The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-05-05
eRIEvoUs BUT GLORIOUS.
Kashtalinsky Thus Describes Battle
 on Yalu


 on Yalu.
 St. Petersburg. May 1.-The Emperor today received the following dispatch from General Kuropatkin:
 Major General KashtaIlnsky reports as follows: ''I consider 1t my duty to report the circumstances of the grievous, yet glori- oGs battle fought by the troops under my command with the superior forces of the Japanese May l.
 Early on the morning of April 30, the Japanese began to oppress our left flank. having on the previous evening occupied the Khussan heights after an attack in consequence of which l ordered the 22nd regiment, which had occupied Khussan, to retire across the Al river to our posi- tion at Potietinsky.
 'On the morning of the same day, an extraordinarily strong and violent bonn bardment of our whole position at Kiu Lien Cheng commenced from Wiju. fCresaw that the Japanese, after the bombardment, in whihc over 2000 projec- tiles were discharged, would take the of fensive.
 T received orders from Lieutenant Gen. eral Zassalitch to accept the battle and to retain my position at the forts of Potietinsky.
 
 battalions of the 32nd regiment and third battery of the 6th brigade. The Japanese took the offensive at o'clock in the morning. despatching at least one divis- ion of infantry, which advancing in col- umn sustained enormous losses, but crossed the ford and attacked our posi- ton. which was exposed to the fire of thirty-six field guns and siege batteries. Towards noon ascertained that the Japanese had routed the battalion of the 22nd regiment posted at Chin Cow and were turning my left flank.
 At 1 o'clock in the afternoon, my left flank was reinforced by two battalions of the 1fth regiment and a battery com manded by lieutenant Colonel MoravslSy. which were sent from the reserve by Gen. eral Zassalitch, with orders to hold their ground until the departure of the 9th and 10th regiment from Sakhodza. I or dered the 11tb regiment to occupy a commanding position in the rear from which they could fire on the enemy from two sides.
 T held Lieutenant Colonel Moravsky' 8 battery in reserve and ordered the 18th regiment, the 3rd battery and the quick firing guns to retire under cover of the 11th regiment. At l o'clock the Japanese approached so close to the position held by the l1th regiment that the 3rd battery could not pass along under the cross fire, and talk ing up a position a short distance from the Japanese, it remained there until the end of the fight, losing its commander. Lieutenant Colonel Moravsky.
 "A company with quick-firing guns was brought up from the gear guard and the officer commanding this force, seeing the difficult situation of Moravsky's battery. took up the position on his own initla- tive. He lost half of his men and all his horses and attempted to remove his guns by hand to the shelter of the hills under the Japanese cross fire. The quick-iring pieces discharged about $500 bullets. "The second battery of the 9th brigade. having attempted to reJoin the reserves by another route. could not ascend the mountain slopes with only half its horses. and. retiring to its original position, re- ceived the Japanese attack. The l1th regiment, which held It's ground for two hours more with heavy losses, forced a passage at the point of the bayonet, and crossed the ravines with It's colors It lost it's commandant We lost forty officers and about 1000 non commissioned officers and men
 The Japanese losses must have been enormous. The Russians retired in gooo order on Feng Wang Cheng. "The men of the Srd division main tained their excellent morale and over 700 wounded proceeded with their regiments to Feng Wang Cheng.