The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-03-12
APPROACHES ARE CROWDED.
Russians are Retreating Toward Har
 bin in Good order.

Dhn m UOOO OhuGEs Tie Pass, March 11.--(2 p. m.)--For
 many versts all the approaches to Tie pass are covered with troops. artillery and baggage transports pressing north ward and twenty-five miles away the strong rear guard of troops which is personally commanded by General Kuropatkin who is retiring slowly, doggedly disputing with the pursuing enemy every foot of ground in order to
 cover the retreat of the remainder of the army.
 defeat which Is the most bitter ex- perienced by the Russian army. by a moderate computation is not less than 100000 men.
 The Russians in addition sacrificed enormous quantities of munitions and stores, the greater part of which were
 set on fire before leaving Mukden. It is impossible to say whether the Russians will be able to put up fight and hold this position or whether 1t will be necessary to continue the re- treat to Harbin. but the rank and file whose qualities never shine so brightly as in retreat and defeat are far from being panic stricken and under capa- ble leadership and given time to strengthen their positions, may be able to check their pursuing enemy at this point.
 The order to abandon Mukden and retreat to the Tie pass position was given at 9 o'clock on the evening of
 March 9. At dawn of that day the Russians held line on the Hun River from a point ten miles east of Fushon | to Madypua, the west front extending to a poine six miles north of Mukden station, the continuous line of battle generally paralleling the railway four or five miles distant. A terrible dust storm ragged and tension had reached its extreme limit. It was realized if
 any point of the Russian line gave
 way all would be lost.
 Line Gave Way.
 The position in the most danger ap- peared to be north of Mukden station;
 where it seemed for a time the Japa- | nese might break through and entirely cut the lines of retreat. General Kuropatkin eoneen1ratest- -a .shealvyr columns there, took command himself and succeeded during Thursday morn ing in forcing the Japanese back from
 the railroad and also in driving out bodies of Japanese east of the railroad.
 The manouvver pointed to success
 when suddenly and unexpectedly news
 arrived that the Japanese had broken
 through between the slender first and
 fourth army corps taking advantage
 of the hurricane that was blowing
 clouds of dust into the faces of the
 Russians and were about to deliver an
 attack which the Russians were not
 prepared to meet. It was impossibIe
 to support the retiring corps as the
 reserves to the last man had been sent
 to the line of battle at other points and
 as the danger of the communications
 being severed by this attack from the
 n
 mined upon and began
 The four principal roads leading northward toward Tie Pass were com
 pletely occupied by continuous file of artillery and transports and the re-
 treating army blackened the country
 between. Before beginning the re-
 treat all the depots, stores and mili- tary buildings and everything that would be of service to the Japanese was set on fire. A large amount of
 baggage and many guns were aban- doned. All rolling stock belonging to the main railroad was brought away and not single car or locomotive was left at Mukden though some cars be- longing to the military roads behind the Shakhe river positions were aban- doned.
 About 1,5oo severely wounded Rus sians and several hundred Japanese were left at Mukden hospitals. togeth- CT with complete Russian medical stan. which was entrusted to the care of the chivalrous Japanese. The re- mainder Of the wounded in hospitals were sent northward and a railroad train remained behind almost with the rear guard and brought or a train load of those wounded in the retreat, many of whom today reached Tie Pass with out their injuries being bandaged.
 Mukden station was abandoned at o'clock Friday morning. the retreat was dreary and disagreeable to an ex- treme. A dust hurricane blowing di- rectly southward filled the eyes and
 faces of the troops but at the same time tended to blind the enemy and delay pursuit from the south,
 The retreating columns were bom- barded on both Hanks by batteries which 1t was impossible to silence. the shells reaching the Mandarin road from the east with especial frequency from the Villages of Tawan and Pu Under these circumstances the retreat was conducted with astonishing precision. which was largely due to the personal efforts of General Kuropatkin who. with haggard face and uniform yellow with dust, was everywhere when need ed.
 The troops composing the rear guard fought with extraordinary bravery un- der the eyes of the commander in chief and the morale of the entire army was excellent. The cause of the Muk- den defeat Is attributed to many req sons. one of the most important of which Is insufficient information con. corning the Japanese and their strength which was far in excess of Russian