Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1904-05-06
JAPS DRIVE THE
RUSSIANS BACK
Gallant Charge Closes Five
Days Fierce
Battle. r..
FRONTAGE OF FOUR MILES
The Russians Made Two Grave But
Intellectual Stands-Lose 800 Men
and Twenty.Eight Quick Firing
Guns.

Toxic, May 2 Il a. m.)-The Rus
SLAMS were forced to abandon Antunf
yesterday. They burned the town
and retreated to Feng Huan Cheng.
The Japanese now control the cstu.
airy Of the Yalu.
Toxic, May 81 p. m.)-The Jap.
ense losses on the Yalu Sunday were
about 700 killed and wounded. The
Russians lost over 800 men. The JAP
anese captured twenty-eight quick
firing guns. The report from General
Kuroki, covering Sundays fighting,
says:
THE Russians made two stands.
The enemy's strength included all OF
the Third division, two regiments OF
the Sixth division, one cavalry brig
ade, about forty quick-iring guns and
eight other guns. We have taken
twenty-eight quick-firing guns. many
rifles, much ammunition, more than
twenty officers and many noncommls-
stoned officers and men as prisoners.
l am informed that Major Keshtalin-
sky, commander of the Third East
Siberian rifles brigade. and Lieuten'
ant General Zassalitch, commander OF
the Second Siberian army corps, were
wounded Our casualties number
about 700 and the Russian loss is
more than 500 men,
Toxic, May 2.-After five days OF
fighting largely artillery, the first
Japanese army under General kurokl,
has forced a crossing of the Yalu
river, and yesterday, with gallant
infantry charge covering frontage OF
four miles, it drove the Russians
from Chiu Tien Cheng and the heights
on the river bank Of the Tho or Aida
river, which enters the Yalu from the
north almost opposite Wiju. The Jap
anese turned the left flank OF the
Russian position, and in the battle OF
yesterday they swept away the new
front interposed by the Russians to
check their onward movement.
The present position of the Japan
csc Is denominating one and they
may force the abandonment of the
Notifications erected by the Russians
at Antung and other points lower
down the river.
At 1O:4O o'clock Saturday morning
the Russian artillery posted to the
| north and to the east of Chiu Tien
! Cheng began Smelling the patrols OF
Japanese infantry which mad been dis
patched from Kinteio island to Chu'
koda, another island north Of Kintei-
| to and under Chiu Tien Cheng. The
| Japanese batteries replied to this
| Smelling and silenced the Russian fire.
! Later eight Russian guns posted on
| q hill to the east Of the village OF Ma.
| kao opened upon the imperial guards.
| To this Smelling the Japanese artil.
lery to the east of Wiju responded
and the Russians ceased firing.
Then both the Chiu Tien Cheng and
the Makao batteries reopened, and
this fire brought vigorous response
from the chain of Japanese batteries
on the Korean side of the river. The
Russian guns fired for two hours be
fore they were silenced. In his report
General Kuroki expresses the belief
that his Smelling was very effective
against the Russians.
The Twelfth division of the Japan.
ese army was chosen to make the first
crossing of the Yalu. 1t began its
preparation on Friday by driving the
| Russians from their position on the
bank of the river opposite Suikochin.
which is eight miles above Wiju and
the point selected for the crossing.
This division constructed a pontoon
bridge over the river and at O'Clock
Saturday morning it began crossing.
The entire division passed over the
river during the day, and by 6 o'clock
Saturday evening it was in the posi-
ton assigned to it for the battle OF
Sunday.
The movement OF the Twelfth jap
anese division was covered by the
Second regiment of field artillery and
another artillery regiment of heavy
guns.
The Japanese losses in the bonn.
bardments of Saturday were two men
killed and five officers and twenty-five
men wounded. A notilla of gunboats
from the squadron Of Admiral Kc-oya
participated in the fighting Of Satur-
day. It encountered a mixed force OF
,, Russian infantry, cavalry and artil-
! lery on the Manchurian bank of the
Yalu below Antung, and after sharp
| fight scattered them to the hills.
A bridge across the main stream of
the Yalu just, above Wiju was COM
pleted at O'Clock Saturday night and
| the Second Japanese division and the
Imperial guards immeS 'ately began
crossing. They advance and occu-
pied the hills back of \ san, facing
the Russian position oi the right
| bank of the river. All thru Ugh Satur-
day night regiment after n rment OF
Japanese soldiers poured across the
bridge, and at late hour Saturday
night General kuroki autographed to
the general staff of the army: Il will
attack the enemy on May l at dawn"
True to his promise, General Kuroki
at daylight yesterday centered all his
artillery on the Russian position be-
tween Chiu Tien Cheng and Yoshoko.
To this fire the Russians made re =
with all their batteries.
At o'clock in the morning "
sian battery at Yoshoko was
and half an hour later GeneE nj
ordered his, line, stretching 8. four
miles, to attack The Japanese in
fantry, on the word of command,
charged across the Tho, wading that
stream breast deep, and began storm
ing the heights at fifteen minutes
past 8.
At 9 o'clock they had swept the
Russian line back across the plateau.
No report mas been received in
Toxic concerning the losses sustained
by the Japanese in the fighting. It
Is believed that these losses were