Daily Kennebec journal., 1900-08-08

| dp'ul Av,VVv StiuuS, dttuShcu C"iHSS'
right, west Of river in flank. Othe
forces. Russian. French. about 400
strong. opposite side between river and
railroad. Chinese position APPARENT,
strong. Army reported 10000 between
Pei Tsang and Yang Tsun or crossing
of road over Pei Ho. Yang Tsun objec'
tive. Our force 1000 and battery. Cone
maugh arrived. Sixth cavalry left a.
Tien Tsin for guard city and waiting
mounts. Ministers safe on 2Sth of July
(SigneD CHAFFEE."
| The information which came, today
| that American troops were engaged il
the battle at Pie Tsang established pos
itively. for the first time, that notwith-
standing the difficulties which Gen
Chaffee has encountered in debarkine
troops and supplies. at least a part
and considerable part. of our forces
was in the vanguard Of the forward
movement.
Gen. Chaffee's dispatch to the wal
department conveyed the most salts
factory evidences that the command
ers had thoroughly agreed in advance
upon a plan Of action and that ther.
| - tNtis ludt iHlS DidH
been followed, as Gen. Chaffee, Friday
sent the cable saying that the attack
upon the Chinese at Pie Tsang would
be made on Sunday the day on which
Admiral Remey and the press CORE
spondents say the fighting occurred.
Gen. Chaffee's announcement that
the present objective of the interna-
tional column is Yang Tsun. is inter
preted by the officials at the war de-
partment to mean what this point
where river. railroad and wagon road
meet. is to be made the advance base
for the operations on Pekin.
The most positive addition to the
news of the day was the brief line from
The Associated Press correspondent at
Tien Tsin stating that the 9th and 14th
Infantry, Reilly's Battery and the ma
| rines We're in the battle of Pei Tsang.
II was this force which the British and
| japanese bore the brunt of the attack
| on the left flank which was to turn
the enemy's position. This plan had
| already been made clear by Gen. Chat
| fees dispatch. although he did not
| mention what American troops would
be engaged.
In view of the participation Of the
American troops. the war and navy de-
| partments are anXiously expectant Of
| a report of the part taken by our
| troops and any losses the Americans
| may have sustained. No light has yet
! been thrown upon the subject Of
whether the commanders of the inter-
| national forces have agreed upon A
! commander. The Chaffee dispatch
! would seem to indicate that none ha /
| been agreed upon. The movement was
! planned evidently by the commanders
in conference and their respective parts
| was agreed upon in advance.
! 1t is perhaps noteworthy and signifi-
cant that in this plan of attack upon
the enemy at Pei Tsang, the Americans.
| British and japanese forces were join
! ed in the movement to turn the en-
! emy's right flank. while the Russians
and French operated together on the
opposite side of the river against the
enemy's left. This may indicate the
line of Cleavage among the allies, whose
| general dissensions We're reported at
Tien Tsin.
| 1t is also exceedingly significant that
Gen. Chaffee does not mention the
German force at all. The war depart
|
could have been due to an oversight
on his part if it was arranged that they
were to participate in the movement
1t therefore seems likely that the Ger
mans We're not engaged at Pei Tsang
1t is thought possible that they may
| be acting independently.
| The most interesting feature of the
dispatch is the information regarding
the positions of the Chinese army and
the fact that the advance upon Pekin
| IS made by two columns. one on each
side of the Pei river. The internation-
al fcrce as given by Gen. Chaffee would
| aggregate about $4,000 men. while the
other dispatches have put it at $1,000.
| The conference Gen. Chaffee mea-
| tions is supposed to have been between
| the several commanders present AZ
| Tien Tsin. 1t is evident that the for
| eiSn commanders do not under est-
| mate the task which they have before
them, as the task shows that
thorough reconnaissance of the Chi
| nese position had been made, and that
even before the advance of the inter
| national force. from Tien Tsin, the
| commanders We're in possession of in
| formation relative to the Chinese posi-
ton. This is. one of the most welcome
| features of the dispatch as it proves
conclusively that the international coll
umn did not hlunder upon an intrench-
ed position of the enemy.
According TO the war department.
| map, the town of Pei Sang covers both
sides of the river but the main portion
| of it, is on the left side, where the jap
| anese, English and American forces
| had arranged, according to Gen. Chat
| fees dispatch, to attack the enemys
| right Hank, the left being protected by
| Hooded ground and practically unas-
| sailable by a land force. According To
| the map there is lake five miles from
the river at this point and the ground
| may have been flooded from this lake
through the dykes and canals which
| gridiron the country throughout The
Russian and French forces We're to at
| tack the enemys left on the right bank
OF the river between the river and rail-
road This makes it probable that the
flooded district only extended to the
| line of the railroad. which at this point
! is about mile and half from the
river.
Gen. Chaffee's dispatch also shows
another important feature of the plan
Of campaign agreed upon by the in
I fpyDa tipnal