The Portland daily press., 1900-08-08
ATTACK ON PIETSANG.
Description of the Locality and PLAN
of Campaign.

OF Campaign
Washington, August IA despatch of
General Chaffee written two days before
the battle of Sunday confirms the dis
patches received at the navy department.
yesterday and also the press dispatches
received today concerning the attack on
the Chinese at Peitsang.
The most Interesting feature of the des-
patch 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 inbarna5 lonal force as given by
General Chaffee, would aggregate about
IA, O00 men, while the other dispatches
have put it at 16, 900.
HIhe conference General Chaffee men
lions is supposed to have been between
the several commanders present at Iien
Isin. 1t is evident that the commanders
do not underestimate the task which they
have before them
The despatch shows that q thorough
reconnaissance Of the Chinese position had
been made and that even before the adj
vance of the international force from
Yien Tsin the commanders were in pos
session Of full information relative to the
Chinese position.
This is one OF the most welcome feat.
ures of the despatch, as it proves con-
cIusively that the international column
did not blpnder upon an intrenched posi-
blOn of the enemy.
According to the war department. map
the town OF Peltsang covers both sides OF
the river but the main portion of 1T is on
the left Side where the Japanese, English
and American forces had arranged ac-
cOrding to General Chaffee's despatch to
attack the enemy right flank, the left
being protected by flooded grounds, and
particularly uRassallable by a land force.
According to the map there is q lake
tive miles from the river at this % int,
and the ground may have been flooded
IrOm this lake through the dykes and
canals which gridiron the country there
abOuts The Russian and French forces
was to attack the enemy left on the
right bank Of the river between the river
and railroad
This makes it probable that the flooded
district only extended to the line of the
railroad which at this point is about a
mile and half from the river. General
Chaffee S despatch also shows important
features OF the plan of campaign agreed
upon by the international commanders
1T is that the present objective point OF
the column is Yang Iun, a town about
fifty miles beyond Peltsang, at the point
where the railroad crosses the Pei river
from the right on the way to Pekin,
Olc6 IN possession OF GnlS p01QU the IN
ternatiOnal force would have both the
railroad and river IN its rear to keep open
communication with T1en Tsin.
1t naturally would become the advance
base from which interpretations on Pekin
could be projected At this point the
river veers TO the right and from it the
column would have to mova along the
line OF the railroad. The Chinese evident
ly are as much impressed with the STRAIT
egic advantages Of the Yang Ysung as
the international commanders themselves
as General Chaffee says in his CABLE that
the enemy is reported thirty thousand
strong at the crossing of the road over
the Pei river.
Without doubt after the fight at Piet-
sang the Chinese there if the report that
Admiral Remey that it was forced to re-
treat proves correct, retired to Yang
psun. There is no information as to the
number of the enemy which met the ad-
vance at Pietsang but judging from the
casualties to the international forces it
must have been large, and may perhaps
double the Chinese army which the col
umn must encounter when it reach es
Yang Tsung, The general feeling at the
war department is that unless the Chi
nese generals have been completely de-
moralized by the Pietsang attack there is
very severe lighting ahead for the inter
national forces, and that the ground Will
be disputed all the way to Pekin