The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-01-07

led by the Tartar General /. and after a
sharp skirmish scattered the newcomers,
who left twenty-five dead upon the field
and considerable quantity of arms and
ammunition. Tie japanese loss was two
killed and four wounded.
This engagement put a stop to the at
tempt of the Tartars to cooperate with
Chinese troops at or near Moukden, but il
appears that the Moukden defenders, in
spired by fresh hope by the withdrawal of
the invaders from their immediate front,
and by the expectation of assistance from
the army of the AmOOr, had followed the
retiring footsteps Of their foe so closely
that fight al Tsao-ho-ken was brought oD.
The Chinese were driven back with losses,
the extent of which is not known, the Jap
anese casualties amounting to forty killed
and wounded
After this no further trouble was given
by the Moukden forces, hut the Tartars
continued to advance, turning their atten-
ion, however, from the original point an d
moving southwark with the evident pur-
pose of assailing Feng-whang. This town
is one Of the strong points occupied by the
japanese Immediately after the crossing of
the Yalu River. 1t is probably known to
all that by ancient custom a strip of
neutral territory. forty miles broad, was
until recently allowed to remain unculti-
vated at the extremity of the Chinese
dominions touching the Yalu River, which
marks the Korean frontier. Feng-whang
stands on The inner edge of this virtually
unoecupied zone and is the spot where all
the roads converge from every part of
Manchuria. Its importance as military
post cannot be overstated, and its recap
ture by the Chinese would be success of
immeasurable moral as we'll as material
advantage.
General | advanced upon Feng-whang in
three columns. His right, supposed to
have been under his personal direction and
consisting of 5000 infantry and cavalry.
descended by one of the best roads of the
district, and on December 10 arrived at
Kim-k ka-hotsu, about thirty-fve miles north
OF Feng- W hang. Here he was set upon by
General Tatsumi, at the head of a single
battalion, and thrown back in confusion,
his troops flying by various routes and
showing no disposition to reunite at any
point. TatsumpS loss was thirty all told,
and over 100 Tartars were killed. The
center and the left of rs corps advanced
much farther, and, as they we're found to
number not less than 1000 each-much
more than double the Japanese force
their attack was awaited at a spot within
six miles of Feng-whang, which offered
the best advantages for resistance by a
small body of defenders.
Garrisons from adjoining town in Jap
anese possession were rapidly called in to
aid in the impending engagement, but
even then the Japanese were outnumbered
by two TO one. Two battalions under
Colonel Tomoyasu attacked the Tartar
right on December IA. at the first attack
the Tartars fled to the hills. One hundred
and fifty were killed and sixteen taken
prisoners. The Amoor corps, to which
this formidable movement was iotrusted,
has ceased to exist, and though the run
aways have been traced for fifty miles not
the slightest sign of an organized body
has been found by the Japanese pursuers.
The first and second Japanese armies
are without doubt within easy commune
cation, and if the two are not joined in
future action 1T will be because the ext
gencies OF the situation call for a different
distribution of troops.
The cold in Manchuria is intense, the
average temperature of the extreme north