The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-05-30

fortune made history otherwise. Su-
ropaikin had hurried his reserves from
MulSden east to Fushun AS the Japan-
csc had planned that ne should md
then hurried them back to Mukden. but
only too late. The Japanese center
army from Kurokis left was pushing
past Mukden to tho north and Kuro-
KRIS left division was marching stll
further north protecting its right flank.
Having lost the Ilunho. the Russian
central army left Mukden 30 its fate
and continued its now disorderly re-
treat TO Fichling That AN their dead
were LEFT where they fen showed what
the retreat had become on the morn
ing OF the 10th the loft division again
encountered the Russian rear guard
in considerable force northeast Of Muk-
den and as the Russians attempted to
make a stand they were beaten in two
engagements. and In the afternoon tho
division arrived at the town OF
saha ten miles beyond Mukdcn on
the main road from Mdkden to Tieh-
ling
Until ,he 10Th the army had been
pushed forward day and night in the
face of every difficulty to draw the att
tention OF the Russians from Mul1aen,
and the men were nearly exhausted
by their forced march. Tho military
roads from Fushun 20 Tiehling wound
along the plains among sharp hills and
the division followed this to get TO the
north Of Mnkden when General Line
Witch took most OF his men directly
north through the mountains with Che
Japanese right army pushing. Sew
eral times the Japaneses had brushed
with the rear guard but no important
action until the 18th. when they ap-
preached the range OF high steep hills
seven miles southwest oi Tiehling which
vas strategcally the strongest defense
Of the city There was a broad level
plain in front Of the hill and no
avenue Of approach for an attacking
force except to cross this plain under
such cover as could be found in the
gullies and behind occasional ridges
Consequently II was decided TO attempt
the night attack with the bayonets once
morf and thus the first line Of the
trenohes below the hills was gained. For
the general advance on the morning Of
ihe lifh two hattalions were assigned f9r
frontal attdck one for a diversion on
the right and the largest force Of might
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 regist-
ance A lower hn 10 the west and in
I front was vulnerable on It's west nanK
and after an artillery engagement the
main body occupied this. Night stop
ped the fighting ard before morning the
Russians had retired IN haste leaving
200 dead, while tho Japanese had 500
casualties. The last stand Of the Rus
slams before 1iehling was ON chain
Of hills 5000 metres southeast of the
city equipped elaboately With long
| chain OF trenches and well constructed
gun positions which tEey held with
twenty-four guns. While the general
Of the division was Ieconnoitering the
positions on the afternoon OF the 18TH
another Japanese brigade from the
south began to engage one Of the RUS
sian batteries This partly exposed the
Russian flank to the enemy and thirty
six Japanese guns were ecaccntrate
! Darkness again interrupted the work
IN a bombardment Of that posit
after an hours bombardmcnt and again
the Russians retreated, abandoning
without serious resistance their most
valuable depot between Mukden and
Harbin which was their strongest mill
itary position as well General Kuro-
patkin had been there i'm his special
train until the afternoon OF the 18th.
1 II was said When the first japanese
company entered the settlement at /
in the morning they captured the sta-
/ tionmaster and two other officers who
! had been left with orders to apply the
torch at the last moment but only a
few buildings were burned ana there
We're valuable stores Of munitions un-
damaged,
No more dramatic encounters oc-
CURED during this eventful week than
the capture Of the Fifth and Nineteenth
regiments OF Russian rifles by Kurokrs
| left division on the morning OF the
eleventh. In the panic which prevailed
az Mukden then these two regiments
/ loft at three in the morning with no
general commanding them and a mixed
crowd Of soldiers from other organa-
tions and camp followers attaching
themselves TO the retreat when the
two forces discovered one another they
quickly formed into hghung line and
the Russian came on with the officers
in front of the ranks to attempt TO cut
their way through. The contact was
SO sudden that there was CONFUSION
at first in which the japanese general
and his san with two foreign attaches
came under ,he nre Of the Japanes,
rifles and guns. The night was short
ana decisive. The Russians could not
stand in the o9en fields Eader the
shraphel aud soon scattered Ike sheer
while many parties waved towes
ana handKerchiefs. 10 surrender. The
Japanese had only two hundred casual
ties while dead and wounded Russians
were AN over thc field During th,
rest OF the day the japanese were oc-
cupied hunting Tor Russians in an the
surrounding country. They had broker
Up into small parties. whore fleeing ia
every direction. some trying 10 get back
20 Mukden. others 20 find roads of
escape northwards, and many hidne
in the ryincs and in Chinese houses
However brave they were in fighting
when corncrod some made spectacies
0f themselves hnrdIv IN ba avrerfrf