The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-05-05
WIN A BIG BATTLE
Glorious Victory Crowns Prowess Of
Japanese Arms
HEAVY LOSSES To RUSSIANS ARMY
The First Army, under General kuro.
XII, Forces Passage of the Yalu
and Drives the Russians from Chen
Tien Chene.

Toxic. By Cable.-After five days Of
fighting, largely with artillery the
first Japanese army. under General
Kuroki. has forced a crossing of the
Yalu river and Sunday with gallant
charge covering a frontage OF four
miles. it drove the Russians from Chiu
Tien Cheng and the heights on the
right bank Of the Tho or Aida river,
! which enters the Yalu from the
North almost opposite Wiju. The Jap
anese turned the left flank of the Rus
sian position and in the battle of Sun
| day they swept the new front inter-
posed by the Russians to check their
onward movement. The present posi-
ton of the japanese is dominating
one and they may force the abandon
ment of the defenseS erected by the
Russians at Antung and oIner points
lower down the river.
General Kuroki began the movement
on Tuesday by ordering a detachment
Of the Imperial Guards division to
seize the island of kurito, which is in
the Yalu above Wiju, and detachment
of the second division to seize the ISL
and of Kintieto, which is situated be-
low Wiju. The detachment Of the I'm
perial Guards met some resistance, but
1t succeeded in clearing the enemy out
and occupied Kurito Island. The
Russians abandoned the island OF Kin
| teito when attacked by the detach-
ment Of the second divisions.
The action losses sustained by the
detachment of the Imperial Guards is
not known, as there Is an error in that
part of the message received here re-
ferring to the number killed, but 9
of the detachment were severely and
16 slightly wounded. The detachment
of the second division which took fha
island of Kinito sustained no losses.
During these movements on the ISL
and the Russians opened fire on the
Japanese with eight guns from a hill
behind Chu- -Tien-Chein and two Hotch-
kiss guns which were mounted on the
bank of the river at Kosan. where the
Russians seemed to have established
their headquarters One battery Of Jap
anese artillery which had taken posi-
ton on a hill to the east of Wiju fired
three volleys at Kosan and at l o'clock
Tuesday the Russian batteries behind
Chu Cheng opened fire. wounding one
Japanese soldier with shrapnel. On
Wednesday the bombardment OF Win
was continued. the firing being at in
teryals. The Japanese artillery did not
respond to this fact. General Kuroki
has received reports to the effect that
the Japanese loss was small.
The Russians shelled the reconnoit-
ering party from an emplacement IN
the hills in the southeast part of Yo-
shoko. This fire was without effect. The
Russian artillery on the hill behind
hiu-Cheng firing at a high angle
opened on Wiju. where some Japan
ese batteries had taken position. This
firing continued until Thursday night
and General Kuroki reports that while
il was ineffective, it disturbed his prep
arations for an attack The Russians
resumed the shellng of Wiju on Fri
day. but the Japanese guns did not re-
ply.
The twelfth division Of the Japanese
army was chosen to make the first
crossing of the Yalu. 1t began its pre-
2arations on Friday by driving the
Russians from their position on the
bank of the river. Opposite Suikochln.
which is eight miles above Win, and
the point selected for the crossing. This
division constructed a pontoon bridge
over the river and at o'clock Saturday
morning it began crossing. The entire
division crossed over the river and by
G O'Clock D. m, it was in the position
assigned to it for the battle Sunday.
The movement of the twelfth Jap
anese division was covered by the sec
ond Regiment of field artillery and
another artillery regiment of heavy
guns.
The Japanese losses in the lombard
ments of Saturday were two men KILL
Ell and five officers and % men
wounded. A fiotilla of gun-boats from
the squadron OF Admiral Hosoya par
ticipated in the fighting OF Saturday.
II encountered mixed force OF Rus
slams infantry, cavalry and artillery on
the Manchurian bank Of the falu be-
low Antung and after a sharp fght
scattered them to the hills.
bridge across the main stream OF
the ldlu, just DeloW "iJu' "oS
pleted at s o'clock Saturday night
and the second Japanese division and
the Imperial Guards Immediately be-
gan crossing.
They advanced and occupied the hills
back of Kosan. facing the Russian po-
sition on the right bank Of the river.
All through Saturday night regiment
after regiment of Japanese soldiers
poured across the bridge and at late
hour Saturday night General kuroki
telegraphed to the general staff OF the
army:
Il will attack the enemy on May l. at
dawn"
True to his promise General hurokl
at daylight today centered all his ar
t;llery on the Russian position between
Chiu- u-Tien-C -Cheng and Ioshoko. To this
FIRE the Russians made reply with all
their batteries. At Z o'clock in the
morning the Russian battery at fosho-
ko was silenced and half an hour later
General Kuroki ordered his line,
stretching for four miles. to attack.
The Japanese infantry on the word OF
command. charged across the mo.