The San Francisco call., 1904-10-19


won by the Russians after a desperate
struggle, was the object of gallant
and unsuccessful attempt at recapture
by the japanese In spite. of the awful
slaughter with which they had been
driven from the hill, the Japanese re-
turned to the charge during the night
Of October II, recognizing that the hill
was the key 10 the position ON the
southwest front. Nine regiments par
ticipated, creeping up through the
night and delivering furious assault
at dawn. But the hill had been bought
too dearly by the Russians to relin-
quish it and the japanese were driven
back with terrible slaughter.
FIDYATUN (six miles east Of
Shakhe). Oct 1S.-Fighting continues
along almost the whole front. The
japanese have made an unsuccessful
attempt to recapture Lone Tree Hill
The Russian infantry met several at
tacks and repulsed them all Heavy
rains continue. There was a terrific
cannonading last night. Every one is
terribly exhausted, but full of fight.
The battlefield of Lone Tree Hill pre-
sents the most awful spectacle that can
be conceived. Russian and Japanese
dead are mingled in heaps in mex
tricable confusion. The ground is
strewn with broken rifles that had been
smashed in hand to hand fighting.
Everything seems to have been utilized
as weapons. The Russian doctors are
working heroically on the slopes of the
hill in the attempt to save those Of the
wounded who still survive, but the
japanese keep up a shipping fire and
render the wc-k of relief difficult and
dangerous
The fighting to-day slackened con-
siderably. owing to rain and the i'm
passable condition of the roads.
VALOR AND SLAUGHTER.
ST. PETERSBURG, Oct. 1s.-The
general staff believes that the storm
ing Of Lone Tree Hill. for valor and
slaughter, win occupy a place by itr
self in military annals. Kuropatkin,
under whose eye the assault was
made, rechristened it Poutiloff Hill in
honor of the men who led the attack,
at the head of the Second Brigade of
the East Siberian rife division and
who were subsequently decorated on
the field with the St Georges Cross.
The hill is a precipitous, rocky
height and although the japanese had
occupied it only short time they had
thrown up very strong defenses. The
river running at its foot increased the
difficulty Of the task, but il was scaled
and carried successfully against the
unprecedented opposition of a Japan
ese division G4,OOO men) with many
guns.
The Russian losses were terrible.
The fighting on the crest of the hill
was altogether with cold steel. The
Russian officers, with swords aloft,
leading the scaling column, were lit
orally lifted into the air by the Japan
ese bayonets and the japanese then
bayOneted the first of the Russian sol
diers who piled into the trenches All
the dead in the trenches were bay
Oneted, their weapons bearing marks
of the dreadful combat
NemirOvich Danchenko, the well
known Russian war correspondent.
telegraphs a description of the storm
ing Of Lone Tree Hill This eminence
had first been taken by the japanese
in night attack. He says:
General Kuropatkin the following
day ordered the hill TO be retaken and
the whole Russian artillery concen-
trated at 5 o'clock in the morning
and shOwered the hill with projectiles.
the awful spectacle lasting the entire
day. 1t seemed that no human being
could outlive such an ordeal, yet the
defenders remained manfuIIy at their
posts.
FACE NTrRnFROTrC ETpE
The sun was already declining
when Kuropatkin gave. the order to
storm. Six regiments advanced, ford
ing the river in the face of a murder
Gus fire. The enemy determined to
make us pay dearly for It He poured
hail Of gun and rife fire on our ad-
Vancing columns, but nothing could
stop them. They reached the other
side, clambered mp, and at IL O'Clock
at night the position was in our
hands
I have just visited the scene of our
triumph. The trenches are filled with
dead japanese and Russians. cIutched
IN death embrace. 1 saw no such
CHASTITY sight at Shipka or at Plevna.
The credit for the achievement be-
longs chiefly to the Thirty-sixth and
Nineteenth rifles. Four other regi
ments participated. The Thirfv-
sixth attacked from the east and tbe
Nineteenth from the west. PoutiIoff
leading the brigade and personally di-
recting the attack, was the first to
reach the summit and was in the
thick OF the flercest fighting around
the japanese guns. The japanese gun
ners died at their guns. Kuropatkin
personally thanked the heroes for
their gallant exploit. The captured
guns were brought to Mukden."