The following is a very interesting report made by Captain Ross of the §.V.C.
his firm, Messrs, Jardine, Matheson Ca., dated Tientsin, the 19th of August Peking has been entered by the Allied forces, and the beleaguered Ministers and residents have been relieved, but notwithstanding t 'i i this took place, we are still a finite news of the complete al Dorward, who is commanding the line of communications, has so far only received one long telegram from General Gaselee, dated the 16th. This message describes the entry into Peking.
According to General Gaselee's tele-m, the Japanese and Russians advaneed on the north side of the Tungeiiou Canal, the Americans and British on the south, The Japanese and Russians comufenced bombarding the Eastern Wall of the Tartar City on the lith, and on the 15th they rushed and blew in the Tungehimén and Chihuamén Gates.
The British and Americans, meanwhile, made a forced march southwards, and entered the Chinese City by the South-cast or Tsaolimén Gate, meeting with no opposition. As you may be aware the country inside this gate is open paddy land right up to the walls of the Temple of Heaven. Our troops promptly occupied the latter place and placed guns in position to bombard the south walls of the Tartar City.
General Gaselee, his staff, and about seventy men then made a dash forward, and on coming in sight of the Tartar walls were signalled to by the Legation guards holding the wall near the Water Gate. Rushing across the almost dry moat dividing the Chinese city from the walls, this small force quickly blew in the hard wood piles forming the Water Gate, and in a few minutes Sir Claude and the General were shaking hands. This was at 3 p.m. Sir Claude at once rode round the Legation defences so as to point out to General Gaselee the important points of the City to be attacked.
The next step on the part of the British and Americans was to advance on the Chienmén Gate, and preparations were made to bombard the same, but, thanks to a sortie made by the American and Russian Legation Guards on the top of the wall, who were able with rifle fire to drive away the Chinese defenders, our troops were able to take possession of the gate with little or no opposition.
Sir Alfred Gaselee, having then joined hands with the Japanese and Russians, placed fresh garrisons in the Legations and returned to the Temple of Heaven, which was made the head-quarters of his force, the Americans taking charge of the Chienmén gate.
About 5 p.m. the Chinese troops at the Yungtingmen (the gate by which you enter the Chinese City when coming from the railway) made a desperate attack on the Temple of Heaven, but were driven off with very heavy loss and the gate was secured, In the meantime the Japanese and Russians had been making it very warm for the Chinese troops in the neighbourhood of the Legations and eventually the Chinese retired to the North and into the Imperial City The following day the Tmperial City and Palace were to be attacked, but beyond a private message from one of the Staff in which he mentioned that a breach had just been made in the Imperial walls with dyne amita, we have heard no further details, and can only imagine that the troops are so occupied in looting that they have no tine to send reports.
The Japanese report that the Empross-Dowager fled, four days before the arrival of the Allied forces, to some walled city in the direction of Ralgan, but this requires confirmation.
We have great hopes here, that Prince Tran will be caught, also Bang Yi, Ping-hong, Tung Fuchsiang and other rebel feaders.
The Chinese have a story that the Empress-Dowager tried to fly from Peking, but was prevented from doing so by her nephew Jung Lu, whereupon' she crused some 20 of her eunuchs to be beaten to death for revealing her plan of escape.
Thie Tosses of the Allies in entering Peking were remarkably small, being all told under 130 men, or less than it cost to take the position at Peitsang, and very considerably less than the city of Tientsin.
The Japanese seem to have been to the fore once more; they are wonderfully plucky little chaps, and seem to have absolutely no fear. They lose heavily partly on account of rashness, but I think main-Ly on account of the colour of their uniform (white).
As regards this neighbourhood, Chinese troops and Boxers in large numbers have been gradually coming up from the south, and our reconnaissances hare been almost daily fired on within a few miles of the Mud Wall. Sniping at our sentries on this wall had also recommenced, and it was evident that either we had to attack the Chinese or they would very soon pluck up enough courage to attack us.
On one of our reconnaissances, which was made in some force in, conjunction with the Americans, we all fell into a very neat trap prepared for its by, the Chinese
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.