The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-01-11
THE LAST DAYS
Of Port Ar hur Pictured by Gen
stoessel, the commandant.
Heavy Casualties and Disease Had
Depleted the Brave Defend

Heavy Casualties and Disease Had
Depleted the Brave Defend
ers to Ten Thousand Men.
Gen. Stoessel's dispatches, by way
of Chefoo, to the general staff, at St.
Petersburg relate how the position Of
the fortress of Port Arthur gradually
becoming less safe and 1ore critical,
the ra7ages OF Scurvy increasing en-
ormously tine casually Lists already 50
considerable ON the Japanese as
saults aud bonb2rdments. Towards
the end OF the year the supplies Of
ammunition completely gave out,
there were Ia, 900 sick and wounded
in the hospitals aud 800 fresh casual
ties coming in ca,ly. The general re-
ports that at the end Of the seige be
had only 10000 men under arms, the
remainder of the original garrison
having been either killed or disabled
The text OF Gen. S5css3l's di>p Itch
es follows:
On Dec, mber % the general wrote:
The position Of the f0ruress is be-
coming veiy painful. Oar principal
enemies are scurvy, which is moving
down the men. and 1l-inch shells,
which know no OBJ: tacle and against
which there is no projection. There
only remain a few who have net been
attacked by scurGy. We bave taken
all the possible measures bus the dis
ease is spreading. The passive erdur
acce OF the enemy'S bombardment, the
ll-inch shells, the inpo 81 bitiJy Of re-
plyirg for want OF amnuaition. tne
outbreak Of scurvy and the l. IS Of o
mass OF of1cers-all these causes din
inish daily the capabilities Of the de-
Tense. The tale Of the loss OF higher
officers is an indication OF the enor-
nous losses we bave sustained. OF 10
generals two, Krondratenko and Tser-
pitsky, have been killed, Razcatov>ky
is dead, two are wounded, myself and
Gennadaire, while Gorbatowsky is suf-
fering from contusions. Or nine re1i-
i mental commanders and colonies,
Prince Matcaabelj NAou uenko has
been killed, Douire and Glagolew have
succumoed to wounds, and four Others
have been wouaded: Oae lieutenant
colonel has been killed and two arc
wounded
Among the field artillery. Col. Ir-
man was wounded, Col. Peterof was
killed and six officers were wounded.
Among the other high officers there
vas an enormous percentage OF killed
Or several times wounded. Many com
panies are commanded by ens'gns and
the companie; only average so ne
strorg.
the japanese since December 18
1ave refra1ned from assaultlrg. Tues.
day they explo6el a mire under the
Notifications Of fort No. 5, and aboua
score of hardy Japare mounted
the rampant, but we're eysor inmate |
bV bayo: e5s and hand grena5es. In re
venge the Japanese BON barded al
nignt long and ali day long with IL
inch shells, especially the hospitals
and ambulances, although knowing
full well that there was 20 possibility
Of our wounded heroes j)ining the
ranks of the defenders.
There are II, 900 sick aud wound
ed ia the hospitals and the number
increases by about 700 daily
o. December 20 Gen. Stoessel
wrote:
AT 10 o'clock Tuesday morning
the japanese blew up part Of the par
apet OF fort No. 3. They afterwards
opened a severe bonbardment along
the whole front, but especially On fort
| No. 3. At about 3 o'clock 10 the after
noon they dashed to the attack OF the
parapet from the noat and glacis,
where they had been held in readi-
ness. Two attacks were repulsed, bus
the Japanese occupied the funnel
shaped opening formed by the explo
sion and REINFORCED BY their reserves,
b. gan 10 run across the moat in
groups Of about f7e. They occupied
the parapet and at dusk two ba1ta
lions had entered the interior Of the
fort. Our troops fought from the en-
trenchments, which were badly dan
aged. Part Of our TROOPS hid them
selves IN the casemates, but the Jap
anese placed machine guns in front OF
the exit from the classmates, thus de-
privirg our men hidden there Of all
possibility Of making an attack. Three
counter attacks from the outside by
our reserves met with no success. Tae
fort con equently remained in p >sses-
sioa Of the japanese. Oar losses were
considerable, especially in ofic rs.
The survivors OF the garrison succeed.
ed in getting out Of the fort by the
windows. By the occupation Of this
fort the japanese became masters Of
the whole north front, and the fort.
ress can hold out only a few days
more. We have almost no ammuni-
tion. l will take measures to prevent
carnage In the streets.
"Scurvy is sensib!y weakening the
garrison. I have now under arms only
1000 men, all sick.
"Gens. Fock and Nik;tina have
been ysritable heroes and admirable
co!iabocators.
Gen. Stosssel's report Of D,cenber
% ano 20, painting the narrowing
picture Of the depleted and exhausted
garrison fighting on hopelessly, we're
posted On the bulletin boards Tuesday
afternoon and attracted enormous
crowds, whose grief at the fall OF the
fortress was swallowed up by admira
tton for the heroic defenders. The war
Office aud admiralty were soon bas'eg
ed by grief striken relatives and
friends Of those at Port Arthur, eag-
erly asking for news, but the stats
vare completely without details and
could give none.
The city is perfectly quiet the agi.
tators finding that the people we're in
no mood FOR demonstrations against