The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-01-13
THE LAST DAYS
Of Port Ar hur Pictured by Gen
stoessel, the Commandant
Heavy Casualties and Disease Had
Depleted the Brave Defend.
crs to Ten Thousand Mem.

A'H O"o"sAcS nhu DtSeaSe Had
Depleted the Brave Defend.
ers to Ten Thousand Men.
Gen. Stoessel's dispatches, by way
OF Chefoo, to the general STAFF, at St.
Petersburg relate now the position of
the fortress Of Port Arthur gradually
becoming less safe and more critical,
the ravages OF scurvy increasing en-
ormously the casualty lists already so
considerable f;on the Japanese as.
saults and nbar6menls. Towards
the end OF the year the supplies of
ammunition completely gave out,
there were $4,000 sick and wounded
In the hospitals and 200 fresh casual.
ties coming In daily. The general re.
ports that at the end OF the seige he
had only 10000 men under arms, the
remainder Of the original garrison
having been either killed or disabled
The text OF Gen. Stcssel's di.pltcb.
es follows:
On Dece mbe1 28 the general wrote {:
The position OF the fortress is be-
coming very painful. Or principal
enc mics are scurvy, which is MOVING
ho"n the men, and ll-inch shells,
which know no obstacle and against
which there is no projection. There
only remain few who have not been
attacked by scurvy. We have taken
all the possible measures bu5 the dis.
ease is spreading. Toe passive endur
ance Of the enemy's bomb .rdment, the
ll-inch shells, the inpossIbitity Of re-
| olyirg for want OF ammUQition. the
outbreak OF scurvy and the lass OF n
mass OF officers all these causes dim.
inish daily the capabilities of the &c.
tense. The tale OF the loss OF higher
officers Is an Indication OF the enor.
nous losses we have sustained. or 10
generals two, Krondratenko and Tser.
pltSky, have been killed, Razuatoysky
- dead two are wounded, myself and
Gennadeire, while Gorbatowsky Ia suf
] fering from c1ntusi,ns. or nine regi.
I mental commanders and colorels.
Prince Matchabei Naounenko has
been Killed, Douire and Gagulcw have
succumoed to wounds, aud four Others
have been wounded: One lieutenant
colonel has been killed and two are
wounded.
Among the field artillery, Col. IT.
man was wounded, Col. Petero1 was
killed and six officers were wounded
Among the other high Officers there
was ai enormous pc:crntaye G, killed
or several times wounded. Many com.
panies are commanded by ens'gns aud
the companies only average 60 mel
strong.
Tne Japanese since necenter Is
nave rcfrained from assau!tirg. Tues.
day they explo6e n mir under the
tort>hcatious OF fort No 5, and abou
a score OF hardy Japare moun,e 4
the rampant, but we're exLerminate |
by biyoi cts and hand grcnades. In1e
venge the Japarese bonharded a,l
nlgnt long AID ali day lorg with IL.
'ncn shells, especially the hospitals
and ambua'ces, although knowing
full we'll that there was no possibility
or our wounded heroes j1!ning the
ranks OF the defenders.
There are 1000 sick and wound
ed in the hospitals and The number
increases by about 700 daily"
Oa December 20 Gen. Stoessel
wrote:
AT 10 O'Clock Tuesday morning
the japanese blew up part OF the par.
apet OF fort No. 3. They after rwards
opened a severe bombatdmcnt along
The whole front, but especially ON fort
NO. 3. AT about 3 O'clock In he after.
noon they dashed to the attack OF the
parapet from the moat and glacis.
where they had boep he'd In readi-
ness. Two attacks were repulsed. but
tie Japane:e occupied the funnel.
shaped opening formed by the explo.
sion and reinforced by their rese rves, /,
b gan to run across the moat Ia
groups of about five. They occup e !
the parapet and at dusk two batta.
lions had entered the interior OF the
fort. Our troops fought from the Ed.
trenchments, which were badly dam.
aged. Part Of our TROOPS hid them.
selves In the casemateS, hut the jap
anese placed machine guns in front Of
Ghe eXlt IRON the caSemateS, thus de-
prlvirg our men hidden there of all
possibility OF making an attack. Thr; g
counter attacks from the outside by
our reserves met with nu success. TIE
fort cen equently remained in sies
sion CT the Japancse. @ If losses were
consid ,raOlc, especially in officers.
AHS OIL 'i'Oio VI tlic Rdl succeed.
ed In getting out Of tn, fort by the
windows. by the occupation OF this
fort tnc Japanese became masters of
the whole north front, and the fort
rcss can hold out only few days
more. We have almost no ammunl
ton. | Will take measures to prevent
carnage in the streets
| Scurvy is Sensibly weakening tile
garrison. have now under arms only
10, 600 men, all sick.
Gems. Fock and Niktina have
been veritable heroes and admirable
/ COliabtrators
! Gen. Stoessel's report OF d. cembar
% and 30, painting tko lai-c wing
picture OF the depleted and exhau,t ted
garrison lighting on hopelessly, were
posttd on the bul etin boards Tuesday
aftern n)on and attracted enormous
crowds, whose grief at the fall OF the
fortress was swallowed up by admira
tlon fer the heroic defenders. The war
otlice and admiralty were soon bcs!eg
ed by grief strikcn relatives and
friends OF those at Port Arthur. cay.
erly asking for news, but the staffs
were completely without details and
could give none.
/ Tue city is perfectly quiet the agi.
tators finding that the people were In
no mood for demonstrations against
the government I T. iS n-auup,,d tho,