Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1894-11-02

Surrounded the EntrencHeu Inl-
nese-Chiua's Losses Since the
War Bcgan-The Empcror's De
cree Degrading Ii Hung Chang.
The steamer City o' Pekin. just from the
Orient. brings details OF interest from tho
scene of war In Korea. The correspondent
OF the China Gazette tc!cgraphelto to his paper
as follows in reference to the battle at Ping
Yang:
q" just reached the front in time to record
the first serious sighting between the op-
posing armies, which had been lying op-
noste each other for several days.
Songchhon, Samdeung ami ChunGAwa.
but most strongly Of all at Ping
Yang. where 2o00) Of their lest troops
occupied u most advantageous position.
They had been fortityinS the place AMI ad-
ding to its natural strength for weeks past.
On the 11th and 10Th insts., Samdeunc.
Chunghwa AMI Songchhon wPrs occu-
pied after sono resistance, AMI Hwangiu,
town south OF tho River Tat
ung. and from which this message
Is dated, was also taken. But Plng-Yang,
the present objective point. remained in
possession of the Chinese. On the 18th inst.
the japanese rlain army, after crossing the
river on the previous day advanced. AMI a
general attack was maic upon the
in Korea. A good deal of resistance
was met with. The Chinese had the advan-
tage Of fighting behind protected earthworkS
and bastions, but after = series Of desperate
battles they were driven from their dcfenc2s
and utterly routed. The japanese, who
fou ght with splendid determination and gal
lantry, won Il complete victory.
"The siege lasted nearly all day and night
of the 18th, and it was not until the morn
ing of the 18th that tho victOrS took un-
q, 900 picked Chinese troops who formed
the garrison, many fed before the enemy
entered the town. The rast were
either killed, wounJel. or taken pris-
| oners. Among those captured was General
| Tso. The amount of arms, provisions and
| stores taken was immense. The japanese
| loss in killed. and wounded was about 300.
| No estimate has yet been made of the Chi
| ncse loss. The road to China is now open"
General Yamagata sent tho following re-
| port of the battle to headquarters at Hiro-
| shima:
"Colonel sato's forco from Gonsan
| marched from Songchhon, MajOr-General
Tatemis force from Bakudenten, Major
| General Oshima's brigade from the Gishu
| Road, and Lieutenant-Colonel Nozus's
| main body crossed the Tatung River
and went up the right bank, oil to-
| warl Ping-Yang. On the 18th these
bodies surrounded the city on all sidos
and commenced the attack. According to
| Major General Oshimas report, tho greater
part of the enemy were encanped in Ping
| Yang itself aud on both sides of Il. A small
| portion were Mt SenkOri Con the right bank).
| and had constructed poDtoon across the
river. Judging from the result of the at
| tack the cnemy's cannon must have been
less than twenty. According to natives, the
| enemy's strength was about 40. COO.
"Tne main body was slightly delayed in
| crossing the river, and in the attack on the
| 18th over 100 horsemen were killed. but the
| result of the attack on that day was not
| complete. Tho attack was resumed on
| the morning of tho 10th. MaiOr-Gen-
| eral Oshima5 brigade had six officers killed
AMI twelve or thirteen wounded, while over
| 800 of the subatcrnS and privates were
killed and wounded, and as the ammuni-
ton also began to fail, the brigade was
compelled to desist from tho attack. The
battle in other directions, however, was in
our favor, aad at about a. III.
| Ping-Yang fell completely into our hands.
| A large number Of the enemy, inc!u ling
General Tso, their commander, were either
killed, wounded. or taken prisoners, and
very large quantities of ammunition and
provisions fell into our hands"
The Chintchi counts Chinese losses in men
thus: At Song Hwan, 500 killed and wound
| ed drowned at the sinking Of the kow-
ching, 100 killed AMI taken prisoners at and
subsequent: to the capture OF fIng-1ang,
I 26S5 lost in the Lai-Yuen. 203 in the Chin
Yuen. 2O2 in the TsEaO-YOng, 153 in the
Kuang-Ci, l3O; taken with the Tsao-Kiang,
1856; otherwise killed and wounded, 600
wounded at Ping-Yang, 1000. On the whole
her loss on land has been from GOOO to 5000,
and her loss at sea fully l4OO.
It is said by native Chinese newspapers
that Viceroy Ii sought the mediation OF Eng
land and Russia to put an end to the pres
ent situation, bat the Emperor and Empress
Dowager were furious Wnen they heard the
suggestion and refused to listen to it.
toin aOn haftfn n
the 10th it is evident that on the Japan est
side the stoughtest fighter was MajOr-Genera
Oshima When tho General was about tc
cross the river the Chinese crowded to thet
earthworks on the other side and began t
fire as soon rs they saw the japanese
The General left enough men t
reply to the Chinese fire and in the mean
time took the main body down the river
which they crossed without any difficulty
They marched up the river and commence
their attack. The Chinese were taken b'
surprise, but fought desperately. In Il
midst Of tho fight cannons were heard on th
enemy's left md rear. These wei
the Gensan troops. The Chimes
were then surrounded on al sldc
and, after four hours ightln:
they were completely routed. Ihey ~ u
toward the Yalr1 River. Fifty-six OF th
prisoners were put to death as they turne
upon their captors after they had bee
taken. Among other articles Of war cal
tured by the japanese army at plng- an
were 2000 tents, 5000 rifles and 100 horses
The skill shown in the convergence OF IN
Gensan body with tho threo other columns
and their opening fire at the same time, We
ii -jumph of mobilization
Tho naval successes have diverted publ1
attention from the military movements
northern Korea an l little has been hear
respecting the progress OF the japan eE
army since the captura OF ltn-Yang W.
announced. No conclusive statement as
the strength OF the Chinese troops 81
gagged has been published, and no of1cl
attempt has been made &c reconcile II
conflicting estimates ofthe various General
| which allow . speculative range from 12,O
to 14OO0 Reports Of prisoners capture
have been diminished to a figure Well with
the hundreds. The general opinion is tn
the army was practically wiped out OF exis
cnce aII1 that it mirht have been hold cal
.. tive had the Japanese 50 desired. Tho list
Japanese losses at Ping-Yang is now ma
up Eight officers were killed, none hlgh'
than captains of infantry 154 noa-cornnl
stoned officers were wounded, the highest
major of artillery. Out Of 3S1 nOn-conmi
stoned officers and privates only forty ri
missing. Telegram3 from the front say tn
the pursuit OF the Chinese fugitlves W
vigorously continued until the Japanc
= clvalry reached Kaslng, town OF the mort
eastern inlet Of the Yellow Sen.
Shanghai newspapers report as an uni
nuted fac that news has been received
= the nutiny of 5000 Chinese troops near Il
> border Of Korea and their fat refusal
'e march In the direction ordered by tho OF
!. GERS.
! Ii Hung Chang's Disgrace.
Hero is the decree degrading Ii H1:
d Chang:
d ''The Woien CJapanese) having brok
le faith with Korea ard forcibly occupied th
ir country, China, through sympathy with
Il tributary kingdom in her distress, raised
army TO attack the common enemy.
upon Ii Hung Chang, Imperial III
le Commissioner of tho Pei Yang, having chi
3 control ofthe forces there, rested the cntl
e onus of being prepared for eIaergenci'
y But, instead, he has been unable TO act III
II r,aaJ and Dr0rnDtueSS IN his militia