Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-08-10
FOUGHT FOR SEVEN HOURS.
Ellied Forces and Chinese Engage
in Battle at Peitsang Sun
day Morning.
RELIEF FORCES LOSE 1900 MEN,
The Killed and Wounded Arc Mostly Rus
slams and Japanese Sold1ers-Admiral
Rsmey Says About 10000 Men Were
Eagsged I'm tho Fight-The Chinese
Were Reported Retreating.


the Chinese situation was intensi-
fed this morning by the receipt OF
two dispatches from naval officers at
Che Foo, repeating unofficial, but
apparently reliable reports of active
and extensive hostilities between the
allied forces and the Chinese on the
line between Tien Tsin and Pekin.
The dispatches indicate Enthusiastically
that the relief column has started in
earnest and that it is meeting with
determined opposition. Although
neither of the dispatches mention
the presence of American troops in
the reported engagement, it is gen.
orally assumed at the war department
that at least part of Gen. Chaffee's
small army was on hand and took an
active and aggressive part in the af-
fair. The dispatches are as follows:
"Che Foo, Aug. 6.-Bureau Naviga-
ton, Washington: British Fame re-
ports, unofficial, engagement at Petit
sang, Sunday morning from three
O'Clock to 1890. Allied loss, killed
and wounded, 1000, chiefly Russians
and japanese. Chinese retrea ting
Taussig."
A'Che Foo, Aug. 6.-Bureau Naviga-
ton, Washington: Official report be-
aieve reliable, about 10000 allies heav-
lily engaged Chinese at Peitsang day
Light of the 5th-Remey."
Taussig, who signed the first dis
patch, is in command of the York
town, which is at Che Foo.
Peftsang is the first railroad sta
ton about six miles northwest of
Tien Tsin en- route to Pekin.
According to the dispatches in pos
session OF the war department the
town of Peitsang isoat the head of
tide water on the Pei Ho river. be-
tween II and ~ miles by road beyond
Tien Tsin- 1t is a village of mud huts
of considerable size, but not walled.
The river at this point is not naviga-
bic by anything larger than a good
sized steam launch, and it was
thought that the troops probably
reached there in small boats, towed
by the naval launches. The country
all along the river between Pekin
and Tien Tsin is a low, alluvial plain
almost impossible for wheeled vehi-
cles in the wet season. and under
quite high state of cultivation. 1t
presents no natural defensive feat
ures and the war department knows
no strategic reason why the Chinese
should have made a stand here rather
than at any other dozen villages east
of the walled town of Tung Chow,
where is stored an immense amount
of provisions upon which the city of
Pekin would have to depend in case
of siege.
From the fact that the engagement
lasted seven and a half hours, it is
argued in the department that either
the Chinese must have been heavily
entrenched or there was an immense
horde of them to so stubbornly con-
test the advance of the 10000 inter
national troops. 1t is figured by mil
itary experts that loss of 1900 killed
and wounded on the part of the allies
probably means loss of from three
to six times as many of the Chinese.
1t is possible that blow of this mag
nitude may break the resistance of
the Chinese to the advance of the for
'eign column, but on the other hand,
it is possible that this may be one
of the large number of places on the
road that have been intrenched with
n view to falling back and contesting
the foreign advance so as to delay as
long as possible. the arrival of the
foreigners at Pekin. Unless the OPP
position suddenly breaks down, the
military experts look for a desperate
engagement when the troops reach
the walled city of Tung Chow, which
is said TO be even more fayorably To-
Gated for purposes of defense than
was Tien Tsin.
The position of the United States
alphabetically remains unchanged.
This government will EDt consent to
the removal of the ministers and for
eigners from Pekin until there is
free communication by the powers
with the ministers. Nor will this
government consent to communicate
in plain language alone. but insists
that cipher messages must pass free
1y between Minister Conger and our
state department.
1t is emphatically stated that unless
1ucl, messages are exchanged, the
United States cannot know beyond
question that the messages were not
,garbIed and both the United States
government and the ministers misled
There seems to be no doubt about
the safety of the ministers at Pekin
for the present, and they will remain
where they viii be able to protect
themselves.
WIN Allow British Troops to Land.e
London, Aug. Admiral Seymour.
who commands the defenses at Shang-
hal. reports that the viceroy of Nank-
ing has agreed to the landing of 5000
British troops to protect Shanghai.
Secretary Hay Not Seriouaiy HI.
- A AZ.