The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-10-23

L.
are making history, not only through
their troops in the field and their fleets
upon the sea. but through their au-
thors and publishers. From L. Some, or
the Takata Shokai, which supplies
arms and munitions of war to the mix
ado. and who is now in San Francisco.
have been obtained three volumes OF
war history, published in Japan by
the Hakubum Kan Publishing COM
pany, of Toxic. Mr.. Some is on his way
to London and Berlin. He is on pri-
yate business, but arms and munitions
of war are to be obtained in those
capitals.
Following the story of the Corean
rebellion and the sending of the Chin
csc troops into the hermit kingdom, is
the following account OF the hrst lana
battle:
First Land Battle.
"Asan was not the first bloody meet
ing of the nations. Spears and swords
had dffpped with coolie gore before
that sanguinary struggle. The first
real fight of the war was at Anjo
Ferry or July %. Captain Matzsake
and Captain Tokiyama were killed
there.
.sThe Japanese decided to attack the
knew the orders. The soldiers were
ordered to prepare for action, and rest
ed on their arms. The night of the
2Sth had begun and the clouds covered
the skies and the darkness was like
wall.
AT midnight the Japanese force was
ordered to advance to the attack Abb
solute silence was enforced. AT 1880
the army moved, the left wing leading.
When near the Chinese line of bat
tie was formed and the right wing be-
gan the engagement.
The commander of the right wing
was Captain Matzsaki. One point of
his division left Sose and within half
mile crossed the river knee deep, and
after a Ike interval waded another
stream shoulder deep and soft at the
bottom, twenty-five feet wide, over
which there had been a fine bridge.
which the Chinese, in retreating, had
half destroyed.
Watchful Sentrfes Gave Alarm.
beyond the river the enemy had
made camp but had not felt secure,
and the watchful sentries gave the
alarm when the Japanese We're yet
sorAe distance removed. A tall fellow
gave the alarm by shouting. The Jap
anese soldiery would not be denied,
but rushed eagerly into fighting dis
and deadly effect.
1.-THE cid feud with China was re-
membered and every soldier of Japan
fought as though he was alone to an
swer for the rebuke to the encroaching
Chinese empire. The Japanese were
few, but they were brave, and the vast
horde of Chinese and coolies melted
before the onslaught. Hardly one
Chinese force made a fair resistance
and the petty commands of japanese
swept over the field, manning and
killing in the flush Of victory.
THE japanese then were going up
to Asan. 1t was dark. the road was
unknown to the assaulting party,
ponds and marshes were around. into
which the soldiers sank and some We're
drowned. Captain Tokiyama and
twenty of his men met that fate like
brave men and japanese.
Those who were not mired down
hurried forward, carrying all before
them, until a troop of Chinese cavalry
was encountered. Captain Matzsaki
tried to force a way through the
horse troops He drew his sword and
was in the lead. when a bullet pierced
him in the thigh He did not lose
heart, but using his sword as a probe
he extracted the bullet and rushed on
in the fighting. Another ball pierced
his head. He cried out and fell dead
at the hoofs of horse.
Spared Neither Man Nor Brute.
His soldiers went on to avenge him
and spared neither men nor horses.
but slaughtered all alike. until twenty
Chinese soldiers had been stricken
down. Fighting began at a. M, and
continued for thirty minutes before the
cloud of Chinese dissipated before the
soldiery Of the mikado
when the command had haa,,
gathered after the slSirmish, il started
on toward Assn, and marched in peace
until July %, when the advance of the
left wing, commanded by General Osh-
ina, went up against the right wing
of the Chinese army. which was in
trenched in the fort of Saikan The
japanese fired on the fort and were an
swered bIiskly with small arms Bull
lets came like floating stars. covering
the skies and making the noise, shen.
shen. Both parties fought very hard
The japanese right wing coming from
the Anjo ferry attacked the first en-
trenchment of the left wing of the Chi
nese. Suddenly smoke covered all the
earth. The crying and the whizzing of
the bullets and the shouts of the eager
soldiers, Joined with the roar of mus
kerry were like the noise when the
mountains and hills are rolled together
and destroyed.
The Japanese left wing began to use
its f1eld-piece and did not once fail to
s'rit the fort of the Chinese. who cried
so much that their assailants knew
great execution was being done. At
the same time the Chinese fired a
heavy cannon. at the JapaneSe, but did
not know how to shoot, and some shots
were short while others passed beyond.
Hand to Hand.
THE smoke again yelled the earth
and the Japanese fixed bayonets and
ran into the fort and began to pierce
their enemies, who could not face s,,ch
fierce foes. but fed. Saikan was we'll
fortified. but the Japanese reduced the
forts and turned the guns against the
second liDe of intrenchments around
Asan, which were twenty feet high
The Chinese fought hard to hold ffeir.
ground, but were forced back toward
Asan.
I'm this way the japanese troons.
under General Oshima, proceeded and
DESTROYED ali the lines before them.
THE Japanese lost six officers killed
and drowned and thirty-two soldiers
killed and drowned. The Chinese loss
was about 500 men, When Saikan was
destroyed the Chinese ran away from
Assam ard left ali their equipments and
munitions of war. Eight cannon, sixty
flags, provisions and ammunition like a
big hill were captured in Asan. Every
thing WAS saved and sent to Jinsen
Five hundred bags of provisions Were
donated to the people of Assa2. All else
was burned Some of the cannon were
spiked, but all the small arms were
saved.
Go Into History.
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