Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1900-08-09
Bloody Battle with Chinese Re-
ported to Have Occurred
Sunday Morning.
ALLIES LOST OVER TWELVE HUNDRED.
The Allies Casualties Were Mostly
Among the Russian ana Japanese
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES Ground was
at Peit sang, Some Distance From
TIcn Tsln.

b official but apparently reliable reports
of active and extensive hostilities be-
tween the allied forces and the Chi
nese on the line between Tien Tsin and
Pekin. The dispatches indicate unmis-
takably that the relief column has
started in earnest, and that it is meet
ing with determined opposition.
An Assumption.
Although neither of the naval dis
patches mention the presence of
American troops in the reported en-
gagement, it is generally assumed at
the war department that at least a
on hand. and took an active and ag-
gressivc part in the affair.
The dispatches are as follows:
The Dispatches.
"Chc Foo, Aug. 6.-Bureau Naviga-
ton, Washington: British gunboat
Fame reports, unofficial. an engage
ment at Peit Sang, Sunday morning,
from to 1O:3O. Allied loss, killed and
wounded, 1900; chiefly Russians and
Japanese. Chinese retreating.
[Signed.1 "TAUSSIG."
"Che Foo, Aug. 6.--Bureau Naviga-
ton, Washington: Official report be-
lieved reliable, about $4,000 allies heav-
Ily engaged Chinese at Peit Sang day
tight of the 5th.
lSigned.l "REMEN,"
Taussig who signed the first dis
patch, is in command of the York.
town. which is at Che Foo.
IL is said at the war department
there is no reason to doubt that an
engagement has taken place. While
no official information has been re-
ceived, it is said that such an engage
ment was not unexpected.
Scene of the Battle.
According to the information in pos
session of the war department., the
town Of peit Sang is at the head of
tide water on the Pei Ho, between IL
and IL miles by road beyond Tien Tsin.
1t is village of mud huts, of consid-
cradle size. but not walled. The river
at this point is not navigable by any
thing larger than good-sized steam
launch. and it is thought that the
troops probably reached there in small
boats, towed by the naval launches.
The country all along the river be-
tween Pe<in and Tien Tsin is low,
Rlluvial plain, almost impossible for
wheeled vehicles in the wet season,
and under quite high state of Guilt
ton.
4 stubborn Engagement.
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 in
trenched, or that there was an inn
mense horde of them to so stubbornly
contest the advance of the 10000 in
ternational troops. 1t is figured by
military experts that loss of loo
killed and wounded. on the part of the
allies, probably means a loss of from
three to six times as many by the
. Chinese.
What II May Result In.
1t is possible that a blow of this
magnitude may break the resistance
of the Chinese to the advance of the
foreign column, but, on the other hand,
IL is possible that this may be one of
a large number of places on the road
that have been intrenched with view
to falling back and contesting the for
eign advance so as to delay, as long
ps possible, the arrival of the foreign
ers at Pelin.
United states Position UNCHANGED.
The position of the United States
automatically remains unchanged.
This government will not consent to
the removal of the ministers and for
eigners from Pekin until there is free
communication by the powers with
their ministers; nor will this govern
ment consent to communication in
plain language alone, but insists that
cipher messages must pass freely be-
tween Minister Conger and out state
department.
The Only Sure Test.
It is emphatically stated that unless
such messages are exchanged, the
United States can not know beyond
questions that the messages are not
garbled, 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 that they will
remain where they will be able TO pro-
tect themselves, and will not be in
duced to accept any offers of the Chi
nese government to escort them to
Tien Tsin until they have had COM
munication with their governments.
Confidence is expressed, however, that
the Chinese government will soon see
the necessity of accepting the terms
laid down in Secretary Hays note to
Consul Goodnow. H tN
a Sufficient Force mt Hand. rs
1t is stated that if all the interna'
tional forces in the vicinity of Taku
can he landed and the supplies brought
up, there is sufficient force to overcome
any army which the Chinese may
bring forward to prevent the march
on PelSin. 1t is also believed at the
war department that the informatior
received through the navy department
of n hattie is correct,