His force of 25,000 men held Motien Pass, in the middle of Liaodong Peninsula, on the main road between Antung (modern Dandong, China) and Liaoyang.

Kuropatkin agreed, and in an effort to fortify his position at Haicheng, he began a series of complex and confusing troop movements as he endeavored to plug real or imaginary gaps in his defensive line.

The Japanese 1st Army, under command of General Kuroki Tamemoto, paused at Fenghuangshan (modern Fengcheng, Liaoning Province, China) from 2–8 July to await supplies and reinforcements.

Casualties on both sides were relatively light, and later commentators have speculated extensively on why General Keller (otherwise known to be competent) abandoned such a strategic and easily defendable location with so little resistance.

Keller, who perished due to shrapnel wounds from Japanese artillery in an ill-fated counterattack to retake Motien Pass, left no notes.