The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-11-06
The GENERALS
AT PORT ARTHUR.

+. !.
AT PORT ARTHUR.
Mr. Charles Johnson has written an
| Instructive sketch for Harpet's Weekly
OF tho commanders at Port Arthur. in
which no points out that many OF them
have before seen active service and solno
on tbis very field OF action He recalls
| that every one Of the Mkado's generals
whose names are now familiar even TO
tho man in tho street gained high dis-5
tinctlon III the war which WAS wagcd
Ten years ago between Japan and China.
lie recalls that Field Marshal Ynmagata
was then in command of the First Jn pa
nose army. Field Marshal Oyar1a in like
manneA commanded the Second JaDn-5
nese ARMY. which captured Port Arthur.
Ma tor- General Nogi, az he then vas.
made name for himself nj the fall
OF Kalping. Northumberland kurokf
was the hero of Wei 1Iai,YYel, which
v as brilliantly assaulted and captured b.
the Japancse. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Oku
was the hero OF the first ca pture OF New
Chwang. Similarly Vice-Admtral Togo.
whose !. name stands first for actual
achievement in naval warfare, gained
tigh distinction in the Chinese war. Then
a captain, he was In command Of the
sJaniwa. one of the three swift wa rshps.
which led the attack against the Chinese
bntt!csh!ps at the outset OF the war He
was the leading figure IN the sinking OF
the transport Kowshing, which had on
board a number Of English officers and en-
gineers, In Chinese service. When thu
Naniwa fired on the Kowshing and sank
her. the English officers ajumpsd into the
water from the sinking ship While strug-
Cling IN the water, they were fired on by
tho Chinese and were with great, diff
Guilty rescued BY the japanese under Cap
tain Togo. Another Japanese commander.
now famous, Lieutenant General Nodzu.
mode his mark at Ping-Yang, at the
be ginning 9th Chino-J3panese war VII
tho contest was still being fought on
Korean SOIL Sgt, Us q is9 VI
Proceeding then to description OF the
attack he says:
| landing Of Japanese troops at Fusan. tic
| naval battle Oft the Yalu. the advance OF
the Japanese army! to Seoul and thence
north to Ping-Yang, where they gained
| their first great and decisive victory over
| the Chinese. We also know something OF
| the first advance OF the japanese into
Manchuria driving before them the van
qu1shed but obstinately fighting Chinese
troops But most OF his have probaply
| forgotten the "details Of the taliing Of
Port Art bur. and the part played In that
:
eral Stoessel's chief opponent.
Port Arthur was then considered one
Of the most. formidable forts In existence.
| Its Notifications had been planned by u
| d!stinguished German soldier and strate-
| gist, Major won Hanneken and consisted
of twenty main forts and many lesser
works, and these were backed up W
| huge docks and iron works 1or II inc re-
pair and fitting OF the Chinese fleet which
4 <t,orsn "a ~
japanese army. which was destined TO
! take Port Arthur. had been at klnchowi
since November S. 1894 Twas com
mnnded by Marshal Oyamn. On Novenl-
Der 18th, the march on Port Arthur was
| begun, and on November 3Jtn Port Ar
! thur was reached by the Japanese army.
| The attack was arranged by Marshal
Oyama for the early mornpg OF No t;
Der 21st. It was so cold that Inc Japa-
nese soldiers slept in each other 8 arms arms.
to keep themselves from freezing. just
after the rising OF the moon. about 2 a.
NJ, the Japanese soldiers began their
advance, taking with them nothing be.
yond their rifles and ammunition.
The plan Of attack decided on by Mar
shall Oyama was as follows: The first
dly!sion was 10 attack the Eteshan or
"Chair Hill" forts. The Mixed Brigade
was to storm the ErhIng-shanE forts. The
| independent cavalry was TO cover the
right flang OF the first division. -Four
batteries OF siege-artillery were stationed
to the north OF shuitse-ylng. The first
attack was made on Eteshan by Major
| General Eishi, with the Third Regiment
| with forty field and siege guns. The
| Chinese at first responded vallantly With
! their heavy Krupp guns but after an
| hour their firo stopped, and the Third
Regiment rushed Irteshan at the point
| of the bayonet
Meanwhile, the Chinese Pclyu-shan and
Song -shu shan forts kept up q steady fire
on the Japanese, but In spite Of this
the whole group OF Eteshan forts were
| In the hands OF the Japanese BY a. NJ
The next attack was directed against the
Song sh,l-s han forts The Chinese IN these
forts were preparing to flee, when q
| shell exploded their powder magazine,
and slaughtered many OF them: This
! group OF forts fell about ! / a. NJ. The
assault on Erhlung-shan and I<ikwong-
| shan forts began Immediately after this,
| the Mixed Brigade taking the lead. Seven
/ great forts III this group were silenced
by noon, and thus all tho Inland forts
4 had fallen into the hands Of the Japn,
4 .nese by midday. the port proper and the
coast forts being stillsln the hands Of the
4 Chinese.
/ The attack on the town OF Port Ar-
/ thur and the COAST Iorts WAS ien " Nih'ff
| shal Oya1na In person. Hwangrk SIN shan,
the most Important Of the coast forts,
| was we'll supplied BY heavy art illery. The
Second Regiment advanced to the assault,
| and by q p. M, all the Hwan-kin-shan
or ,'Golden Hill' forts wereIln the, hands
| OF the Japanese, This marked the close
/ Of effective resistance. for by the next
! morning the Chinese had deserted all
| tho remaining forts and Fort thurs wa 9
! In Marshal Oyamn's hands.
i II is Impossible not to be struck by
the almost complete identity in order Of
i the events OF tho two sieges, but here