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

never delivered. Afterward it wa
learned that the Russian line wa
equally weak along that stretch of thu
river and the Russians were WONDERING
why the Japanese did not strike then
there.
! AS the attack upon Mukden pro
crossed one army drew away from thu
Shaho to the north to cooperate witt
the one thanking Mukden and the Japa
nese forces on the south had a grea
space to cover. but plenty Of artillery tt
engage the enemy. The battle on thu
south line was practically a deadlock
until the Russians were ordered to re-
tire for the defense of Mukden. TIL,
Japanese policy was to hold and engage
the Russians along the Shaho Will,
their fanking armies were pushed for
| ward.
The Japanese bombardment Of tn,
Russian positions was fixed to begin
Sunday, Feb. &c. The LEFT army was
then started on the march across tn
Hun to Mukden. but the right army has
not advanced as far as had been ex-
perted. The Japanese generals. how
ever were confident of victory. Nc
army could have gone into battle with
better spirits. Almost every possible
preparation had been made. every man
realized that the crucial stage of the en-
tire war had arrived. and all had conf
dence in the leaders.
Sunday morning. Gen. Kuroki. with
his staff, which included Prince Kun
and the young Marquis Saigo. ascended
small mountain to Wi;esan. one OF
the hills nearest the ShahO held by the
Japanese, but the day was cloudy and
soon after noon when on'y few guns
had Inen fired a heavy snow storm de-
seconded upon the hill top and cut of
the view Of the river. so that the bonn
bardment was reluctantly abandoned.
This mountain was the generals con-
ming tower throughout the battle until
the Russians retired from the river.
There the officers stood at Ii great tele-
scope or sat around charcoal fires while
snow storms and sand storms swept by
icy blasts and Russian shells bursting
about the batteries on tn" lover hills
at either side and upon Witesan.
A cluster of wires connecting with the
divisions, with the artillery command
erc directing the fire frcm other hills
and with the headquarters Marshal
|Oyama, was focused at the rocky peak,
and the tinkle OF the telephone bell
sounded constantly.
For three days the artillery duel con-
tinued with hardly a crack of rife.
and until Wednesday there were no
japanese soldiers in sight along the
lines except a few men occasionally
darling from their shelter around the
guns. All Of the infantry at the front
were concealed in the earth huts and
burrows on the slopes behind their
trenches. The artillery fire was neither
as heavy nor as continuous as along
the lines to the west where the big guns
were planted. The Japanese seldom en-
gagged their full strength. and there
were few exhibitions of such rapid fire
as was displayed at Lao Yang. Close
by Witesan the Japanese had two bat
teries Of captured Russian guns which
nearly exhausted ther ammunition be-
fore the artillery stage Of the battle
was finished, but when the Russians re-
treated the batteries went forward
toward Tiehling. confident that they
would get new supply.
On their side the Japanese had only
such protection as they could i'm
provise under great disadvantages.
digging the frozen ground and in the
face Of rifle fire, and turning the face