The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1905-06-22

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and shakhs rivers. Ne believed ~ so,6S
ins HoutAi he cssid operate sputh-
ward and In time turn oyama's Hank ans
| cut on japanese Communications by RAIL-
| road with Sewchwnng and Dalny.
Gen. Kuropatkin gave . reluctant con-
| sent and Gen. Gripcnbcrg made the at
| tempt. He sent s0.0o0 TO 9o0ep men against
\ the japanese left wing on January II
In three days he lost 5000 men and ex-
trfcated his army with the greatest dsfe-
| Guilty.
This disaster caused an irreparabis
breach between Gen. 0ripenberg and the
commander In chief. Gripenberg gave up
HIS command and without even showing
| his chief the usual courtesy OF q formal
| farewell. took the train back 20 80. Peters
burg. where no poured out his grievances
| 20 the public press. TO tho war ofsee. and
to the cxar himself.
Final Disaster st Mukdsn.
Russia's browning disaster OF the war
came with the defeat of Kuropatkin's
armies In the battle OF Mukden. which be-
yond question was the greatest combat at
| arms tho world has ever seen. Kuropat-
k.n's strength q believed to have been
$4,000 men and i.3oc guns. oyama's
strength was nearly 10000. u not more.
and at least i.soo guns. Kuropatkin'D
| losses In the battle In killed and wounded
were from 10000 TO i5oooo. and 5000 To
s.Ooo Of his men were taken prisoner.
The battle began on February II seven
miles south OF Tsinkhetchin and sixty-one
miles southeast OF Mukden. when Line
witch. In command OF the left wing OF the
Russian army. attempted TO turn the Jap
ancse flank. He sent Rennenkampf with
two divisions against hsha pass Renncn-
kampf unexpectedly encountered Kawa-
mura's nth army marching from Sal
matte to turn the Russian left.
Kawamura drove Rennenkampf back to
Da pass and thirteen miles to the north
ward. Then. while Kuroki crossed the
sha river and continued the battle with
Renncnkampf, Kawamura's army con-
tinued its march around the Russian left.
disappearing into the hiily regions far TO
the nortb~ard Of the Hun river for tho
purpose OF closing In on Telling later I'm
the battle
attack on the Russian left wing. Kuro-
patkin. thinking Kuroki was about to turn
his left flank. began TO shift hts divisions
TO Linevitch's aid. whereupon Nodxu.
to check any further withdrawal! oe
troops. began an impetuous attack on the
Russian center. making no fewer than
thirteen assaults on Poutilofr and Novgo-
rod sn!s eighteen miles south OF Mukden.
F0s the same reason. Oku. to prevent tho
reinforcement OF the Russian center from
tho west attacked the Russian right wing.
forcing u back almost TO the walls OF
Mukdcn.
while Oku was smashing the Russian
right wing. Nogi with eO.0oo men. made q
forced march around behind the baltic
and reached a position fve miles west of
Mukd.n. Kuropatkin. to meet this new
and unexpected danger. withdrew three
army corps from his eastern army and
sent them 10 Kaulbars' assistance. This
weakened his entire army and did not pre-
vent oku and Sogi from crushing his
western arm. Therefore. kuropatkin Or
dered a retreat.
The retreat 10 Tiei.ng win bc memorable
AZ the greatest military catastrophe In his
tory. Only few remnants OF Kuropat-
kin's great army reached Tie pass. The
others were shot down or compelled to
surrender.
The rout OF the Russian army was CON-
piete. The Japanese captured an immense
quantity OF stores. guns. rifles and am
munition Kuropatkin's army retreated In
a disorganlzcd mass to Telling. hoping to
make a stand there. The Japanese pur-
suit. however. was so vigorous that Tiel-
Ing had TO be abandoned. II was not un-
tii the Russian army had retreatcd to-
Gunshu pass. ls miles north OF Telling.
that IL was able TO stop and reorganlxe.
In the meantime General kuropatkin was
removed by the czar. and General Limo
witch made commander N chief. Kuropat-
kin. at his own request. took command OF
the army formerly commanded by Line
witch.
Baltic Fleet Wiped Out.
The Russian Baltic fleet sailed frors
Madagascar March L. ordered by the czar,
to retrieve the disaster OF Mukden by de-
stroyinx tho Japanese feet and regaining
control OF the far eastern seas. The neot
was sighted twice on It's way ACROSS tho
Indian ocean. Rojestvensky passed
Singapore April 8 and arrived at Kamranh
bay. on the French Indo-China coast.
April H. Here he rc-coaied his ships ov-
erhauied them. and awaited the arrival OF
Rear Admiral Sebogaton with the third
division OF the fleet. Nebogaton arrived
May & and May II the united feet sailed
from the French coast. May 20 the feet
was sighted In the Bashco channel south
OF Formoss- May q several OF tire Rus
sian ships appeared at Shanghai. and tho
whole fleet was reported at Saddle islands.
sixty-five miles away. on the night OF
May y Rojestvensky. with q fleet OF
thirty-six ships, including eight battle
ships. three coast dcfcnn. ships. three ar
mored cruisers Ave protected cruisers.
four hospital and repair ships. and thir-
teen dcstroyers. sailed from Saddle lsi-
ands.
ulbtuulk NAY - NHf enNlre Uctt
was sighted at the entrance OF the Korean
straits. steam.ng northward.
A; noon, May q. tho fleet war passing
Tsushima island. at the narrowcst part OF
the straits. midway between Japan and
Korea. There Togo gave battie.
The Russian feet was formed in two
lines, the cruisers and small sh.ps on tho
west. the battieShips on the east Togo's
feet swung around from behind the island
or Tsushima and attacked the Russian
from the west Tho Russian forma ton was
fatal Between Rojestvensky's Hight bat
tlcshlps and Togo were all % his smaller
ST. .. and his heavy gun ar, was blank
eted at the beginning OF the battle
AZ the afternoon wore along Togo
crowded tho Russian fleet nearer and
nearer the japanese coast The battle
ships Borod.no and Knlaz Souvaron were
sunk early In the night. After sunset the
Japanese torpedo boats attacked. The
Russian fleet was practically wiped out
before Sunday morning. one battlcship
and three cruisers surrendered on Sunday.
Togo sunk or captured twenty-five Rus
sian warsh.ps. Only the iitt.e cruiser Al
naz and a few destroycrs escaped TO yiad-
ivosiok. Vice Admiral Rojestvcnsky. seri-
ousiy wounded. was taken prisoner. az
was Rear Admiral NebogatofY Rear Ad-
m.ral No"ikersam and Rear Admiral En-
quist were killed. Moro than 5000 Rua-
sian sailors were killed or drowned and
more than 1000 were taken prisoners. To-
COS battclshipI and cruisers escaped prac-