Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-03-15
Krlropatkin's Scattered Army
Has Been Brought Together
and Reorganized
BUT LITTLE FIGHTING NOW
Japanese outposts Are Near Tie Pass
But Main Part of Army Has Not
Representatives, Turning Move
,ment, However, May Be In Progress
i "Details of Retreat.

Tie Pass, March 15.-As after tne
hottla If LAO Yang the advance OF the
Japanese army against the new posi-
tions of the Russians at Tie pass Is
vary slow. The leading columns are
.;.h+ ~ Ton miles Southwark and in
touch with the Russian van posts, ou'
/, the operations at present are not ser
ioa1s. Field Marshall Oyama shows
slight intentions of pressing ms al
vantage in an immediate attack on lie
mass. It is possible, however, that
wide turning movement, of which
reports are current, is in progress. In
such operations the Japanese nave
the immense advantage of several
bases and lines of supplies to which is
now added the Sinmintin road, while
the Russian army necessarily is de-
rendent on one base and one line OF
communication and therefore may
easily be outranked.
In the grand army order is max
ing out Of chaos with remarkable cell
Gritty. The plain in front of Tie pass,
which on March IL, seethed like nest
az ants with the dense and confused
mass Of transports, artillery and
troops, corps divisions and regiments
being scattered and parties inextri-
.cably mingled, has been cleared, the
regiments reorganized, stragglers sent
to their respective commands, organ
Nations taken their assigned positions
and today the same soldiers, who on
March 10 became a terror stricken,
surging, disorganized mass Of gray at
q few shots from a little detachment
OF Japanese or who even fled in panic,
firing Unfortunately in all directions
as they ran at the mere baseless cry of
Japanese cavalry are now gather
ed. singing about the camp fires with
new courage, ready to oppose with
stubborn resistance an attack on Tie
pass
It is unfair to accuse the entire ar.
my Of this panic. General Linevitch
entered Tie pass with his regiments in
perfect order, with music playing and
the men singing, and scarcely a stray
gler was lost in the long difficult
march. Other organizations made
equally praiseworthy retreats, and es-
pecially the rear guards Of all the ar
mics, who performed their difficult
task steadily and resolutely. There is
much to be said, also. for the panic
stricken condition Of the troops They
were largely composed of undisciplined
men, and wagon drivers were mingled
with the soldiers, who for fifteen days
were under constant fire, crowded to
gether in a mass whence egress was
impossible. The struggle for the pos
session Of Mukden cost both sides close
OH 100000 men. The Russian loss Of
officers includes a large proportion of
the regimental commanders and field
officers.
All the newspaper correspondents
with the exception of three or four
have left for the north, because there
is nowhere to live an nothing to eat.
Chagrined by defeat, many Russian
officers are in surly mood and much
of their grudgingly given information
is colored with jealousy and the ram
part spirit Of cabal. It is, however,
possible now to give general view of
the battle, the connected story emery
Ing out of the confusion incident to the
evacuation Of Mukden and the forced
retreat to Tie pass.
Russians Planned to Attack.
On February "a all was ready for AN
attack on the westward. Various por-
tions Of the army had been disposed
for an advance on the right flank
Suddenly in the evening Of that day
the order to advance was cancelled
and second order was given for the
transfer of Gen. Rennenkampff's First
Siberian corps and several other org
anizations to the east flank, which was
pressed heavily by a large force of
Japanese. From that time forward the
Japanese, who were well informed as
to all the Russian movementsA began
heavy attacks along the whole front.
The Russians generally held their
ground. doing well until February %,
when an unexpected attack developed
in the southwest, before which the
Russian right, weakened by the with
drawal of almost two corps, yielded.
By March l 1t became evident that the
Japanese were moving around the
Russian right in five heavy columns,
and it became imperative to withdraw
the thin line from the southwest and
form new line from the bridge across
the Shakhe river parallel with the
railway. The change of front was ac-
complished with remarkable celebrity,
but the various organizations became
badly mixed.
The Russians on March 4 occupied
their former positions on the Shakhe
river as far as the bridge, thence to
Madyapu on the Hun river, and thence
parallel with the railway, six miles
distant the right resting on the Sim
mintin road. The Japanese ON March
8 beginning to turn even this posi-
ton with a view to cutting off the re-
treat. the Russian right was extended |
eastward from the Sinmintin road to
the railway.
Both Sides on Offensive.
On March Z both sides began most |
vigorous offensive operations, the Jap |
anese attacking with especial energy
the forces of Gen. Tserpitski, who was
holding the position from Madyapu! as
far as the heights east of MulSden sta
ton, while the Russians under Gen. |
Gerngross assumed an attack In the
direction of Tatchekiao, and on the
northern front Gen. Launitzs com
mand beat back all attacks. on the
whole, the outcome of the Fighting ON
March Z was favorable to the F,us-
slams, who repulsed several attacks on
their southern front and assumed the
offensive on the left, where Gen. Line
vitch's army. occupying eastern hill
positions, repulsed numerous ATTACKS