Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-15
STRUGGLE At MUKOEN
The Enormous Cost of Men
for Both Armies.
l3 DAYS OF CARNAGE
RETIREMENT OF RUSSIANS NOT
RETIREMENT OF RUSSIANS NOT
INTENDED FOR RETREAT.
Cars Troops Repeatedly outfanked
and Continually Surprised by Dis
position of Oyama's Forces.

The struggle for the possession of Muk-
den cost both sides close upon 100000 men.
The Russian loss of officers includes large
proportion of the regimental commanders
and field officers.
Hipped by defeat, many of the Russian
officers are in a surly' mood, and much of
their grudingy given information is col
ored with jealousy and the rampant spirit
OF cabal. 1t is, however. possible now to
give general view of the BATTLE, the con-
nected story emerging out of the confusion
incident to the evacuation of Mukden and
the forced retreat to Tie Pass.
On February "a all was ready for an at
tack on the westward. Various portions 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 can
celed and second order was given for the
transfer of Gen. RennenkampffS LIST ST.
berian Corps and several other organlZa
lions to the left flank, which was being
pressed heavily by large force of Jap
anese.
Japanese Knew Russian Movements.
From that time forward the Japanese,
who were we'll informed to all the Rus
sian movements, began heavy attacks along
the whole front. The Russians generally
held their ground doing well until Febru-
airy %, when an unexpected attack devel-
oped in the southwest. before which the
Russian right, weakened by the Withdrawal
of almost two corps. yielded. By March
it 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 south
west and form a new line from the bridge
across the Shakhe river parallel with the
| railway. The change of front was accom-
plished with remarkable celebrity, but the
tnr,-- han
The Russians on March occupied theii
former positions on the Shakhe river as fan
as the bridge, thence to Madyapu, on the
Hun river, and thence parallel with the
railway six miles distant, the right resting
| on the Sinmintin road. The Japanese on
| March beginning to turn even this posi-
| ton with view to cutting off the retreat
the Russian right was extended eastward
from the Sinmintin road to the railway.
Both Sides on the Offensive.
| On March both sides began most often
siye operations the Japanese attacking will
especial energy the forces of General Tser
| pitsky. which were holding the position from
| Madyapu, as far as the heights east o
| Mukden station, while the Russians, unde
| General Gerngross, assumed an attack II
| the direction of Tatchekiao, and on thu
| northern front General Launitz's command
| beat back the attacks. On the whole TIT
outcome of the fighting on March was ia
| yora BILE to the Russians, who repulsed sew
| eral attacks on their southern front and as
| sumed the defensive of the left, where Gen
| eral Linevitcl.'s army, occupying eastern
| hill positions, repulsed numerous attacks
| and took several hundred prisoners ana sew
| eral machine guns. ,
| The continued extension, however, of tht
| Japanese lines northward and the concen
| tration which their superiority In numbers
enabled them to effect against the northern
and northwestern fronts rendered advisable
| Of
draWal from the Shakhe river to position:
| on the Hun river was determined upon:
| This was in no sense the beginning OF the
general retreat. and kuropa.kln anu IN.
Generals CON handing the armies were far
from regarding the battle as lost Inc hrst
army to retire from the fortihed positions
east and south of Mukden was the third
army which fell back to positions similarly
fortified in advance on the north bank of
the Hun riYer The burning of abandoned
stores. provisions and forage disclosed the
Russian retirement, and the Japanese fol-
lowed Closely
Russians Retired Along Hun River.
A confusion in orders and retirement in
uncomfortable darkness across the country
were responsible for the failure of some
organizations to occupy the positions to
which they had been assigned, and re-
markable dust storm the following day
made it impossible to verify the alignment
and fill the breaches, which the Japanese.
however, were lucky enough to find and
skillfuI enough to turn to their advantage.
The Russian positions now formed boot
the toe at Madyapu and the heel on the Hun
river at Fushun, about five miles wide, and
to meet the apparent danger that the Jap
anese might plug the top of the boot Kuro-
patkin sent thither forty battalions from
the command Of General Miloff, which were
rendered available by the shortening of the
line.
The Russians began to slowly force the
Japanese back at this critical point. but
the Japanese, In turn, were reinforced on
| their extreme right, and General Kuropat-
| kim seeing all apparently going well at the
| other positions, and determining to stake all
on decisive blow. collected the remainder