Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-06-17

division had entered the enemy's works
and found him gone Attack" was
crossed out and Pursue" substituted.
Then Kuroki asked NodZu if be had
noticed shy weakening on his front.
Nodzu said he would investigate. and
he did. with tbe result that soon bis sol
diers were ia the trenches which they
had faced all winter Maybe the First
and Fourth armies were not happy by
this time, from generals down to trans
portersi Limbs numbed by cold might
at last stretch themselves In action
When you have not made a mile for
four months and the road is suddenly
cleared soldiers need no urging TO the
pursuit
Kuropatkin's Last Chance.
But the battle was scarcely won yet.
Nogi was not out OF danger. As hard
and harder hghting was to come as had
passed The First army did not catch
up with the Russian rear guard until
they were ten miles beyond the Shake
on the sth. Thus far they had marched
their columns away from Kuroki and
Nodzu as unimpeded as If they were
coming home to barracks after maneu-
vers. The pursuers had yet to cross the
Hun river. That was the natural sec
ond line of.defense for the Russian left.
A part OF the First army reached the
Hun on the Sth. 1t was still frozen on
the 9Th when both NodZu and Kuroki
were altogether up with 1t. and Kuroki
had a portion Of his command across.
The Russians did not make a strong
stand here
The release of all the reserves on the
Russian left meant more troops to
press the japanese left. On the 9th
Oku found himself in the face Of in
trenched positions which he could not
bulge. At this point. now so clearly
critical. the Russians poured out blood
as If 1t were water. Farther north
they attacked Nogi In masses with
fendish desperation. He had one bri-
gade annihilated. In one regiment OF
that brigade, l am told, but a single
officer was alive and unwounded. Sui,
on the whole, Nogi did not give ground.
But could he stand such another onset
on the 10th? Certainly he could not adj
vance Ia face of one.
That night of the 9th was the crisis
OF the battle Fortunately Oyama's
communications with his corps had not
been interrupted. He knew precisely
what was going on over the hundred
miles length of his line.
The parts OF the japanese right and
Japanese left were now interchanged.
Nogi had to resist the enemy's ham
mering while Kuroki swung to the
northwest. The time had come when
the right must break through aid
threaten the railroad on its own ac-
count. With the Imperial guards to
protect his flank. Nodzv on the night
Of the 9th crossed the Hun and dashed
forward. Morning found him well to
the north Of Mukden. There was hard,
grim fighting in the dark. Kuroki's
other two divisions also kept on. The
guards were temporarily checked, but
pressed on at daylight That did the
business
But first another word about the
First army. Two of the divisions were
not yet across the Hun on the morning
of the 10th. They were hotly engaged.
At the same time a sand storm had cut
all divisional communications. The di-
vision attached to NodZu was well sep
arated from its mates. A staff officer
was hurried forward to 1t. Without
knowing the situation of the other two.
he brought up all the available re-
serves to the assistance OF the isolated
division, which was able to dash ahead
and catch the thick of the retreat IN
der its guns
With victory In the air the other two
divisions were not to be denied. They
made. their crossing good. From that