The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-06-09
A ROUTED ARMY.
Japs And Russians Pictured On
The March And In Battle.
MUKDEN CAMPAIGN.

Russians, at One Time. Some Rus.
SLAMS Badly Frightened when
Cornered. One Hundred
Thousand Prisoners.
Headquarters of Gen Kuroki's Army,
near Ttehling, March 25. The first
realization Of the immensity OF the ia
paneSe forces was brought home to the
observer when the two central armies
rolled across the Shaho on the morn
ing OF the 9Th Of March in the wake Of
the retreating Russians. Hitherto
during the battle parts Of two or three
brigades Of Infantry, with a few batta :
lions OF reserves, a dozen or more bat
teries, with pack trains and field hos
pitals, were all that one person could
see In the mountainous country Of the
great armies engaged. But when the
whole array moved northward with It's
impedlments following 1T was an i'm
pressive host. Looking from the
heights where the Russian batteries
had been, one could see many khaki
colore professions for miles on either
hand, emerging from the valleys and
passes where the japanese mad been
concentrating since October, stream
ing across the dry bed Of the river and
the narrow channels OF ice and wind.
ing away among the bare hills and
sandy plairS northward. 1t was a bus
iness like army, swathed In dark blue
and Enaki with no spectacular show OF
gold braid, nor brass, and hardly a
touch of color except the scarlet blank
cts worn over the sholdcrs. Most Of
the ranks we're boys yet, but they
were toughened by a wear Of campaign
ing into hardy veterans. They plod-
ed on silently, as usual with no show
OF rejoicing over victory, without con-
fusion or excited officers. Japanese do
minion over Manchuria was spreading
at the rate Of two miles an hour. BY
the river banks we're fields Of kaoliang
which had stood unharvested since fall
between the lines Of hostile cannon,
and through these were swarming men,
women and children, reaping and stack.
ing their crops. The chinaman frit-
ters away no time gaping at victorious
armies when few dollars are to b.
gathered.
For 10 days from that morning the
whole country within the erca OF the
fighting was covered with midst OF
fine dust stirred up by the feet OF
more than million men and animals.
it never settled for a minute, it cbock-
ed the throat and blinded the eyes,
lifted under clothing, made food grit.
ty and turned all water into mud. The
flames from burning houses and stacks
OF grain showed through 1t in the night
storms, which began on the second
day OF the pursuit. and continued at
intervals for a week, came from the
north directly into the faces Of the
japanese and made the discomfort and
hardship worse. There was a great
contrast between the country south OF
the Shaho and north OF it. The vii
lagos toward Mukden were larger and
more prosperous, with better buildings
and the picturesque temples and tombs
surrounded by groves OF dark green
frs made welcome panorama to the
eyes OF the men from beautiful Japan
who had spent months among the
dreary and mOnoton0us hills Chinese
families gathered in front Of theil
houses and gree ted the japanese with
shouts. Doubtless they were equally
ready to acclaim The Russians, anc
denounce the Japenese when It was
pOlitic. Outside The large towns Chi
neSe officials wearing thtir robes o1
office aud buttons on Lhelr caps, with
banr erS and soldiers in gaudy uni
ferns, receivtd tie japanese generals
and Gen. Kuroki and his staff rode
into the village where his hea, quar-.
ters are now through double file OF
villagers kneeling on both sizes OF the
road.
TIE RUSSIAN RETREAT.
The b,ginniug OF the Russian re
treat from the Shaho wa, orderly anC
they left clean field. None OF theil
portable effects worth taking had beer
abandoned, except hundreds OF stack.
Of tin cases In tile trenches and huts
containing cartridges.
Toward evening OF that day Gen
Kuroki'S troops overlook their real
guards eight or nine miles north O
the Shabo and from that time the re
treat became sClaT BILE for safety. A
the various supply stations huge pile
Of grain were fired and smpuiU cred To-
days. The pursuit continued al
through the night Of the eighth ant
the right division OF Kuroki's army
came TO the branch line OF railroat
running from Mukden to the mine
at Fushun. On the morning OF the 9Ji
the sand storm began, which threw
both sides into confusion and made or
dsrly retreat or pursuit on large
scale impossible. All the telegraph
wires connecting the headquarters ant
the different divisions were blowr
down so that each contingent proceed
ed largely on It's own responsibility
The left division crossed the Hunnt
under cover IF the thick dust clouds
without battle. Apparently the Rus
sian nmander was afraid to risk
defense on such day even In the
elaborate works, Which should have
made the Hunbo the most formidable
line OF defense, perhaps because hi!
own men were In panic. Probably
this was the decisive day OF the bat
tie, for the japanese forces west o.
Mukden we're being pressed hard ant
the brigade on the extreme left wa.
almost wiped out. Had Bildering re.
pulsed KurCki two or three days at
the Hunho the Russian reserves might
have been able to turn the tide al
Mukden Good generalship and good
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