The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1905-03-24

away and not single car or locomo |
tive was left at Mukden, though some
cars belonging to the military roads
behind the Sha river positions were
abandoned. A terrible battle con
tinued west and east as the retrea>
was fairly under way.
About 1900 severely wounded Rus
slams and several hundred Japanese
were left in the Mukden hospitals, to
gether with a complete Russian med
ical staff, which was intrusted to the
care of the chivalrous Japanese. The
remainder Of the wounded in hospitals
were sent northward and a railroad
train remained behind almost with
the rear guard and brought Off a train.
load OF those wounded in the retreat,
many of whom reached Tie Pass
without their injuries being bandageG.
Mukden station was abandoned at 7
o'clock Friday morning. The retreat
was dreary and disagreeable to an
extreme. A dust hurricane blowing di.
rectly southwark filled the eyes and
faces Of the troops, but at the same
time tended to blind the enemy and
delay pursuit from the south. The re-
treating columns were bombarded on
both tanks by batteries which it vas
impossible to silence, the shells reach
ing the Mandarin road from the east
with especial frequency from the vii
lagos Of Tawan, eight miles north Of
Mukden, and Pu, five miles further
north. Under these circumstances the
retreat was conducted with astonish.
ing precision, which was largely due
to the personal efforts Of Gen. Kour-
opatkin, who, with haggard face ard
uniform yellow with dust. was along
the plain north and south with two
of his staff in an automobile.
The troops composing the rear
guard fought with extraordinary bray
cry under the eyes of the commander.
in-chief and the morale of the entire
army under the circumstances was ex-
Cellent. The cause of the Mukden de-
feat is attributed to many reasons, ore
of the most important of which is in.
sufficient information concerning the
Japanese and their strength, which
was far in excess of Russian calcula.
tons.
The Censorship bureau at first
stopped news from Tie Pass, but las
returned to the rear guard, communi.
cation with which is still open.
Gen. Kouropatkin even in retreat
had held all his positions for two days
and at one point actually pushing bach
the japanese north of the Imperial
Tombs, which were no longer reached
by the enemy's shells. On Thursday
evening Gen. Rennenkampff made a
counter attack on the Japanese and
took three machine guns. He was
holding the enemy bravely, but a:
dawn on Friday was forced to retire
from his strong position northeast Of
Machuntan and fall back, making &
stand in the hills several miles north
Of Fushun. These he was holding las
. night against a series of desperate as
saults.
The Japanese left Is still workins
north and the sound of artillery fir
is increasing toward this point. TIL,
position of the Russian army, how
ever, while critical is not hopeless
Fighting east of the railroad between
Mukden and Tie Pass is imminent
but the Russians are fairly stron,
and may hold Gen. Nogi.
At 1880 o'clock yesterday the Jar
anese partly succeeded, at Tawan AM
with shrapnel they shelled three side
of a rectangle where the main arm
was moving with great exertion owe
inadequate, though dry, roads an
, furrowed fields, but in perfect order
; The Japanese, however, accom-
. lished at this pla:e nothing more tina
a momentary stampede, and thong
/ a soldier, crazed by his efforts, threa
J ened to shoot correspondent oil
/ served otherwise the admirable COO
} ness, which has distinguished tn
: Russian army throughout it's tryin
retreats of the past year.