The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1904-10-22
DRIVEN TO LAST DITCH.
|SLAVS DID ALL MEN COULD
DO. STILLTHEJAPSSWEPT
ON TO YENTAI.
Battle Opened at Daylight With
Heavy Artillery on Both Sides
Strategy of japanese En-
~ tirely Successful
Other News.

Other News.
Headquarters of General Oku's
left army in the field, Oct. IA, 2 P.
M.-Via Teen, Oct. 18.-The way
to Mukden is apparently open. The.
last remnants of the Russian forces
on the plain north of Yentai are be-
ing driven out Of their position by
heavy she'll fire. The Russians
appear to have been defeated utter
ly at least on the right flank. They
are retiring hastily, and it is hard
~ probable that they will make
another stand south of Mukden, un-
less along the Hun river.
The strategy of the Japanese appar-
emily has been entirely successful,
and the cooperation Of the left, CEN
ter and right armies has been per-
feet. The battle began unexpect-
edly on Sunday night, October g.,
by an attack. on a hill five miles
north of Yentai, which the Russians
had begun to fortify. The right
column of the left army advanced
against this hill on that night and
drove the Russians out after a
hand to-hand encounter. On the
same night, the center and left col
umns advanced and took up posi-
tions in line of villages four miles
north of Yentai, placing their arti1-
lery and preparing for conflict on
Monday. On Monday morning,
the Japanese began shelling the
Russian positions. The Russians
answered briskly and terrific ar
ltillery duel was kept up all day.
At night, when it ended, the result
was not DECISIVE. During the night
the Japanese infantry moved with
in 1900 yards of the Russian lines,
taking up position along line of
villages.
During Tuesday the Japanese re-
pulsed fierce Russian attacks, the
Russians three times dashing across
the plains separating the two lines
against the japanese trenches and
!recoiling from the shock. All that
/ day the field guns of both sides
poured shrapnel into the trenches,
while the infantry fired almost con.
tinuous volleys across the plain.
The Russians lost heavily in the at.
tacks, the attackers being almost
annihilated.
During the night the Russians
withdrew for some two thousand
yards and the japanese took up an
advance position at the same time
Early on Wednesday morning, the
Russians made an attempt to drive
the japanese back but the attempt
was not successful. During the
morning, the Japanese continued
their steady advance forward. Al
2 O'Clock in the afternoon the Jap.
anese made their last rush, arriving
at the Russian position in dis order
but capturing the full battery o
eight guns. The whole force of ar.
tillery of the left army was turned
on the retreating Russians, causing
much havoc among them. The lef
wing circled the Russians extreme
right, forcing the Russian hanl
back on the center and capturin,
IL guns in a desperate infantr,
charge.
The Russians during the da,
fought bravely and desperately, do
ing all that men could do, but the,
were unable to check the advanc
of the Japanese. The loss to tn
Russians is believed to far excee,
those of the Japanese as the resul
of the days fighting. The Japan
ese center column captured fou
guns and the left column took 10,
1000 rounds of gun ammunition.
The Japanese artillery repeate'
the excellent precision that it ha
displayed in other battles. Accord
y ing to their practice, the Japanes
used a number of batteries captur
ed from the Russians. Wednesda,
night and Thursday morning, tn
whole left army advanced betwee
two and three miles. swinging it
flank toward the railway and driy
ing the Russians to the hills para
lei with and east of the railway.
In the meantime the right arm
General Kuroki's) occupied a lin
in the high hills to the east, cuttin
off the Russians. General Nodzu'
center army which formed the bo
tom of the net moved forward. Bot
armies had severe fighting but the
quickly carried out their plans b