Mr. Conger to Mr. Hay.
Pekin, China, June 15, 1900. (Received September 25, 1900.)
Sir: Confirming, on the overleaf, my telegram of the 11th instant, and continuing the subject of my dispatch No. 391 of the 11th instant,1 I regret to say that since that date we have been completely besieged within our compounds with the entire city in the possession of a rioting, murdering mob, with no visible effort being made by the Government in any way to restrain it.
We have cleared and barricaded the streets in the vicinity of the legation, but they are so scattered, and our number of guards so limited, that the gravest possible danger is imminent. We are, however, all hopeful, and expect to be able to hold out until relief arrives. Word from Captain McCalla reached us last night that they had repaired the railway to within 30 miles of Pekin, where at 5 a.m. of yesterday they were toiling slowly forward, but with much destroyed track to repair. He also notified us that a Russian contingent of 1,600 men were en route from Tientsin, and would march right on from the end of the repaired road. We shall certainly expect their arrival some time to-morrow.
On the 12th instant, four members of the Tsungli Yamen called here, as well as at most of the other legations, and gave me to understand that the Government would not further oppose an increase of our guards. It is not, however, certain that the Chinese soldiers, regardless of this assurance, may not on their own account oppose the entry of our troops through the gates, for it is an everyday occurrence to see the Boxers being entertained in the tents of the army officers.
Since my last dispatch, every American mission in the city, except the Methodist, with all their well-equipped homes, has been burned; also all the Catholic and English, except one, and many hundreds of native Christians barbarously tortured and murdered.
Several residences occupied by foreign customs officials and students [Page 155] have been destroyed, and an attack made upon the Chinese Imperial Bank, which, however, was frustrated by the Austrian guards near which legation it is located.
A large residence in this city belonging to Mr. Chang Yin-mao was burned yesterday, and it is reported that his ancestral home near Tungchow has been burned. Mr. Chang is the superintendent of mines and the assistant general director of railways, is known to be largely connected with foreign business enterprises and the most prosperous Chinese in north China. This attack upon him, taken with many other well-known facts, indicates very clearly that the whole movement is directed against foreigners and not against the Government. Enough is known now to make it reasonably certain that the Boxers have from the start been continually encouraged by the Imperial Government, if not in fact instigated by it.
We are simply trying to quietly defend ourselves until reenforcements arrive, but nearly 100 Boxers have already been killed by the various legation guards. If we had been feeling at all safe with our present guards, many hundreds would, by this time, have been thus punished.
On the 13th Mr. Cheshire was able to get to the Tsungli Yamen, encountering several Boxers on the way, but found no ministers there. Since then it has not been possible to get to the yamen, and since the 12th we have had no tangible knowledge of its existence.
The fact is at this moment, as far as the foreign representatives are concerned, there is no Tsungli Yamen, and in no intelligent sense can there be said to be in existence any Chinese Government whatever.
I have, etc.,
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