Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-05-29

against night attacks. Nevertheless.
their night advance to the first line
was successful and they, like the left
division stuck like leeches to the lower
slopes day and night while the Rus
SLAMS made fierce attempts to shake
them of.
The right division had a very hard
fight lasting from the first of March 10
the morning Of the seventh at Ofuray.
several miles northeast and almost
south Of Fudhun, in their attempt to
turn the Russian flank there in CO.
operation with the Yalu army further
to the east. The mountains had steep
slopes and pointed SUBMITS with sew
eral rows Of entertainments, while the
Russians were equipped with many
machine guns. The country was such
that the Japanese could not advance in
large bodies and must go through mar
row valleys swept by the machine guns
and rifles from the heights. The
dlvlG!on should have waited for the
other forces to attack the Russian
nank and make a frontal attack easier
Ior them, but. the right army was
meeting equal difficulties at Bagan-
tan. Progress was slow on the right
OF the Japanese line until the Russians
began their retreat upon Fushun on
the night Of the sixth and seventh.
The Shaho river resembles tne Yalu
on small scale. having two or three
streams only few yards wide and
| shaiioW at this season, running in ir,
regular channels along a wide sandy
bed. On the south side the line OF
nils and mountains We're followed by
the japanese trenches. which were
about mile from the stream. while
the lower Mills and bluffs on the Rus
| sian side were much nearer The hills
were bare of trees and rocky and the
| whole landscape had a barren and
bleak aspect. In front OF Wites4n
| and for SEINE miles in both directions
the river ran nearly east and west,
To the east 1t made wide bend north
ward among high steep hills. At the
| vest it took another turn toward the
| southwest i'm front of the great rocky
hill called Monpaushan, or Tower Hill.
One division of kurohi's troops was to
cross in front of Witesan another
division at the bend of the river east
| and third among the hills several
miles from the center division.
Wednesday. the men who have done
| more than any other branch Of the
| army TO win battles-the Japanese in
fantry- came into evidence. During
the night. two companies had been
sent forward and occupied a village ins
the plain t. he right of Witesan in
front of a hin where the correspondent
"as watching events. That day they
were subjected to the hardest test
that infantry has to endure, to lie still
under heavy Smelling all day and take
their chances Of being hit There was
no protection in the town except huts
with straw roofs and mud walls, and
mud walls around the yards. The
soldiers huddled in long rows behind
the walls while the Russian shells
nearby and sometimes among them.
The Russian battery working on this
village used mostly solid shells, but It's
aim was poor so that the majority
dropped either in front of the village
or behind it. and when night came the
fields looked as though they had been
plowed at random, but only thirty SOL
diers were hit.
During the night Of Thursday and
early morning of Friday. the infantry
began to play the leading part in the
battle before Witesan and from that
time until tie Russians raised
white flag to ask for an armistice, on
the afternoon of Tuesday. the seventh.
they successfully endured an ordeal
that has few cOunterparts in the his
tory of battles.
Two brigades crossed the river,
Thursday night and drove the Russian
advance line from the first trenches at
the foot of the hills by one Of the
,itrIf has. volt II h..
the Japanese army has successfully
attempted SO often during this war,
contrary to the textbooks of the best
they were arrayed at the foot of the
hills which We're the Russian defenses
Of the main line and some detach-
ments were part way up the slopes.
There was sharp fighting during the
day. in which the Japanese made fur
Their advances and planted themselves
along line two miles long facing the
Russian trenches and in few places
only n few yards distant. They got
little further i'm the next four days. but
they held their line and under Difficult
ties which made 1t seem impossible.
In the first night the Russians made
four attacks to drive them back. with
a fusillade of continuous rifle fire sup
ported much of the time by Smelling.
The fighting continued in this char
acter for three successive nights, be-
ginning before midnight and lasting
until daybreak. and 1t was continuous
although not so heavy during the days. ,
All the advantages lay with the Rus
slams. Their guns could fire upon the
Japanese lines at closer distances and
with greater effect than could the
Japanese guns across the river upon
the Russians, their trenches ran at
angles which commanded the APP
preaching slopes from front and TANKS,
and behind them were rooted shelters
in which the soldiers could find rest