The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1904-09-23

tai mines, which it was intended to
posed of thirteen battalions. Taking
the position near Sykwantun as a
pivot, it was intended that the army
effect movement to flank the Jap
anese, which extended from the Taitse
river near the village of Kwantun to-
ward the Yentai collierles. Offensive
operations began when all the troops
had taken up their allotted positions.
The night of September the COM
nander of the corps on the right flank
sent dispatch stating that the Japa-
nese. having taken the offensive and
occupied the district northwestward Of
our Sykwantun position. which was Of
regiment holding the district waa
forced to retire. and l was obliged to
change my plans in order to retake tho
lost ground the following day.
Capture Sykwantun.
cit was not until the evening of Sep
TENDER 9 that the entire mountain vii.
lage of Sykwantun was in our hands.
At first our attacks did not succeed. but
the fighting was continued with un-
abated vigor even after darkness had
set in. We repeatedly gained posses.
sion of the heights. but We're finally
compelled to withdraw. Many of our
detachments became mixed up, and in
the disorder unity of command was
rendered very difficult. Leaders of in.
diVidual detachnents, however, con,
tinued the attacks time after time. and
at last succeeded in occupying the de,
sired position, thereby attaining thd
object of the operations C our right
flank. AS soon as the left flank. in the
vicinity of the Yentai mines, on Sep
| tember (Orloff's detachmenD occupied
the heights to the north of the mines,
holding a strong position facing south,
we opened fire with two batteries and
engaged the army in an artillery duel
Orioff's right flank was then four miles
from the left flank and the remainder
OF the army, In order to aid our troops
holding positions near Sylkwantun, Or,
loft sent part of his force from the hills
| and attacked the enemy in the direc.
ton of Sakhumoon. This movement
was carried out in corn fields.
Bewildercd in the Corn Fields.
Our men met with a frontal and
flank fire. and. losing their bearings in
the corn fields. began to retire. The
troops remaining in the hills also re.
tired westward.
by that time Orloff'sJ detachment
was within a mile and a third of our
other forces. Orloff himself was wound
ed, as also was General Fomin, who
subsequently died.
<AitSi tiie eNdcudllou Inc H.,
which had been intended to serve as a
base for our attack. the Japanese ex-
tended northward and occupied the
whole range of hills and the Yentai
mines. Samsonoff's sotnia of Cossac ks
dismounted and defended our positions
with the utmost courage, but We're
gradually driven back.
The enemy was now established in
IN extremely strong position in the
hills and it would have been too naz-
ardous for our left flank to attack them
! i'll view of the losses sustained in the
previous five days. We therefore with
drew to the village of Talienko, and l
decided to retire to Mukden, the retreat
being accomplished on September Z.
THE evacuation Of Lao Yang began
and was concluded the morning of Sep
| TENDER 4. All our equipment was re-
moved. and there was no time to save
the commissariat stores which We're
sufficient to last the whole army eight
days. These We're all destroyed. The
! pontoon bridges We're dismantled and
carried off by the troops, while tenn
porary pontoons were burned and the
railway bridge wrecked. The army re-
temDted to pursue, but was repulsed.
Fierce Attack on Rear Guard.
Precautions We're taken on Septem-
| Der 3 and to prevent "A turning move
ment from the east. The Japanese to
the southwark took no vigorous nitiat-
| I've. but General Kuroti assumed the
offensive to the eastward. Our detach-
ments holding positions at Talienllo
sustained a furious night attack. which
was particularly desperate on Septem-
Der 5. We retained our position but
suffered great losses, one regiment,
which bore the brunt of the fight losing
! 500 in killed and wounded.
"Ry the evening of September 5 the
danger of 4 simultaneous attack on our
front and left TANKS had disappeared.
The removal OF our artillery transport
and baggage trains was affected in the
face of immense difficulties but was
successfully concluded. Our retirement
on Mukden on September Z was COW
cred by strong rear guard OF cavalry.
We abandoned nothing from August
80 up to the time of our arrival at
Mukden. Our engineers worked with
the greatest devotion. Throughout all
the fighting they rendered invaluable
service in making and repairing roads
and assisting in the railway traffic"
EXPEDITION TO kAMCHATkA.