The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-07-28


 position south os Tsianchiatsia. Towards Dafanshen a Japanes battery was observed firing on ous an from the village itself fire was also di rected.
 According to reports received iron our cavalry stationed south Of Tsila choun, opposite our position at Nanda line, nothing was seen of the enemy il the direction of Tantchu.
 | At about [ o'clock Japanese infan l try was observed massing in the dis trict of Mansiatoun, Yantsuokara ant Dafanchen.
 The fire now became centered or our troops occupying the heights soutI of Tsianchiatsia, At the same time two battalions Of Japanese infantry at. tempted to occupy mountain to the 1 northwest of Dafanshen, but being dis. lodged by our artillery the Japanese took flight. Our shells burst full in the eneny's ranks.
 At about Il o'clock between three and four Japanese battaIions were fir ing on our troops occupying the heights of Tsianchiatsia. A battery of Russian field artillery and another of horse ar tiliery then began to fire from Nanaline their fire converging upon Dafanshen, As a result the Japanese fire slackened
 Immediately aster Il o'clock the troops posted at Tsianchialsia were re- inforced by a reserve battery, our fire again causing a considerable slackenine of the enenly's cannonade.
 At 2 o'clock in the afternoon all of -Four artillery, beginning from the Nan daline position. changed front and opened fire upon Dafanshen with such marked success that the troops in that section of the field attempted to take the offensive against the Japanese right flank.
 IA battalion sent in advance re- ported the presence of large reserves of the enemy on the line from Mentsin- toum to Fanchankou. The battalion sustained heavy casualties and was obliged to retire.
 At the same time the Japanese OCT cupying the heights of Fanchankau threw forward at least three more bat teries.
 At 4 o'clock in the afternoon the Emassing of the Japanese infantry sug- lgested that they intended to force our position at the village of Tsianchiatsia, which was held by the Baraoulsky reg iment. About five or six Japanese bat teries were engaged at this time, and l their fire increased towards evening
 At 1880 o'clock the Japanese fire was at it's height, and in the last rays of the setting sun the enemy delivered his attack on the Barnaoulsk regiment. The latter, reinforced by three battal- ions under the command of Colonel De brotin, valiantly swept back the enemy, making four bayonet charges and cap- turing a number (not yet ascertained) of rifles, together with ammunition. 1 At g o' clock in the evening the can nonade ceased, but the rife fire contin- ued until late in the night.
 We retained ali our positions.
 ss' After the fight it was ascertained that our eighteen battalions had been tengaged with at least two Japanese di- visions supported by an overwhelming number of batteries. The general exy tent of the position measured nine miles.
 Tn these circumstances I did not think 1t advisable to resume the action lon the following day. and resolved to retreat towards the north. The with. drawal was in perfect order. I Our losses have not yet been ascer- tained, but they are estimated at about twenty officers and 500 men killed or lwounded. Among the wounded is Colo Incl Auspensky, commanding the Tomsk lregiment.
 T must testify to the remarkable I f1rmness displayed by all the troops in my command during this difficult ac- ltion, which lasted sixteen hours. The Siberian regiments who had met the Emain Japanese attack in particular dis I ltinguished themselves by their unwav- ering endurance.
 :" Not an inch of ground was yielded despite the enormous numerical super Iiority and the repeated attacks on oul lcenter of which the fighting on four occasions was conducted at close quar- ters with the bayonet, which the Jap. anese could not withstand. a The list of the men meriting re wards for their share in this glorious fight will follow. In the meantime beg to mention the great valor of the Tobolsk and Tomsk regiments, of two battalions of the semipalatinsk regi- ment, and, in particular, of the Barna, Ioulsky regiment, which covered itseli with glory. The conduct of all our bat teries, which remained in action for if. teen and half hours under heavy fire was beyond all praise.
 "'I am unable to give the exact num- Der of losses sustained by the Japanese but venture to say that their losses were greater than ours.