Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1905-03-09
KUR0PATKIN
IN RE TREAT.
TEN DAYS BATTLE ENDS IN RUS
SIAN WITHDRAWAL.

Japanese Force Back Both Wings and
May Yet Surround and Compel the
Surrender oftheir Foe--Greatest En-
eaaement of Modern Times--UnpaF-
aIIeIed Dash of Japs Met by Ohsti-
nate Resistance. but Advantage
with the Yellow Men.
A battle of ten days duration, in which
The most troops were engaged for the long
est time over the widest field and suffered
the heaviest losses of any battle of modern
times is about drawing to close IN Man
ehuria. The result is Russian defeat.
How decisive il is, whether kuropatkln
will be able to extricate his shattered army
and once more retire to the next position
in rear, at Tie pass, or whether the Japa-
nese have sufficient vitality left to com
plete their success by cutting of his retreat
and either capturing him outright or de-
stroying him, yet remains to be seen. That
the Russian army has been forced back
from most of the positions of its long line,
laboriously fortified the past winter, and
that the only hope now expressed IN St.
Petersburg is that Kuropatkin may be able
to draw out OF the net as he did at Lao
Yang indicate the nature OF the outcome.
The Japanese have evidently been wait
inc All winter until they could assent bic
an army strong enough TO take the ofien-
sive with probability OF making the great
contest decisive Meanwhile they have
repulsed two vigorous attempts OF the Rus-
SLAMS to force them out OF their line OF de-
| fence. and have even advanced their 'front.'
somew hat The fall OF Port Arthur released
| Gen Nogiis army, which was transported
/ TO the north. reinforcing Oyama by many
| thousand OF veterans. Heavy siege guns,
1 too. had been brought up, and when ali
was ready and the weather propitious the
japanese launched their attack
| II began nearly two weeks ago with an
advance in force by Gen. kuroki on the
| right. He fell upon the Russian left, and
desperate fighting took place among the
mountains and passes to the eastward.
/ After several davs, kuroki managed 10
/ press back his foe several miles ana cap
| ture the passes The Russian left was bent
| back sharply, and in fear lest kuroki break
through and gain his left rear, kuropat KIN
/ hastily despatched heavy reintoreements
i to that quarter, who were able Tor the tilhe
/ to stay the tide.
/ At this juneture, OFama started no
/ less determined movement against the
/ Russian center and right. The center
/ held firm and repulsed day aud nlght
assaults made with a fiery beroism un-
paralleled. On the right, the veterans
Of Nogi rushed on the foe regardless OF
death. shouting to the Russians ~ their
own language. ssOut OF the way Tor as,
we are from Port Arthur They swept
all before them, and the Russian right
was thrown back almost at right angles
/ to its first position, reaching north and
south. but few miles west OF Mukden,
where the bursting shells could be
plainly seen. Kuropatkin made herculean
effort TO regain his ground, but was only
able to stay Nogi at that line. For two
davs past, bloody lighting has taken
place from extreme flank to flank, each
/ side trying To wrest every point OF vantage
from the foe. The carnage has been
terrible. Repeatedly, the Japanese have
piled up their dead as breastworks. II
/ Is known that the slaughter exceeds that
| of Liaoyang or Shakhe. In addition, the
troops are suffering untold misery from
hunger and exhaustion. Their abllity 70
Withstand fatigue may prove TO be the
| deciding factor, but in the lighting Tue
/ Japanese are clearly successful.
The latest reports were that huropatklh
/ center had been broken and thirteen
/ siege guns lost, that the Russian com
I mander had informed the car that u
/ would be impossible to hold Mukuen,
/ and that the Russians had begun tnelr
with travail to the northward.