Bloody Sunrise

by Christopher Nicole

In these circumstances there was nothing to do but wait until the international force returned and the expedition could be reorganised in greater strength, hopefully after the rebels in Tienstin had been dealt with. But the following day another message was received that the line had been demolished behind the allied forces, which were now cut off and surrounded by huge numbers of Chinese.

  Instantly Nicholas wired Tokyo the information and told them that he was marching to Seymour’s aid. That evening the Japanese contingent, some thousand men with two Maxim guns, marched up the left-hand bank of the Pei-ho. They bivouaced after midnight, and were awakened at dawn to be confronted by a large force of armed men, waving green flags.

  ‘Those are government troops,’ said Colonel Itigushu, commanding the infantry.

  ‘Government irregulars,’ Nicholas said, and grinned at him. ‘That could only happen in China. Send up your Maxims, Colonel, and fix bayonets.’

  He walked out in front of the assembling troops to survey the enemy, who were shouting and clashing their weapons, and moving up and down, but not forward.

  ‘Lieutenant Barrett,’ he commanded. ‘Bring up the interpreter.’

  ‘Honourable Admiral!’ Alexander stood at his shoulder.

  Shades of Fushida, Nicholas thought. ‘Raise a white flag, and follow me. Colonel Itigushu, should those men refuse to accept the flag of truce, open fire with the Maxims, give them a volley, and then charge with the bayonet. Understood?’

  ‘But, honourable Admiral, you will be in front.’

  ‘I am sure you will endeavour not to hit us, Colonel. Follow me, Lieutenant Barrett.’ He marched out before his men, scabbard slapping his thigh – he had not drawn his sword. Behind him he could hear Alexander’s boots thumping on the ground. ‘Are you frightened, boy?’

  ‘Are you, honourable Father?’

  ‘Very,’ Nicholas assured him. ‘But we won’t show it.’

  He didn’t ask the interpreter, a Chinese named Ching Wong, who was shaking with fright.

  Nicholas approached to within a hundred yards of the seething mob, who for the moment at least were still showing no signs of advancing, although they kept up a most tremendous racket. By now the interpreter was trembling so much Nicholas could hear his teeth chattering, and he reckoned that if he delayed any longer the man would be useless.

  ‘Address those people, Ching Wong,’ he commanded. ‘Tell them that I and my men intend to proceed up the river bank. Tell them that if they do not interfere with us, we will not harm them. But that if they try to stop us, we will destroy them, as we destroyed their armies five years ago.’

  ‘That will make them very angry, your excellency,’ Ching Wong protested.

  ‘Do as I say,’ Nicholas said. He had actually come here to provoke a fight.

  Ching Wong took a deep breath and stepped out in front, then commenced shouting. The noise somewhat diminished as the Chinese listened to what he had to say, then, as he had prophesied, they gave a great shout, clashed their weapons some more, and began firing as they advanced.

  ‘Down!’ Nicholas shouted, and the three of them hurled themselves to the ground immediately before Itigushu obeyed his orders and opened fire. The deadly chatter of the Maxims cut into the shrieks of the advancing Chinese, and were supported by a rippling fire from the Japanese rifles; Nicholas could feel the hot wind of death above his head. The Chinese halted only fifty feet from where Nicholas, Alexander and Ching Wong lay, recoiling from the hail of bullets, and then starting to fall back as the Japanese, uttering terrifying cries, charged behind their bayonets.

  ‘Up,’ Nicholas snapped, and Alexander scrambled to his feet beside him. Ching Wong decided to remain where he was. Nicholas drew his sword and pointed at the enemy, and the Japanese infantry roared again as they caught up with their Admiral. But they caught few of the Chinese, who were by now in headlong flight. ‘Recall your men, Colonel,’ Nicholas panted, leaning on his sword.

  ‘Are you all right, honourable Father?’ Alexander asked, anxiously.

  Nicholas grinned at him. ‘I will be, in a few minutes. It’s been a long time since I last did this sort of thing.’

  *

  Sir Edward Seymour was a slight, smart-looking man who wore the fashionable goatee beard favoured by so many naval officers. Nicholas had not been at all sure whether he would be as prepared as Fisher to forget the past, but in the event he was entirely reassured as Seymour shook hands with every indication of pleasure. As well he might; the international force had been badly cut up, with about a quarter of its total strength dead or wounded – they had cheered with relief when the Japanese had marched in.

  ‘Nicky, you are looking well,’ Seymour said.

  ‘So are you, Teddy.’ This was not altogether true; Seymour was unhurt, but he looked exhausted. ‘What are we going to do?’

  Seymour’s shoulders slumped. ‘Continue back to the coast. There is no way we can proceed further, without many more men and proper artillery.’

  Nicholas frowned, but he had been specifically ordered to place himself and his men under the Englishman’s command. ‘What is the news from the legations?’

  ‘There is no news from the legations, Nicky. I’m afraid they have been overrun. All we can hope to do is avenge them, and by God, I mean to do that.’

  ‘Amen,’ Nicholas agreed.

  *

  His men were disappointed that having forced their way up to the column, they now had to retrace their steps. They were however gratified to be considered heroes by the beaten troops. They were given the honour of leading the assault on the Taku Forts which dominated the river, following which they also assaulted Tientsin, which was recaptured after some of the bloodiest fighting in which Nicholas had ever been involved.

  Soon after this, Seymour was sent home; his health had not recovered from the privations of the march, and, perhaps, the depression of having been defeated. Nicholas took temporary command, but by now troops were arriving from all over the world, most notably from British India, while the Japanese contingent was also being increased, until it was considerably the largest of the various national elements.

  Nicholas wired Tokyo to announce his readiness to advance, which was the more imperative because a messenger had escaped Peking and gained the coast to say that the legations had not yet been overrun, but were still holding out, although their situation was daily growing more desperate.

  To his chagrin, however, in compliance with Mutsuhito’s policy, he received orders in reply that although the Japanese forces were now the largest in China, and he was by some distance the senior officer, he was to await the arrival of a supreme commander from Europe, Field-Marshal Count von Waldersee of Germany.

  Nicholas tore up the telegram in disgust, but he had no intention of disobeying orders; he knew too well how determined his Emperor was when he became set upon any course.

  The result was that it was not until the beginning of August that the advance began, the allied army now numbering fifteen thousand men. At least the Japanese were again given the honour of leading the march. Waldersee, indeed, although determined to obey his emperor’s diktat that the Chinese should be made to pay in every possible way for their outrageous behaviour – as seen through European eyes – turned out to be an extremely pleasant man in his dealings with those he considered his equals, and treated Nicholas with the greatest consideration.

  Everyone had the highest respect for the fighting qualities of the Japanese troops, which they again displayed on the march, as they drove the Chinese, Boxers and regulars, in front of them. On 14 August they stormed the Golden Gate into Peking itself, and the legations were relieved. The defenders had suffered considerable casualties, and the buildings were wrecked by gunfire and looting. All had been overrun except for the largest, into which the defenders had retreated – but they had held out, and that the Chinese had suffered a most comprehensive defeat could not be argued: the Empress Dowager and the Emperor had together fled into the mountains of Shensi, di
sguised as peasants.

  Peking was now most thoroughly looted by the victorious troops, and in fact as many atrocities were perpetrated here as ever in Port Arthur. But Nicholas and Colonel Itigushu kept their men under the sternest control, and watched in disgust as soldiers of the so-called civilised powers, notably the Germans, French and Russians, got completely out of hand.

  ‘I think this whole episode should change a few minds about us,’ Nicholas told the Colonel. ‘And that was what we were principally sent to achieve.’

  He was to find out how wrong he was only a few days later.

  *

  ‘Honourable Father.’ Alexander stood to attention in the doorway. The rooms Nicholas had appropriated as his headquarters, in a palace which had once belonged to a mandarin who had disappeared following the sack of the city.

  ‘Come in, Alexander.’ Nicholas had seen little of his son once the campaign had commenced. Although he had led from the front in the first encounter with the enemy, that had been to establish himself in the minds of his men; he had realised that at sixty-one he needed to conserve his strength, and it would have served no purpose to get himself killed. But he had had a series of reports praising Alexander’s behaviour. ‘I have not had a chance to congratulate you.’

  ‘I did my duty, honourable Father. Now . . . I would crave a favour of you.’

  Nicholas frowned. ‘Everything you did has been reported in my despatches. Any rewards must come from the Emperor.’

  ‘I am not speaking of rewards, honourable Father. I have received an invitation, on your behalf, and I would be most grateful if you would accept it.’

  ‘An invitation? From whom?’

  ‘An American family. Mr Cummings is a missionary. With his wife and family he was forced to take refuge in the legations by the Boxers. But their chapel and house is in our district, and I met them when they returned there to see what could be salvaged. They have asked us to dine with them.’

  ‘An American missionary, and his wife,’ Nicholas said thoughtfully. ‘And family. They understand that we are Japanese?’

  ‘Oh, yes, honourable Father. They know that you are the Japanese commander.’

  ‘Well, I suppose . . .’ he gazed at his son. Alexander was quite unnaturally nervous, unnaturally eager for his father to accept. ‘Tell me of their family.’

  ‘Well . . .’ Alexander flushed. ‘They have only one child, actually. A daughter.’

  ‘Ah,’ Nicholas said.

  *

  ‘Admiral Barrett!’ Samuel Cummings was a short, heavy-set man, with close-cropped hair, who bristled with welcoming pleasure. ‘Yours is a name on everyone’s lips.’

  ‘You flatter me, sir.’

  ‘On the contrary, it is a pleasure to welcome you into my house. My wife, Margery.’

  She was somewhat taller than her husband, and an attractive woman, with fair hair and good features.

  ‘And my daughter, Sue-Ellen.’

  Nicholas had already deduced the reason for Alexander’s anxiety to have his father meet this family. Now he understood entirely. Sue-Ellen Cummings was a small young woman; in that respect she took after her father rather than her mother. But in looks she was Margery’s child, with soft yellow shoulder-length hair, a handsome face, and a trim figure. Well, he thought, if this comes to anything Elizabeth should be mighty relieved.

  The girl flushed as she greeted Alexander in turn, and Nicholas guessed that the mutual attraction was not lost upon her parents.

  ‘Would you prefer wine or sake?’ Cummings asked.

  ‘Oh, wine, certainly, if you have it,’ Nicholas said.

  Cummings grinned. ‘As you can see, the house was looted, but they didn’t get down to my cellars.’

  The house had indeed been badly damaged; most of the furniture had been cut and slashed, and the walls were also marked. Nicholas frowned as he inspected the wreckage. ‘Our people did this?’

  ‘No, no, Admiral. This was done by the Boxers. Your people have behaved very well. Do sit down. I’m afraid these camp chairs are all we have, for the moment.’

  Nicholas gave a sigh of relief, and raised the glass of wine he had been given. ‘Then I will drink to your very good health.’ He sat down, the ladies to either side of him. ‘When are you leaving China?’

  ‘Leaving? We are not leaving,’ Cummings said.

  ‘But . . .’ Nicholas looked left and right.

  ‘There is too much to be done here, restoring the mission, recovering our converts,’ Margery Cummings explained. ‘I’m afraid several of them were killed by the Boxers, but many more have survived.’

  Nicholas gave a thought to the arrogance of these people, who had so severely interfered in the lives and traditional beliefs of the Chinese as to cause the murder of so many of them, while themselves believing, no doubt genuinely, that they were saving their souls. However, there was Alexander to be considered. And Sue-Ellen. ‘Then perhaps we shall see some more of each other, as I imagine we are going to be here for some time.’

  ‘That would be so nice,’ Margery Cummings said. ‘I would like to say, Admiral Barrett, how impressed we have been with the behaviour of the Japanese troops, compared with those of the other nations.’

  ‘Why, thank you,’ Nicholas said.

  ‘Especially after . . . well . . .’ she glanced at her husband.

  ‘My wife is referring to what happened in Port Arthur, Admiral,’ Cummings explained. ‘I will confess that when we heard that the main part of the relieving army was composed of Japanese troops, why, we felt a little apprehensive.’

  ‘I imagine you did,’ Nicholas said, gazing at Alexander, whose face was pink.

  ‘But all’s well that ends well, eh?’ Cummings asked, jovially. ‘Another glass of wine.’

  ‘I had no idea Barrett was a Japanese name,’ Margery Cummings observed.

  Nicholas had been studying Sue-Ellen. Her cheeks were also pink, and it was obvious that she was embarrassed by her parents’ conversation. Now he smiled at Margery. ‘It isn’t, Mrs Cummings. I am a naturalised Japanese, and my family are the only bearers of the name.’

  ‘Oh!’ Margery Cummings cheeks were suddenly as pink as her daughter’s.

  Samuel Cummings’ features had stiffened. ‘There was a Barrett named in the report on the atrocities in Port Arthur. A captain in the infantry who led his men in some of the worst outrages.’

  ‘Yes,’ Nicholas said, wondering how on earth this man had got hold of a copy of that confidential report – and how many other people had one. He looked at Alexander; how this was handled had to be his decision.

  But Alexander’s face had also stiffened, and his flush had faded. ‘Captain Barrett Takamori is my brother, Mr Cummings,’ he said evenly.

  ‘Your . . .’ Cummings looked at Nicholas.

  ‘He is also my son,’ Nicholas said.

  ‘And you condone his actions?’

  ‘No, Mr Cummings, I do not condone his actions. But he is my son.’

  ‘Then, sir . . .’ he looked at his wife, whose face was rigid. ‘I am afraid I cannot receive you in my house.’

  ‘Papa!’ Sue-Ellen cried.

  ‘Be quiet, girl!’ Cummings snapped.

  Nicholas stood up. ‘Then of course we shall leave, Mr Cummings.’

  Alexander stood also. ‘I apologise, Miss Cummings,’ he said.

  ‘I . . .’ Sue-Ellen bit her lip.

  ‘I forbid you to address my daughter, sir,’ Cummings said. ‘Sue-Ellen, you will retire.’

  The girl hesitated, then ran from the room.

  ‘I won’t say it’s been a pleasure, Mrs Cummings,’ Nicholas said. ‘Good evening to you.’ He escorted Alexander back on to the street.

  ‘Damn,’ the boy said. ‘What a foul world.’

  ‘It is a shame,’ Nicholas agreed. ‘She seemed a very attractive girl. But Alex . . . officers in the Imperial Japanese Navy do not apologise, save to their superiors in the service.’

  *

  ‘So
metimes I feel like wringing Takamori’s neck,’ Elizabeth said, when Nicholas told her the story.

  ‘Absolutely. On the other hand, I think Cummings acted in an entirely unreasonable manner. I can’t escape the feeling that he was a little disappointed that our people didn’t behave badly in Peking, when everyone else was, just to give him an excuse for disliking us.’

  ‘And now poor Alex is thoroughly cut up.’

  Nicholas squeezed her hand. ‘Boys usually are, when they first take a shine to someone and it doesn’t work out. He’ll get over it.’

  ‘Mmmm,’ Elizabeth commented. Nicholas knew, as he had felt at the time, that she would far rather have her son marry an American than a Japanese.

  *

  Mutsuhito’s plan worked to perfection. The Japanese came out of the Boxer expedition with the highest credit, the behaviour of their people, both on and off the field of battle, being praised by everyone involved. When early in 1902 the fourth of the big battleships, Mikasa, was delivered, and the Imperial Navy had a squadron of six capital ships, Prince Katsura was invited back to England. Nicholas did not accompany him on this occasion, as the Japanese fleet had now reached its financial limits, but the results were as Fisher had prophesied.

  During these two years the British situation had deteriorated dramatically, due to the Boer War. The catastrophic defeats suffered at the end of 1899 had been avenged, and indeed both the Transvaal and the Orange Free State had been conquered and militarily the war had degenerated into a series of mopping-up operations against the Boer ‘commandos’, or irregular troops. But the conflict had cost Britain dear in international terms, and she was now at odds with just about every nation in Europe. Even the most diehard imperialist could no longer deny the fact that the country needed an ally, and preferably one which would be able to help defend the far-scattered empire should Britain ever have to go to war against a continental enemy. Suddenly the little yellow men, with their proven ability as soldiers, and now with a small but powerful fleet able to dominate the Pacific, had become very useful allies indeed.

  The treaty, signed in London, was everything Mutsuhito wanted. Britain recognised Japan’s interest in Korea. More important, in the event of war between either party and a third country, the other party was bound to remain neutral, but should the third country be joined by a fourth, then the neutral country was bound to come to the aid of the other signatory. There were a host of subsidiary clauses, but these were the ones that mattered.