On May 24th, the 26th day of the fourth month in the lunar calendar, it was the birthday of the King of England, and Minister Dou hosted a grand banquet to celebrate the occasion. Over sixty British residents in Beijing attended. After the banquet, everyone held a dance at the ballpark, had a great time before dispersing. Many foreigners felt that the weather in Beidaihe was quite pleasant, so they packed their bags and planned to go there to escape the heat in the coming days. Although rumors about the Boxer Rebellion were increasing, everyone felt that since they had been circulating for so long, they didn't take them seriously.
On the 27th, Changxindian was captured by the Boxers. At that time, foreigners working at the Changxindian station fled to Fengtai, where they joined the foreigners there to strengthen their defenses and wait for rescue. The owner of a Western-style hotel in Beijing brought his wife and several others to Fengtai to bring those foreigners back to Beijing. Fengtai was later burned by the Boxers.
On the 29th, reports indicated that the railway in Fengtai had also been taken by the Boxers. The ministers of various countries sent telegrams to Tianjin requesting reinforcements for their protection, but the Ministry delayed sending troops for two days.
On the 31st, reinforcements arrived in Beijing that same night. A total of 80 British Marines, 75 Russian and French Marines each, 50 American Marines, 30 Italian soldiers, and 30 Japanese Marines came. As they made their way, the streets were packed with onlookers, and when night fell, the Chinese couldn't see how many troops there were and assumed many Western soldiers had arrived.
On June 3rd, the noon train brought in 50 German Marines and 35 Austrian soldiers.
On the 4th, the morning train from Tianjin arrived in Beijing. From that day forward, the Boxers took control of the railway. Anding Station was destroyed as well, with only the telegraph lines in Tongzhou remaining intact.
On the 5th, from that day forward, customs and postal services sent personnel to Tianjin daily to relay messages.
On the 6th, this morning, ministers from various countries went to the Ministry to request repairs for the Beijing-Tianjin railway. Prince Qing replied that the railway would be back in operation next Saturday, the 9th.
On the 7th, Nie Jun and the Boxers fought in Yangcun, resulting in many Boxers being killed. On the 8th, it is said that the Qing government has ordered Nie Jun to withdraw his troops and to cease interference with the Boxers. The number of Dong troops entering the southern city is increasing; their weapons and equipment are well-equipped, but military discipline is very loose. We are worried that the Dong army may be ten times worse than the Boxers; after all, the Boxers are just a group of people with knives. On the 9th, foreign ministers went to the government office to ask why the railway that was supposed to open a few days ago is still not operational. The government office replied that many unforeseen incidents had occurred, preventing the railway from opening. Today, missionaries from Tongzhou arrived in Beijing. After the missionary left Tongzhou, his house was set ablaze by the Boxers. The telegraph lines in Tongzhou were cut, and the telegraph service in Tianjin has also ceased; now the only way to communicate is through the Russian northern line. On the 10th, the telegraph office notified that the telegraph line in Zhangjiakou was also cut. Reports indicate that a relief army of three thousand troops, led by Admiral Seymour, has already set off from Tianjin. On the 11th, it is said that the British embassy villa in Xishan was burned down. Japanese Secretary Sakuyama Akira went to check on the situation of the relief army, and when his car passed through a certain gate, he was dragged out and killed by the Boxers. On the 12th, foreign ministers went to the government office to discuss the killing of the secretary yesterday, but all the officials were not there. There were only a few guards in the office. It is said that Prince Qing has left the government office, and the political affairs are now being handled by Prince Duan. Before the guards arrived, not all Westerners had been killed; they were protected by Prince Qing. On the 13th, in the morning of the 13th, two Boxers dressed similarly passed by the embassy gate in a carriage, and several foreigners chased them. They abandoned the carriage and ran away. One was caught, first taken to the German embassy, and then sent to the government office. Today, many Boxers rushed into the embassy street; Italian soldiers came out to resist, firing a few shots, and the Boxers fled, resulting in three casualties. The foreign ministers were taken aback and ordered the guards to patrol the area. In the evening, there were fires everywhere, burning from east to north. Many churches were burned tonight.
On the 14th, the streets near the embassy had changed completely: not a single Chinese person could be seen coming in or out, and soldiers were stationed everywhere. Even the embassy servants had to carry passes to enter and exit. The servants who had fled yesterday returned today, claiming that the embassy was much safer than other places. In the afternoon, German soldiers stationed on the city walls reported that the Boxers were running rampant in the southern part of the city, and onlookers were somewhat envious of them. The German envoy sent the navy marines, who shot and killed several people on the city walls to break the Chinese belief that they were not afraid of guns. The sounds of gunfire echoed outside the city throughout the evening.
On the 15th, Chinese troops were stationed near the rescue camp. It was said to be troops led by Prince Qing, and these Chinese troops were getting along relatively well with the foreign troops, showing no signs of hostility.
On the 16th, British and Japanese troops captured fifty Boxer members in a small temple that morning. At ten o'clock that morning, a pharmacy in the outer city caught fire. The wind was strong, and many shops near the front gate were burned down. The fire grew more intense in the evening and wasn't extinguished until ten o'clock that night.
On the 17th, the day remained relatively calm. In the evening, the soldiers on guard mistakenly reported an enemy attack, and American soldiers suddenly fired several shots.
On the 18th, fires were breaking out all over the west and outside the city. The newly appointed officials from the General Office continued their visits to various embassies.
On the 19th, reports indicated that the Dagu Fort had been taken over by the French. The General Office also sent a letter of condolence to the American ambassador, stating that because of the loss of the Dagu Fort, China declared war on all nations, demanding that all foreigners leave Beijing within 24 hours. The foreign envoys were still gathered at the Spanish embassy to discuss the situation.
On the morning of the 20th, the German ambassador, accompanied by his translator Mr. Ke De and several naval soldiers, went to the General Command. Upon reaching Chinese territory, several Chinese soldiers came to guide them, and the German ambassador agreed to this arrangement. He then sent the naval soldiers back to their post. After a while, a member of the ambassador's staff suddenly ran back, saying the ambassador had been killed! The naval soldiers immediately rushed back to Chinese territory but found themselves unable to enter. At the Hada Gate, there was an American church that also sent someone to inform them that the German translator was seriously injured and had managed to escape from Chinese territory; a doctor was taking care of him, and he would soon be sent back to the German embassy before being transferred to the British embassy. From that point on, no one dared to consider leaving the embassy. The belongings of all the embassies were moved to the British embassy. At four in the afternoon, the Chinese soldiers unexpectedly opened fire on the embassy! At the same time, fires erupted all around, and it was not until ten at night that the Chinese soldiers finally retreated.
On the 21st, at dawn, the Chinese soldiers came again. The guards from various countries received orders to retreat to the British embassy. It was later realized that this retreat was a significant strategic mistake; attempts to reclaim their previous positions led to the corner of the Belgian embassy and the Austro-Hungarian embassy being set ablaze by the Chinese.
On the 22nd, both the Dutch legation and the Russo-Chinese Bank were set on fire. The Chinese soldiers attacked the embassy and did not relent until eleven at night.
On the 23rd, the Austro-Hungarian embassy was completely burned down. The Italian embassy was also fiercely attacked by the Chinese, and the situation had become critical.
During the ceasefire, everyone was moving things to make defenses, and essential tasks were delegated among the staff. The Chinese soldiers only retreated at night.
On the 24th, I was sleeping soundly when I was suddenly awakened by the sound of cannon fire! The Chinese troops set up a 15-pound cannon at the main gate and launched a fierce bombardment on the British embassy. The first shot hit the British first secretary's residence, but fortunately, the shell was fired from above, so no one was injured. At the junction of the city wall behind the embassy, which was originally guarded by Chinese troops, ten German naval soldiers quickly charged in and expelled all the Chinese troops. The Americans had already taken back control of the area behind the embassy and stationed troops there for defense. To the northwest of the British embassy, two large fires were burning continuously, and the Hanlin Academy was also set ablaze, presumably in an attempt to spread the fire to the British embassy. Before long, the Ma Hao Gate in the south also caught fire, as the Chinese outside brought in various flammable materials, causing the flames to suddenly intensify. Western soldiers, fearing that the Chinese troops would take advantage of the chaos to loot, gathered many people to resist. The fire was raging in front, while the Western soldiers blocked from behind, trapping the Chinese on the scene with no way to escape, and several Western soldiers were injured as well. The fighting was most intense that day, continuing until the next morning without stopping.
On the 25th, the Chinese attempted to drive the Westerners out of the embassy by setting fires all around. Other places were well defended and remained intact, but the Italian embassy next to the customs on the east side was completely burned down. Shells fired from the main gate and inner city wall continued throughout the day, hitting various embassies, and even the shells on the city wall were too numerous to count.
On the 26th, the Chinese-style houses around the British embassy were all burned down, so there was no longer any concern about the fire spreading. However, the sound of gunfire persisted, and various embassies were taking turns being attacked.
On the 27th, the cannon fire suddenly stopped at night, and a wooden sign was hung on the inner city wall reading in Chinese: "All ministers will return for protection." After that, around two o'clock, it was very calm. But after a short while, the cannon fire resumed and continued until dawn.
On the 28th, Huajun established defenses at a temple near the city wall, and the Anglo-American forces launched an attack there. They ran out of food, so they killed two small horses to feed the soldiers, and there were a few sheep left, reserved for the wounded and women and children.
On the 29th, in the morning, the position held by the Japanese was attacked. At five in the afternoon, the cannon fire was particularly intense, coming from the east of the British embassy’s horse stables. In the end, one cannonball went straight through the stable, killing several horses. The artillery fire ceased at night, but the small arms fire continued unabated.
On the 30th, in the morning, French officers brought many soldiers to retake the place where the Chinese had launched cannon fire the day before, but the Chinese were already prepared and had moved the cannons, so they could only retreat in disgrace. The Chinese army's artillery was accurate, and although it did not cause many casualties, many houses and defensive structures were destroyed.
On July 1st, the Chinese army launched a heavy artillery bombardment on a specific location. In the afternoon, the Western forces counterattacked but got lost and were blocked by the enemy, sustaining heavy casualties. The area defended by the American army was also fiercely attacked, and a French officer was injured. In the evening, dark clouds gathered, and a heavy rain began to fall, mixing the sounds of cannon fire and thunder, soaking the soldiers' uniforms. That night was truly terrifying, and the cannon fire gradually decreased after dawn.
On the 2nd, in the morning, everyone looked at each other with worried faces, all as wilted as frost-bitten eggplants, exhausted and suffering, unable to express their discomfort. Before long, the inner city began to be bombarded again. The British envoy's residence sustained the most damage. At night, the lights from the marching troops illuminated the city walls, and someone claimed it was the electric light from the British warship "Bole," brought by Admiral Seymour, but everyone was half in doubt.
On the 3rd, Officer Meyer led a large contingent of naval soldiers from Britain, America, Russia, and other nations to reclaim the defensive works that had been lost last time. Although they managed to reclaim them, Officer Meyer was injured in the leg, and a highly skilled American soldier was killed, with several others injured.
On the 4th, the artillery fire was the most intense, and the American troops suffered especially severe losses.
On the 5th, the Chinese placed artillery in the inner city, but their aim was poor, so they fired thirty or forty rounds, hitting the embassy and the city wall, with only about twenty or thirty successful hits.
On the 6th, the Chinese specifically fought at night, so it was relatively quiet during the day.
On the 7th, the enemy launched another attack last night. Although there were no gunshots heard today, the cannons kept booming.
On the 8th, in the afternoon, a Japanese army aide dashed out with several soldiers, trying to reclaim a cannon that had been taken by the enemy a few days ago.
On the 9th, the enemy launched a fierce attack on the cannon platform that had been retaken the previous day, setting fire to it, and many nearby houses were burned down. That night, an old cannon was found in a shop on Embassy Street and was immediately sent to the British consulate. They also found some Russian shells that fit perfectly, and since there was still gunpowder in the barrel, they didn't bring it into Beijing but set it aside for use the next day.
On the 10th, in the past couple of weeks, several people were sent to Tianjin to deliver messages, but there was still no word. However, those sent out to scout outside the city returned, all saying that everything was normal in the northern part of the city, with many bandits walking around the streets. The Empress Dowager and the Emperor were still in the palace.
On the 11th, the enemy came again last night, probably hoping to keep the foreigners awake all night.
On the 12th, the Chinese army had already breached the outer wall of the French consulate, and in the afternoon, twenty to thirty people rushed in through the damaged area into the open space behind, all of whom were killed, except for one who was injured in the leg and unable to move, continuously shouting.
On the 13th, the person injured at the French consulate had not died yet and kept shouting during the day. The foreign hotel, sandwiched between the French and Japanese embassies, took the brunt of the shelling, with a total of 147 hits as of today.
14th. The French consulate arrested four Chinese people, and the previously injured person has died. In the afternoon, there were two landmine explosions: the first explosion buried many people, and the Austrian chargé d'affaires, Rusthagen, was buried up to his shoulders; the second explosion happened to dig out those who were buried in the first, and surprisingly, none of them were harmed, with only two French sailors buried and killed, and their bodies were not found.
On the 15th, a messenger sent out seven days ago was captured by the Chinese outside the city and was only released today, bringing back a letter from Prince Qing. The letter roughly stated that if the foreigners cease fire, China will also cease fire, and requested a reply the next day. A translation student from the British consulate named Warren was killed by a shell today; it's truly unfortunate.
On the 16th, in the morning, Officer Storrow, Times reporter Morrison, and a Japanese aide were walking together in an open area when they came under fire from the enemy. Storrow was injured in the abdomen, Morrison was injured in the leg, and the Japanese aide was unharmed. Around two o'clock, Storrow died from his injuries, and that evening he was buried alongside Warren. The Chinese even fired four shells at the funeral procession, which was absolutely terrifying! There must be someone among the believers secretly contacting the enemy. The gunfire stopped in the evening.
On the 17th, the reply to the General Bureau has been delivered, and the ceasefire has been agreed upon. Chinese soldiers are selling eggs for quite a high price.
On the 18th, from June 20th until today, we finally received news from outside. The Japanese who were sent to Tianjin on June 30th to deliver a message have returned, saying that reinforcements departed from Tianjin on the 20th.
On the 19th, a few gunshots were heard during the day.
On the 20th, this afternoon, a minister from the General Bureau came to see us, waving a white flag, but he was not allowed in; the ministers from various countries went out to talk to him. I’m not sure of the details of the conversation, but I heard the minister agreed to allow shops to be opened near the embassy.
On the 21st, Chinese soldiers brought eggs to sell once more. Outside the city, I bought a copy of last month's Beijing newspaper and heard that the Boxers have a strong presence outside, everywhere, with the combined casualties of the Boxers and soldiers around three to four thousand. Although the missionaries and congregants at the North Church are quite frightened, they still insist on not surrendering.
On the 22nd, there were still gunshots today. In the afternoon, someone brought a hundred watermelons and some other melons, claiming they were a gift from the Empress Dowager.
On the 23rd, the food manager retained fourteen days' worth of rations, distributing the rest for everyone to eat.
On the 24th, the food manager distributed canned beans for everyone. Horse and mule meat isn't unpleasant to eat, but having it every day gets tiresome. Despite the varying cooking methods, it still tastes unappetizing. The rice has been stored for three or four years, has a lot of husk, is not clean, and is even harder to swallow.
On the 25th, a Swedish missionary became unhinged a few days ago. They gave him a Bible to look at, and this morning he suddenly ran away, and no one knows where he went. This missionary always said that the Chinese soldiers treated him better than the British soldiers, so everyone knows he went to join the Chinese army.
On the 26th, although there are no cannons, the gunfire is getting louder day by day. In the middle of the night, I heard cannon sounds from the North Church. There are only forty French sailors and ten Italian sailors there to protect two thousand believers, and the manpower is clearly insufficient.
On the 27th, someone brought watermelons again, saying they were a gift from Empress Dowager Cixi. Previously, a messenger was sent out, and one person returned. This person had been sent to Tianjin eight days ago, and as soon as he left, he was captured by Ronglu's soldiers, imprisoned for a week, and was only released today, bringing back a letter for the British minister. The messenger said that there was a foreigner, dirty and smelly, who was sent to the General Bureau by the Chinese, and the Boxers sought to capture him; he is still being watched at the General Bureau. The messenger also said that the Boxers and the soldiers have now united, and the soldiers believe that the Boxers are all talk and no action, treating them with disdain. He also said that Empress Dowager Cixi and the Emperor remain in Beijing.
On the 28th, a Chinese man, who had disguised himself as a beggar, secretly left Beijing on the 5th of this month. He returned on the 22nd and made it back to Beijing today. He said there were no foreign soldiers outside the Purple Bamboo Forest. The letter he brought was a reply from the British consul in Tianjin, stating that the allied forces would soon be arriving in Beijing. General Gaselee would arrive in Tianjin on the 22nd of this month, and Russian soldiers were already everywhere. It also mentioned that all the women and children in Tianjin had been evacuated.
On the 29th, this morning, a Chinese soldier reported that a spy for the embassy had come with news that the foreign soldiers had occupied Anping, and Russian soldiers were also moving south from Zhangjiakou. A Swedish missionary had been sent back, looking dirty and starving, without clothes or shoes. He said, "When the Chinese asked about the situation of the embassies of various countries, I told them that Washington never tells lies and informed them of the actual situation." Those who heard this were furious and wanted to kill him, but he was still being watched. It was said that the Empress Dowager had already left Beijing. Starting today, everyone would be limited to one pound of horse meat a day.
On the 30th, the spy reported that the foreign troops had taken control of Madong.
On the 31st, the spy told the Japanese that Zhangjiawan had also been occupied by foreign soldiers. A few days earlier, Chinese soldiers had been selling eggs regularly. This morning, when they came to sell again, they were killed on the front lines. British naval soldiers saw this and fired at the culprits, but they missed their target.
On August 1st, the spy reported that the allied forces had retreated from Madong. This morning, a letter was received from the Japanese consul in Tianjin dated July 26th, stating that reinforcements would depart on the 31st of this month. So, it became clear that what the spy said was unreliable. However, paying him thirty-five taels of silver a day wasn’t a waste, because the women felt reassured after hearing him speak. It was heard that tonight, Herder, the chief tax official, received a telegram from the General Office, inquiring whether the Chinese claims about protecting the embassies and providing food aid were true...
On the 3rd, the General Office invited all the foreign ministers to Tianjin and said that Prince Ronglu personally protected them on their way there.
The foreign ministers had yet to provide a definite answer. The General Office had no choice but to promise to send a secret telegram to various European and American nations for them.
4th: Last night, two Russian soldiers were injured. The routes used by Chinese soldiers to deliver messages have all been cut off by the enemy, and no one will be able to deliver food anymore. In the afternoon, Japanese soldiers spent two dollars in silver to buy 140 rounds of ammunition.
5th: In the morning, Chinese soldiers attacked again. Previously, each person could receive two cigars daily, but starting today, the distribution has been halved.
6th: They occupied a Chinese-style house near Mongolian City. The Chinese learned of this and launched continuous attacks at night.
7th: Starting today, each person will now only receive half a pound of horse meat. The Chinese Christians are suffering the most, having only flour and leaves to eat, with seven to eight people starving to death every day.
8th: Last night, the enemy came again and only slightly retreated after dawn. The Chinese were unaware of the actual situation, believing that there were at least three to four thousand soldiers in the city, not knowing that there were only four hundred.
9th: Last night, the enemy attacked again, and everyone had a restless night. The Chinese Christians asked Western soldiers to go out and kill a few dogs to eat. The smell of dead mules and horses was everywhere, and it was unbearable.
10th: A letter from Colonel Gessli arrived, along with one from a Japanese officer, stating that reinforcements would reach Beijing by the 14th of this month.
12th: Today, the enemy attacked again. The General Bureau has once again rejected the earlier promise to establish a market. The General Bureau has requested the ministers of various countries to hold a meeting together tomorrow morning to discuss.
13th: Last night, the Chinese attacked again, and the artillery fire was unprecedentedly fierce. The positions defended by Chinese soldiers and those defended by Western soldiers were very close, and they could clearly hear the Chinese officers' commands. This morning, the General Bureau reported that Western soldiers had killed one Chinese officer and twenty-four soldiers yesterday, and there was no longer any need to meet with the ministers of various countries.
14th: Last night, Chinese soldiers came again, and everyone had not slept for forty-eight consecutive hours.
At two o'clock in the morning, there was suddenly the sound of cannon fire, and everyone knew that reinforcements had arrived.
At three o'clock in the afternoon, Indian troops arrived in the British concession, with British troops arriving first, followed by American troops. The Japanese and Russian troops launched an attack in the northeast.
The sound of cannon fire echoed throughout the night. The next morning, the artillery units arrived and launched an attack on the inner city. American troops opened fire from the front gate tower, resulting in numerous casualties. Ultimately, Beitang was rescued as well, and over four hundred Chinese Christians lost their lives. Reports indicate that one day, a landmine explosion claimed the lives of seventy-six children; simultaneously, ten French sailors and five Italian sailors also perished.
