Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1900-08-10
ALLIES VICTORIOUS.
Force Chinese to Retreat in Fight
at Peitsang.
The battle RnEes for More Than Sew
en- Hours-LOss Of Allied Troops
Is 1,2OO Killed and
wounded.


Washington, Aug. 7.-Interest in tn,
Chinese situation was intensified Mon
day morning by receipt of two dis
patches from naval officers at Chefoo, |
repeating unofficial but apparently re-
liable reports of active and extensive |
hostilities between the allied forces |
and the Chinese on the line between
Tientsin and Peliing The dispatches
indicate Enthusiastically that the relief
column has started in earnest and that
it is meeting with determined opposi-
ton. Although neither of the naval
dispatches mentions the presence of
American troops in the reported en-
gagement it is generally assumed at
the war department that at least a
part of Gen. Chaffee's small army was
on hand and took an active and aggres-
sive part in the affair.
The dispatches are as follows:
"Chefoo. Aug. 6.-Bureau Navigation
Washington: British Fame reports un-
official engagement at Peitsang. Sunday
morning, three to l0:30. Allied loss killed
and wounded 1900 chiefly Russians and
''''''N "TAUssIG."
"Chefoo Aug. 6.-Bureau Navigation
Washington: Official report believed re-
liable, about 5000 allies heavily engaged
Chinese at Peitsang daylight of the :, 9TH. t.
According to information in posses
| sion of the war department the town
of Peitsang is at the head of tide water
on the Pei-Ho river. between IL and IL
miles by road beyond Tientsin. 1t is
villag { mud huts of considerable
| size. not walled. The river at this
| point is not navigabie by anything
| larger than a good-sized steam launch,
and it is thought that the troops prob
| ably reached there in small boats.
towed by the naval launches. The
country all along the river between
Peking and Tientsin is low, alluyial
plain almost impossible for wheeled
vehicles in the wet season. and unAr
quite a high state of cultivation. 1t
presents no natural defensive features
and the war department knows no
strategic reason why the Chinese
should have made a stand there rather
than at any other of the dozen viii
lagos east of the walled town of Tung
Chow, where is stored an immense
amount of provisions upon which the
city of Peking would have to depend in
case of siege.
From the fact that the engagement
lasted ~ hours, it is argued in the
department that either the Chinese
must have been heavily intrenched
or that there was an immense horde
of them to so stubbo-nly contest the
advance of the 10000 international
troops. 1t is figured by military eX-
perts that loss of 1900 killed and
wounded on the part of the allies
probably means q loss of from three
to six times as many by the Chi
nese.
Opinions Diner.
Opinion among the various officials
now in Washington is somewhat di-
vided as to Just what is presaged by
Mondays events. The more optims
tic are inclined to think that such q
severe blow as the Chinese must have
received at Peitsang will result in this
speedy disintegration of the forces
now opposing the march of the inter
national column. In hne with thi:
prediction it was prophesied that tn,
Chinese government would find mean!
to send the ministers from Peking un
, der escort and thus stave off the ad
vance upon the capital.
On the other hand, there was a mum
ber of officers in position to judg,
equally we'll who held that the fgh
/. at Peitsang was only the beginning
+, of a strenuous resistance that woult
l be continued to the gates of Pekins
1 or beyond. 1t was urged in suppor
:. of this view that the Chinese had
/ hundred men to lose against one o
l the allies; that they were we'll arme'
I with modern guns and had apparentl,
!. an abundance of ammunition. 1t i
a stated that considerable apprehension
: exists among those conversant wit
S oriental affairs at the temperance i
: Peking politics of that rabid anti-foI
+: eign fanatic Ii Ping Hung. 1t is ur
o derstood that his appearance in Pc
: king affairs may have had somethin
e to do with the Shanghai rumors of /
Hung Chang's suicide. 1t is certai
that with Ii Ping Hung and Prime
Tuan in control of the de facto go,
ernment in China religious war c
dervishlike fanaticism probably wi
be waged against all foreigners, an
friends of the more liberal Chimes
! statesmen are exceedingly anxious 6
; to their fate under the Tuan-Li re.
\ ime
n Death of millionaire.