IMAGI-NATIONS. PART 19.

  THE LONG MARCH INTO CHINA AND PREPARATIONS FOR BATTLE.

Following their victory in Mukden the Chinese army slowly retreated towards Harbin. Some troops were carried north by returning empty supply trains while the Generals looked for opportunities to inflict further defeats on the UNION. The UNION forces followed the Chinese ever north at a respectful distance using their cavalry to maintain the immediate pursuit while remaining constantly on guard against a Chinese ambush. The march towards Harbin, almost 850 miles away, took some 9 weeks.

On 17th October 1870 the UNION army was only 35 miles from Harbin. Cavalry were some twenty miles closer watching the Chinese forces constructing fortifications about 10 miles south of Harbin. It seemed clear that the Chinese retreat had ended and they were preparing to give battle.

In fact the Chinese retreat had been stopped on the direct orders of the Government in Peking. Although pleased with the victory at Mukden, they could not tolerate the seemingly endless retreat in the face of the hated UNION army. The Chinese General in command knew full well the likely result of a stand against UNION firepower and his own fate in such circumstances. He opted to remove himself from command with a bullet to the head. The government dispatched the senior political general to assume command and carry out their orders.

This worthy rushed south. On arrival his assistants indicated that with the whole army concentrated in a solid block on a front of only fifty miles south  of Harbin, they were at serious risk of being outflanked and attacked from the rear. The new general immediately gave orders for about half of his forces to refuse the eastern flank in a northerly direction for about 30 miles. This was considered sufficient to protect from an out flanking maneuver by the UNION. The whole Chinese army now engaged in extensive construction of defensive works all along their southern and eastern front,  but still observed by UNION cavalry. UNION command issued instructions for Army Group B to move to the east and advance north to match the Chinese lines whilst remaining out of sight but within artillery range. Army Group A moved to within five miles of the Chinese southern front. Huge volumes of artillery ammunition were rushed forward to  all UNION positions and stockpiled. All was set for a UNION attack on 29th October.

On the appointed day 24 battalions of UNION heavy artillery, now organised into ad hoc brigades, opened long range fire on Harbin from the south while in the east the bombardment fell on the railway line going north from Harbin. On both fronts a total of 48 battalions of field artillery commenced fire on the Chinese defensive positions. The UNION bombardment continued non stop for three days and nights. Exhausted UNION gunners worked in relays to maintain the relentless assault on the Chinese in what was easily the heaviest artillery barrage ever seen  at that time. Chinese artillery, hopelessly out ranged and unable to reach UNION positions, was destroyed along with the rest of the Chinese army under an inferno of explosions.

On 1st November the UNION artillery barrage slowly subsided and UNION infantry began to advance on all fronts while cavalry brigades moved far to the north to block Chinese communications.