The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-01-30
PLAYING AT WAR.
BATTLES THAT AMOUNT TO MOTH
ING MORE THAN SKlRMlsHES.
Interesting Comparison of the Chinese
Japanese War With the Late War Be
tween the Confederate States and the
United States

Japanese War With the Late War Be-
tween the Confederate States and the
United States.
We are able by this time to study
the fighting which has been going on
between Japan and China. and to see
how it compares with the bloody
struggles known to US through the
civil war. Japan has been celebrat-
ing her victories over China, and she
celebrates well. since nearly all the
laurefs of the contest have fallen to
her. Yet it has been a war singularly
lacking in battles of the first class
The naval engagement off the 4alu
was a really great encounter: but
most of the land fights would have
ranked as little: more than skirInishes
in our war. We read sometimes Of
desperate charges and stubborn de-
fences that; might seem TO belong to
an Antietam or a Gettysburg: but the
story winds up with tally of a dozen
or hundred killed or wounded on
each side.
Take, for. example, Couut Oyama's
campaign with the japanese Second
Army CerpS..% Leaving Hiroshima, he
landed forty miles north of Port Ar
thur ON the.24th OF October, and pro
cee&sd toward the stronghold. His
first battle wasas Kinchow, fought by
the First Brigadesgainst perhaps l, 100
or ], 200 Chinese. The estimates of the
Chinese loss vas 20 or 80; that OF the
japanese still less. Then followed the
battle of Talien Wan. The Chinese
are said to have been $50 strong IN
six forts. mounting eighty guns, and
the japanese had two divisions pres
ent. An unofficial account gave the
japanese loss as two killed and ten
wounded and the Chinese loss as fifty.
Oyana's own report makes the Japa-
nese loss ten, and the enemy's 'lncon-
siderable We do not understand
the strategic advantage gained at Tai
len Wan, for it opened the way to the
great objective pointof the campaign; !;
but the fighting was trivial compared
with what the case called for.
Port Arthur being reached, We had
striking accounts Of the three days OF
terrific fighting that caused it to sue
cumb. The place had been spoken Of
as a sort of Gibraltar, defended by the
flower of the Chinese army. On the
first day came a bombardment with
nearly 100 guns, and then low range
of hills was carried with rush. On
November 21, according to Oyamas s
official report, the right division
stormed and captured a fort Ia its
front and then carried by assault Fort
Kokinsar. Meanwhile the left divis-
ion carried fort southeast of Hacha-
viso. On the third day, without re-
spite from the arduous work, the two
divisions captured all the other forts.
The victor adds that the enemy
fought bravely throughout the at
tacks,n and closes by Observing that
s:the number of japanese killed and
Mounded exceeds 200" Admiral Car
penter's dispatch puts the japanese
force at about Is, 900 and the Chinese
at about $4,000 In this affair. The
Chinese loss is somewhat uncertain,
the garrison escaping.
Marshal Yamagata's previous cam
paien further south, with the First
ARMY Corps oferssimilar suggestions.
xtaMss, thoroughly successful, like
Oyama's; but the only combats rating
above skirmish were at Ping Yang.
One of the first battles Of the war was
at Kasan in August. The japanese
credit the Chinese with a loss Of 900
killed and 200 wounded" evidently
round numbers, out of 2, 500 engaged !;
but their own loss they put at IS. or,
according to one account, 80 killed
and so wounded. When Count Yam
aeata afterward arrived he fought a
well-contrived pitched battle at Ping
Yang, his three columns combining
against the Chinese army, on Septem-
Der Is, and completely defeating 1t.
General Nodzu gave the japanese loss
as II officers and 154 men killed; ~
officers and 521 men wounded. be-
sides 40 whose fate was unknown. At
utmost the Japanese loss in this great
est land battle of the war, or series
of desperate battles" as one account
puts it, was therefore 755, although
!. strong works had to be carried. The
Chinese put their loss at s, 800; but 1t
seems that most of the army estimated
at 20. COO, threw down their arms. 1t
is said that IA, 500 unwounded prison
ers were captured. The japanese re
ported that of the remainder 1000
were killed, :butanother account gives
1000 killed and wounded The Japa-
nese were the more numerous, per-
haps 80, 900 or "a, 600 strong.
About six weeks later, the First
Army Corps undertook the crossing
of the Yalu, timing itself admirably
with the landing of the Second Army
Corps above Port Arthur, the two
: movements thus cooperating. Gen
eral Nodzu moved his troops over
without difficulty, and the advance
fought the enemy, estimated at $500,
at Fushang. The Chinese loss was re
ported to be lover 200 killed, and
the japanese to be 90 killed and S:
wounded. This proved to be the de
cisive encounter, since on the march
of the main army to Chen-Lien
Tching, IAN important stronghold,
the Chinese, reckoned at $1,000 or 20,
600 fell back without lighting.
Coming at a later period we received
about fortnight ago the details of a
battle at Kung-Wa-Sai, which had
been fought with great obstinacy,
the japanese charges upon the strong
entertainments being repulsed with
great loss, until reserves came up and
carried all before them. The japanese
loss was reported to be $50 killed and
wounded, while that of the Chinese
was supposed to be 800. Finally, the
japanese say that last Thursday they
repulsed 5000 Chinese. with loss OF
900; their own being 1 killed and 4
wounded.
Now if we turn to. the records OF oul
civf war we find the Union losses al
Gettysburg, according to Col
u