“In the first phase of the campaign our main object should be to prevent the destruction of our forces in detail. The apparent importance of any single locality or position (fortresses excepted) should not lead us into the great error of holding it in insufficient force, which would bring about the very result we are so anxious to prevent. While gradually growing in numbers and preparing to take the offensive, we should only move forward when sufficiently strong, and when supplied with everything necessary for an uninterrupted advance lasting over a fairly long period.”
Against this the Tsar was pleased to note in his own handwriting the words “Quite so.”
I left St. Petersburg on March 12, and arrived at Liao-yang on the 28th. On this date there were collected in the concentration area in Southern Manchuria 59 battalions,[65] 39 squadrons and _sotnias_, and 140 guns. The distribution was as follows:
The _Southern Force_ (under General Sakharoff) of the 1st and 9th East Siberian Rifle Divisions—20 battalions, 6 squadrons, and 54 guns—was in the area Hai-cheng—Ta-shih-chiao—Newchuang—Kai-ping.
The _Eastern (Advance) Force_ (under General Kashtalinski) of the 3rd East Siberian Rifle Division—8 battalions, 24 guns, 8 mountain and 8 machine-guns—was moved to the Ya-lu.
The _Mounted Force_ (under General Mischenko) of 18 squadrons and 6 guns was operating in Northern Korea.
The _Main Body_ was divided into two groups:
At An-shan-chan: 5th East Siberian Rifle Division of 8 battalions and 24 guns.
At Liao-yang: 2nd Brigades of the 31st and 35th Infantry Divisions, 22nd and 24th East Siberian Rifle Regiments—21 battalions, 10 squadrons, and 24 guns.
In addition to these, the 23rd East Siberian Rifle Regiment—3 battalions and 4 guns—was allotted to the protection of the Viceroy’s Headquarters.
In _Port Arthur_ were the 7th East Siberian Rifle Division—12 battalions, 2 reserve battalions, 3-1/2 battalions of fortress artillery, and a sapper and mining company.
In _Kuan-tung_ were the 5th, 13th, 14th, and 15th East Siberian Rifle Regiments, 1 battalion of the 16th East Siberian Rifle Regiment, 2 battalions of the 18th East Siberian Rifle Regiment, and 1 reserve battalion—12 battalions, 20 guns, and 1 _sotnia_ of Cossacks.
