Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-09-09
THE RUSSO JAPANESE WAR.
Thrilling Events of The Week Told COnciseIy, And
In Order From Where We Left OF Last
Issue, Down to The Latest
News Of Yesterday.


the afternoon we repulsed three head
long charges against our line. After
this the Japanese, with the strength
Of all their batteries opened fire along
the whole southern front, but this
attack, too, was driven back with
what seemed tremendous loss, al.
though it was impossible to tell
clearly what happened amid the
she'll fire and fighting. The roar of
siege guns, mortar batteries and
mixed yolley firing went on until
darkness set in. To the north a
storm, accompanied by thunder and
lighting, broke, while along the
front thousands of shells we're burst
ing constantly. 1t seemed like a
magnificent display of fireworks,
beggaring description"
The battle was of the most des-
perate character. 1t ragged continu-
ously from dawn until midnight, aud
the slaughter must have been i'm
mense. At 8 in the evening, after
holding his outer positions all, day
in the face of the most desperate
charges, General Kuropatkin gave
the order to retire upon the main
works about the city.
Friaag-The Russian army has
been driven from its strong defenses
and splendid position at Liaoyang,
and the victorious Japanese have
taken the walled city, with its i'm
mense stores.
General Kuropatkin having his
left flank turned by General Kuroki
and his center and right beaten and
driven back by General Oku, found
himself compelled to evacuate Lao
yang and cross the Taitse river to
the north with his army. A Russian
force of $4,000 under Gen. Stakel-
berg has been cut off. 1t could not
get across the river because of the
furious on-rush of the victorious
Japanese.
The failure of Gen. Rennenkampff's
Cossacks to check Kurokl's now
famous flank movement on the Rus
sian left is given as the cause of
kuropatkin crossing the Taitse.
A determined pursuit by the Japa-
nese of the Russian out-posts, when
General Kuropatkin gave the first
order to withdraw, was thought to
be due to their anxiety to keep the
Russians south of Liaoyang until
General Kuroki should be able to
strike from the northeast. General
Kuropatkin, however, saw the trap
and cleverly avoided it, so say de-
spatches from Russian sources.
With the view of eventual retire
ment from their outer positions the
Russians had dug large number of
pits, with stakes concealed in their
bottoms. The Pits. were artfully
concealed among the high Chinese
corn. When the Japanese charged
after the Russians they fell into the
pits in hundreds, and were engulfed
and impaled on the stakes and their
lines for awhile were thrown into
confusion. Whenever the Russians
faced about and returned temporarily
to their old positions they found these
death traps filled with dead and
dying.
The troops under General Kuroki.
now on his famous flank movement,
are jaded and weary. They have
been marching and ilghting since
August %, but in spite of this they
attack with spirit. The Japanese
are confident that they have already
swept back the strong Russian force
with which they have been engaged,
and it is probable that when the de-
tails are known it will be found that
a great tragedy was enacted today
along the Taitse river.
The Taitse is flooded and cannot
be forced. General Oku, in command
of the japanese left army, has di.
rected his energies to forcing the
Russians to the river, and it is prob
able that many were drowned there.
Great fires are raging in the city
of Liaoyang from the efforts of the
Russians to destroy their stores pre-
paratory to the evacuation of Lao
yang, with the additional hope of in.
Juring the city AS future Japanese
base. General Kuropatkin was COM
PEELED to abandon 200 guns at Lao
yang, but these, with the immense
stores are supposed to have been first
rendered useless.
Saturday-St. Petersburg reports
that the Russian army is still falling
rack, with some rear-guard fighting.
An Associated Press dispatch makes
the significant statement that desul-
tory fighting occurred today around
Mukden, which is far north of Liao-
yang.
Unofficial estimates place the Rus.
sian forces In the vicinity of Lao
yang at 225,000 men. These are
probably excessive, although Toxic
claims that numerically the Russians
exceed the Japanese. The best figures
now are that about 100000 men.
with about 1900 guns, are fighting
for the mastery.
Russian military officials are unani-
nous in the belief that it would only
be folly for General Kuropatkin to
remain and run the risk of being
surrounded with his whole army.
and that the commander-in-chief, by
his withdrawal north, has actually
converted what might have been
disaster to himself into what is re.
garded as reverse for the japanese,
Tor the failure of the Japanese to
hold General Kuropatkin's army and
lniiIct a decisive blow, it is claimed.
cannot be regarded otherwise than a
reverse.
Auroki and Kuropatkin are en-
gagged In a desperate struggle for the
entai Hills, and upon the result of
the fight will depend whether or not
the Russian army, or what remains
of it, will be able to get through to
Mukden The Janonaoa 6.at