The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1904-10-14
Upon it May Depend the Fate
of This Years Campaign
in Manchuria.
RUSSIANS RESOLVE TO DO OR DIE.
KuropatkinIIas About Faced His Army
/ and is Marching Resolutely
Against the Enemy.
The outposts Of the Japs Are Being
Driven In All Along the Line
Strategy Of the Forward
Movement Concealed.

st Petersburg, Oct. l0.-Gen Kuro
patkin's order of the day announcing
his determination to take the often.
siye was supplemented Sunday night
by the news that an offensive move
ment has already been begun and that
the Japanese line has been broken at
Bentsiuputze on the east through Yen
tai and across the railway to the banks
Of the Hun river on the west. The
Russian force has been moving south
In close touch with the Japanese ad
vance since October 4. The Japanese
outposts were driven back in series
OF skirmishes. and on October the
Russians re-occupied the station Of
Shakhe. Is miles south Of Mukden,
the railway battalion restoring the
bridge across the Shakhe river the
next day in order to facilitate the ad-
vance, Meanwhile Gen, Mistchenko's
Cossacks pushed southwestward as
far as the Yentai mines, defeating the
Japanese in series of skirmishes.
st. Petersburg, Oct. 11.--A battle
upon which the fate of this years
campaign in Manchuria depends seems
only a few days ahead. Advices from
the front are meager. All that is pos
itively known officially is that Gen.
Kuropatkin has cast the die at last,
about faced his army and is march
ing resolutely against the enemy as II
resolved to do or die.
According to unofficial reports
Field Marshal oyama at the first sign
Of Gen Kuropatkin taking the often
sive began drawing in his line and
concentrating upon fortified positions
north Of Lao Yang According to the
latest reports which are contained in
dispatch from Mukden dated at 6
O'Clock Monday night. the Japanese
nutposts are being driven in all along
the line.
The strategy of the forward move
ment will be concealed as were the
preparations for the advance, so that
all surmises as to where Gen. Kuro-
patkin intends to strike are mere
guess work. II is not clear whether
Gen. Kuropatkln contemplates blow
on the left, center or right Of the Jap
anese army, but the fact that stress is
laid upon the capture OF Bentsiaputze.
which opens the road and fords to
Bensihu, 90 miles east Of Liao Yang.
where Gen. Kuroh crossed and that
Cossacks are already reported in the
neighborhood Of the stream, might
foreshadow an exact reversal Of the
battle of Lao Yang. this time the
Russian commander flanking and turn
ing Lao Yang with his left as Field
Marshal Oyama did with his right.
Little light has been thrown upon
the considerations which led Gen. Ku.
ropatkin suddenly to assume the of.
fenslve; but no word is heard at the
war office intimating that the course
savors Of rashness Officers Of the
general stan. while not underestimate
ing the heavy task and severe sacri
fees that are involved In assuming
the offensive. nevertheless express ab
solute confidence that Gen. Kuropat
kin has found a weak point in the
Japanese armor Different explana
tons abound as to the reason fol
making the forward movement at this
time The advance is attributed TO q
realization by Gen. Kuropatkin of the
difficulty the Japanese have encoun
tered in making good their losses a
Liao Yang and replenishing their sup
plies and ammunition. or possibly L
the drawing of of portion Of tn,
Japanese troops to reinforce Gen
Nogi in a desperate endeayor to enc
the siege of Port Arthur.