New-York tribune., 1900-08-08
PLAN PEI-TSANG BATTLE
AMERICANS IN THE LEFT WING OF THE
ATTACKING FORCE.


ATTACKING FORCE
ALLIES ADVANCED IN TWO COLUMNS
ALONG THE BANKS OF THE PEI-Ho.
GBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBuNEI
Washington. Aug. THE following important
dispatch from Major General Chaffee COM
manding the United States forces in North
China, was received by Adjutant-General Corbin
this morning:
Acknowledgement Washington
Tien-Tsin. Sd. Conference to-day decided
battle Sunday Chinese intrenched ID. east % and
tected by flooded ground. practically unassah-
able.
10000 strong attack Chinese right west of
river In flank. Other forces Russian, French,
about 1000 strong, opposite side between river river
and railroad. Chinese position apparently
Army reported 10000 between Pei-Tsans and
Yang-Tsun. or crossing OF roao oyer 0 Fei,ao' no
Yang-Tsun objective. Our force 1000 ana bat
Conemaugh arrived. Sixth Cavalry left (at)
Tien-Tsin for guard of city and awaiting
Ministers safe on 2Sth of July.
CHINESE RIGHT FLANK TURNED
The dispatch indicates that the international
forces advanced from Tien-Tsin on Saturday.
August f. and got into position for the attack
on Pei-Tsang at dawn on Sunday morning. The
force advanced in two columns, one along the
west hank and the other along the east bank of
the Pei-Ho. between that stream and the rail-
road embankment The Americans, japanese
and British ten thousand strong, composed the
left wing of the attacking force, and the Rus
slams and French, four thousand strong the
right wing.
This. taken in connection with the dispatches
received yesterday. indicate that the left wing,
which was much the stronger, succeeded In
turning the Chinese right and forcing the enemy
from the field with heavy loss.
The dispatch confirms the press reports Of the
flooding of the plain east Of the railroad en-
bankment. thereby making it impossible for ar
tillery and infantry, and probably for cavalry
also. This has not been unusual occurrence
even when there has been no military exigency
to suggest or require it. For years the Chinese.
in order to prevent the overfowing of the plain
west of the river have maintained system of
safety valves along the eastern bank, which al
lowed the flood waters to pour out over the
adjacent country. causing great distress and des-
titution among the people. In his anxiety TO
protect his left flank the Chinese commander at
Pei-Tsang apparently overshot the mark and left
his right flank too much exposed.
YANG-TsUN THE OBJECTIVE POINT.
General Chafree's dispatch estimates the Chi
nese force between Pei-Tsang and Yang-Tsung,
ten or twelve miles distant, at thirty thousand,
and says that the objective of the present move
ment is Yang -Tsun, at which place the railway
crosses from the east bank to the west bank of
the Pei-Ho. 1t is apparently regarded as a
strategic position Of considerable value and i'm
portance and If the international forces
reach and gain possession of it before the Chi
nese destroy the railroad bridge assuming that
they have not yet done SOD, it will enable them
to establish a new base and will greatly facili-
tate their advance into the country which lies
beyond.
"A press dispatch received in London to-day
and published here this evening was dated at
Tien-Tsin Sunday morning. while the battle was
still in progress In all probability Gen era Chat
fee too busy all that day to write or dictate
report, and IL the enemy was closely pursued
toward Yang-Tspn it might be several days
before the American commander could send
official account Of the military operations. If
the Chinese force was only 10000 and the in
trenched position it held was five miles long as
press dispatches indicate, the trenches probably
held by the bulk Of the Chinese judging
by the stubbornness of the defence and the time
required to drive the enemy from his position
member of the Japanese Legation here, who
has been a close student of Chinese tactics in
war expresses the opinion that unless the
estimate of casualties among the international
forces at Pei-Tsang is greatly exaggerated it
indicates that the Chinese have resorted to their
subterranean mines. IN the Of 1895 the
japanese troops suffered heavy losses from those
hidden engines Of destruction, in the use OF
which the Chinese exceedingly adrot. If
the enemy is employing these means of defence
the advance Of the international troops from
Pei-Tsang to YangTsun, If not resisted
by the Chinese troops, may be slow and diff
1cult. as well as exceedingly perilous and at
tended with heavy losses.
AMERICAN FORCES ENGAGED.
The number Of Americans engaged in the bat
tle-20O0-accounts for the United States troops
and marines that had arrived at Tien -Tsin ex-
cept the 9th Cavalry, which was left at that
place doing guard duty and awaiting the arrival
Of its horses zone instalment of which had ar
rived at Taku on the Conemaugh before the dis
patch was written). and the recruits that sailed
on the transport Grant. The American troops
engaged therefore, the effectives OF Relily's
light battery, the 9th Infantry two battalions
Of the 14th Infantry and the marines The re-
crufts may have been distributed among the
infantry battaions whose ranks had been
thinned by disease The fact that ReiIIy's bat