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90 THE SIEGE OF PORT ARTHUR
been very severe, they went to work undaunted,
showing the most reckless bravery. In the face
of a murderous fire, they climbed the north-eastern
slopes of the high, steep Wantai hill, attacking
the fort on its summit from this direction. They
worked their way close under the walls of the
fort, but as the expected support from the nth
Division did not arrive, they had to retreat and
entrench themselves on the hill-side.
Seeing that this last attempt also had failed,
and that it would be folly to persist in the hope-
less task. General Nogi, at two o’clock in the
afternoon, gave orders to his troops to retreat
after dark. The bombardment, which from early
dawn had been the most violent, from the Rus-
sian as well as from the Japanese side, witnessed
so far, died down slowly. It burst out again at
intervals, but with steadily decreasing force, and
at last it died down altogether, like the weeping
of a child who sobs itself to sleep, and silence
reigned once more again around Port Arthur,
after six days of continuous strife.
The Russian sortie in the night of August 23rd
will probably be omitted from the Japanese
official report. It is not a thing they like to
speak of. When we who heard so much and saw
so much sought further details at the divisional
headquarters, the Japanese made light of the
night’s work, and endeavoured to place it on a
par with the many other Russian sorties ;
but we
know, and friends amongst the officers of General
Nogi’s staff told us later, that this night’s reverse
was the heaviest and most disastrous experienced
by the Third Japanese Army during the whole
campaign.
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