The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-03-22
RUSSIANS
RETREAT
Outposts at Anju Have Been
Abandoned
ON JAPANESE APPROACH
japanese Advancing TO YaIu
River in Overwhelming
Force.
ON JAPANESE APPROACH

LONDON, March 22.-Advices say
General Zhilinsk's official confirmation
of the reports that the Russian out
posts abandoned Anju upon the ap-
! prosch of the Japanese in force causes
no surprise here, as such action Is in
perfect accord with the Russian plan
Of campaign. The Russian skirmish-
ing and advanced posts were thrown
forward solely for the purpose of har-
assing and worrying the Japanese
Outposts, falling back as the main body
Of the enemy moves forward until the
strong positions at the Yalu river are
reached. The fifty miles Of country
between Anju and the Yalu are very
difficult for the movement Of large
force. There may be some lively
skrmishing as the Japanese advance
progresses, but the Russians are re-
solved to avoid decisive engagement
until certain Of victory.
A Tokyo report says a japanese di-
vision was landed on the Liaotung PEN
insula Saturday last and engaged the
Russian troops in the rear of Port Ar
thur.
simultaneously the fleet bombarded
the town and harbor
The action began at o'clock in the
evening and continued until 10 O'Clock
on Sunday morning.
Sixteen ships were engaged in the
attack, and the result is reported to
have been the occupation Of Port Ar
thur by the Japanese.
A sharp encounter at Chyongsyong,
on the Yalu river, about thirty miles
northeast of Win, in which the Rus
slams lost GOO in killed and wounded, is
also reported
The japanese have crossed ,Tatung
pass, forty miles from Haichehg, and
have come into collision with the Rus
slams
1t is reported from Chefu that the
Russians have withdrawn practically
ali their forces from the south side Of
the Yalu river before the Japanese ad.
vance which is making rapid headway
under command of Lieutenant General
Kodama, vice chief of the general
staff.
Sixteen thousand japanese troops are
now on the north side of the Chong-
chang river, within three days march
of the mouth of the Yalu.
The Japanese army has made sur
prisingly adroit moves along the
Chongchang river, moving north from
Pingyang.
The road has been made clear to the
Anju by the Japanese cavalry, which
has been working along the north side
of the river for a week. At a given
moment the Japanese army moved for
ward. So splendid was the move that
the correspondents who have arrived
here are lost in admiration.
A Russian officer commanding bat
terry on Electric hill during the last
bombardment of Port Arthur has sent
the following vivid account:
1T was clear sunlit day, and there
was a gentle swell on the water. A
little spot appeared through the haze
on the far horizon and then another
and another until these spots were in
creased to fifteen Nearer and nearer
they came, and larger and larger they
appeared until, when six miles OF,
there was tiny puff of smoke and all
in the battery wondered where the
projectile was going to fall.
Forty fathoms below the cliff where
we were stood the battleship Peres-
Wet. Bang! A shot burst under her
bows, splsshing the decks with spray.
There was another pun, and a projec-
tile whistled overhead, crashing on the
rock behind US. Then came q third.
1t was moment Of terrible suspense.
There was a terrific explosion over
head. They had got our range exactly.
1T was the signal for us to open
fire, and ten shore batteries and twelve
warships Joined in the reply.
what followed is indescribable.
The sea underneath where we stood
fairly boiled with the swish and plunge
of projectiles, and words Of command
were inaudible to the gunners. tried
vainly to shout my orders while 100
guns were belching in prolonged roar
and shells were bursting overhead
with a hellish crash. The smoke and
dust blinded US.
II did not experience excitement and