The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-03-15

bars, Sakharoff, Bilderling and Zaberlin
The retirement Of the wagon trans
port was twice impeded by panic on
the morning Of March 10: A Japanese
squadron and guns concealed in the
mountains opened fire and the drivers,
who were undisciplined peasants, unac-
customed to the sound Of shells, began
to desert their carts and wagons.
Plans Suddenly Altered.
tack on the westward. Various por-
tions Of the army had been disposed for
an advance on the right flank. Sudden
ly, in the evening Of that day, the order
to advance was Cancelled and a second
order was given for the transfer. of
General Rennenkampf's First Siberian
corps and several other organizations to
the left flank, which was being pressed
f2an by me large faFde S apsnss
who were well informed as to all the
Russian movements. began heavy at
tacks along the whole front. -.
The Russians generally held their
ground, doing we'll until Feb. %, when
an unexpected attack developed in the
southwest, before which the Rus
sian right, weakened by the withdrawal
ap peea two ey fSdERS a e b.
were moving around the Russian right in
perative to Withdraw the thin line
from the southwest and form a new
line from the bridge across the Shakhe
river parallel with the railway. The
change of front was accomplished with
CARNATIONS became badly mixed.
y. Beginning Of Rout.
The Russians, on March 4, occupied
their former positions on the Shak-he
river as far as the bridge, thence to
,Mad-ya- pu, - on the Hun river, and
thence parallel with the railway, six
miles distant, the right resting on the
Sin-min-tin road. The Japanese, on
March s, began. to turn even this posi-
ton, with a view to cutting off the
retreat, and the Russian right was ex-
tended eastward from the Sin min tin
road to the railway. r..
On March 7 both sides began most
vigorous offensive operations, the Jap
anese attacking with especial energy
the forces Of General Tserpitsky, which
were holding the position from Mad-ya-
pu as far as the heights east of Muk-
the, station, while the Russians under
General Gerngross assumed an attack
in the direction Of Tache-kiao, and on
the northern front General Launitz 8
command beat back all attacks.
On the whole, the outcome of the
fighting on March was favorable to
the Russians, who repulsed several at.
tacks on their southern front and as
sumed the offensive. -" @@.e1..7
Forced to Fall Back.
General Linevitch 8 army, occupying
eastern hill positions, repulsed numer.
GUS attacks and took several hundred
prisoners and several machine guns The
continued extension, however, of the
Japanese lines northward and the con.
centra ton which their superiority in
numbers enabled them to effect against
the northern and northwest fronts, and
| withdrawal from the Shak-he river to
mined upon. This was in no sense the
| beginning of the general retreat, and
Kuropatkin and the generals command
ing the armies were far from regard
ing the battle as lost
The first army to retire from the for
tilted position west and southeast OF
Mukden was the third army which fell
/ back to positions similarly fortified in
advance on the north bank of the Hun
river.
The Japanese followed closely. A
confusion in orders and retirement il
impenetrable darkness across the coun
try was the cause for some organiza
tions to fail to occupy the positions
they were assigned to occupy, and re
markable duststorm the following day
made it impossible to verify the align
ment and I'll the breaches, which tht
Japanese, however, were lucky enough
/ to find and skilful enough to turn tt
their advantage.
/ Russians in Boot.
! The Russian position now formed
] boot, the toe. at Mad-ya-pu and tn,
heel on the Hun river at Fu-shun, abou