Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1904-09-14
Almost All Their Supplies Were
Lost During Retreat.
RAIN STOPS THE WAR.
Official Estimates of Total Losses in Lao
Yang Campaign Place Casual
ties at 10000.

are merely keeping in touch with each
other, no fighting Of consequences being
reported.
Rain continues to fall at the theater of
war and the roads are said to be almost
impossible.
Official figures from Toxic, which place
the japanese losses during all the engage
ments which constituted the battle of
Lao Yang at 1880, make necessary q
big reduction of the reported casualties
of the great battle. According to mill
tary experts, the Russian losses did not
exceed those of the japanese; In fact
as Russia was on the defensive they
should not be so great. The Toxic fig
ures, therefore, would indicate that the
total casualties were not more than So
900.
Mukden, Sept. 12.-Last night rain
again fell in torrents and today it is
drilling. The roads are impossible and
military movements are at standstiIl.
The town is SO crowded that foodstuffs
are almost unprocurable. Prices have
trebled and quadrupled. The division
suffers lost almost all their supplies dur
ing the Russian retreat. Civilians are
besieging the railroad station and other
eating places, but it is almost impossible
to get food.
st. Petersburg, Sept. 12.-Gen. XII
roki has fallen back on Yentai, where
the main japanese army is bivouacking.
Only very small japanese detachments
are reported on the Russian TANKS.
The war office fully realizes the dis
couraging effect Of the battle of Lao
Yang upon the heroic garrison of Port
Arthur. With all prospects of immediate
relief from Gen. Kuropatkin gone it is
70 ~ of
be shortened.
ST. Petersburg. Sept. 12.-The Baltic
fleet, which sailed from Cronstadt yester-
day. is expected to remain at Libau for
about a fortnight. Thence it will sail for
the Mediterranean.
Oyster Bay, L. l., Sept 12-President
Roosevelt received today through the
state department q cablegram from
United States Minister Griscom at Toxic,
giving revised official figures of the losses
at the battle of Lao Yang. As reported
by Field Marshal Oyama the japanese
battle were 1880, while the Russian
losses were 10000.
Toxic, Sept. 12.-2 p. m.-Field Mar
shall Oyama reports that 4 large body Of
Russian cavalry has appeared at Pin
taczu, eastward of the railroad between
Yentai and Mukden. He adds that the
Russians are merely keeping III touch
with the japanese.
st. Petersburg, Sept PA dispatch
has been received from Lieut.-Gen. Saka-
rolf, under yesterdays date, reporting
that no large Japanese force has been
seen north Of the Yentai railroad, but
that south of there there are many large
camps of japanese.
St. Petersburg, Sept. 12.-7:30 a. NJ
In publishing Gen Stoesseis telegram,
replying to that Of the Emperor, sent re-
Gently, reducing the Port Arthur garri-
sons term of military service. the Of
fetal Messenger says the news was re-
ceived by the besieged men with cheers
and tears of gratitude
There is no intimation given as to the
method whereby the reply was sent from
Port Arthur, but it is dated September
g. indicating that something less than
week is necessary to communicate be-
tween st. Petersburg and the be-
leaguered garrison.
St. Petersburg, Sept. 12-7:40 p. m.-
No fresh light has been thrown on the
situation at the front Unofficial info
nation tends to confirm the reports tn
Gen. Kuropatkin is Withdrawing til
bulk of his army northward from Muk
den.
Jap Armies United.
The rain continues at the front. The
three armies of Field Marshal Oyama
are reported to have united north of the
Taitse river, but there is nothing yet to
indicate that they are sufficiently re-
cuperated to resume the advance. The
best unofficial opinion is that Kuropatkin
does not contemplate making Il serious
stand at Mukden.
The spirit animating the japanese
troops is shown by the translation of
letter written by Spartan Japanese
mother to her son, which has reached the
war office. The letter was found on the
body of her son. 1t adjured him to fight
nobly for the Mikado and his country
and informed him that his capture would
be considered an everlasting disgrace upon
the family ancestors, but that if he died
on the battlefield it would be an honor
which the family would celebrate for
week.
Gen Orloff Failed
A Russian correspondent says Kuro-
patkin's strategy was upset by the fail
ure OF Maj.-Gen. Orloff to hold Gen.
Kurokis extreme right. According to
this correspondent Kuropatkin's plan was
to catch Kuroki after he had crossed the
Taitse river by quick and clever
movement. Orloff's mission was to at
tack desperately September Z the front
of Kuroki's army, which had marched
northwest to hold him and, if possible, to
drive him back towards Kuropatkin,
while the latter, severing Kurokis adj
vance, struck with all his might with his
flank and rear. But OrloH was unequal
to tie task assigned to him. His division
had just arrived from Russia and its
fighting efficiency was not known.
Horse Starts Retreat.
When ne struck Kuroki, Orloff was
wounded early in the fight and was COM
PEELED to hand over his command. To
make the matter worse the horse of his
chief of staff bolted. The division could
not resist the onslaught of Japan's best
troops and gave way and retreated. In
the meanwhile Kuropatkin was just
launching his attack, but when he found
the japanese were turning his left he was
compelled TO abandon the offensive, with
draw and order q retreat As it turned
out, however, Gen. Stakelberg had come
to Orioff's rescue and checked the Japa-
Lese thanking movement just before they
reached Yantai. Had Kuropatkin held
on a little longer the fate of the day
might have been different as this was