Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-06-10
STORY OF BATTLE
OF KULlEN CHENG

OF KULlEN CHENG
The First Complete and Uncen.
sOred Account of the Battle
OF Kulien Chepg, Manchuria
April 31st and May 1st
IA piece of war history written by Oscar X
Davis. the noted war correspondent, for th'
baltimore Sun.l
In two days battle for the posses
sion of Kulien Oheng and the cross.
ing of the Yslu river, between Kulien
Cheng and Win, the Korean town
on the opposite bank, General Ku-
roki, the commsnder-in-chief of the
First Japanese army, scored victory
complete and far reaching.
The Russian position in the hills
back of Kulien Cheng seemed to Offer
the opportunity to reverse history
and give an example of an army
stopped by river. With proper
energy and skill it's defenses could
have been such that to force a pas.
sage of the river in its face would
have required a much longer time
than was taken and a far greater
army. if, indeed, it could not have
been made absolutely impregnable.
The air line between Win and
Kulieu Cheng is about 5000 yards
The Yalu river, with its three chan.
nels and broad stretches of sand, oc.
cupies the entire distance. On the
Korean shore range of hills almost
approaching the dignity of noun
tains run approximately parallel
with the river at a distance of about
two.and-a-half or three miles from
the southern channel. Between this
range and the rIRey's edge there are
two series of smaller t-hills, broken
up into an intinlty of sharply peaked
mounts, which surround little valleys
that lie like pockets among the hills
Wiju lies in one of these valleys.
lt is a walled town, whose stone
defeases are in decay. West of Wiiu
there is a channel of the river which
makes sharp bend TO the southwark
and there the Mills die away into q
stretch of low, Hat. sandy ground.
East of Win the hills on the i'm
mediate bank of the river rise higher
and sleeper with occasional passes
between them through which the
river is approached
This formation of country afforded
General Kuroki an opportunity to
conceal his movements from the
enemy, which was OF the greatest
advantage to him. 1t seems certain
that he was able to hide his men so
efectually that it was not until he
had almost the entire army out on
the level islands in plain view of the
Russian position that the enemy
learned the strength of his foroes.
The composition of his army had
been matter of commoa knowledge
for so long as to make it hard to sup
pose that the Russian commander
would be ignorant of it, but the hills
and valleys of Korea undoubtedly
enabled General Kuroki to conceal
from bis enemy the important fact
that ke bad brought up his whole
army and was ready to employ it in
battle if necessary. TO this in q
great measure must be attributed
the completeness of his victory. II
is circumstance which does not
detract from the skill and wisdom OF
his dispositions; ;ratheritaddst to them
Four islands in the Yalu figure
more or less Importantly in the
action. First of these is Kinteto, q
wide stretch Of sand southwest OF
Win, separated from the Korean
shore by channel about 200 yards
wide. There are two or three
clusters of huts on this island, wherl
lived some Chinese boatmen anC
Korean farmers. Numerous clumpi
of fair-sized willows are scattered
about Kinteto and along the Korean
side considerable fringe of then
grow. separated from Kinteto by tn,
I swift main channel of the Yalu.
About 500 yards vest lies th,
island of Ching Ping. Several omal
villages dot Ching Ping, but in tn,
main it is bare and offers clear view
of all that crosses it. The Mandarin
road, which runs from Seoul {,
Peking, crosses these two islands ant
runs northwesterly almost directl,
toward Knlien Cheng.
North of Wiju is the bold, stee,
hill called the Tiger. Under i
stretches q small. fiat, sandy island
we'll covered with Willogs. Each O.
these four islands is several miles il
extent, Osekito being the smallest.
Kulien Cheng was the Russian
headquarters. 1t is snbstan tall,
built with wide streets and brick ant
stone houses extending to the Man
DARN road. The town stands oil
flat ground, but little above the leve
of the river and the hills rise sharpl
behind it.
When General Kuroki reached
Win almost all OF lis army hat
preceded him. One regiment of tn,
division, General Kasgarvei's, and
battalion of another regiment cam
Tin the same day. The division wa
quartered in Wiju, holding the cente
Of the position. A division unde
General Hishi held the left, will
headquarters short distance below
Wiju. General Inoyo with his divis
ion was or the right few miles
above Win.
Lying in the folds of the foothill,
back of Wiju are many small clusters
of Korean huts. with some gooC
houses. In 10 of the most substan
tial of these General Kuroki estab
lished his headquarters with his staff
Scattered through the score OF
more of pockets in the hills abou,
him were most of his guns and the