The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1905-06-22

morning Togo. lying thirty miles away.
under cover OF a thick mist, sent In a
weak cruiser squadron to tempt the
Russians out. They came boldly In pur-
suit. and when they had steamed out
fifteen miles n wireless message was
sent To Togo. who moved forward 20
engage the enemy.
Unluckily for him the mist lifted: the
Russian squadron saw him In time and
steamed back To port. but. az they en-
tered. their flagship. the Petropav-
iovsk. carrying Admiral Makaron. his
struck a mine and Immediately found
cred. A few men were saved. including
the young Grand Duke Cyril. but the
gallant admiral was drowned.
kuroki invsdss Manchuria.
Once more the interest I'm the war
conferred upon Kuroki's army. BY April
Is Kuroki had completed the concentra-
ton OF the first army at Win. and be-
gan his preparations to force passage.
Misleading the Russian commander.
General Zassulitch. M 10 his real inten-
| lions, by a feint In the direction OF An
tung. six miles below Win. kuroki
threw n division across the river. four
miles above the town. on the night OF
the 18th. and turned the left OF the
Russian line.
On the 10th n great artillery duel
took place. In the course OF which the
Russian artillery was completely sub
dued and put out OF action. During the
night the other two divisions OF the
First army crossed the Yalu.
On May I General Kuroki attacked
the Russian position at Chuliencheng
on the right bank. and inflicted the frst
land defeat OF the campaign on the
Russians. who lost nearly 1000 officers
and men killed and wounded prisoners.
and twenty-nine field and machine
guns. The Russians retreated In con-
fusion. evacuating the strong position
at Fenghauncheng. which was imrne-
diately occupied by the Japanese.
The first trial OF strength by land had
ended like the frst sea night. in a strik-
Ing victory for japan. She had won by
reason OF three things-by the strength
of her artillery IRE. by her power OF
concentrating strong forces where the
defense was weak. and by rapidity and
reckless bravery I'm attack. IL was sig
nif,cant that the Russians believed
their enemy TO be possessed only OF held
artillery. and had made no preparations
for anything heavier. nor even taken
care To mask their guns.
Five days after the victory on the
Yalu the Japanese landed In force on
the Liaotang peninsula. Closely follow
ing the precedent OF 1894. they chose
Pitsewo for their place OF disembarka-
ton: n spot some nifty miles 10 the
north OF the narrow neck which joins
the little peninsula OF Port Arthur and
Dainy TO the mainland. Pitsewo In n
bad landing place. for the ships have to
lie OF az "A distance OF three or four
miles, and, IN the first party OF sailors
began their operations at low tide. they
had to wade ashore for n thousand
yards In water breast deep. A Russian
battery OF quick nrers might have made
the achievement almost impossible.
but there was no battery and no oppos-
ing force except a few patrols. which
quickly disappeared. and by night Ad-
mirai Hosoya had succeeded In landing
10000 men. the formidable vanguard OF
the Second army.
Kuroki. with the First army. was
meantime advancing northward. and
occupied Fenghuancheng. on the road
TO Liaoyang. and the whole plan OF
campaign began TO be clear TO every
one. even TO the Russians. About this
moment the Russians began TO leave
Newchwang. hastily anticipating what
happened only some weeks iater-the
landing OF another army In that quar-
| ter TO cooperate with kuroki In his
advance northward.
Raid by viadivostok Fleet.
At sea, however. during these weeks
| two great misfortunes befeli the Japa-
nese Some Russian cruisers and tor
pedo boats under Admiral Jensen. COM
| Ing south from vladivostok. met the
transport Kinshiu Maru on the way TO
| Gensan. attacked Il. and sank IL. only
| the coolies and crew being saved. The
soldiers, In obedience to the rigid Japa-
nese code OF honor. refused TO surren-
der and sank with the vessel. the on
GERS having committed suicide. and the
men. according 10 the most credible ac-
counts. being mostly shot down by Rus
sian rifles and quickfires.
This was n disaster. but II was not
nearly 30 serious M that which followed
ON May Is. when the battieship Hatsuse
| and the cruiser Yoshino were lost on
Port Arthur. The cruiser was rammed.
/ Il 30 happened. by one OF the two ships.
| the kasuga, that had been built at
Genoa and delivered to the japanese
only few weeks before the outbreak OF
| the war: while the loss OF the Hatsuse
was caused by striking on n floating
mine ten miles from shore-a fact
which caused much perturbation among
| shipowners all over the world, and not
little among international lawyers.
Battle Of Nsnshsn Hill.
| These events on land and sea brought
the conflict To the eve OF the FIRST seri-
GUS, hard fought battle OF the war. BY
May n General Oku. I'm command Of
the second army. was ready TO attack
the Russian position nj Kinchau. on
| the narrow neck OF land that ties the
| Liaotung peninsula 10 Manchurta.
General Stoessei had fortified the 18TH
mus, and especially the high ground OF
Nanshan. with works nearly OF a per-
manent nature" I'm front the ground
was mined and covered with wire en-
tanglements: the defenders had about
10000 men In position and some eighty
guns. The Japanese army under Gen.
erai Oku was far more numerous. but
the task set them was such as no other
troops In the world could or would
have performed In the same way.
General oku attacked the Russian po-
sItions at Kinchau and Nanshan on
May %. Desperate fighting continued
for Ave days. the Japanese attacks be-
ing repeatedly repulsed. Al length a
picked body OF troops. belonging TO the
First Japanese division. forced It's way
through the wire entanglements with
which the Russians had protected their
trenches and carried the position al
the point OF the bayonet.
Seventy-eight guns were captured
and enormous losses were inflicted on
the Russians. But the Japanese paid
a high price for their victory, the killed