The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-05-03
VICTORY CROWNS
GALLANT CHARGE
Five Days of Fighting on the YaIu Ends in Des-
perate Battle and Resultant Russian
Defeat

Gen. Kuroki ordered two companies
of the Imperial Guards to cross the
Yalu and make a reconnaissance along
the left bank of the Tho for the pur-
pose of discovering the character of
the Russian fortitications along the
heights on the right bank of the river.
The Japanese force advanced near
Kosan, and then dispatched a small
detachment to the village, where a
party of Russians was encountered.
In the engagement which followed five
Russians were killed. The Russians
shelled the accommodating party from
an implacement in the hills in the
southeast part of Yoshoko. This fire
was without effect.
Bombardment of Wiju.
The Russian artillery on the hill be-
hind hiu-tien-cheng, firing at a high
angle opened on Nyiju. the islands of
Kurito, and Seikodo, to the south of
Wiju, where some Japanese batteries
had taken position. This firing con-
tinued into Thursday night, and Gen.
Kuroki reports that while it was inef-
fective, it disturbed! his preparations
for an attack. The Russians resumed
the shelling of Wiju on Friday, but
the Japanese guns did not reply.
The Twelfth division of the Japa-
nese army was chosen to make the
first crossing of the Yalu 1t began it's
preparations 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 owed the
river during the day, and by o'clock
Saturday evening it was in the position
assigned to it for the battle of Sun
day
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 Fighting Saturday.
AT twenty minutes to IL o'clock Sat
urday morning the Russian artillery
posted TO the north and to the east of
-tien-cheng began shelling the pa
trolls of Japanese infantry which had
been dispatched from kinteito Island
to Chukodai another island north of
kinteito and under Chiu-tein- cheng
The japanese batteries replied to this
Cs
Later eight Russian guns posted on
hill to the east of the village of
Makao opened upon the Imperial
Guards. To this shelling the Japanese
artillery to the east of Wi-ju respond
ed and the Russians ceased firing.
Then both the iu-tien-cheng> and
the Makao batteries reopened, and
this fire brought a 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 re-
port Gen. KurOki expresses the belief
that his shelling was very effective
against the Russians.
The Japanese losses in the bonn
bardments of Saturday were two men
killed and five officers and twenty-five
men wounded. A fotilla of gunboats
from the squadron of Admiral Hosoya
participated in the fighting of Satur-
day. 1t encountered mixed force of
Russian infantry, cavalry and artillery
on the Manchurian bank of the Yalu
below Antung, and after sharp fight
scattered them to the hills.
Crossing the Yalu.
A bridge across the main stream of
the Yalu just above Wi-ju was COM
pleted at o'clock Saturday night, and
the second Japanese division and the
Imperial Guards Immediately began
crossing. They advanced and occupied
the hills back of <osan, facing the
Russian position on the right bank of
the river. All through Saturday night
regiment after regiment of japanese
soldiers poured across the bridge, and
at a late hour Saturday night Gen.
Kuroki telegraphed to the general
staff of the army:
81 will attack the enemy on May 1,
at dawn
The Battle Sunday.
True to his promise, Gen. Kuroki
at daylight Sunday, centered all his
artillery on the Russian position be-
tween Chiu-tien-cheng and Yoshoko.
To this fire the Russians made reply
with all their batteries.
At o'clock in the morning the
Russian battery at Yoshoko was ST.
fenced and half an hour later Gen.
Kuroki ordered his line, stretching for
four miles, to attack. The japanese
infantry, OH the word of command
charged across the Tho, wading that
stream breast deep, and began storm
ing the heights at fifteen minutes
past
At o'clock they had swept the
russian line back across the plateau.
The reports of this fighting which
cate whether the Russians retired
Feng-huaa-cheng, on the road to
Liao-yang.