The United States Marines in North China, 1894–1942

Like most foreign troops stationed in China, the United States Marines’ mission was to protect the American embassy and American consulates, missionaries, tourists, and other citizens in China. During the half century covered by this book, the Marines saw China as it would never again be. The Opium Wars and Boxer Rebellion gave the Europeans a certain standing, with prerogatives and privileges that were looked upon by everyone, even the Chinese, as a natural order of existence.
The author discusses early military operations in north China, the early legation guards, the Boxer Rebellion in 1900, and the Marine legation guard in Peking also in 1900. It also discusses Seymour’s relief column, Waller’s column, the capture of the Walled City of Tien-Tsin, the siege of the legations at Peking, the relief of Peking, and the Marines’ return to Peking.

Chester M. Biggs, a retired Marine Corps master sergeant, has taught school and was the coordinator for audiovisual and printing services at Southeastern Community College in Whiteville, North Carolina. He lives near Hope Mills.

Chester M. Biggs, Jr.
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 284
Bibliographic Info: 57 photos, maps, chronology, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2003
pISBN: 978-0-7864-1488-8
eISBN: 978-0-7864-8023-4
Imprint: McFarland

Preface     1


Introduction     5

1 Early Military Operations in North China     7

2 Early Marine Legation Guards     11

3 The Boxer Rebellion     15

4 The Marine Legation Guard in Peking (1900)     26

5 Seymour’s Relief Column     34

6 Major Waller’s Column     40

7 The Capture of Tien-Tsin     47

8 The Siege of the Legations at Peking     63

9 The Relief of Peking     118

10 Marines Return to Peking     137

11 The End of an Era: The Old China Marine     168

Epilogue     210

Appendix A: Chronology     211

Appendix B: The Legation Guard at Peking (1900)     220

Appendix C: Reports of Colonel Robert J. Meade and Major L.W.T. Waller     222

Appendix D: The Letter Sir Claude MacDonald Received from “Prince Ching and Others”   228

Appendix E: U.S. Marines Who Received the Medal of Honor During the Boxer Rebellion   230

Appendix F: Marine Officers Receiving a Brevet Commission During the Boxer Rebellion   232

Appendix G: Appreciation from the American Missionaries for the Marine Legation Guard   234

Appendix H: Letters to Major Waller from British Officers Commending the Marines’ Action at Tien-Tsin    236

Appendix I: Operation Reports of the U.S. Marines in the Relief of the Besieged Legation Quarter at Peking    238

Appendix J: Roster of Marine Personnel in North China (December 8, 1941)     246

Appendix K: Knights of the Round Table Roster     250

Notes      253

Bibliography      265

Index      269

“well researched…recommended”—Choice; “well written study”—Military Heritage; “a first-class account…thorough, sensitive insightful story…well done…enjoyable, useful telescope”—Military Review.