battle of tien tsin americans were in desperate position and a blunder had been Made Internationals escaped what seemed at one time would be a terrible disaster r new york july 21 the evening world publish the following from its tien tsin correspondent from che foo july io 19 via shanghai july 21 the attack on the native city ot of tien tsin on july 13 resulted in the narrowest escape from what seemed up to tk midnight would be a terrible disaster lor for the allies the russians swinging north and the other allies south at daybreak the Russ russians lails were to take the forts near the native city wall and the other allies the city itself gen fuku ahlma the japanese commander promised that the japanese engineers after three hours shell fire from all guns would cross the bridge over the wall and blowing up ithe the great south gate make a breach for the infantry to enter upon this depended everything gen Flu kushima had not scouted the bridge and in twenty four hours had not scouted the ground over which the thle charge on the bridge had to be made the chinese destroyed the bridge and flooded the land around it the allies 0 he shell fire in nowise subdued the chinese rifle fire from the wall which h was thirty feet high with a moat twenty feet in depth around it an 0 outer uter wall of mud made it impossible tor for the infantry to fire they lost fifty men in ten minutes then rushed back from the mud wall which they had reached gen dorward the british commander hastened forward with a fragmentary fragment axy instead of an integral skirmish line the american marines and the welsh fusi leers together under command of waller were on the extreme left the british marines and the 4 french advanced with the japanese along the road toward the gate in the mud wall Dor wards plan for the americans to support the japanese waa was not made clear to col liscum of the ninth united states infantry dorward lays the blame for the blunder and sacrifice of life on liscum but dorward Dor wards 0 a chief of staff was heard to say when liscum moved get in down the road anywhere col liscum hurriedly led his men through the gate in as open order as possible they were immediately under fire the staff saw them pass over the bridge leading to a field which proved to be a cul de do sac before the two battalions of americans numbering men could extend themselves they were subjected besides the fire from the loopholes in the forts to a fierce fire in the from a line of fortified mud houses on their flank three thousand rifles probably were turned on an them with an accuracy which has amazed every officer amo among ng the allies the blue shirts of the am american amerlean er troops made them distinct marks whereas the khaki uniforms of the allies could not be seen col liscum guiding his men walked up and down the line not even ducking bis his head bead while the bullets tell fell around the americans charged into the flank fire with rushes the tho ground over they charged was marshy and lined with ditches it was evidently col liscumb Li intention to rush the houses from which the flank fire was coming and thus get a position f for or hanking flanking the wall at 1230 the line bad had just reached the shore of the canal and thirty yards separated them from the houses when the color bearer fell col liscum picked up the colors and stood looking around for a ford better get down or hit you S shouted maj regan 1 I guess not VU s liscumb Li reply the next instant a sharpshooters bullet went through the colonels abdomen 1 I got it if he be eald said get at them it you can tho the dying officer eald said and added as his last words dont retreat eat boys k keep on firing regan was as hit immediately afterwards all day long the allies line lay under any cover the men could find running out of 0 ammunition the july sun was beating down on them and they had nothing to drink but the salty marsh water meanwhile struggling and crawling through the gate in the mud wall there was no order the doctors were hit by the sharpshooters while trying to attend the wounded of the ninth they could not attempt to carry off the wounded from the bloody field maj regan capt Bookin bookmiller iller and capt noyes were all hit twice noyes who uns adjutant iras was hit in the arm before going to in the field and then hit in the leg he crawled back through the ditch with water up to his neck to report the situation to col dorward at 1 gen fukushima reported in writing to dorward that the japanese were in the city I 1 could see the loopholes blazing bullets and shells no infantry could charge in the face of this fire from fro in 2 until 5 thus acting conjointly neither dorward nor fukushima knew each others whereabouts under cover of darkness the men of the ninth crept back from their dangerous position bearing their wounded they executed this movement with the loss of one man killed the casualties were 91 men and five officers out of the marines lost 3 including capt davis who was shot through the heart while talking to col meade on oil the night of july 13 it was decided to withdraw when news came that the chinese were still firing and that the total losses were the japanese losses were severe the japanese were most gallant in the fighting the americans stopping the biank fire or the japanese loss would have been much heavier the french japanese american and british entered the city on july 14 their entry was unopposed the american flag at halt mast was hoisted over the south gate the walls were strewn with the corpses of chinese soldiers killed by the shell fire which caused their flight none apparently patently ly were hit by bullets the damage being done by shells there was a terrible row over the burning of the town several foreign officers were Te reported ported lost the tired soldiers romal remained ned along the walls the natives went looting through the chinese town the bank and arsenal were heavy sufferers an advance on peking is not contemplated roon soon the american wounded crowd the hospital but all are doing well flags of the allied forces are all at halt half mast col liscum was burled buried at tong ku washington july 21 the navy department part ment has received the following cablegram from admiral remey dated taku july 20 tien tsin quiet latest report russian sources july 13 legation peking still holding out reliability of this information uncertain major regan caits noyes and bookmiller first lieutenants lawton and boebel Sc wounded ninth infantry officers and jolly ma rine corps sick now aboard solace expect about thirty wounded men will wil then send all to kokoha yokohama ma hospital |