On 4 July 1870 UNION and Chinese forces engaged in an encounter battle as Chinese troops attempted to delay the UNION invasion of their country. As both sides fed more troops into the battle it soon became clear to the Chinese they were massively outnumbered not only in manpower but particularly in artillery. As the UNION bombardment increased in power the Chinese commander decided to commence a slow withdrawal, his mission being to delay the UNION advance while awaiting reinforcements rather than to engage in a pitched battle.
By early afternoon the Chinese had retired north about 5 miles, fighting as they fell back. Unbeknownst to them UNION cavalry in large numbers had moved to their north east ready to strike. The UNION cavalry had orders to wait until the Chinese were level with their positions then to launch a horse artillery attack followed by dismounted assaults by the cavalry. As Chinese attention focused on these attacks the UNION forces to the south would then launch their attack thereby crushing the Chinese in a pincer movement.
In a flagrant disregard of orders, as soon as the Chinese forces came in view, one of the UNION horse artillery regiments thundered down the hillside towards the Chinese, unlimbered and started a bombardment. Although surprised, the Chinese realised they may be in danger of being outflanked. While the UNION cavalry commander frantically ordered the rest of his forces to launch their assaults early, the Chinese , in a rare display of tactical brilliance, made a rapid retirement out of the danger zone leaving the following UNION forces desperately trying to catch up while the UNION cavalry commander sought to avoid his troops accidentally engaging their comrades.
The UNION plan had failed spectacularly. Lieutenant Colonel Fetterman, commander of the horse artillery regiment which had jumped the gun was relieved of command and sent home immediately. He subsequently took early retirement rather than face a court martial. Over the next few days the UNION cavalry followed the withdrawing Chinese while the main body of the UNION army remained stationary waiting for the railway to reach their positions and link up to the Chinese railway, thereby gaining a clear line all the way to Harbin.
On 10th July the first of many trains arrived in Harbin bring Chinese reinforcements. Over the course of the next two weeks a Chinese army of 150,000 assembled around Harbin together with another 150,000 who de-trained at the camp of the rearguard about 30 miles north of the main UNION positions. The Chinese general knew his forces would soon be strong enough to attack the UNION army, who still remained camped at the old Chinese rail-head waiting for their railway construction crews to arrive. UNION cavalry had maintained their positions in the hills overlooking the Chinese rearguard positions and had reported on the Chinese build up. They were not however aware that another 150,000 Chinese troops were at Harbin.
By the beginning of August the UNION track builders were only 30 miles from the main UNION positions. As UNION commanders prepared to continue their advance into China, information arrived from the cavalry that Chinese forces had started to deploy from their camp and that a movement south was clearly imminent. There were also confused reports of dust clouds to the north perhaps indicating the arrival of another Chinese force. In fact the Chinese troops around Harbin had been trained south and were being unloaded less than ten miles north of the Chinese advanced camp. On 6th August UNION cavalry fell back to the main UNION position with news that a very large Chinese army was on the move. In fact the Chinese forces now numbered 350,000 with troop trains arriving daily bringing further reinforcements.
Over the next few days the two sides maneuvered for advantage while moving closer so that by 10th August the two sides were only five miles apart, 265,000 UNION troops and over 350,000 Chinese troops were about to clash in a titanic struggle.
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