The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-07-13
BATTLE OF MO TEN.
Disastrous Attempt of Russians to
Oyerwhe1m the Japanese.

At the front with General Kuroki's
forces, July A, via Seoul, Korea, July
13.-The brief and disastrous attempt
OF the Russians to overwhelm the
small japanese force which guarded
the entrance to the Mo Tien pass was
bloody affair. The Japanse troops
again exhibited their resourcefulness
and courage, and the Russians again
threw away many lives. The losses
can not be ascertained until the bat
tleneld has been searched. The Jap
anese are still driving the enemy up
the valley. The correspondent of the
Associated Press saw enough to justify
the estimate that the Russians had
more than 200 men killed or wounded
ana that the Japanese casualties prob
ABLY VIII amount to so. The Rus
slams left 80 dead in front of and in
the trench where the attack began.
At this point they had an equal num-
Der of men severely wounded, and the
japanese took several prisoners and
captured 100 rifles. The Russians were
seen carrying away two Japanese who
haQ been either killed or wounded.
MO lien pass opens upon a funnel
SNAPPED slope which rises for a quarter
OF e. mile from the valley land which is
thanked by hills. The Tbirty-sixtn Jap
anese We're quartered in Chinese house
near the bottom of the hill and two
companies of Japanese soldiers were in
a trench hundred yards long. located
on the summit of the hill, which COM
manded the approach. Two other COM
pan1eS of soldiers slept near this trench.
Between and o'clock in the morn
ing in complete darkness and with a
Aeavy fog enshrouding the hills, two
battalions of the Tenth and Twenty
fourth East Siberian regiments, togeth-
er with 100 cavalrymen, approached the
japanese positions They surrounded
the pickets and the outposts in the
house and gained a position from which
to rush the trench. Several other Rus
sian companies were so disposed that
they could attempt a thanking move
ment on both the Japanese right and
left.
When the fighting began the building
where the outposts were quartered be-
came slaughter house. The Japanese,
aroused from their sleep by the enemy,
seized their swords and bayonets to
resist the attack. The Russians were
at sucn close quarters with the Jap
anese that it was impossible for the
latter to use their rifles.
The first fighting in the trench and
in front of the trench was hand to hand
and the Japanese who ran out to man
the trench were but halg clothed The
first Russian onslaught was repealed,
but the Russians charged twice again
within half an hour. The remainder of
the Japanese regiment, however, to
which the outposts and the companies
at the trench belonged, reinforced their
comrades and began to drive the Rus
slams back. AS soon as it was Suffi-
GENTLY light to distinguish the enemy
two hours after the beginning OF the
fight, the Japanese forced the Russians
to retreat one mile down the valley. The
trench and it's approaches on the hill
side were covered with dead and
wounded.
Blood spattered stones and grass
everywhere testified to the holiness of
the fighting. Chinese stretcher bear
ers impressive under dropping bullets
were collecting the wounded and
carting them to an improvised hospital
in a roadside temple, where they were
laid out in rows under huge painted
and plastered gods. Japanese details
with trenching spades We're burying
the dead where they fell and Jap
anese soldiers were bringing water to
their own and Russian wounded and
ifnpartially giving the wounded men
Cigarettes.
The firing continued during the
afternoon, but gradually the sound
grew more distant, indicating that the
Russians were still retreating.