MAP TO ILLUSTRATE THE NAN SHAN POSITIONMap No. 1.
Enlarged from a Russian Map.London: Hugh Rees, Ltd.
Reproduced at Stanford’s Geogl. Estabt., London.
It was stated at the court-martial that the whole of Lieutenant-Colonel Golitsinski’s battalion of the 14th Regiment was sent to the position, by General Nadyein, but never reached it, occupying instead the trenches made by me beyond Ta-fang-shen on the seashore, in case the enemy tried to make a turning movement through the water of Hand Bay. This was more than a verst from the position, in rear of its right flank. What they wanted a battalion there for, I really do not understand. I know nothing about this strange manœuvre, and I never saw the battalion, but it would have played a great part if I had had it with me in the centre.
There cannot be two commanders in one part of a field of battle, and we had three—General Fock, General Nadyein, and myself.
[CHAPTER III]
Night alarm during the march to Nan-kuan-ling—Disappearance of the baggage train—Continuation of the retreat towards Port Arthur—Occupation and fortification of the “Position of the Passes”—Japanese attacks on the position on July 26, 27, and 28—Capture of Yu-pi-la-tzu and Lao-tso Shan—General retirement to new positions, July 29.
I had hardly gone two versts from the bivouac, when we heard firing behind us. A moment afterwards a vague noise reached us, soon distinctly recognized as the rumbling of a baggage wagon. In another minute it had rattled past us at full speed. Behind it galloped a field battery scattering or destroying all that came in its way, and after the battery came a hurtling mass of wagons, mounted men, riderless horses, and unarmed men, and, to make matters worse, somebody raised the alarming cry of “Japanese cavalry! Japanese cavalry!”