The Savannah morning news., 1904-04-10
How Russia Conquered ManChuria
Graphic Story Ruthless

the Chinese. Human nature being
what it is, there is small need to Won
der that their cowardice oVerpowered
| their humanity and they decided to
make short work of the Chinese in
their midst.
Rennenknmpfs Ruthless March.
No such excuse can be urged, how
ever, for the ruthless march of Gen.
Rennenkampf's Siberian regiments. 1t
might be said of Rennenkampf, as it
was said Of a great conquerer of old,
that wherever his horse passed grass
has not grown. The track of his troops
may still be traced in Manchuria by
desolate country and the blackened
ruins of burned towns and villages
Rennenkampf first attacked the
town of Aigun, on the Amur, which
was garrisoned by a large and deter
mined body of Chinese troops They
resisted for eight hours, but the place
was then carried by assault and sack
ed as Magdeburg and HARLEM were
sacked in medieval times. After the
troops had worked their will for sew
eral hours, the town was burned to
the ground, and all the Chinese-men,
women and children alike-were driv-
en- into the flames at the point of the
bayonet. At Aigun Rennenkampf
struck the keynote of a merciless cam
paign, which can only be justified on
the theory, advanced by many famous
soldiers, that mo quarter" is in real
ity a merciful rule, because it tends to
shorten war.
Left "a Pile of COrpses.
Leaving Aigun, with its blazing
pyre of corpses, Rennenkampf chased
the fleeing Chinese towards Mergen,
slaughtering them mercilessly. Twice
fhay had a Gt9nd him
but each time in vain. On the second
occasion, he caught their army in a
mountain pass and skillfully deployed
portion of his troops to attack them
in the rear. Hemmed in by the two
Russian forces the Chinese had no
chance, though they fought with the
courage of desperation.
THE slaughter was immense" said
Russian officer, who took part in the
battle. They could not escape, and
after the first brief, desperate resist
ance was over we cut them down at
pleasure No quarter was expected or
given. Nobody knows how many Chi
nese were killed on that bloody day.
We started to count the bodies. but
grew tired of the task and gave it up.
There were thousands"
After this victory-the Battle of the
Khingan Pass-Rennenkampf march,
ed rapidly south to Tsitsikar, destroy
ing the town of Mergen and burning
seventeen villages on the way. Every
Chinese that his troops met-whether
a Boxer, or a peaceful cultivator of
the fields, or a mere child-was slain.
His commands were the same as those
of Gen. Kaufman in his Turcoman
campaign-that every subject of the
enemy, without distinction, must be
killed whenever and wherever found.
Endorsed by the Government.
Gen. Rennenkampf's ruthlessness was
Endorsed by the Russian government,
and, indeed, was thoroughly in line
with Russian policy. He was decorat-
ed and promoted by the Gar to an i'm
portant command in Transcaspia,
from which he has just been relieved
in order that he may take command
of an army corps in Manchuria against
the Japanese.
Gen. Sakharoff, who is now in COM
mand of an army corps in the Far
East, led another of the divisions,
forcing his way up the river Sungari
to the relief of the besieged town Of
Hardin. He made the best Roadway
of all the five commanders, sweeping