The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-01-03
SIEGE OF PORT ARTHUR one OF
WORLDS GREAT Mill 'TARYzFEATS
Began OF May 27, When Stoessal#,
From.Neck Of kWantung, Peninsula
Sieges Recalled BY Capture

The siege eOf Port Arthur, which may:
be properly reckoncd as ono OF tho most
notable military engagements Sin5the his
tory Of tho world, dates from May 27th,$
when aftcrEengaglngS tho first army londed
by the Japanese at Pltsewo Stuessel was
forced back from tho neck OF the SFSwan-g
5tun Peninsula.
The Japanese landing was begun on
May s hand the ussian commander elect
cd to give battle ut his mediterranean line
OF Sdefcnces. u tss S$ ~ :99fS 55
The engagement was q severe one md
drove tho llssians back to tho first of tho
main defencos of the position. u Il, 55 81
& On May 3Oth, the Japanese occupied
Dalney, ana on Junt 14-1Gth.} General
Stakelberg { a dYaHclng to tho relief Of the
Port Arthur army, was defeated by Gem
aeral Oku, at the battles Of NVafangkaus
and Tclissu.
With Togo's ships lying like wa tch-d dogs
around Port Arthur S seaward side and
Nogi advancing slowly but srelcntle by
land, the famous stronghold was under!
siege and from then on until General.
Stoessel on New Y cars day. sought terms
marked By almost ceaseless fightng,
sbombardments by tho fleet alternating
with desperate attacks by land, or a 81
saults by tho combined naval .and mill
tary forces When Stoessel and the,
remnant OF his devoted garrison. march
out Of Perth Arthur tho flag OF the Rls-.
Ing Sun will once more float from the
rampnrts OF tho position Japan won when
she first sent ont her new fleet to giyo
battle and drove China from the seas,
Other Notable Sieges.
The capture 81, Port Arthur directs at.
Stentlon to tho history OF other sieges
z Of n like magnitude. in
E8In 1907 DnntHic hold out for seyenty-siX
days, and agaln In 1919 for forty days, pre-
coded ny q SIX weeks blockade, From lie
9Th of June to August a. 1905, q few thou-
sand Spanlnrds We're bcslogcd by 1900
picked ;French troops at saragossa. At
tho end IL was house to house tlghting
but the attackers were repulsed and the
siege raised on the 10Th OF October, 1900,
$4,000 French troops Began b. second siege
OF SnragosSa, which this tin>e captulhted
after q heroic resistance lasting Il ftY-two
days. and accompanied by sap md mino
from house to house. The Peninsula
scges arc famous for the numerous rs
saults of the breach and escal AIDES, which
wero almost unknown rs in8B tho earlier
stages. Bidaios stood two sieges-7hrst,
In 1911, one OF thirty-nine days, which
WtiS lhlHt'lt KIM io'-' '''N ~
thirty days. which was successful BY
means OF a glorious escalade. Bllrgos
compelled the attackers Owl hdrnW
after they had bes!egcd II for tllrty-four
days, and the failure, due to the nisorl--
Fable ,ranllances Of tho beslegcrs, undid
the fruits Of Salamanca. The siege of
\ ST, Sebastian, occupying tlfty-one days al
| the' year 1872, was attended by terribly
severe nghtlnE, Out OF u force 5000
Estrong $3.50 were killed and wounded
4 md the Siege train OF sixty pieces ex-
I5pended 7osal rounds, the breaching lat
4 terry OF ton guns once averaging 800
pounds Peg GIN IN .Afteel' and o l''sl
\ Tho .sl9ge ut AntwerpSby tho fFrerchin
1882 was one-of tho most regular and
i scien,iiitin history. The garrison of this
/ mngnihcently fortified citadel numbered
1890 mrn and VAS opposed To tho nttncli
Of a besleglng army thirteen times it,
7 strength. After3twenty-tye days the fort
l|ress was. reduced 10 "A head, of ruins. and
tthe exhausted defenders decldnd not "
attempt to stand an assault, The great
lesson dednced from this Siege was that
I; the besegng army should be from fouI