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

ed with breathiess interest the mighty
struggle.
The Siege began on May y. but Il was
not until the middle OF July that Gen.
Nogf was able TO bring up siege guns and
begin an aggressive attack upon the
stronghold.
Gen. Nogi's first move was 10 capture
Taku mountain. an eminence coo feet high
east OF Port Arthur. This was neces-
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 9. after three days
lighting. Once secure on the range OF hills
extending from Taku mountain TO Wolf
Hill the Japanese were In position TO be-
Sin operations against the great chain OF
forts forming the outer defenses OF Port
Arthur. There were twenty-five OF these
forts, with fifty redoubtr. each one almost
a fort wedsed In between, all connected
by covered ways.
These principal forts were BanJusan ca.
Erhiung CD. Keewan 90. kinkeeshan.
wantai. Antxeshsn, Etxeshan. Taiyang-
kow. DO Meter hill. lIt. IN. iso and 10
Meter hills On the side OF the sea were
tho Golden hill. Liaotishsn. 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. II was more OF a slaughter than
a hattie. For two days japanese guns
had pounded the fort until u had been re-
duced TO a grim. ugly looking. shapeiess
MAS OF clay pitted with countless shell
holes and torn and SCARED by shrapnei.
There was not n sign OF life about the
fort. IL 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-2.to zoo men. led by Col.
OUGHT hims.if-and advanced 10 the as
sauit. OUGHT was told that he could have
no reinforcements. but that he must cap
ture the fort. He fell while leading his
men across the miiiet fields In the plain
below the fort. One-third OF the regiment
had been killed or wounded before reach
ing the slopes leading up 20 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 hsmc until NJ last seventy
men-ali that were left OF tho 1.t0o-reach-
ed the first ditch under the guns OF the
fort
The main attack failed. and the seventy
men OF the Ouchi regiment lay In the ditch
under the East Banfusan fort. The ditch
was ~ feet deep II feet wide. and 20 feet
long Al Its bottom there was feet OF
water. In this water the seventy men
stood day and q night. The Russian
guns could not reach them as long as
they held the ditch: but they faced death
from starvation.
hsss L. lat
seventy men captured the fort. and held IL
until support arrived. They crawied up
the slope and one BY one destroyed the
Russian machine guns. Then they blew
a gap through the parapet and charged
through u. Reinforcements came and the
fort was held.
The siege was full OF such incidents.
but the Japanese did not always succeed
In capturing the forts. Nogi lost N.ooo
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, Nogi
began an engineers siege. Foot by foot
the japanese literally burrowed their way
10 the crests OF the hills occupied by the
Russian forts. The work consumed all OF
September and October. 40 that Mt 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
10 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
would beat on their assailants. sometimes
the besiegers would hold the forts they
had stormed.
In this manner the japanese captured
the forts on isi. iss. Ia. and 80 Meter
hills. There still remained the key to the
whole western position. 800 Meter hill.
The summit OF this height, crowned BY a
fort as impregnable rs engineering skill
could make ~. commanded view Of the
inner harbor OF Port Arthur. where the
Russian feet had remained In hiding since
| August 10.
Nogi captured 90 Meter hill November
| 10. after a fearful sacrifice OF men. Japan,
however, was amply repaid for the sacri'
nee. for Il gained the loss OF the Russian
| fleet.
Observers stationed on 203 Meter hill
were abb. TO locate every battieship. cruis-
er. gunboat. and destroyer In the harbor
| BY telephone they gave the direction
angle. and range 10 the artillery In chargs
Of the huge mortars. These mortars drop.
ped their shells over the intervening
ranges OF the hills. and one by one ths
Russian ships were destroyed. The bat
tieships Pobieda. Retvixan, Poltava, and
| Peresviet were sunk at their anchor n,
were the great cruisers Pallada and BayaF
| and a number OF gunboats and destroy
ers. The battieship sevastopoi took refug'
outside the harbor only to be disiodged b,
the daring men OF Togo's feet.
IL was December 20 by the time Sogfi
guns had completed the task OF destroying
the feet. That task marked the real be
ginning OF the end OF the siege. Decem
Der % the Japanese blew up and captures
the Ehriung forts. two miles north o.
Port Arthur. December 81 they captures
In the same way the Rihlung and wanta
forts. still nearer the stronghold. an'
| made a breach In the old Chinese wall
| which formed the inner line OF defense.
stoessel had defended Port Arthur 70
9ti days and could do no more. He hat
less than i0ooo men able TO stand on thei
feet. He had 2a.ooo sick and wounded 4
the hospitals and was without medicine
an dsurgicai supplies. His men were worl
out under the strain OF the lombard
ment that week after week. day and night
had swept Port Arthur with a storm o
steel.
Having done his best. stoessel sent
note 90 Nsd offering TO surrender. At