The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-12-26
BARBAROUS WARFARE.
JAPANESE SLAY DEFENCElESS CHI
NESE UNMERCIFULLY.

The War no Longer One Of Civilization
Against Barbarian Japanese Seem to
Have Relapsed Into Barbarism--Brave
New YORK, Dec. 19.-Thc World
tomorrow will print the following
special advices from its correspondent,
James Creeman, who was with the
Japanese army, dated Port Arthur,
November A., via Vancouver, Decem-
10: 'The struggle for the emancipa-
ton of Corea has been suddenly turn.
ed into headlong, savage war OF
conquest. 1t Is no longer a conflict
between civilization and barbarism.
Japan for the last four days has tram
pied civilization under the feet OF her
conuuering army. The taking Of Port
Arthur and the possession of one OF
the most powerful strongholds in the
world was too great strain upon the
Japanese character which relapsed IN
a few hours back into the brutal state
from which 1t was awakened. Almost
the entire population of Port Arthur
has been massacred and the work OF
butchering in the unarmed and un-
resisting inhabitants has been contlnu-
ed day after day, until the streets are
choked up with mutilated corpses. :
In spite of the vastness'of the battle
field and the strength of the batteries
massed in this mighty chain of land
and sea forts, the taking of Port Arthur
isrobbed of its dignity as battle by
the fact that large and we'll trained
army attacked mere rabble., There
was q great deal of artillery thunder
and scientific maneuvers of the troops
among the cannon-crowed hills, but
the infantry fighting was incidental
and the butchers BILL" as the hard
ened campaigner would call it, was in,
significant The japanese lost about
fifty dead and $50 wounded in carrying
a fortress that would have cost them
O,OOO men had it been occupied by
European of American troops. China
is now at the mercy of the Island En-
pire. In few days the other troops
will be ready to leave Japan to join
Field Marshal Oyama's army, and
then the third and final movement to-
ward Pekin will begin.
I'm to the moment Port Arthur was
entered, I can bear witness that none
ofJapan armies now in the field were
ANYTHING but chivalous and generous
to the enemy. There was not stain
on her flag. When we left Kinochow
on November II and began the march
on Port Arthur, the battery of thirty
siege guns was still floundering in the
rear, but General Hassagawa has ar
rived with the famious Komanoto
troops and the entire army Of invasion
was assembled, something like %, 600.
The main army moved on the mill,
tary road skirting the Northern coast
of the Kwang Tung Peninsula and
connecting Kfnchow with Port Arthur
The accommodating cavalry was four
or five miles in advance of the mixed
brigade commanded by general Nishi,
which formed the vanguard. Then
came the main army with General
Yamaii, the "One-eye Demon. Gen,
J eral Lohia and mixed brigade fol:
lowed. Then came Field Marshal
Oyama with his staff. General Hasa
gawa with 5000 men formed the rear
guard. Three battalions of infantry
were sent to protect Kinchow, and
one battalion was quartered In the
seven captured forts of Talienwan, six
miles away. In the whole force ad-
yancing upon Port Arthur there were
seventy-eight guns, including the
mountain and field batteries and the
delayed siege cannons.
News had been received from the
Japanese spies regarding Port Arthur
and general plan of action was agreed
upon. The two battalions of Yamali's
infantry, one mountain battery and a
small detachment of cavalry left the
the main road, under the command Of
Lieutenant Colonel Masumitsu and
made an independent left column
along the Southern coast road to attack
the most eastely seaports of Port Ar
thur at the time agreed upon for the
general assault. The main force was
to move along the Northern road for
three days, so that it would reach the
valley next to Port Arthur on the
night of the19th. The attack was tt
be made at daybrake on the Doth
Meanwhile the strongest ships of the
standing fleet moved slowly among
. the coast in order to cooperate by 8
sea attack upon the Chinese, should II
be possible, or at least to embarrass
the sea forts and prevent them from
devoting their entire attention to ths
land attacks.
The correspondent then relates the
details of skirmish between small
force of japanese and large body o1
Chinese. The Japanese lost eigh1
killed, and when the main body oi
the japanese cavalry came up they
found in the road terribly mutilated
IT saw the japanese dead on the
road with their hands gone and theil
bodies mutilated. Several corpses
were without hands, two had beer
carries like sheep, and their hearts anc
ivers torn out" A Japanese
horse had been killed anc
the Chinese out steaks from the haun
ches in the middle of the fight. Al
the Japanese reinforcements began 8
double-quick, the enemy disappeared
through the ravines into the Suishiyet
Valley and returned to Port Arthur
The next day, while council of wal
was being held, the Chinese advanced
out of Port Arthur, intending to dis
lodge the Japanese batteries on the
hill, commanding the Chinese position
Then began a tremendous artillery
fight. Within a few minutes regiment
oHor ,epinoent cou1d he seen