The morning call., 1894-10-26
PRICE FIVE CENTS

dawn, were utterly weary, aud at2P, NJ
the leaders of the Sakk-nyon and Gensan
columns decided to suspend the attack and
rest in the positions already won.
The central column. setting out from it's
position a. midnight on the 14th OF Sep
tember. found itself at sunrise separated
by some cultivated fields from one of the
enemy's forts. the garrison of which were
evidently on the lookout. The Japanese
artillery, having taken up position on
a hill opened fire on this fort ard the
enemy replied with vigor. The tenth
company of the Third Battalion of the
Twen enty-second Regiment descended the
hill and took a position, hidden by the
growing crops, nearer the fort lmmedi-
atelY afterward body of the enemys
cavalry numbering over hundred
emerged from one of the gates of the city
and rode across the space between the
fort and the position of the Japanese
artillery.
The latter, surposiug that the object of
this sortie was to cnt off the company
which had advanced near the fort and
which. from its position, could not detect
the approach of the horsemen, directed
their fire against the latter, the infantry
following suit. Thereupon the company
that had advanced. observing the cavalry.
opened fire on them at short range and
killed the greater part of them, also taking
seven or eight prisoners. The latter, on
being questioned, said that owing to the
death of General Tso. who comm anded on
the north face of the town, the troops had
lost heart and the cavalry had fed.
immediately after the receipt of this in
formation another squadron of thirty or
forty horsemen made their appearance
from behind the fort, and it being now
known that they were fugitives, the men
in the millet opened fire on them and killed
them all with the exception of one, who
galloped back to the town and warned
another party of some thirty troopers that
were emerging, whereupon the whole re-
treated toward the Ta-donG River But in
the meanwhile the troopers under Major
Okuyama had routed the enemy outside
the town on that side and had set fire TO
their camp. The fugitive troopers accord
ingly turned their horses heads back to
the town. Much time had been occupied
in this manner, and it was now 2 P. NJ. The
infantry was accordingly ordered to ad-
vance, and the enemy making no resist
anee of consequence the Japanese became
masters of these outlying forts, which they
at once dismantled.
So much for the operations OF the
Gensan column, moving from the east;
Of the Sakk-nyon column moving from
the south, and of the central column.
moving from the west and north.
OF these the first two were intended
chiefly to keep the garrison occu-
pied while the third delivered The real at
tack on the town. 1t remains to desert be
the operations of the mixed column which
advanced from the southeast. This col
umn also was directed to make a feigned
attack, but 10 make it with such resolu-
tion that even if the enemy became aware
of the real attack impending from the
north he might still be too much occupied
with the mixed column to detacn any large
body of men for the defense of the north
eTn front
To carry out this plan the mixed column
was the first TO commence offensive opera
tions. 1t opened artillery fire on tue 18th
and continued 1t on the 14th, sending out
also reconnaissance parties, as though
seeking a favorable spot for an assault
These tactics succeeded. for. although the
enemy discovered the approach of ths CEN
tral column in time to send out an oppos-
ing force had bis hands been free else
where. he dared not withdraw his troops
from the points threatened SO vigorously
by the other columns. Dividing into three
parties the column advanced and attacked
three forts having parapets four meters
high. A sanguinary conflict was waged
here. the enemy fighting desperately.
Both sides lost heavily, a great number of
oHc foil ho oI-I -I,,r
The assault had lasted considerable
time before the first of the forts fell. The
second and third forts. however, proved
still more difficult task. The enemy's
Mauser repeating rifles used from behind
the high parapets did great execution
among the Japanese. who we're thrown
into soms disorder. At this point Major
General Oshima, who was iu command or
the column. is said to have behaved with
great resolution. He was directing the
operations from a distance of about
seventy meters. when. observing that the
attacking troops we're wavering. he adj
vanced his position some forty meters
and stnod under the standard of the Elev-
enth Regiment.
Lieutenant-ColonelN Nishiilma aud Staff
Captain Nagaoka, who up to this time had
been leading the men with cons spicuous
bravery, urged the general 10 retire to a
safer position, but he shouted that unless
his troops conquered he would die at the
foot of the standard. This action inspired
the troops with new courage. They threw
themselves upon the Chinese, who had
advanced from behind the paraDet, deem
ing that the assailants were beaten, and
drove them back pell-mell into the fort.
The general, content with this, did not
order a renewal of the assault, and as the
men had been fighting doggedly for ten
hours and were utterly weary as we'll as
short of ammunition he drew them off at
2P.M.
The reason why the attacking column
was not more successful in this case is to
be found in the fact that owing to the
absence of any elevated position on which
the guus could be advantageously placed,
the Japanese artillery had to fire at range
of about 1900 meters and could effect moth
Ing serious at such distance. whereas the
Chinese had Krupp guns In the forts and
used them skillfully.
1t will be seen that the three columns
attacking from the east, the southeast and
the south all ceased opera tions at about
the same time, namely, 2 P. NJ. on the 10Th.
Shortly afterward fire broke out in the
town. Its cause is uncertain, some sup
posing that ii resulted from the operations