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

OF war hsd been 10 dramatic. % spsssscu-
lar, and the people Of every nation watch
ed with breathiess interest the mighty
/ struggle.
The siege began on May n. but Il was
Nogi was able 10 bring up siege guns and
begin an aggressive attack upon the
| stronghold
Gen. Noxrs flrst move was 10 capture
Taku mountain. an eminence 60 feet high
east of Port Arthur. This was neccs-
sary for from the summit OF Taku noun
| tain the Russians had a panoramic view
| Of every foot OF ground over which the
Japanese forces were compelled 10 OPP
crate. Taku mountain was taken by storm
on July ~.
Nogi's next move was to capture Wolf
hill. eight miles north OF Port Arthur.
This he did on August g. after three days
fighting. Once secure on the range OF hills
extending from Taku mountain 10 woif
hill the japanese were In position 10 be-
sin operations against the great chain Of
forts forming the outer defenses OF Port
Arthur. There were twenty-five OF these
forts. with nifty rcdoubts. each one almost
n fort wedged In between. all connected
by covered ways.
These principal forts were Banjusan ca.
Erhiuns ca. Keewan 90, Kinkeeshan.
kow. oia Meter hill. iu. IN. 80. and 10
Meter hills. On the side OF the sea were
the Golden hill. Liaotishan. and Chick
wan forts. which were beyond attack Cur
Ing the siege.
Gen. Nogi began operations against the
chain OF forts on August n by an attempt
TO carry the Banjusan forts by direct as
sauit. IL was more OF a slaughter than
q hattie. For two days Japanese guns
had pounded the fort until IL had been re-
duced to a grim. ugly looking. shapeless
MAS of clay pitted with countless shell
holes and torn and SCARED by shrapnei.
There was not sign OF life about the
fort. II seemed impossible that any living
being could exist under the terrible rain
OF shot and shell.
Suddenly the japanese guns were silent
and the famous Ouchi regiment sprang
from its trenches-1.too men. led by Col.
OUGHT hims-if-and advanced to the as
sauit OUGHT was told that he could have
no rcinforcements. but that he must cap
ture the fort. lie fell while leading his
men across the miilet fields In the plain
below the fort. one-third OF the regiment
had been killed or wounded before reach
Ing the slopes leading up TO the fort. They
began the ascent. the machine guns OF
the Russians sowing death In their ranks.
with rapidly thinning ranks the charge
was pressed hsme until at last seventy
men-aii that were left OF the 1.too-reach-
I'd the frst ditch under the guns OF the
fort.
The main attack failed. and the seventy
men OF the OUGHT regiment lay In the ditch
under the East Banfusan fort. The ditch
was ~ feet deep. IL feet wide. and 20 feet
long. Al Its bottom there was 4 feet OF
water. In this water the seventy men
stood a day and a night. The Russian
guns could not reach them as Sng m
they held the ditch: but they faced death
from starvation.
IL IL a long story: but u Is history. Those
seventy men captured the fort, and held u
until support arrived. They crawied up
tho slope and one by one destroyed the
Russian machine guns. Then they blew
a gap through the parapct and charged
through a. Reinforcements came and the
fort was held.
The siege was full OF such incidents.
but the Japaness did not always succeed
In capturing the forts Nogi lost it.oco
men In repeated efforts TO capture the
Keekwan forts.
Port Arthur surrsndsrs.
Finding that the Russian forces were too
strong TO be taken by direct assault. Sogi
began an engineers siege. Foot by foot
the Japanes. literally burrowed their way
to the crests OF the hills occupied by the
Russian forts. The work consumed all OF
September and October. 30 that at the
beginning OF November Gen. Nogi was
ready 20 resume direct assaults.
The program was the same with each
fort. The japanese would sap their way
TO the moat OF q fort, tunnel under Il.
and explode the walls OF the fort. A
storming party was always ready TO
charge through the breach. Then would
follow desperate hand to hand lighting In
side the forts Sometimes the Russians
A.l
the besicgers would hold the forts they
had stormed.
In this manner the japanese captured
the forts on isi. iss. i7t. and iso Meter
hills. There still remained the key TO tho
whole western position. 500 Meter hill
The summit OF this height. crowned by a
fort as impregnable az engineering skiil
inner harbor OF Port Arthur. where the
Russian feet had remained In hiding since
August 10.
Nogi captured 90a Meter hill November
~ after "a fearful sacrifice OF men. Japan
however was amply repaid for the sacri-
fee for IL gained the loss OF the Russian
fleet.
Observers stationed on % Meter hill
were abie TO locate every battleshlp. cruis-
or. gunboat. and destroyer In the harbor.
BY telephone they gave the direction.
angle, and range 10 the artillery In charge
OF the huge mortars. These mortars drop
ped their shells over the intervening
ranges OF the hilla. and one by one the
Russian ships were destroyed. The bat
tieships Pobieda. Retvixan, Poltava. and
Peresviet were sunk at their anchor as
were the great cruisers Pailada and Bayan
and number OF gunboats and destroy
era. The battieship Sevastopol took refuge
outside the harbor only TO be dislodged by
the daring men OF Togo's feet.
II was December 20 by the time Sogi's
guns had completed the task OF destroying
the feet. That task marked the real be-
ginning OF the end OF the siege. Deem
Der % the Japanese blew up and captured
the Ehriung forts. two miles north OF
Port Arthur. December 81 they captured
In the same way the Rihlung and wantai
forts. still nearer the stronghold. and
made a breach In the old Chinese wall.
which formed the inner line OF defense.
stoassei had defended Port Arthur for
2si days and could do no more. He had
less than 1000 men able TO stand on their
feet. lie had 1000 sick and wounded n
the hospitals and was without medicines
an dsurgical supplies. His men were worn
out under the strain OF the lombard
ment that week after week. day and night.
had swept Port Arthur with "A storm Of
steel.
Having done his best. Stoessel sent a
note TO N-gi Offering TO surrender At .
o'clock on the evening of January !. 1896,
the guns were silenced and the long siege
Was ended