Evening journal., 1905-06-19


he did, with the result that soon his sol
diers were in the trenches which they
had faced all winter Maybe the First
and Fourth armies were not happy by
this time. from generals down 70 trans
porters Limbs numbed by cold might
at last stretch themselves In action.
When you have not made a mile for
four months and the road Is suddenly
cleared soldiers need no urging to the
pursuit.
KuropatkiH's Last Chance.
But the battle was scarcely won yet.
Nogi was not out of danger. AS hard
and harder fighting was to come as had
passed. The First army did not catch
up with the Russian rear guard until
they were ten miles beyond the Shakhe
on the sth. Thus far they had marched
their columns away from KurOki and
Nodzu as unimpeded as II they were
coming home 70 barracks after Daneu-
vers. The pursuers had yet to cross the
Hun river. That was the natural sec
ond line Of defense for the Russian left.
A part of the First army reached the
Hun on the Sth. II was stlll frozen on
the 9th, when both Nod1u and Kurold
were altogether up with IT, and Kuroki
had a portion of his command across.
The Russians did not make a strong
stand here.
The release OF all the reserves ON the
Russian left meant more troops TO
press the japanese left. On the 9th
Oku found himself in the face of in
trenched positions which he could not
] bulge. At this point, now 50 clearly
/ critical, the Russians poured out blood
as IL It were water. Farther north
/ they attacked NOgl In masses with
fiendish desperation. lie had one bri-
gade annihilated. In one regiment Of
/ that brigade, / am told, but a single
officer was alive and unwounded. shll,
on the whole, Nogl did not give ground.
But could he stand such another onset
] on the 10th? Certainly he could not ad-
vance In face OF one.
That night OF the 9th was the crisis
OF the battle. Fortunately Oyama's
congratulations with his corps had not
been interrupted He knew precisely
what was going on over the hundred
miles length of his line
The parts Of the Japanese right and
japanese left We're now interchanged.
Nogi had to resist the enemy's ham
merlng while Kurokl swung to the
northwest. The time had come when
the right must break through and
| threaten the railroad on IFS own ac-
count. With the Imperial guards to
protect his flank, Nodzu on the night
Of the 9th crossed the Hun and dashed
forward. Morning found him well to
the north Of Mukden. There was hard,
grim fighting in the dark. Kurokrs
other two divisions also kept on. The
guards We're temporarily checked, but
pressed on at daylight. That did the
business.
But first another word about the
First army. Two OF the divisions were
not yet across the Hun on the morning
Of the 10th They were hotly engaged.
At the same time a sand storm had cut
all divisional communications. The d.
vision attached TO Nodzu was well sep
arated from its mates. A stan officer
knowing the situation OF the other two,
he brought up all the available re-
serves TO the assistance Of the isolated
division, which was able 10 dash ahead
md catch the thick OF the retreat un-
der It's guns
With victory In the air the other two
divisions were not 70 be denied. They
made their crossing good. From that
time onward no critic could have spo-
ken Of the Japanese pursuit as slow.
Kawamura's Yalu army was too far 70
the east TO be brought TO bear on the
line Of Russian retreat. Kurokrs men,
heavily equipped, kept on for elxty
miles with scarcely any slaep.
The plan Of concentration for dash
had succeeded as It has so often for
the Japanese. Could Kuuopatkln have
kept Kuroki and Nodzu back another
twenty-four hours. gradually drawing
in his center while he held Rogi on bis
right his army might have got away
without anything approaching the loss
IN prisoners that be sustained. With
Nodzu north OF Mukden his center was
in the neck OF bottle. The Russians
filed north IN columns along the rail
road as fast as they could, with trans
portation blocking the way. There was
no safety for them until they should
get past Tiehllng. Without waiting. on
a studied approach one OF Kurokrs di
visions took the pass at the cost OF q
thousand casualties. That was not II
the plan as a part OF Kurokl's work
But the wire 10 grand headquarters
was down now for the first time. He
could not wait on permission. He saw
the thing 10 do was 70 take the pass
and he took It.
The Trap Closed
But before this the regiments Of Ku
: roki and Nogi aud Nodzu and Oku had
dovetailed In crossing the railroad
Thousands OF Russians were still IN
Mukden. Detachments of troops fresh
from Europe lost their way. All plar
and order ceased with the brain Of tn,
army on the other side Of the pass
Some $4,000 prisoners were taken Ike
, ish in a net
One OF Nogis officers picked up on
} The field a little manual by Kuropatkir
, himself for the information Of his army
about japanese methods Of warfare
I In this the general says:
or order to conceal the main Of theil
, attack the Japanese try a demonstra
I ton at another part Of the line viii
faxvpr froons and more GUNS Some