The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-05-16
GREAT STRUGGLE
AROUND MUk ] | !.
Correspondent With Kuroki,s
Army Tells Story Of the
japanese Victory.
THE RUSSIANS FOUGHT WELL
-.-----------
The RUSSIANS FOUGHT WELL
stubbori,ly Defended Lines, But
Were Out Generated by
Oyana's Men.
(By ALSO clated press. )

(By Associated Press.)
HEADQUARTERS OF GENERAL
4 KURoKrs ARMY, NEAR TIEHLlNG
a PASS, MANcHURrA, March 13.-The
combination OF tho most efficient staff
with tho bravest and more intelligent
4 soldiers to execute It's plans decided the
mastery of Mnnchuria. Again the Rus
SLAMS, gave a splendid exhibition OF tile
old school OF fighting. They were cour-g
ageous beyond criticism, and stubbornly,
defended their lines, but In generalshipi
and the employment OF more modern.
nethods, the Japanese surpassed them.
Their retreat began In Ms good order
MS that from Lao Yang. but when the
soldiers realized that they were being
i surrounded 1t became panic with incl
dents which must have been humiliat-
i ing TO the officers.
a The battle. like Lao Yang. had for the
Japanese some days OF suspense, when It
appeared doubtful II the Russians could
be forced from their positions. It was
full OF surprises. and the climax, when
s Kurokis soldiers, who, Judged by NIL
standards. should have been completely
Z exhausted from ten days OF fighting and
exposure. marched rapidly north In a
s thick sand storm and appeared across
the Tiehling Road beyond Mukden, was
a decisive surprise. The Russians about
Mukden had delayed their retreat two
4 long. Only on tho 9th Kuropat kin APP
pears to have realized tho danger and
warned foreign officers and correspond
ents to leave. Those who started that
day are yet with the Russian army but
the others who delayed until tho 10Th
were captured.
B. The Russian soldiers expected victory.
They were told that the Russians were
winning along tho Sfaho and Fushun.
When the soldiers found the enemy
approaching from every Side. ignorant
peasants. deluded With tales OF Japanese
atrocities, they scattered and fled like
= sheep and being surrounded surrendered
in squads to unarmed Japanese trans
port men and coolies. begging not to be
II massacred. Many have been hiding about
the country inside the Japanese lines
and now driven by cold and hunger are
coming into the campo. Corpses aof. Rus;
4 SLAMS and even Japanese lie nnburied
away from the roads where they were
"A not noticed or were passed over by the
army in Its hurried advance. and no
doubt numbers Of wounded. who were
not discovered. died from exposure
Beginning Of the Battle.
The beginning OF the battle found the
q Japanese forces organized into five bod
s. les. Three were along the shaho and
westward to the Hun Nogt's veterans
i were rcadyto march northyards and at
tack Mukden from the northwest and
they executed their part OF the plan bril-
liantly. On the extreme east. was az an un-
tried force, which had started in January
from bases on the ialu, and was to
make n junction with the Jaranese right
wing and sweep around TO the north OF
the Russian lines OF defense. It's work
was TO outtiank Fushun. the terminus OF
~. 4. l1,,,o i,y,A
patkin's eastern stronghold, as Nogl did
( Alukden,
KuropatkIn n,istook this contingent for
i'm the Port Arthur veterans. and paid 1t
Il the compliment OF arraying great bevy
Z of his best organizations against It. Thus
he was able TO check Its advance with
+ strong entertainments on the hills south
OF the town OF Bagantan, fifteen miles
southeast OF Fushun, for several days.
and prevent 1t from thanking the body Of
Linevitch's army. Along the Shaho the
! japanese armies were the same organza-
tlons,, although with greatly changed
personnel and altered in details. that met
the Russians at Lao Yang. Two divis-
ions Of I<urokl's army were sent east
ward as soon as the battle begun--in-
deed. they were on the march before the
opening OF the Dombardment-to cooper
ate with the right army. There was o
break Of almost twenty miles in the line
between the easternmost division and
others at ono time, and the ground was
covered only by cavalry brigade ana
some infantry reserves. Tho division en-
countercd the same experience which be-
fell the Yalu force, and the town OF
shateray. in the mountains northeast OF
Witesan. was its stumbling block mere
was also an interval-lett uncovered OF
some miles west OF Nltesan. between ku-
roki's left and tho right OF another army.
General lkuroki kept several battallons IN
reserve to meet an attack at that point,
but tho expected attack was never de-
lyered. Aftcrward 1t was learned that
the Russian line was equally weak along
that stretch Of the river. and the RUS
SLAMS were wondering why the Japanese
did not strike them there.
4 AS the attack upon Mukden progressed
y one army drew away from the Shaho 70
The north Ito cooperate with the one
Ranking Alukden and the Japanese forces
on the south had q great space 10 COW
er, but plenty Of artillery to engage
the enemy. The BATHS on the south
( line was practically a deadlock until
LIE Russians were ordered to retro for
Z me defense OF Nfukden,, The Japanese
SLAMS along the shaho. while their hanK-
Ing armies were pushed forward.
Japanese Bombardment.
The Japanese bombardment OF the Rus
,an positions was fixed to begin On sum