Liu Yuchiu—brooding over his secretive plans and purposes when I last wrote—has now decamped from Tseliutsing, moving to Jenshow so as to allow the Yun-monose to occupy without any fighting, Fushun, Tzcliutsing on Juno 28 and Tzechow on the 30th ultimo! So once again this astute "Military politician" has openly and decisively failed to support the Tuchun at the critical moment.
Its first result was to make Tan Mou-hsing of the Ist Division retreat again, this time with most serious consequences and almost disaster to his men, hundreds of whom were left by the roadside wounded and unable to keep pace with the main forces falling back day and night without rest or food. The villages were completely deserted of their inhabitants—all fled into hiding among the hills for safety, hence the retreating army passed through a country devoid of human residents, food or bedding. Furthermore the Ist Division got split into two sections with the Yunnanese between them, one part retreating towards Anyo and the other towards Tzeyang, 140 lithe side of Tzechow (2801i from Chengtu). For several days. it was said Tan's whereabouts could not be discovered, so completely thad he been routed through the action of Liu Yii-chin in voluntary. lily retiring to allow the Yunnanese to spring a surprise on the Tuchun's forces.
So serious had the situation become that the Tuchun sent his family away and gave out be was Being out to encourage his defeated and scattered men for a final effort to save his own position, From the best reports 1 gather the Tuchun actually left the city on the night of the 3rd ultimo, prob ably never to return should his troops suffer further defeat. General Hsiang of the 3rd Division came into the city to take charge to save the city from the dangers of fighting should the Tuchun not return. As it turned out, however, the Tuchun on leaving the city' received later news—good or bad one cannot ascertain—which made him return to the city almost Meanwhile General Hsiang opened negotiations between the Tuchun and Lu Ch'ao (5th Division—already discussed guaran Tuchun agreed to this and made Lit Commander-in-Chief of the forees "guarding the North" (of Szechuan), and as evidence of his good faith withdrew his own men among them the River Defence
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.