Chapter I: Front Matter

(Taken in the Mou-tien-ling Pass.)]

FROM THE YALU
TO PORT ARTHUR

A PERSONAL RECORD.

BY

WILLIAM MAXWELL,

Lately Special Correspondent of _The Standard_,
now of _The Daily Mail_.

_WITH 33 ILLUSTRATIONS AND 3 MAPS._

London:

HUTCHINSON & CO.,
Paternoster Row, E.C.

1906

PRINTED BY
A. CHRIS. FOWLER,
MOORFIELDS AND SHOREDITCH,
LONDON, E.C.

_PREFATORY NOTE._

_So many accounts have been written of the War between Russia and Japan that apology may be demanded for adding another to these records. My excuse is that a very limited number of European and American correspondents accompanied the Japanese Army, and that I may claim to be the only correspondent who was with General Kuroki from the Yalu to the Sha-ho; and, with my interpreter, Mr. Ito, the only observer, European, American or Japanese, present at these engagements, and at the last assaults upon and surrender of Port Arthur._

_To General Kuroki and the Officers of his Staff I am under many obligations. Especially am I indebted to General Fujii, Chief of the Staff, who showed me many favours and gave me much valuable information which now appears for the first time._

_In the opening chapter will be found a short summary of the events that led to the War. It contains matter that may throw a little new light upon some phases of the diplomatic struggle. In the appendix are studies of the Russian and Japanese Armies which were issued as confidential papers before the War. I commend them to the close attention of all who have a professional interest in military science._

_WILLIAM MAXWELL._

Contents of Chapters

CHAPTER I

The Origin of the War--A Glance over Three Centuries--Korea and
Japan--War between China and Japan--Peace--Russian Intrigue--A
Temporary Agreement--Russian “Instructors” at Seoul--Protest and
Exasperating Delay in Negotiations--Korean Emperor Unexpectedly
Firm--Russia Obtains the Use of Port Arthur--Her Traders in
Korea--Japanese Patience Exhausted.

CHAPTER II

Japanese Study of the Russian Army--Remarkable Confidential
Paper--Concise and Accurate Estimate--Incapacity of the
Russian Officer--Lack of Discipline--Kuropatkin “Not to be
Feared”--Necessary to Frighten the Russian Soldiers--Contempt
for the Cossack.

CHAPTER III

The Japanese Soldier and Russian Opinion--His Patience,
Self-restraint, Ingenuity and Courage--Russian Deductions Mainly
Wrong--Theory Falsified by Fact.

CHAPTER IV

The Plan of Campaign and the Japanese Leaders--Russian
Defensive Triangle--Base Formed by the Yalu--First
Point of Attack--Anticipated Early Fall of
Port Arthur--Tardy Development of Japanese
Campaign--Yamagata--Oyama--Kodama--Tanaka--Fukushima--Kuroki--Fujii
--Their Character and Personality.

CHAPTER V

The Landing in Korea--Seoul Entered--Destruction of
the Varyag--Control of the Korean Gulf--Pyng-yang
Occupied--Strategic Position Won--Russian Lack of
Foresight--Michtchenko’s Mysterious Movements--Misled by Korean
Spies--Cossacks Retire North--A Tactical Error.

CHAPTER VI

The Northern Advance--Kuroki at Pyn-gyang--Four Problems to
Solve--Danger of Russian Move Southwards--A Thirty Miles
Line--Terrible Roads--No Opposition--Halt for Supplies--A
Choice of Roads--Both Utilised--Russian Attack on Chonju
repulsed--Landing Place for Heavy Guns Secured--A Path Across
Fifteen Miles of Morass.

CHAPTER VII

En route for the Front--“The Men of Great Patience”--From
Chinampo to Pyng-yang--A Dismal Journey--Dignified Korean
Governor--Pyng-yang, its Smells and Abominations--Demon
Worship--Coin of the Realm--Miles of Transport--Head-quarters at
last.

CHAPTER VIII

The Valley of the Yalu--Wiju, “the Stronghold of the
West”--Japanese Concentration Complete--A Network of
Rivers--Study of the Position--How the River Runs--Tiger
Hill--How and Where shall we Cross--Vague Information--Kuroki’s
Difficulties.

CHAPTER IX

Bridging the Yalu--A Memorable Feat--Daring
Reconnaissance--Energy of the Engineers--The Island of
Kontonto--Suitable for the Howitzers--Safely Landed and
Screened--The Field Guns next--Russians Bombard the Bridge--Work
Uninterrupted--Field Guns Over the Main Stream--Pontoons
Struck--Another Bridge Facing Tiger Hill--Ploughshares as
Anchors--Ten Bridges Put Together Under Cover.

CHAPTER X

Preparing for Battle--Description of the Scene--Like Painted
Canvas--View of the Russian Position--Reminiscent of the
Tugela--Should be Impregnable--The Russians Reconnoitre--And
Retire--Japanese Preparations Completed--The Islands Cleared--A
Fight for Tiger Hill--Important Flanking Movement--General Plan
of Attack.

CHAPTER XI

The First Encounter--Japanese Confidence--Five Thousand
Wounded Expected--The Russian Dispositions--Ignorance of the
Direction of the Attack--A Front of Eighteen Miles--Primitive
Trenches--Kuroki Risks a Divided Command--An Anxious Night.

CHAPTER XII

The Passage of the Yalu--The Guns Begin to Speak--Japanese
Batteries Unmasked--Two Hours’ Artillery Duel--Russian
Retirement--Japanese Right Advance--Crossing the River at
Night--The First of May--A General Attack--No Faith in Boer
Tactics--Plunging through the River--Desperate Struggle--The
Position Taken--Banzai!

CHAPTER XIII

The Pursuit and the Lessons--Supports and Reserves in Play--A
Detached Russian Force--Fierce Rearguard Fight--Priest as
Leader--Capture of Guns--Russian Casualties--The Enemy’s
Misplaced Confidence--Effect of Japanese Fire--Common Shell and
Shrapnel--Not a Frontal Attack--Why no Counter Attack?

CHAPTER XIV

After the Battle--A Moving Picture--Kuroki at Ease--Wounded and
Dying--“Unser Vater”--The Realism of War--An Appreciation of
the Japanese Task--Saving of the Living--Return to Camp--Close
Shave--Nearly Shot for a Cossack.

CHAPTER XV

“The Peace of the East”--Antung City--The Godmothers of Japan,
Korea and China--Manchurians as Men--Japanese March through
Antung--A Dutch Kitchen--Native Houses--The Privilege of
Conquerors--My Quarters in a Temple--A Feast Day.

CHAPTER XVI

The March into Manchuria--Feng-Hoang-Cheng--“The Merciful Man
has no Enemies”--The Governors of the Province--The Manchu as
Soldier--A Beautiful Country--March to Kao-li-men--Russians
Fall Back upon Liao-Yang--The Intendent of the Eastern
Marshes--Informing Interview--“Twenty years since I spoke with
an Englishman”--Nearly like a Cardinal.

CHAPTER XVII

The Soldier and his War Songs--Temple Bell and Rifle Shot--The
War Song of Nippon--Political rather than Martial--Sir Ian
Hamilton’s Translation.

CHAPTER XVIII

In Memory of the Dead--A Shinto Service--Memories of Omdurman,
Khartoum and Ladysmith--The Lost Origin of a Ritual--A Genuine
Product of Japanese Soil--A Religion only in Name--The Essence
of the Creed--The High Priest’s Allocution--General Nishi’s
Eulogy--Tribute to the Fallen.

CHAPTER XIX

A Buddhist Ceremony--Japan’s Foreign Civilization but Indigenous
Religion--“The sins of Russia have offended Buddha”--A Sermon
instinct with Patriotism--The Offering of Incense.

CHAPTER XX

Why the Japanese lingered at Feng-hoang-cheng--Many Reasons for
Hesitation--Kuroki’s Caution--A New Factor--What the Russians
ought to have done--An Interval of Forty-five Days but no Waste
of Time--Our Right Flank Cleared.

CHAPTER XXI

Advance toward Liao-yang--Enemy Abandon Mou-tien-ling
Pass--Evidences of Confused Retreat--Heaven-reaching Pass--Rain
for Three Nights and Days--Splendid Defences Deserted--Effect of
a Flanking Movement--The Northern Road Open--A Surprise--Russian
Assault on our Outposts--A Hand-to-hand Encounter--An Attack
Badly Planned and Badly Executed.

CHAPTER XXII

Attack on Mou-tien-ling--The Japanese “Mother” us--“You
must wait”--To-wan--Engagements at Dawn--The Guns
Speak--Reinforcements Hurried Up--Inexplicable Retirement of
the Enemy--Vigorous Pursuit--A Deadlock--The Need for Horse
Artillery--Sharp Fighting on our Right--Why these repeated
efforts to capture positions already abandoned?

CHAPTER XXIII

Assault on Chaotoa--Important Strategic Position--Its Strength
and Entrenchments--A Day of Desultory Fighting--Under Cover
of Darkness--Attack at Dawn--Weak Point in the Russian
Position--The Signal--A Timely Arrival--Rush into the
River--Brilliant Capture of Chaotoa.

CHAPTER XXIV

The Advance on Liao-yang--A General Action--We Leave
Mou-tien-lien--Axioms of War put to the Test--Kuroki and
Kuropatkin Face to Face--The Ramparts of Manchuria--We Hold
the Enemy’s Front--A Race for a Pass--Check on our Left
Flank--Prolonged Artillery Duel--A Torrid Afternoon--Drinking
amid a Hail of Bullets--Shrapnel fails again--The Centre
Relieves the Left--All the Objectives in our Hands--Kuropatkin’s
Failure to Deliver Counter Attack.

CHAPTER XXV

Attack on Yu-shu-ling--A Dramatic Encounter--An Isolated
Engagement essential to the General Movement--Four o’Clock
in the Morning--“The Enemy is upon us”--Russian Headlong
Flight--Makura-yama--Diversion on the Enemy’s Right--A Gauntlet
of Fire--Russian Retreat on Am-ping.

CHAPTER XXVI

The Battle of Liao-yang--Preparing the Way--Increased Russian
Activity--How Kuroki Drove Kuropatkin to his Last Defences
about Liao-yang--Two Hundred Thousand Men and Three Defensive
Lines--Detailed Action and Skilled Co-operation--A Wedge of
Steel in the Heart of the Enemy.

CHAPTER XXVII

The Russian Army Retires on Liao-yang--“To-day the Russians
are very Obstinate”--A Dense Fog--Russians Retire on their
Second Line--Five Months in the Mountains--The Freedom of the
Plains--Leisurely Russian Retirement--The Moral of Long Range
Artillery--Startling Flight on the Last Defences--Within Fifteen
Hundred Yards of the Enemy’s Trenches--Deficiency of Japanese
Field Signalling--In Prosperous Am-ping.

CHAPTER XXVIII

The Assault on Liao-yang--The Sedan of Manchuria?--First
Evidence of Permanent Russian Occupation--Kuroki’s Reasons for
Retirement--Shou-shan--Hundreds of Guns Engaged--Our Infantry
unable to Advance--Nozu Checked--Stale-mate at Nightfall--Battle
begins again at Dawn--Weary, Inconclusive Day.

CHAPTER XXIX

Capture of Liao-yang--The Supreme Moment at Hand--Truce of the
Night--An Apparently Impregnable Position--Reckless Courage of
the Japanese--Three Attacks and Three Repulses--An Irresistible
Onrush--Liao-yang Won--Unflinching Rearguard at the Railway
Station--Kuropatkin’s Main Army on its way to Mukden--Orderly
Retirement--No Sedan after all.

CHAPTER XXX

Kuroki Crosses the Tai-tsu--A Great Achievement--Kuropatkin’s
Strategy Frustrated--Kuroki’s New Task--Absence
of Favourable Conditions--River Crossed without
Opposition--Manjuyama--Kuropatkin’s Eye--Fierce Artillery
Struggle--Passing through an Inferno--Fighting all
Night--Capture of Manjuyama--Terrible Sacrifice--Unavailing Move
against Ponchiho--“Bitter in the mouth.”

CHAPTER XXXI

Retreat of the Russians--We are too Exhausted to Pursue--Failure
of the Field Wire--A Triple Line of Dead--Horrors of a Soldier’s
Grave--Fog again--Twelve Days’ Casualties--Why Kuropatkin
Escaped.

CHAPTER XXXII

Battle of Sha-ho--Kuropatkin’s Address to his Army--Reason of
the Retreat--Now strong enough to abandon the Defensive and
ensure Victory--Stringent Orders from St. Petersburgh--The
Move South Begins--Our Right Wing Falls Back--A Gigantic
Struggle--Half-a-Million Men Engaged--Russian Plan of
Attack--Critical Situation on our Right--Spectacular Cossacks.

CHAPTER XXXIII

A Gallant Fight--The Weakness of Ponchiho--Umizawa
Forced Back--Both Sides Reinforced--Desperate Measures
Required--Oyama Orders a General Attack--Inferiority of Japanese
Artillery--A Terrible Day of Battle--“Order, Counter-order,
Disorder”--Russian Failure all along the Line.

CHAPTER XXXIV

A Hard-won Victory--The Moment to Strike--An Inspiring
Spectacle--How the Japanese Advanced--Assault on Temple
Hill--Its Capture--Russians Prepare to Retreat--Ponchiho
Surrounded--Prince Kun-in to the Rescue--First Instance of
Cavalry Usefulness--We Manage to Hold On.

CHAPTER XXXV

The Last Struggle--The General Advance--Very Slow Progress--The
Famous Okasaki Brigade--Its Exploits--An Assault that
Failed--Enemy Withdraw in the Night--We Follow Them Up--Pursuit
and Slaughter--Fifty Guns Captured--Ten Thousand Dead Russians.

CHAPTER XXXVI

A Forlorn Hope--Stirring Episode of the Battle--A Night
Attack--Difficult Operation--Elaborate Preparations--A Horror
of Great Darkness--Slowly Pressing Onward--Zone of Death--The
Russian Imperial Regiment--Fearless and Resolute Men--Stronghold
Swept by Fire and Bayonet--Step by Step--Not Died in Vain.

CHAPTER XXXVII

Valley of the Shadow--Dead and Dying--Plucked from the Grave--A
Shattered Victim--Strangely Pathetic Group--A Soldier on his
Knees--“Kick him up”--A Slain Drummer.

CHAPTER XXXVIII

Mukden in Sight--Storming a Hill--Four Roads Open to the
Retreat--Our Failure to Envelop the Enemy--Its Reason--Caution
Justified--A Feature of the War--Breakdown of the Russian
Intelligence Branch--Bombardment of a Mountain--At Close
Quarters Again--Courageous and Audacious Defence--Flight.

CHAPTER XXXIX

The Story of a Famous Brigade--General Okasaki’s 4,000
Fighting Men--Their 3,889 Casualties--Unshaken Morale of the
Brigade--Okasaki’s Career--What the Brigade Did--A Crowded and
Stirring Chronicle--Typical of the Japanese Infantry.

CHAPTER XL

To Port Arthur--A Change of Scene--Miscalculations as to
Port Arthur--Permission to Join Nogi--Appreciation of
Privilege--Hurrying South.

CHAPTER XLI

The Surrender--New Year’s Day--Flag of Truce--A Land of
Silence--Incredible News--“Port Arthur has Fallen”--Stoessel’s
Message--Fateful Council of War--Orders to Destroy the
Ships--Nogi Agrees to Negotiate--His Delegates--“The Road to
Peace”--Plum Tree Cottage--Terms of Capitulation--Russian
Requests--The Answer--Fire in Port Arthur--Stoessel’s Enquiries
after Kuropatkin and the Baltic Fleet--Kondrachenko, the Heart
and Soul of the Defence--Stoessel’s View of the Cause of the
War--His Wish to Retire.

CHAPTER XLII

The Two Leaders--Sketch of Nogi--The Meeting--Stoessel’s Honour
Preserved--Nogi’s Bereavement--A Courteous Gift--Stoessel on
his Way to Dalny--Inside the War-scarred City--The Broken
Battleships--Nogi’s Triumphant Entry--The Japanese Good Soldiers
but Bad on Parade--Russian Officers on the Defence--Technical
Criticisms.

CHAPTER XLIII

Why did General Stoessel Surrender?--Port Arthur Capable of
Further Resistance--Four Justifications for Capitulation
Examined--Facts and Figures--The Last Days Less Glorious than
the First--The General, and not the Garrison, Surrendered.

CHAPTER XLIV

Japanese Guns and Horses--The One Advantage of their Guns--Their
Predilection for Common Shell--Good Results--Tactical
Deficiencies--The Cavalry--Difficulty of Forming Correct
Judgment--The Conservative Cavalry Officer--Spirited Defence of
his Branch--The Korean Stock to Blame--Lack of Opportunity to
Test Capacity--The Lance must be Relegated to Museums.

CHAPTER XLV

Children and the War--True Hero Worshippers--A Missive to Lord
Roberts--Kuroki’s Letter Bag--Blood-curdling Sentiments--His
Punctiliousness in Replying--Girls Better Letter Writers than
Boys--Some Juvenile Examples.