The Conquest Of Leaoutung Was Therefore
Discontinued For The Purpose Of Closing Accounts With The Last Of The
Niuche Principalities; But Enough Had Been Accomplished To Whet The
Appetite Of The Manchu Leader For More, And To Show Him How Easy It Was To
Vanquish The Chinese.
On his return to his capital, Hingking, he prepared
to invade Yeho, but his plans were undoubtedly delayed by
The necessity of
resting his troops and of allowing many of them to return to their homes.
This delay, no doubt, induced the Chinese to make a supreme effort to
avert the overthrow of Yeho, who had proved so useful an ally, and
accordingly the governor of Leaoutung advanced with 100,000 men into
Manchuria. He sacrificed the advantage of superior numbers by dividing his
army into four divisions, with very inadequate means of inter-
communication. Noorhachu could only bring 60,000 men into the field; but,
apart from their high training, they represented a compact body subject to
the direction of Noorhachu alone. The Manchu leader at once perceived the
faulty disposition of the Chinese army, and he resolved to attack and
overwhelm each corps in detail before it could receive aid from the
others. The strongest Chinese corps was that operating most to the west,
and marching from Fooshun on Hingking; and Noorhachu perceived that if he
could overthrow it the flank of the rest of the Chinese army would be
exposed, and its line of retreat imperiled. The Chinese general in command
of this corps was impetuous and anxious to distinguish himself.
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Page 220 of 704
Words from 59206 to 59466
of 191255
