Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-30
ATTACK AND DEFENSE
Stories of Bravery on Both
Sides.
REPORT FROM STOESSEL
TELLS OF JAPANESE REPULSE AT
PORT ARTHUR.
Some of the Larger Russian Guns Pu
Out of Action by the Enemy's
Batteries.

| ST. PETERSBURG, August 3O.-Direct
| news of Lieutenant General Stoesse COM
| mander of the Russian military forces at
Port Arthur, up to August 20, and OF a
| favorable character, has been received
| here. General Stoessel's report says that
| the Japanese attacks were repulsed till
| August 20, with heavy loss to the attack
| ers. He gives no details of the positions
| held or Of the Russian losses In men, but
| says the officers suffered severely, especial
| ly the younger ones. Some of the larger
| Russian guns were placed out of action by
the japanese batteries and were replaced
| by field pieces. He reports that the morale
! of the garrison is excellent. Finally, the
| general recommends Generals Fock, kon-
| dratenko, Smirnoff and others for bravery
| and devotion.
The navy as we'll as the army will share
| In the benefits of the imperial decree, pub
| lished today, by which the term of military
service for soldiers of the Port Arthur gar
| rison is reduced so that every month
served from May last until the end of the
! year shall count for one year OF the full
| term of service. This is repetition of what
| was done at the time of the siege Of Sc
! baStopO
| Events at Port Arthur.
CHEFOO August 3O-The last issue re-
| ceived here of the Novi krai, the official
organ at Port Arthur. contains an article
| warmly praising the conduct OF Captain
| Lebedieff, commanding the marines at
| Zaredoutn, who stood on top of wall, his
| revolver in one hand and his sword in the
| other. and killed or wounded twenty-odd
| Japanese, who, mounting on the shoulders
| of their comrades, attempted to scale the
wall. Whep the japanese were repulsed
! Captain Lebedieff sat down and was wip!ng
| the prespiration from his face when a
! schrap pnel shell tore his body to pieces.
The Port Arthur Novi Krai in its issue OF
| August 26, speaking of the incidents of the
! siege occurring between August % and
| August 26. makes mention of any gem
| eral assault during that period, but records
| several desperate attacks on the Russian
| position.
The Russia nconsul at Chefoo says the
| Novi Krai relates only facts. but coloTs
| item with the intention of inspiring the
| garrison and inspiring the troops to the
emulation of heroic deeds.
Gallant Attack Repulsed.
| Following a grand three days assault
OIL the defenses Of Port Arthur the Jap
| anese rested during the daytime of August
| 2a. At II o'clock that night they conceu-
trated a strong force to attack the Faro
eeutni fort. which is strong position on
| the Russian right flank. The japanese
made clever use Of the available cover,
creeping forward in Indian fashion for one
hour in spite of the Russian rifle fire. Mid
striking distance of the fortifications. They
then made powerful rush, but were
| moved down in all but one quarter.
Here body of Japanese succeeded in
entering the fort over the dead bodies of
tEeir comrades, but nearly all were bayo-
| netted inside the fort The remnant retreat
| ed, losing severely they fled After re-
pulsing the enemy the Russian troops
cheered.
| The japanese searchlights showed CHASTITY
heaps of dead like magic lantern pictures.
| The Japanese soon were reinforced, and
| recommended the attack furiously, but
| again rapnISad Krai
| ly asserts that the japanese troops were
forced forward by their own shrapnel fire,
| the guns having been placed behind them
| to prevent a retreat.
| third attempt to capture the position
| also failed and, anticipating a fourth at
| tack. the Russians were reinforced, but the
| fourth attack was not made.
The ZaradOutni presented to the Japanese
a high stone wall of Chinese construction
and the fact that one detachment succeed
| ed in scaling 1t is accounted marvellous.
| Daylight found the belligerents in that
quarter engaged in an artillery duel. Gen.
| Gorbatowsky personally directed the Rus
| sian fire, although he had been six days
and six nights without sleep. The fort
| suffered considerably from the japanese
| artillery, and Gen. Gorbatowsky ordered
the garrison into undamaged trenches.
The next glimpse the Russians had of the
| Japanese was at 10 o'clock on the morning
| Of August "a, when mountain battery
| of mules was seen in motion. The Russians
! opened fire on this battery and dispersed It.
At noon of the 24th, two japanese columns
| were observed one behind Sugar Head
| Hill and the other near the railroad bridge,
| but they retired when the Russian artil-
| lery made an attack on them.
Heavy Bombardment Opened.
| At 2 o'clock in the afternoon of the oath
| the japanese began a heavy bombardment
| of the Russian position with their 120 mil
| limetre guns, and at the same time Jap
| anese column of infantry and cavalry ap-
| peared at Palichuang. AT o'clock that
| afternoon the Japanese furiously attacked
| the entire northeastern front of the Rus
| sian defenses, but they were compelled to
! retire with considerable loss.
| The foregoing is an account of a battle
| mentioned in these dispatches yesterday as
| having occurred August 26. Whether the
| fighting which presumably did occur on
| the 26th was a separate attack or whether
| the Chinese who reported the occurrence
| were inaccurate in their dates cannot be
| determined
The night of August "a was quiet On
| the morning of the 25th the Japanese artll-
lery opened up along the entire eastern
front, but most severely on the northern
| section.
During the night of the 25th, Captain
| Stempneffsky, with a small force, made a
| sortie and attempted to disperse Japanese
battery located on Corner Hill, but without
success. This sortfe was made by High
| Hill. The Novikrai adds that the Japanese
| were building trenches in front of the hills
from Corner Hill to High Hill, but 1t does
l
| from the latter place. The Japanese have
| about thirty guns, some Of them mounted
| in Chinese stone houses and others In the
foot hills along the beach.
In the vicinity of Louisa bay, northwest
of Port Arthur, the Japanese have two
hundred guns concealed in a corn field.
Heavy Loss on Both Sides.
A junk. which left the Liaoto promontory
the afternoon of August 20, brings con-
firmation Of the report of fighting at Pail
Chuang on the 26th. making 1t clear that
there had been a fight of several days du-
| ration in that section, during which both
sides lost heavily The Japanese succeeded
in holding their position and mounting
guns. which. together with those at Chao
Chanko, exchanged a fierce fire with Rus
sian artillery from the two forts in the vi
cinity of TAPPING Use.
Chinese who came by this junk affirm
that the Russians are firing daily from
| Itzshan and Antazshan forts.
This may mean that there Is another
| undestroyed fort at Itzshan or that the
Russians have recaptured that position.
| One Of the Chinese declared that he has
been engaged for twenty days In carrying
Russian dead from the forts near TAPPING
Tse.