The Original Manchus 1901
The 9th Infantry was one of only two American units chosen to protect American interests in China. After landing at Taku Bar, the Regiment began the trek towards Tientsin under the direction of the Regimental commander, Colonel Emerson H. Liscum.
After an hour's shelling of the defenses, the comandars had a conference and decided to attack. The American marines took the extreme left of the line, the Ninth regiment the right, with the Japanese and French advancing in the center along the road, covered by the artillery. The movement brought a furious fire from the walls and villages, while the allies were compelled to remain on open ground, not able to breach the wall, because they could not cross the deep canal confronting them. Most. of the attacking troops when exposed to the terrific fire of the Chinese were able to find some kind of cover but the American Ninth regiment was caught in a bend of the river and unable to gain the slightest screen, despite a forced advance in quest of one. While leading his line, Colonel Liscum was killed.
Quote from an English news reporters description of the troops
"When you see an American private advancing under fire, you begin to think there is something in the idea that the fighting unit of the future is the individual. He and his companions make for a common objective not like stiff, trained soldiers, but like panthers stalking a prey. Their eyes flash, their lithe bodies swing forward. There are murder and deadly intentness in every movement. When the American soldier lies down to fire, he does so with the intention of killing somebody. Most troops fire not at the enemy, but in the direction of the enemy. Not so the American".
"Each man drew his watchful breath, slow taken 'tween the teeth, Trigger and eye and ear acock, knit brow and hard-drawn lips. That is a picture of the American soldier firing on his foe".
Newspaper Clipping of the Day
Public Beheading
