Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1904-09-17
GEN. KUROPATKIN'S
OFFICIAL REPORT
He Describes in Detail the Battle
at Liao Yang.
GIVES CAUSE OF HIS DEFEAT

General Orlcff's Failure to Hold Yentai
Mines Changed Plan of Battle, and
Retreat Was Made Under Terrible
Difficulties.
St. Petersburg. Sept. Is. = General
Kuropatkin's official report comes as a
considerable relief as setting at rest
alarmist stories of the loss OF guns. the
cutting off of divisions and the death
or capture of prominent commanders.
which have been freely circulating
here. The report. which is very long
one, enters at considerable detail into
the various phases of the battle of Lao
Yang and entirely bears out the declar-
alton of the Associated Press at the
time that General Orloff's failure to
hold the vital position at the Yentai
mines was responsible for the breaking
down of the whole of General kurO-
patkin's plan of battle and turned a
potential victory into defeat. The man
ner in which the retreat was carried
out in the face of the terrible condition
of the country and the determined pres
sure of the Japanese armies does much
to restore General Kuropatkins pres
tige in military circles.
The report dwells upon the terrible
difficulties encountered during the re-
treat at Lao Yang from positions on
the southern front, when "a horses and
q whole company of infantry harnessed
to a single gun were not able to re.
move the gun from quagmire. II is
shown that the retirement from Lao
Yang to the north bank of the Taitse
river was carried out in good order
and with celebrity under cover of night
on August 81, when it had become evil
a determined drive at the Russian COM
munications north of Lao Yang. Gen.
eral Kuropatkin pays tribute to the
courage and devotion of every arm of
the service under his command, and
especially to the bravery of the troops
to whom was set the task of recaptur-
ing the Sykwantun hills. on the north
bank of the Taitse river. The engage
ment of the night of September was
productive of some of the most severe
fighting of the whole battle. 1t was
practically a company commanders
fight, commands becoming separated in
the darkness and Independent units.
acting upon their own initiative with
the one object of carrying out the COM
mander's orders to retake the heights.
This account puts the Russian SOL
der in a very different light from the
generally accepted belief that he is a
mere military automaton. capable only
of acting in a mass under specific in
structions.
The necessity of retaking the Syk-
wantun Heights formed the first break
in General Kuropatkin's plan and lost
him whole day. September 2. and thus
delayed launching the blow against
Kuroki: and when the Russians had
Just regained fOothold on the coveted
position. Orloff's failure to hold the in D.
anese advance against the Yentai mines
threatened the development of Kuro-
patkin on the north, crippled the whole
Russian scheme and forced the now
historic retreat to Mukden.
The report as given out does not
state the casualties. but the Associated
Press is authoritatively informed that
they were under 1900.
The war office is extremely reticent
regarding the present situation and flu
ture plans at the front 1t is stated in
general terms that the army is concen-
trated around Mukden. leaving the in
ference that it is ready to make an
other stand. There has been no rain
the past two days. and it is probable
the country will now dry up and leave
two months of good weather for the
fall campaign.
Many things may happen during this
period. but the Associated Press is in
formed by high authority that prep
lrations are being steadily pushed look
ing to the wintering of the Russian
army at Hardin.
Japanese Are Not ADVANCING.