The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-03-15
Russian Army is Once More
Getting Into Shape
TROOPS MARCH IN SINGING
Linevitch Reaches Tie Pass With
Ranks Unbroken, Bands Playi.x
and coIors Flying In % 9
Z q
The Breeze. So

Tie Pass. March 14-As af q battle
of Lao Yang. the advanc, oSn Japa-
nese army against the NJ o Ssitions of
the Russians at Tie Pa very slow.
The leading columns sht or ten
miles southwark, and In I. ich with the
Russian van posts. but the operations at
present are not serious
Field Marshal Oyama shows slight in
tentions of pressing his advantage in an
immediate attack on Tie Pass. 1t is pos
sible. however. that wide turning move-
ment, of which reports are current, is in
progress. In such operations the Japa-
nese have the immense advantage of sew
eral bases and lines of supply to which
is now added the Sinmintin road. while
the Russian army necessarily is depend
ent on one base, and one line of COM
munieation, and therefore may easily be
outfianked.
Order Out of Chaos.
The grand army order is being brought
out of chaos with remarkable celerity.
The plain in front of Tie ass which on
March II seethed like a nest of ants with
artillery and troops, corps, divisions and
regiments being scattered and parties in
extr1cably mingled, has been cleared, the
regiments reorganized, stragglers sent to
their respective commands, organizations
taking their assigned positions and to-
day the same soldiers who on March 10
became a terror-stricken, surglng, disor
ganized mass of gray at a few shots
from a little detachment of Japanese or
n nj ri 0rff in
ately in all directions as they ran at the
mere baseless cry of Japanese cavalry
are now gathering singing about the camp
fires. with new courage. ready to oppose
with stubborn resistance an attack on Tie
Pass.
1t is unfair to accuse the entire army
of this panic. General Linevitch entered
Tie Pass with his regiments in perfect
order, with music playing, and men
singing. and scarcely straggler was lost
in the long difficult march. Other organ
izations made equally noteworthy recov-
cries, and especially the rear guards of all
the armies, who performed their difficult
tasks steadily and resolutely There is
much to be said also for the panic
stricken condition of the troops.
Were Under Constant Fire.
They were largely composed of undis-
ciplined men and wagon drivers, who
mingled with soldiers. and who for fifteen
days were under constant fire, crowded
together in a mass from whence egress
was impossible. 1t is one of the odd facts
of warfare that the morale of the beaten
Russian army has been largely restored,
while the Japanese, though victorious,
apparently are so broken and have incur
red such heavy losses that they are una
BILE to press the advantage. Otherwise it
is inexplicable why the japanese have not
followed up their vigorous pursuit with
an attack on Tie Pass when they might
have taken the position almost without a
struggle. The struggle for the possession
OF Mukden cost both sides close upon
two hundred thousand men. The Russian
loss of officers includes large proportion
of the regimental commander3 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 and nothing to eat. Because of de-
feat many of the Russian officers are in
a surly mood, and much of their gruding-
ly-given information is coloreu with jeal-
ousy and the rampant spirit of cabal.
Connected View of Story.
1t is, however. now possible to give
general view of the battle, the connected
story emerging out of the confusion in
cident to the evacuation of Mukden, and
the forces retreat to Tie Pass
On February "a all was ready for an
attack on the westward. Various por-
tions of the army had been disposed of for
an advance on the right flank. Suddenly
in the evening of that day, the order to
advance was cancelled, and a second or
der was given for the transfer of Gem
eral Rennenkampff's First Siberian corps,
nfh mi zuf IN hn
left flank, which was being pressed heav-
lily by a large force OF Japanese. From
that time forward the Japanese who
were well informed as to all the Russian
movements, began heavy attacks along
the whole front. The Russians generally
held their ground doing we'll until Feb
ruary Is, when an unexpected attack de-
veloped in the southwest, before which
the Russian right. weakened by the with
drawal of almost two corps. yielded By
March 1t became evident that the Jap
anese were moving around to the Russian
right in five heavy columns, and 1t be-
came imperative to withdraw the thin
line from the southwest. and form new
line from the bridge across the Shakhe
river. parallel with the railroad. The
change of front was accomplished with
remarkable celebrity. but the various or
CARNATIONS became badly mixed.
Occupied Former Position.
| The Russians on March 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 railroad six miles distant, the right
resting on the Sinmintin road. The Jap
anese on March 5 began even to turn
| this position with view to cutting off
| the retreat, while the Russian right was
extended from the Sinmintin road to the
! railway.
| On March both sides began a most
vigorous offensive operation, the Japan
| ese attacking with especial energy the
forces of General Tse-pitsky, which were
holding the position from Madyapu as
| far as the heights east of Mukden sta
| tion. while the Russians under General
! Gerngross assumed an attack in the d.
rection of Tatachekiao, and on the north
ern front General Launitz's command
beat back all attacks.
| On the whole, the outcome of the fight
! Ing on March was favorable to the
Russians. who repuIsed several attacks
| on their southern front. and assumed the
| offensive on the left. where General Line
! vitch's army, occupying eastern hill po-
NJ IN he ard