The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-10-21
JAPANESE ATTACK FAILS.
Russians Hold to the Lone Tree Hill
Notifications.


MUKDEN. Oct 2O.-A Russian cor
respondent sends the following account
Of an attempt of the japanese to retake
Lone Tree Hill after the capture of
that important position by the Rus
slams:
"On the night of October Is the Jap
anese brought their rapid fire guns 10
the front and we felt through the dark
ness, though we could scarcely see, a
desperate attack launched against the
whole line Some say the object was
to retake the fifteen guns that we had
wrested from them, while others are
of the opinion that a general attack
had been planned Of which this move
was a mere diversion, the main object
being 20 recapture the vital position of
PoutilOff, formerly Lone Tree Hill. In
any event the enemy found Kuropatkin
at home and they were not kept long
knocking at his front door.
The first warning of their coming
was the rattle of quick firing guns con-
centrated on the Nineteenth Regiment
We lay silent while their artillery
thought it was paving the way for the
japanese attack. Then came the IN
fantry and we opened with the favorite
Russian volley firing 1t was pitch
black, but as the darkness was lit up
with the glare of our volleys we could
family see the shadowy waves of the
enemy's infantry breaking and sink
ing as they tried TO breast our trenches.
The first fierceness of their attack
spent itself Then came an unaccount-
able panic that sometimes grips even
brave men in darkness. They seemed
to think we were advancing to attack,
for they turned and fed in confusion.
Now we have quiet nights. The troops
are resting. Japanese reports of their
victories are baseless.
Il have just met an officer of the
eastern column, who was with General
Mistchenko during the operation of Oc-
tober 13. 1t seems the japanese were
marrying his left flank while he was
trying simultaneously to keep in touch
with our eastern and with our central
forces. General Mistchenko appealed
for aid, and a squadron of dragons
was sent to his support. This squad
ron occupied a hill southwest of va
nientun, a village seven miles north
west of BentsiaDutZe and on the Muk-
den road. 1t turned out that the Jap
anese held a neighboring hill with a
force of infantry concealed in the
woods at the foot of the hill, and so
we sent another squadron to turn the
Japanese position. The country is in
tersected with ravines, and our caval-
rymen were forced TO go afoot. Cap
tain Sherubovich captured the hill, his
dragons routing out the Japanese
from the woods at the foot of the hill
and fighting their way to the top. The
Japanese seeing another squadron as
cending the opposite side, while a rifle
! regiment was turning their flank,
feared We had cut them off from the
west road, which was the only line Of
I retreat they had, and began to retire
/ In disorder. We caught and cut down
( groups as they tried vainly to gain the
western road. The dragons used their
/ sabers with deadly effect, both in at
! lacking the hill and during the retreat
/ Some of the Japanese scorned to give
4 or take quarter, and died fighting. bay
onets against sabers, in the trenches,
I while their companions fed"
In an account of the Russian cap
ture Of Lone Tree Hill the correspon-
dent says:
The gunners, refusing to surren-
der, died to a man among their smok-
ing guns, and the regiment swept on
routing the japanese from behind
stone wall. whence they fed in con-
fusion. Meantime the Third Battalion
surrounded a native village. which
threatened the rear attacking col
umn. There was a hand-to-hand
fight in the streets before the village
was cleared of japanese, and the bat
TALON surrounded and burned a Sec
ond village, taking number of pris-
oners, where there was again an ex-
ample of Japanese bravery. An Of
ficer. his revolver empty, stood alone
sword in hand, TO receive the rush of
our column and went down fighting.
Prisoners whom we captured early
in the fight were kept in the
trenches, but begged to be sent to the
rear, fearing to be recognized by
their comrades having sur
rendered"