The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-05-06
RUSSIANS ADMIT ALL.
Acknowledge Officially That They Were
Thoroughly and DisastrousIy De.
fe.tnd q "a MaIa1

ST. Petersburg, May 5.-The emperor
has received an official dispatch from
General KlTopatkin forwarding a dis
patch from General Sassulitch, COM
manding the Russian forces which have
seen engaged with the japanese adj
E1nce from the Yalu. 1t is stated that
ut noon Sunday he describes how he
ordered the Russian forces at Antung
and Kiulien Cheng to fall back along
the main road toward Feng Wang
Cheng. This movement was protected
from a threatened flank attack by men
and guns stationed at Petietinsky, q
mile north of Kulien Cheng, on the
Litzavena river. Here the fighting was
~protracted and severe, and the Rus
ing obliged to abandon, according to
the text, "a few guns. General Sas-
sulitch says:
although we We're unable to hold
our positions here we inflicted heavy
losses on the enemy"
Russian Losses Suppressed.
The figures on h Russian losses. as
given from Japanese sources In dis
patches from abroad, are carefully
eliminated by the censors here. Until
Sassulitch's official advices arrive, the
general staff is inclined to believe Sas-
sulitch, who was under orders to with
uEaM dtlGl 1llpClllAiiS SlS PIOStGSS VI
the enemy as much as possible, allowed
the fight to- mature beyond his inten-
lions, being compelled to sustain heavy
losses along the Lftzavena river in or
der tolextricate the retreating columns
from Antung and Kiulien Cheng.
The fighting at Chingow was exceed
ingly severe and stubborn. The Japa-
nese took up a position on both TANKS
and after Chingow had been shelled
oa,1,o fn Oloca n11nrfarc c0poa 1acroro< 70
hand to hand work being reported.
Many OF the Russian soldiers were In
the fever of combat. The Russians re-
tired at the command Of their officers.
According to the general staff only
about 5000 Russians were actually en-
gagged at Kiulien Cheng, and along
the Litzavena were two regiments OF
Siberian riflemen of 5000 men each.
General Mistchenke, commander of the
eastern. Cossack brigade, had 1900 Cos
sacks protecting the Russian right
flank lower down the Yalu, and also q
brigade of artillery and four batteries
of eight guns each.
General Kartsoff with 1900 Cossacks
was higher up the Yalu guarding the
road at Pusikhe, which leads direct to
Mukden, in order to prevent a column
OF the enemy using this for the purpose
of outflanking the position at Fens
| Wang Cheng.
The silence Of the authorities here
regarding the later details OF the fight
ing on the Yalu is interpreted omin-
ously, and there is a consequent preva.
lence OF all sorts of irresponsible ru-
mors regarding the magnitude of the
Russian losses, some figures going as
high as 5000 These manifestly are gross
eXaggerations.
The absence of official Information
Is explained by the general staff by the
fact that a few Japanese have sue.
ceeded in getting In the rear Of the
Russian position, cutting the wires be.
tween Tai a Cheng and Feng Wang
Cheng. The losses are not believed tt
exceed a few hundred and some guns
The latter, while protecting the retrea'
of the Russian forces from Antung tt
Klulien Cheng, had to be abandoned
owing to the loss OF the horses. TIL
breech locks, however, We're carried
away, so the guns will be of no servic,
to the enemy.
According to the latest informatio,
General Sasslilitch is retiring in goot
order along the main road, and tn.
Japanese are not following him. De
tails are expected as soon as Genera
Sassulitch Is again in communication
IN the meantime the public remains 4,
the dark. The war bulletin boards mr.,
bare and not a single press dispatch
!. mas come through from the front.