The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-01-06

Headquarters Of the japanese third
army at Port Arthur, January 8, via
Che Foo. January 4, p m, Censor
ed.)-The flag of the Rising Sun floats
tonight over the captured citadel of
Port Arthur.
"When the news of the surrender
of the fortress reached the soldiers
Yesterday, leaping from mouth to
mouth, the japanese drew close to
their late enemies and fraternized
freely with them.
when night fall came great bon
fires rose in the Japanese camp like
a blazing halo, while great choruses
of "Banzai" echoed through the hills.
"The entire garrison and all the
non-combatants will march out Of the
city January 5th to the village OF
Yahuthwei. near the shores of Pigeon
Bay from which place the Russian
officers will be transported to Dalny
and thence to wherever they may de-
sire.
The prisoners of war will be de-
tained at the Russian barracks in the
village until they can be transferred
to Dalny and from there to Japan.
The conference between the Rus
sian and japanese commissioners at
which the terms of surrender were
arranged tok place at the village Of
Shuishiying at l o'clock at night.
Tie Russian commissioners were
Chief of Staff Reiss, Surgeon General
Ballacchoff, Colonel vostock and two
other staff officers, with two interpre-
ters.
The Japanese commissioners were
Major General Ijichi, chief of staff;
Major Yamaoki. DR.. Ariga and two
other staff officers with two interpre-
ters.
Thus has Japan won the great Rus
sian stronghold in the far east after
five months siege, in which she lost
over fifty thousand soldiers. who were
put out of action in the most sangu;n-
airy and desperate fighting the world
has ever known.
Through the intimation that Rus
slams were willing to surrender was
known to the officers of the Japanese
staff on the afternoon of January 1st,
it was not generally known to the hum
dred thousand of the investing army
until yesterday (Monday).
The surrender of the fortress at the
present time came as a surprise even
to the Japanese as the desperate de-
termination and courage of the Rus
slams, even in the last assaults, indi-
Gated that the trouble would be one
to the bitter end.
It has been evident since the cap
ture of 2o3 Metre Hill, the destruc-
ton of the fleet, and the awful man
ner in which the forts guarding the
western half Of the eastern fortified
ridge had been captured by means
of the explosion of dynamite mines,
that the fighting ardor Of the garrison
was dampened and that the helpless
ness of the Russian position had rob-
bed them of their dogged determina-
ton to resist every inch of the ad-
vance of the besiegers. This hope
lessness was evidenced in the weak
ness of the opposition to the rapid
advance of the Japanese on the west
flank since the fleet was destroyed.
The tremendous effect of the el-
ptosions which wrecked Sungshu
mountain fort, the last of the forts
guarding the main defenses of the
eastern fortified ridge, in which half
of the defenders were killed and the
remainder entombed or made prison.
ers completed the disorganization of
the defense.
The first definite intimation Of the
Russian intetion to surrender came at
4 o'clock in the afternoon of January
1st. when the Russian envoys ap-
preached the Japanese lines south of
the village OF Shuishying. They were
met by a Japanese staff officer TO
| whom they delivered the letter OF
General Stoessel to General Nigo ask
ing to have time for parley arranged
In this letter. as already known.
General Stoessel adj ltted the hope
lessness of further continuing the
struggle and that he was prepared
to surrender in order to save the lives
OF thesremnent OF the. brave garrison