The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-09-21
HIS TALE OF DEFEAT
Gen. Kuropatkin's Account Of Battle Of
Liaeyang.
JAPANESE DASH SMASHED PLANS
Says the Troops Gave Splendid Account Of
Themselves Throughout and Did Not
Leave q Single Field or Fortress Gun
to the Japanese-The Terrific Fight About
Llaoyang.

St. Petersburg (By Cable).-Gen-
eralskuropatkin'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
circulated here. The report, which is
a very long one, enters at considerable
detail into the various phases of the
battle of Liaoyang.
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 Gen
eral Kuropatkin's plan of battle and
turned potential victory into defeat.
The manner in which the retreat was
carried out in the face of the terrible
condition of the country and the de-
termined pressure of the Japanese
armies does much 10 restore General
Kuropatkn's prestige in military cir
clcs.
The report dwells upon the terrible
difficulties encountered during the re-
treat at Liaoyang from positions on
the southern front. when "a horses
and whole company OF infantry, har-
messed to a single gun, were not able
to move the gun from a quagrnire. II
is shown that the retirement from
Liaoyang 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 be-
some evident that General Kuroki was
making a determined drive at the
Russian communications north OF
Liaoyang. General Kuropatkn pays
tribute to the courage and devotion
of every arm of the service under his
command, and especially to the bra
| very of the troops to whom was set the
task of recapturing the Sykwantun
hills, on the north bank of the Taitse
| River. The engagement OF the night
| Of September 2 was productive OF
some of the most severe fighting Of
the whole battle
A Desperate Battle.
1t was practically company COM
manders' fight, commands becoming
separated in the darkness and inde-
| pendent units acting upon their own
initiative, with the one object of carry
ing out the commanders orders to re-
take the heights This account puts
the Russian soldier in very differ
ent light from the generally accepted
belief that he is mere military au-
| tomaton, capable only of acting in a
mass under specific instructions.
The necessity of retaking the
Sykwantun Heights formed the first
break in General Kuropatkin's plan
and lost him whole day-September
2-and thus delayed launching the
blow against Kuroli, and when tAe
Russians had Just rcgained foothold
on the coveted position Orloh's fall
ure to hold the Japanese advance
against the Yentai mines threatened
the development of Kuropatkin 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.
The War Office is extremely reti-
cent regarding the present situation
and future plans at the front. 1t is
stated in general terms that the army
is concentrated around Mukden, leav-
ing the inference that it is ready to
make another 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.