Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 56, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 March 1904 — FOES MEET IN KOREA. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

FOES MEET IN KOREA.

HOSTILE ARMIES IN TWO SHARP ENGAGEMENTS. Russians Driven Back from PingTang Ront Japs at,Another PointForces of Pursuing Cossacks Capture the Horses of the Enemy. Russian troops have clashed twice with the enemy on the soil of Korea. At Ping-Yang a body of Russian cavalry approached the north gate of the Japanese camp and fired at a distance of 1,000 meters. The Japanese infantry promptly responded and a sharp fusillade followed, as a result of which the Russians were forced to retire. In the second encounter the Russians were victorious. A dispatch from LeaoTong, a town on the Manchurian railway some distance south of Mookden, says that Chinese of the Yalu river report that an advance guard of Russian cavalry which lias penetrated Korea for a distance of about 200 versts had an encounter with a detachment of Japanese and that the Japanese were compelled to retreat, leaving their horses, which were seized by the Cossacks. Gen. Linevitch dispatched cavalier and a body of infantry in pursuit and with nil order to occupy northern Korea. On the IlamGycng frontier, northeast of Wiju, a detachment of Korean soldiers was attacked and dispersed by Russian troops. Russian officers believe they have now accurate information of the Japanese plan of campaign in Manchuria and Korea. The Japs have large bodies of troops near Gensan, on the eastern coast, and at Chemulpo, on the western coast of Korea. These troops are engaged in establishing a line of fortifications along the banks of the Tsi-Tong river and are making preparations for the reception of the army landed a few days ngo at Chemulpo, the intention of the Japanese being, in the Russian view, to run n series of fortifications right across Korea from Gensan to Chiuuampo. These measures the Russians believe to have beeli concerted in order to defend the middle and southern parts of Korea from tho Russians should the Japanese be unsuccessful on the Yalu and in Manchuria.

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