Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1900-08-18
VERY CLOSE TO PEKIN
-
Ths Relief Column Only Nine
~ q Miles Away.
Expected Opposition From Chinese Hordes
Not Sufficient to Prevent the
Steady Forward March.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13.-The Ameri.
can commander in China, in dispatch
of just three words, received at the war
department late this afternoon, sent a
thrill of exultation and expectancy
throughout official headquarters by an.
nouncing his arrival at Ho-Si-Wu, only
thirty-three miles from gkin, last
Thursday.
The last heard from him before this
was at Yangtsun, which had been cap
tured after hard fight, and word of
his movements since then had been
eagerly awaited. Thursday he was
eighteen miles beyond Yangtsun. Lang
Fang, the place where the ill-fated
Seymour expedition met its fate and
turned back, had been left behind.
The battle of Yangtsun was fought on
the 9th, and the advance to Ho-Si-Wu
was accomplished on the 9th--a march
of eighteen miles in three days This
was four days ago, and at the same rate
of progress Chaffee is even now fairly
within striking distance Of the walls OF
Pekin.
The dispatch of Chaffee, conveying SO
much in SO few words, was as follows:
"CHEFoo, Aug. 7.--Adjutant-General,
Washington Tenth arrived Hospiwu
(Ho-Si-Wu) yesterday. CHAFFEE
Word of the advance soon spread
through official quarters. In the en-
thusiasm of the moment report got
about that this was the day for the
actual arrival at Pekin. But the war
department had not a word of the ad
vance beyond Ho-Si-Wu. 1t was deemed
hardly likely that the march to Pekin
could have been made since last Thurs
day. At the rate of progress, six miles
day, made from Yangtsun to Ho-Si-
WI, about twenty-four miles would
have been covered in the last four days,
and up today this would still leave the
international forces nine miles from
Pekin. Viewed from any standpoint,
the advance to Hi-Si-Wu was of the
utmost Importance, not only strategi-
cally, but also in showing that com
munication was open back to Chefoo
that the expected opposition from Chi
nese hordes had not been sufficient to
prevent the steady forward movement
and in the influence it would have upon
the Chinese government.
Brief as the dispatch is, it conveys
much information beyond that specif.
cally contained in its few words. Al.
though it is not stated what force has
arrived, the war department accepts it
to mean that this is the international
force which first took Pietsang and
then Yangtsun. 1t has gone steadily
forward along The left bank Of the Pei.
llo river keeping on the main road
which skirts the river and branches of
to the west. Now the forces have left
the railway far in the rear and are de.
pending upon the highway and the
river Ho-Si-Wu is a place of consider,
able size and the largest town between
Tien Tsin and Ching CHA Wan. The
latter place and Tungchow are the two
cities of considerab bic size in the line OF
advance after leaving Ho-Si-Wu. 1t is
surrounded by orchards and gardens
and is not place likely to have afforded
opportunity for strong defense. 1t is
the highest point on the Pei-Ho river
where the river water is depended on,
as the native wells are the source OF
supply on the balance of the route to
polyip