Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1904-10-21

I General Kuropatkin in a telegram filed
October LIZ. There is no sign OF the
battle slackening. On the contrary
General Kuropatkin ~telegraphs that he
has ordered the army to resume the
fight with undated vigor today. Cen
eral Kuropatkin himself is In
the thickest Of the fighting and Gem
eral Sakharoff, his chief Of staff, is
personally directing "Reminiscences.
The advance guards at these points
had to be repeatedly reinforced owing
to the great pressure of the Japanese
attacks. At nightfall OF October IL
the Russian right was withdrawn from
its main position; but one of the
abandoned positions was retaken at
the point of the hayonet during the
night.
Contrary to Field Marshal Oyama's
report no indication Is given in Genera!
Kuropatkin's telegram of an envelop-
ment movement by General Oku. The
only positions captured by force were
at the center where the Russians were
compelled to retire during The after
noon. There is no mention of the loss
Of guns. The war office declines to
deny that there was such a loss, but
explains that such an incident was
quite possible while positions were
changing hands, but even If it is true,
1t Of no material consequence.
According to kilograms from Russian
correspondents the horrors of the bat
tie were intensified by bitter cold and
rain.
According to the latest news OF the
fighting in the direction Of Benzihu the
Russians were striving for the possess
sion of EIu pass.
Should this pass fall into the hands of
the Russians it would involve the cap
ture of Benzihu, thus opening up the
road to Lao Yang. According to the
belief of the general staff, General Rem
nenkampff has not penetrated as far
as the Taitse river. but he is co-opera-
ating In the attempts to capture Ben
zihu.
In the midst of anxiety and suspense
involved in the great fight south OF
Mukden, comes also the first word in
many days from the gallant defendants
OF Port Arthur. While General Stoes-
sells report of the conditions at Port
Arthur is not later than October Z, it
shows that the garrison at that time
was in unimpaired spirits, making de-
Tense against a series of most bitter as
saults in the history of all sieges. The
closeness of the fighting and the deadly
character of the attacks and counter
attacks are shown by the fact that both
sides are using hand grenades and that
the Japanese, after a bloody capture of
the important signal station hill, were
unable to hold the position in the face
Of the fire from the fortress. The re-
peated failure of the Japanese to hold
a footing once gained in the circle of
inner forts is received here with con-
siderable satisfaction as indicating the
skill with which the d~efenses of Port
Arthur were adopted.
But the reckless ferocity of the as
saults by an overwhelming force seems
to make it certain that Port Arthur
can only be held at an immense ex-
penditure of ammunition; and ii is be-
coming a serious question with the au-
thorities how long even the great sup
ply known to exist in the fortress can
last against such assaults by the Jap
anese. The, most serious feature OF
General Stoessel's report, from a strate-
gical point OF view is the fact that the
Iese eese + esse- 2 mortar batter z PC
sition to bear on the inner fortress.
Emperor Nicholas held a council Of
wal at which, it is believed. the APP
pointment Of General Kuropatkin to
the post of commander I'm chief OF the
forces in Manchuria was decided upon.
The Baltic squadron viii leave Libau
for a short cruise.