The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1904-05-20
STORY OF THE.
FIRST LAND ENGAGEMENT

RNIftlpTGIldENs HAbitiENh 'AtAa $1,000
bomhardment OF our whole position ut
Chiu-nen- cheng commenced from Wiju.
| foresaw that the Japanese after the
bombarGment, in which over ZOO
projeetiles were discharged. would take
the offensive
ORDERED INTO BATTLE.
~ received orders from Lieutenant
General Zassalitch to accept battle ana
to retain my position at Potietinsky.
my left flank was defended by two
battalions of the Twenty-second regi-
ment and the third battery of the sixth
Brigade.
THE Japanese took the offensive Mt
o'clock in the morning, dispatching
at least one division of infantry which,
advancing in column, sustained enor-
nous losses but crossed the ford and
attacked our position, which was ex-
posed to the fire of thirty-six field guns
and siege batteries.
1.-The Japanese advanced and occu-
pied the position. Toward noon I as
certained that the Japanese had routed
the battalion of the Twenty-second reg
iment posted at Chingow and We're
turning my left flank.
left flank was reinforced by two bat
talions of the Eleventh regiment and
battery commanded by Lieutenant
Colonel Moravsky which We're sent
from the reserve by General Zassalitch
the departure of the Ninth and Tenth
regiments from Sakhodza. l ordered
the Eleventh regiment to occupy n
u, IT,, frny,
which they could fire on the enemy
from two sides
''I held Lieutenant Colonel Morav-
sky's battery in reserve and ordered the
Twelfth regiment, the Third battery
and the uick-firing guns TO retire I'M
der cover of the Eleventh regiment.
my chief of staff led the rear
guard to its position.
AN AWFUL CROSS-FIRE.
AT l o'clock the japanese approach
ed so closely to the position held by
the Eleventh Regiment that the third
battery could not pass along under the
ross-fire, and, taking up a position a
short distance from the Japanese, re-
manned there until the end of the tight
ing, losing its commander Lieutenant
Colonel Moravsky. A company with
quick firing guns was brought up from
the rear guard and the officer COM
handing this force, seeing the difficult
situation of Moravsky's battery, took
up a position on his own initiative. He
lost half of his men and all his hor SEES
and attempted to remove his guns by
hand to the shelter of the hills under
the japanese cross-fire. The quick fir
ing ripraS 1iSrb n hoIt Hi,l-
lets.
CUT IT'S WAY THROUGH.
The Twelfth Regiment cut it's way
through and saved it's colors.
The second battery of the sixth
Brigade, having attempted to rejon the
reserves by another route, could not
ascend the mountain slopes, with only
half it's horses, and, returning 20 it's
original position, received the japanese
attack.
The Eleventh Regiment, which held
it's ground for two hours more WITH
heavy losses, forced a passage at the
point of the bayonet and crossed the
ravine with it's colors. 1t lost it's
Colonel. We lost forty officers and
about 1000 non-commissioned officers
and men,.
The japanese losses must have cen
enormous.
THE Russians retired in good Or
der on Feng Huan Cheng.
. The men of the Third Division
maintained their excellent morale, and
over 200 wounded proceeded with their
regiments to Feng Huan Cheng."