Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-05-30

all through the night OF the eighth
and the right division OF KurOki's
army came to the branch line of rail
road running from Mukden to the
mines at Fushun. On the morning
of the ninth, the sand storm began,
which threw both sides into confusion
and made orderly retreat or pursuit
on large scale impossible. All the
telegraph wires connecting the head
quarters and the different divisions
We're blown down so that each con-
tingent proceeded largely on its own
responsibility. The left division
crossed the Hunho under cover Of
the thick dust clouds without battle.
Apparently the Russian commander
was afraid to risk defense on such
a day even in the elaborate works
which should have made the Hunho
the most formidable line Of defense,
perhaps because. his own men were
in a panic. Probably this was the
decisive day of the battle. for the
japanese forces west of Mukden were
on the extreme left was almost
wiped out Had Bildering repulsed
kuroli two or three days at the
Funhe the Russian reserves might
have been able to turn the tide at
Mullden. Good generalship and good
fortune made history otherwise. Kuro-
patkin had hurried his reserves from
Mukden east to Fushun as the Jap
anese had planned that he should,
and then hurried them back to Muk-
den, but only too late. The Japanese
center army from Kuroki's left was
pushing past Mukden to the north and
kuroki's left division was marching
still further north protecting its right
flank. Having lost the Hunho, the
Russian central army left Mukden to
,itssx,ss ssstersanl continued. .itsv. now dis,
orderly fetleas Efo ff9fhng. Th8f Ill
darwk their dead were left where
they fell, showed what the retreat had
become. On the morning of the tenth,
the left division again encountered
the Russian rear guard in consider
able force northeast of Mukden and
as the Russians attempted to make
a stand they were beaten in two en-.
gagements, and in the afternoon the
division arrived at the town of San-a
ten miles beyond Mukden and on the
main road from Mukden to Tiehling.
Until the tenth. the army had been
pushed forward day and night in the
face of every difficulty to draw the
attention of the Russians from Muk-
den, and the men were nearly ex-
hausted by their forced march. The
military roads from Fushun to Tieh-
ling wound along the plains among
sharp hills and the division followed
this to get to the north of Mukden
while General Linevitch took most of
his men directly north through the
mountains with the Japanese right
army pursuing Several times the
Japanese had sharp brushes with the
rear guard but no important action
until the fourteenth whom they ap-
preached the range Of high, steep
hills seven miles southeast of Tieh-
Hng, which was strategically the
strongest defense of the city. There
was a broad level plain in front of
the hills and no avenue Of approach
for an attacking force except TO cross
this plain under such cover as could
he found in the gnllies and behind
occasional ridges Consequently it
was decided to ATTEMPT the night at
tack with the bavonets once more
and thus the first line of trenches be.
low the hills was gained. For the
general advance on the morning OF
the fourteenth two battalions were
assigned for the frontal attack, one
for a diversion on the right and the
largest force of eight, on the left.
1 direc, charge upon the main trenches
was impossible because the slope be
fore them was almost too steep 10 be
lscaled even with no resistance. a
lower hill to the west and in from
was vulnerable on iIs west flank ant
after an artillery engagement th'
main body occupied this Nigh
stopped the fighting and before morn
ing the Russians bad retired IN haste
leaving two hundred dead, while tht
Japanese had eight casualties ThI
last stand of the Russians befor.
Tiehling was on a chain of hills 3.00'
metres southeast of the city equipped
elaboratelv with long chain o
trenches and we'll constructed Gun
positions which held twenty-fou
guns. While the general of division
was accommodating the positions ol
the afternoon Of the fifteenth anothe
Japanese brigade from the south be
gan to engage one of the Russian bal
teries This partly exposed the Rus
sian flank TO the enemy and thirty-si
: Japanese guns were concentrated 1
bombardment of that position
: Darkness again interrupted the wor
after an hours bombardment an
! again the Russians retreated, abandon
. ing without serious resistance thei
/ most valuable depot between Mukde
: and Harbin. which was their stronf
est military position as well. Genera