mulpo as a support to
the forces under Yamagata; but its chief task was the siege and
capture of the Chinese fortress, dockyard and arsenal of Port Arthur.

The Liao-Tong peninsula was guarded by the walled city of Kinchow and
the forts of Ta-lien-wan (Dalny under the Russian regime, and Tairen
under the Japanese) as well as the fortifications around Port Arthur
itself. On the 24th of October the disembarkation of the 2nd army
began near Pi-tsze-wo, and the successive columns of the Japanese
gradually moved towards Kinchow, which was carried without difficulty
on the 6th of November. Even less resistance was offered by the modern
forts of Ta-lien-wan. The Japanese now held a good harbour within a
few miles of the main fortress. Here they landed siege artillery, and
on the 17th of November the advance was resumed. The attack was made
on the 19th at dawn. Yamaji's division (Nogi's and Nishi's brigades)
after a trying night march assaulted and carried the western defences
and moved upon the town. Hasegawa in the centre, as soon as Yamaji
began to appear in rear of his opponents in the northern forts, pushed
home his attack with equal success, and by 3 P.M. practically all
resistance was at an end. The Japanese paid for this important success
with but 423 casualties. Meanwhile the Chinese general Sung, who had
marched from Hai-cheng to engage the 2nd army, appeared before
Kinchow, where he received on the 22nd a severe repulse at the hands
of the Japanese garrison. Marshal Oyama subsequently stationed his
advanced guard towards Hai-cheng, the main body at Kinchow, and a
brigade of infantry at Port Arthur. Soon after this overtures of peace
were made by China; but her envoy, a foreigner unfurnished with
credentials, was not received by the Tokyo government.

The Japanese 1st army (now under General Nozu) at Antung and
Feng-hwang-cheng prepared, in spite of the season, to move across the
mountains, and on the 3rd of December General Katsura left Antung for
Hai-cheng. His line of march was by Hsi-mu-cheng, and strong flank
guards followed parallel routes on either side. The march was
accomplished safely and Hai-cheng occupied on the 13th of December. In
the meantime Tachimi had moved northward from Feng-hwang-cheng, in
order to distract the attention of the Chinese from Hai-cheng, and
there were some small engagements between this force and that of
Ikoten