The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-05-22

den, but only too late The japanese
center army from Kuroki's left was
pushing past Mukden to the north and
Kurokis left division was marching
still further north protecting its leIt
flank Having lost the Hun no the
Russian central army left Mukden to
its fate and continued in its disorderly
retreat to Telling. That all their dead
were left where they fell showed what
the retreat had become. On the
morning of the 10th the left division
again encountered the Russian rear
guard in considerable force northeast
of Mukden and as the Russians at
tempted to make a stand they were
beaten in two engagements, and in the
afternoon the division arrived at the
town of San-a, ten miles beyond Muk-
den on the main road from Mukden
to Telling.
Marched Day and Night.
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 AIuk-
den, and the men were nearly ex-
hausted by their forced march. The
| military roads from Fushun to Tie
! 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 brushes with the re9
| guard, but no important action until
the fourteenth when they approached
the range of high steep hills seven
4 miles southeast of Telling, which was
| strategetically the strongest defense OF
the city. There was a broad level
plain in front of the hills and no ave-
nue. of approach for an attacking force
except to cross this plain under cover
such as could be found in the gullies
Il I'D
| quently it was decided to attempt the
night attack with the bayonet once
more, and thus the first line of
/ trenches below the hills was gained
For the general advance on the morn
ing of the fourteenth two battal1OnS
were assigned for q frontal attack, one
for a diversion on the right and the
largest force of eight, on the left.
A direct charge upon the main
/ trenches was impossible because the
slope before them was almost too
steep to be scaled even with no resist
ance A lower hill to the west and
in front was vulnerable on It's west
! flank and after an artillery engage
ment the main body occupied this.
Night stopped the fighting and before
! morning the Russians had retired in
haste, leaving two hundred dead, while
the japanese had eight hundred cas-
ualties. The last stand of the Rus
slams before Telling was on a cnaln
of hills 5000 metres south east OF the
CITY equipped deliberately with long
chain of trenches and well constructed
gun positions which they held with a
guns While the general division was
accommodating the positions on the
afternoon of the fifteenth announcer
Japanese brigade from the south be-
gan to engage one of Russian batter-
les This partly exposed the RUSSIAN
flank to the enemy and Sc japanese
guns were concentrated in a lombard
1nent of that position. Darkness again
interrupted the work after an hour S
bonn bardment and again the Russians
i retreated, abandoning without serious
resistance their most valuable depot
between Mukden and Hardin, which
was their strongest military position
as we'll General Kuropatkin had been
there in his special train until the
afternoon of the fifteenth. it was said.
When the first Japanese company en-
tered the settlement at one IN the
morning they captured the station
master and two other officers VINO mao
been left with orders to Apply the
torch at the last moment but only
: few buildings We're burned and there
were valuable stores of munitions IN
damaged.
A Dramatic Encounter.
No more dramatic encounter occur
, red during this eVentful week than the
capture of the Fifth and Nineteenth
. regiment of Russian rifles by kurokl s
left division on the morning OF the
18th. In the panic which prevailed at
! Mukden then these two regiments left
at three in the morning with no general
I commanding them, and a mixed crowd
of soldiers from other organizations and
camp followers attaching themselves to
the retreat. When the two forces dis
covered one another they quickly form
ed into lighting line and the Russians
came on with the officers in front OF
3 the ranks to cut their way through. The
contact was so sudden that there was
4 tconfusion at first in which the japanese
& general and his staff with two foreign
attaches came under the fire of the jap
8 anese rifles and guns. The fight was
short and decisive. The Russians could
not stand in the open fields under the
s -l3rannel AM. soon scattered like sheer
while many parties waved towels and