Admiral Jellicoe Part 4

One or two Legations in Pekin were destroyed. On May the 1st the German Minister, Baron von Kettener, was a.s.sa.s.sinated.

This was the signal for a general rising, and all the Legations in Pekin were besieged, the Imperial troops joining in the attack. Sir Claude MacDonald had been a.s.sured that there was no danger whatsoever.

He was appointed commander of the Legation Quarter by the foreign representatives, and a plucky resistance was made.

Early in June he sent a telegram to Sir Edward Seymour, Commander of the China Station, informing him the situation was perilous, and warning him that unless the Legations were soon relieved a general ma.s.sacre would take place.

Seymour acted as quickly as possible, and with a force of two thousand men he started to the relief of Pekin.

This little army was composed of men and guns drawn from the ships of the eight Great Powers then in Chinese waters. Great Britain--who provided nearly a thousand men--France, Italy, Russia, the United States, j.a.pan, Austria and Germany. Their combined artillery consisted only of nineteen guns.

Captain Jellicoe was given command of the British Naval Contingent, and the whole force was under the command of Admiral Seymour. Mr.

Whittall, Reuter's correspondent, accompanied the column, and he gave, in the diary which he kept, a very graphic account of the fighting of the allied forces, their failure to relieve Pekin, their attempt to get back to Tientsin, Jellicoe's bad luck in getting dangerously wounded--it was feared, fatally, at the time--and the narrow escape of the whole force from annihilation.

"We left Laufang at dawn on June the 13th," he wrote, "and arrived at Tientsin at 12.30 p.m. without incident.

"We left Tientsin again at 2 a.m., but the Marines were at Yangtsun, and the Chinese officials declined to take the responsibility of affording protection, so we took them on with us. At Lofa we found three trucks derailed, and so remained there all night outside 'Fort Endymion.' We moved out from Lofa about midnight on June 14th for headquarters, but found that they had been removed further up the line. A party of Americans, foraging, ran across a band of 150 Boxers and fired on them, killing six and wounding many others. The _Aurora's_ advance party was attacked about six-and-a-half miles up the line by a large force of the Boxers, who tried to rush them, but the bluejackets kept them off, killing and wounding some 150.

"Last night a courier arrived from Pekin, and said that everything was well in the city when he left, but that many Boxers were openly showing themselves in the city. At ten this morning a most determined attempt was made to rush the headquarters' train by a large body of Boxers. The small-bore rifle bullets seemed to have no effect in stopping the rush, and the fanatics came on most gallantly. The Maxim was got into action at the range of about fifty yards, and mowed the enemy like gra.s.s. This was enough for them, and they fled into the country.

"In the afternoon an attack was made on Lofa by two thousand Boxers, but they were driven off, with a loss of seventy-five men. Our casualties were said to be four slightly wounded. In the evening Johnstone returned, having raided all the villages bordering the line, killing forty or fifty Boxers. He reports all track in a fearful state, rails, etc., being up for miles at a stretch. The courier who brought letters from Pekin on Tuesday returned with letters for Pekin.

"Matters seem to be getting more serious. Report of the j.a.panese having been murdered by Tung Fu-hsiang's men confirmed. Grand stand burned, students attacked by Boxers with swords, Boxers burning missions and foreign buildings other than Legations. Boxers cut the throats of the wounded before running. We had two of _Endymion's_ bluejackets wounded at Lofa, one shot through the lungs with a stone from a small iron cannon. We took two of these guns. The Italian dead were shockingly mutilated. One Boxer, a boy of thirteen, was brought in wounded.

"Up at 4 a.m. and started again for Tientsin. Found the line below Lofa cut in four places, in one of which the embankment had been dug out to a depth of some four feet. We received the news that the Boxers were hard at work three miles above Yangtsun tearing up the track. At 5 a.m. saw a body numbering from 200 to 300 strong, enter a large village to the right of the line. We afterwards foraged in another village to the left, where we got some chickens and leeks and then set fire to it. We had this day a guard of 120 Germans and 50 French with us."

The relief force had now been fighting for a week without making any real progress. Meanwhile, the news that came from Pekin was grave in the extreme. Several attempts were made to send messages through but without success.

Captain Jellicoe sent a body of marines and blue-jackets, under Major Johnstone, to Yangtsun with the intention of opening friendly relations with the people, and after a great deal of trouble, this was done, and food was obtained for the hungry troops.

But every day the situation became more serious. Owing to all the rails having been cut the trains were held up and a night attack was expected. For six days no news had come from Tientsin.

Eventually the order came to abandon the trains--fifty thousand pounds of rolling stock, and practically all the baggage--and march on Tientsin with half rations for three days.

This, of course, would meet with Jellicoe's approval ... hitting quickly and hitting hard.

A day was spent making preparations for the march. Every man of the expedition knew it was a desperate venture, but not one was dismayed.

But Mr. Whittall, in his diary, wonders how much of the unfortunate expedition is likely to reach Tientsin in safety.

"Progress was," he says, "very slow at first owing to want of water for the boats, which were constantly getting ash.o.r.e. At 7.20 p.m. the column halted and bivouacked for the night, which pa.s.sed without incident. Gunfiring in the direction of Tientsin reported to have been heard.

"Reveille" sounded at 4 a.m. Column marched 6.15; Hangu, 7.30; halted while town was searched by advance guard; 8.5, Chinese army reported advancing; 8.25, American 3-inch opened on enemy in a copse flanking river in line of our advance.

"Conflicting reports as to character of enemy, some saying only Boxers, others Imperial troops. 9.5, I went up to the firing line.

Enemy strongly posted in a village ahead. 9.0, our 9-pounders came into action at 450 yards. Enemy retired, under the heavy shrapnel fire, and a party of Americans went ahead to examine village. One _Aurora_ wounded accidentally.

"First volleys fired very heavy; when enemy found range too close to be pleasant; 9.50, column resumed advance, two Russians wounded.

Village ahead reported full of the enemy. Our 9-pounders ordered up; opened fire 10.31. Americans advance with French on left, our Marines advance under cover of the river bank. 2.20, while troops resting, we were attacked. Enemy driven off, one American dangerously wounded.

"Column resumed its advance on both banks of the river. Three Chinese field-guns observed moving in the direction of Peitsang. Sounds of heavy firing in the direction of Tientsin again heard all the morning.

Natives report it is General Nieh fighting Boxers.

"8.15, large body of cavalry seen on our left flank which were at first taken for Russians; but a sh.e.l.l pitched unpleasantly near our flanking parties from the left of the village the cavalry had just pa.s.sed, convinced us that they must be Nieh's cavalry. Our guns were soon in action, replying to the enemy's fire, and the rattle of musketry became general."

It was the mistaking this large body of enemy cavalry for a relieving force of Cossacks that nearly cost Jellicoe his life. The Chinese Cavalry was hailed, and replied with a volley. Jellicoe rallied his men and boldly charged them.

He helped clear them out, but fell shot in the chest. Mr. Whittall made the following brief entry in his diary at the time:

"Flag-captain Jellicoe, _Centurion_, dangerously wounded in the chest; feared mortally. Lieutenant Bamber, also of the _Centurion_, and Midshipman Burke also both wounded. The enemy's fire throughout the day was also terrific, and for the most part fairly well aimed."

He pays a high compliment to Captain Jellicoe, for he says that it was owing to the splendid way in which the British troops were handled that the casualties were no heavier than they were.

The response of the men was splendid, and their behaviour under a terrific fire excellent.

But Mr. Whittall acknowledges that "it was a shocking business."

CHAPTER VI

THE SPIRIT OF DRAKE

In a recent issue of the _Pall Mall Gazette_ Mr. Whittall paints a very good pen portrait of Captain Jellicoe at this time.

"It was to him that I was referred for permission to accompany the relieving force, and I can see him now as he put a few terse, direct questions to me before granting the required permit. A man below middle height, alert, with that in the calm, grey eyes which spoke of decision and a serene confidence in himself, not the confidence of the over-sure, but that of the real leader of men. A man whose features would have been unpleasantly hard but for the lurking humour of the eyes and for certain humorous lines about a mouth that on occasion could take the likeness of a steel trap. A man to trust instinctively and one to like from the beginning. Those were my first impressions of him as he stood that June morning watching the troop trains discharge their freights on to a dusty North China platform. Later when I came to know him he inspired me with the same feeling of affection with which he was regarded by every one with whom he had occasion to come into close contact. There was, and is, the magnetism about the man which stamps the personality of him who is indeed a commander rather than one who commands."

Mr. Whittall was with him after he was wounded and while the allied forces were retiring on Tientsin. What Jellicoe must have suffered then no one will ever know. He was first of all placed for safety in a native house and later on moved into a small native boat. His wound must have pained him terribly. His case was considered hopeless, as the bullet had reached one of his lungs and recovery seemed impossible. Moreover, he knew that now Pekin would not be relieved; the mission had failed.

But his superb vitality pulled him through. He would not go under.

Mr. Whittall describes how he sent for him and asked to be told how things were progressing. "Foolishly perhaps," says Mr. Whittall, "I tried to make the best of affairs and said that I thought we should cut our way back to Tientsin or even to the coast if the foreign settlements had fallen.

"I don't think I shall ever forget the contemptuous flash of the eyes he turned on me, or the impatient remark:

"'Tell me the truth. Don't lie.'

"I had thought to lessen the anxiety I knew he must have been feeling, but if I had known him as I learnt to do later on, I should have told him the plain truth straight out. He thanked me and, indicating his wounded shoulder with his eyes, remarked:

"'Hard luck just now!'"

Captain Jellicoe, as all the world knows, completely recovered and has, we believe, lived to fight the battle of his life, the battle of the world. Nevertheless the doctors told him at the time that he would never regain the use of his left arm.

It would have been rather remarkable if this false prophecy had come true; it could scarcely have made any difference to his career--for Jellicoe was _the_ man and he was bound to reach his present position no matter the obstacles in his way--but the loss of his arm would have added yet another remarkable point of resemblance to the hero of Trafalgar.

And it may not be out of place here to give a story, which is almost a creed with many sailors and their folk in the South of England: the story so beautifully told by Alfred Noyes in his poem "The Admiral's Ghost."

This is what the simple Devonshire sea folk will tell you when Jellicoe's name is mentioned--if you have gained their confidence.

They do not talk about it to strangers; it has become a faith with them and is sacred.