The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-09-10
GREAT BATTLE
OF LIA0.YANG
AN EYEWITNESS TELLS HOW IT
WAS FOUGHT.
Fiercsst Struggle of Modern Times,
Lasting Ten Days, Is Described by an
American War Correspondent, Who
Watched It at Close Quarters.
New York Sun Special Service.

in a special cable to the Herald from
Shan i-kwan, Sept. 7, by way Of Tin
tsin, Sept. 8, says:
I have just made seventy miles on
horseback thru a heavy storm, passed
sixteen hours in a Chinese open boat,
and walked twenty miles to send you
the story of the great nine days battle,
ending in the capture OF Llaoyang by
| the Japanese.
After long wait at Hai-cheng the
second army under General Oku, con
sisting of the third, fourth and sixth d
visions, moved north to cooperate with
General Nozu s army, which had lande9
at Ta-ku-shan, comprising the fifth and
tenth divisions, and also with the first
army under General Kuroki, comprising
the second and twelfth divisions with
the imperial guard.
| The whole great force was under Mar
| shall Oyama, whose chief OF stall, Gen
oral Kodana, is an equally fine strate,,
gist. The main headquarters remained
near General Oku.
Constant telegraphic communication
was maintained with the armies with
the result that the movements were exc
cuted in perfect unison.
The Battle Begins.
On Aug. % the Japanese front came
in contact with the Russian outposts,
who RETIRED: The Japanese on the 3?th
trenched positions on high, rocky hills
south of n-shan-shan. They replied
fiercely to a heavy cannOnade OF the
Japanese, while infantry spent the day
assuming positions in a. corn,coVered
plain at the foot of the hills and install
ing telephone to the. staff from the
trenches in preparation for general at
tack. oi,
Firing began at daybreak on the. 2Sth
, The Russian batteries were admlraply
concealed and assisted by, q, ball90n,
, | ;,1, h ipho q hilton.
correspondents and attaches were
placed several miles distant, seeing only
the tufts of shrapnel smoke and hear
ing the thunder of guns. rh ne; 1 were e
kept in complete Ignorance or the Gay )
, operations by the staff o.,
In the middle of the afternoon, with
a powerful glass I saw the Japanese IN
=, fantry. like brown ants, on the crest OF
one hill waver along the Skyline ano
; disappear towards the twilight OF a
l great burst of Russian ire, lndcatlng
= their further retreat.
The Japanese occupied An-shan-shan
that night, and the outposts pushed Tor
ward to the Sa river, seven miles from ,
the Russian position at shuJampo me
T then decided to make Tor the front,
as it was impossible to do any work
under the conditions obtaining. On the
3Oth, when the correspondents set out
in charge of three officers, I seized my
chance at a bend in the road and gal
loped north Hard riding brought me
to hill. where I stopped to study the
Russian position.
The Russian Position.
shu-sam-po is on a line of five hills.
I named the first "Gibraltar, as it IS
q great rocky eminence, crowned with
3 a Chinese town; the second, "The Re
Doubt slightly, in front Of z"Glbral-
tarn and heavily held by RYss siGrs ar,
Hill, - the fourth Scrub Hill,' and
On all, as on ''The Redoubt, IT, the
Russians had protected those points
pits, stakes and wire enta,nglemenats
They also had cut all the tail corn for
400 wards from the base Of the hills
They used the Chinese tower and a
balloon for directing their fire.
The Japanese Formation. Z
The Japanese second army formed
on the left. their line being in the corn
which hid thousands of infantry march
ing in single file and also enabled tn
batteries to take their positions. tn
R SrT 4Io was aS0 apmv to- to-
4 northeast was on the right, evidently il
Il The total japanese force was abou
- 100000, and the Russians 100000. Sue
"a it was evident there was going to b
"a fought one of the worlds creates
"a battles.
N The artillery duel had continued sine
M davbreak with terrific vigor. Tn
IA Japanese we're searching the Russia
E trenches with shrapnel, and were fine
81 ing difficulty in locating the Russia
Ri batteries. The Russians, having TIL
d advantage of POSITION, were doing. gres
~ damage, tho their firing lacked pr
M cision.
n / left the hill and Joined the adval
b cling Japanese column, passing thru cor
q nine feet high and occasionally comm
81 to bare spaces, which were prompt
IA shelled by the Russians. My horse b
N came frightened, so [ dismounted. F
W reared and bolted, and I saw it wou
n be useless to pursue him, and presse
d on afoot.
n T found Japanese battery, whie
d was suffering heavily, but heroical
| III worked. Everywhere was working, i
M fantry going ahead or entrenchin
| u Here and there were dead or men lyil
| d wounded receiving field dressing wit
H out moan. Finding the danger e
n IRENE and unjustified by the result
RI sought another hill, whence [ watch
| m the battle.
n Wonderful Infantry Charges.
| hot