“From your reports of the fighting at Liao-yang, I appreciate that it was impossible for you to have held that position longer without risk of being completely cut off from your communications. Under such conditions, and in face of the existing difficulties, the retirement of the whole force across country without the loss of guns or baggage was a brilliant feat of arms. I thank you and the gallant troops under your command for their heroic conduct and enduring self-sacrifice. May God help you all!” Upon retirement, our troops were grouped in two principal bodies— 1. The defence of the main position on the left bank of the Hun Ho was entrusted to the 10th and 17th Corps under Bilderling, to whom was subordinated Dembovski’s force of 10 battalions of the 5th Siberians, which was guarding the near right flank of the main position. Altogether, the troops under Bilderling’s command amounted to 75 battalions, 53 squadrons and _sotnias_, 190 guns, 24 mortars, and 3 sapper battalions. 2. The protection of the left flank from Fu-shun to the west was entrusted to Ivanoff’s force, consisting of the 2nd and 3rd Brigades of the 4th and some units of the 5th Siberians (total, 62 battalions, 26 _sotnias_, 128 guns, and 2 sapper battalions). 3. To keep touch between these two main groups were the 1st Siberians under Shtakelberg (total, 24 battalions, 10 squadrons and _sotnias_, 56 guns, and 1 sapper battalion). To his force was entrusted the defence of the portion of the Hun Ho from Chiu-tien to Pu-ling. 4. The general reserve was disposed in two groups— (_a_) 4th Siberians (24 battalions, 6 squadrons, 96 guns, 12 mortars, and 1 sapper battalion) on the line Erh-tai-tzu–Khou-kha.[74] (_b_) 1st Army Corps, which concentrated in Mukden early in September[75] (32 battalions, 6 squadrons, 96 guns, 1 sapper battalion), along the Mandarin road on the line Pu-ho–Ta-wa. 5. The protection of the extreme right was entrusted to Kossagovski (6-1/2 battalions, 9 squadrons, 14 guns), the main body of which was at Kao-li-tun on the Liao. 6. A brigade of the 6th Siberians (8 battalions and 1-1/2 _sotnias_) was concentrated at Tieh-ling to protect our communications. 7. The Trans-Baikal and Ural Cossack Brigades which did not belong to any corps were joined together under the command of Mischenko (21 _sotnias_ and 8 guns).