Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 66, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 April 1904 — JAPANESE WIN FIGHT. [ARTICLE]

JAPANESE WIN FIGHT.

Victorious in First Serious Land Battle of the War. A serious battle was fought Monday at Chong-Fu, in northwestern Korea, in which the Russian forces were defeated and forced to retreat, with what loss cannot be ascertained, though the official report says only three men were killed and twelve wounded. It is believed that the Japanese, though victorious, lost heavily. Cavalry and infantry on both sides were engaged. The Japanese fought gallantly , but were so exhausted that they were unable to follow up the retreating Russians, who fell back in good order on Kasan.

The battle came as the climax of three days of skirmishing between the outposts of the hostile armies confronting each other between the Yalu and Ping-Yang. News of "the'engagement came in the form of a report from Gen. Kuropatkin to tire Czar, transmitting Gen. Misht-c-henkb’s report of the action. This report. as given out, is exceedingly vague on the matter of the Russian retreat and the reasons for it if the loss was no larger than he admits. It is entirely within the range of possibility that pen. Mishtchenko’s report was edited before given to the press.

It thus happens that the first report sent by Gen. Kuropatkin after his arrival in the field records a Russian defeat on the sixth anniversary of the Russian occupation of Port Arthur. The operations took the form of a cavalry attack by six companies of Cossacks, led personally by Gen. Mishtchenko, against four squadrons of Japanese cavalry, which the genefal believed to be beyond Chong-Ju, but which he found to be in occupation of that town.

Despite a cross-fire which Gen. Mishtchenkp cleverly directed against the enemy he pays a tribute to their tenacity and bravery, the Japanese only ceasing to fire after a combat winch lasted for half an hour. Before the Russians could follow’ up their advantage three Japanese squadrons galloped toward the town, which two of them succeeded in entering, while the third was driven back in disorder, men and horses falling. The tire maintained on the town was so destructive that the Japanese were unable to make an effective return. Further Japanese re-enforcements arrived an hour later and Gen. Mishtchenko was forced to retire.