The herald., 1894-09-06

COrea 10 lar nOttor tnSH JhpHH. lne
temperature since the oath has been SO
or 81 degrees. The troops, having to
carry a heavy load besides their rifles,
through wretched road, we're ex-
tremeiy iatiened and from their arrival
at 10 q. m. they were allowed to rest
themselves. though the enemy's camp
was only thrse miles away. But as they
had no tents they had to sit under the
burning sun on the erase. while General
Oshima himself could only lind two
mattings TO shade himself. There was
no pure water and the troops had to
slake their thirst with the muddy water
of the paddles.
At midnight the army left, the two
wings forming two separate companies.
There was only one path to the hill and
there was a bridge over the stream
W hich had to be crossed. The main
body crossed the bridge at 2 O'Clock, but
when the last detachment was on the
point OF crossing, about 3 o'clock. over
500 Chinese troops in ambush near the
bank cut Off the bridge and opened fire
on the detachment at about 80 feet
distance.
AS the attack was sudden and bshind
tho detachment there was only medl-
cal corps, the Japanese troops were at
first coniused, but Captain Matauzski at
once ordered them to march forward,
and the troops, encouraged by the or
der, rushed upon the Chinese with q
shout and bore them down. In the
skirmish, on the Japanese eide, six men
were killed by the enemy, II or Is were
drowned and 10 or l6 were wounded,
though the fight had lasted only 10 min
utes. The Chinese fed, leaving behind
is or 10 killed. among whom was an
officer, and two prisoners.
All then was quiet for two hours.
at 6 o'clock the Japauene left wing
opened FIRE, but the Chinese did not re-
spond until the Japanese had fred IA or
is rounds. Then began the fight in
earnest. The two wings attacked the
Chiuesc ct the same time. The Japanese
charged with q shout on the enemy, and
each charge effected new lodgment.
The Chinese then retTeated.
After an hour and half the battle
WAS over and quiet was restored. 1t
appears that the Chinese general, Che,
had at first come to defend the outposts
at Seikwan with 1000 troops, but hear
ing that the Japanese army had left
Ryuzan, over 1900 moro troops had been
brought from Gazan under General Che
on the 9th and 2Sth. They had in
tended, in case of defeat, to retreat to
Ten An, garrisoned town about %
miles east of Seikwan, but the Japanese
lett wing attacked them from the east to
drive them back to Gazan.
Though the Chinese smbuscade at
the bridge Was to be praised, their set
ting up their guns immediately around
their tents showed their ignorance OF
tactics, for If their tents were set on fire
by cannon, they would not only be un-
able to extinguish it, but they could not
have remained within line of their guns.
At the first the Chinese fought out
side the gun parapets with the inten-
ton. evidently, of taking refuge there
il they were beaten back. Bnt the sud
den charges of the Japanese gave them
no time to run within the parapets.
They fed, leaving their flags behind.
On high hill to the left of the main
camp was a thick wood, within which
the Chinese had their cannon. AS it
commanded the Japanese army, which
approached it without suspecting any
camp within, a sudden volley of cannon
and small arms took the latter by sur
prise. This camp held out long
est. Here too, however, several
flags were found. Around the camp
OF the Chinese artillery, against which
the Japanese right wing advanced, can
non were set, with palisades around the
parapet. They we're broken down by
the Japanese, and four or five artillery
officers and over 10 men were killed.
The Japanese officers praise highly the
ekill of the Chiuese artillery at this
fight. Gen. Oshima and Lieut.. Col.
Fukushima had narrow escape.
The Chinese loss may be computed at
over 100 killed and 400 wounded. The
Japanese loss in the second fight WAS q
little over 20 wounded. Major Hsshi-
moto was s.ightly wounded in the leg,
but he went on fighting, and refused
medical attention until the battle was
over. Several Chinese were taken pris-
oners. The wounded Chinese begged
for their lives with clasped hands.
The Chinese general, Che, is noted
officer under Ii Hung Chang, and is
well known among Europeans for his
successsful suppression of the mounted
brigands of Manchuria. The general
cannot escape responsibility for the
defeat at Ssikwan. His behavior
on this occasion utterly. belied
his reputation and showed him to be q
man of no great military ettainm ent,
for when the Japanese troops attacked
his camp he deserted it. threw away his
uniform as an incumbrance to flight,
and left behind the papers which, as a
general, he should never have allowed to
leave his aide. 1t is not known where
General Che has fed.
The prizes taken in the camp were
FIVE pieces oi cannon, q quantity OF
powder, 80 or 60 old spears, and an
abundance of clothing and provisions.
Leaving the camp uader the care of
O small detachment, the main body be-
gan to pureue the fleeing enemy, a de.
tachment having been already sent from
the first to oppose the retreat. Till
about 5 O'Clock in the afternoon the
noise OF the artillery was heard without
interruption, causing the death of more
than 800 Chinese.
Another detachment was dispatched
towards Agan. under the command OF
Lieutenant-C Colonel Takeda, soon after
the fall of Song HwAn. This advance
guard reached Asan at 3 O'Clock in the
same afternoon, only to find that the
Chinese were all gone. At noon OF the
3lst the main body joined the advance
guard at Aean and encamped in the
quarters deserted by the Chinese.
The arms, ammunition and provisions
were plentiful enough to load more than
10 Japanese junks. This was done
promptly, and 1t was arranged that, re-