OPERATIONS OF DWERNICKI. 141 Wurtemberg's forces began to present themselves on the plain of Ryczywol; and on the 19th Dwernicki fell upon them at a place near there called Swierza, and succeeded by a well conceived manœuvre in attacking them at the same time in flank and rear, the consequence of which was a total defeat of the Russians, who fled up the river in great disorder, and continued their flight until they had placed the Vistula between them and the victorious Poles. But Dwernicki gave the Russians no respite. He hung on their rear, continually cutting off stragglers, until they had securely posted themselves in Pulawy. He then caused Colonel Lagowski to cross the river secretly below Pulawy with a small detachment, and to attack the enemy unexpectedly on that side. The manœuvre succeeded perfectly; and the astonished Russians, although far more numerous than the whole of Dwernicki's corps, again fled in great consternation before Lagowski's handful of of troops. But before he left Pulawy, Prince Wurtemberg, indulging once more in a spirit of spiteful malignity against the first of the Poles, ordered his soldiers to set fire to the town, and even wantonly discharged his cannon at the palace of Prince Czartoryski, occupied only by the Princess and her attendants, as if to show that the Muscovite barbarians made war against liberty and civilization at the same time. When Dwernicki regained possession of the once beautiful town, he found it a smoking ruin. But the punishment due to the meanness of Prince Wurtemberg was close at hand. After being driven from Pulawy, the Russians made for Lublin, the capital of the Palatinate in which they were, by the main road through Kurow. There is another road to Lublin, a small cross road through the forest, not two miles from the other 13* VOL. II. hynia, while the Poles were disarmed and marched into the interior as prisoners. And thus, by the dishonorable and shameful interference of the Austrian authorities, the important corps of Dwernicki was lost to the Poles. It was at this time that the cholera morbus, which had for many years continued its ravages in Asia, and had passed from Asia into Europe through the means of Russia, was communicated by the Russians to the Poles. It appeared among the latter subsequently to the battle of Igani, and caused them a loss of 1,000 men in the first few days; but its ravages were far more terrible in the Russian army. This fatal epidemic augmented the horrors of war beyond conception. It might have made its way into Europe, perhaps, independently of the causes to which it actually owes its introduction; but in point of fact this dreadful scourge of our times was brought upon us by Russian ambition of conquest in the East, and by Russian cupidity of empire in the West: it was by the wars of Russia with Persia and Turkey on the one hand, and with Poland on the other, that it has made its way among us from further Asia. But while thousands of the Russian and Polish soldiers sickened and died of this malady, it did not materially interrupt the progress of events. All Europe, however, began to regard the contest with a foreboding interest, in which the sympathy felt for the Poles, and apprehensions of approaching pestilence, were commingled. Emboldened by their successes in the south, the Russians now began to think of resuming offensive operations. Indications having reached the Poles of a design to attack them in large masses, as when Diebitsch advanced upon Warsaw in December, they determined to repeat the same tactics of gradually retiring, fighting as they ADVANCE OF THE POLES. 153 went, to the vicinity of the capital. On the 25th of April occurred the combat of Kuflew, in which Diebitsch himselfled nearly 40,000 men against a small force of 4,000 men only under Colonel Dembinski, without carrying their position. During the night ensuing the Poles executed a retrograde movement as they had contemplated, and awaited the enemy at Minsk. Here, on the 26th, the Poles under General Gielgud repulsed an attack of the Russians; and then retired to Dembe-Wielke, expecting a renewal of the attack. But to the surprise of all, on the night of the 28th Diebitch evacuated his position, and retired as far as Kaluszyn, where he entrenched himself in a fortified camp, and assumed once more a defensive attitude. Skrzynecki now resolved to attempt the execution of a plan somewhat different from that, which the reverses of Dwernicki had defeated. He first detatched General Chrzanowski with a small corps to supply the place of Dwernicki. In spite of the hazards he incurred, Chrzanowski reached his destination in safety, having beaten a considerable body of Russians at Kock on the way, and also having gained a victory over another body of the enemy at Lubartow. Having accomplished his purpose in this quarter, Skrzynecki next threw himself unexpectedly upon the Imperial Guard, which we have several times mentioned as being at Ostrolenka somewhat detached from the Russian main army. He suddenly made a retrograde movement by the great road to Praga, and so down the right bank of the Vistula to Zegrz, and thence to Serock on the Narew, when he commenced his operations against the Imperial Guard, which, after a little fighting, he compelled to evacuate the Kingdom. So soon as Diebitsch discovered the nature of Skrzynecki's manœuvre, he hastened to pursue the latter with all his forces, in order to cut off his communications with Warsaw. But such was the celerity of Skrzynecki's movements, that, in the interval between the 12th and 20th of May, he passed over a distance of more than two hundred miles, which, as six days of the period were occupied in action, made the average march for eight days not less than twenty eight miles each day. Facts like this demonstrate the extraordinary and almost unexampled efforts made by the Poles in this memorable war. The result was, that when Diebitsch reached Ostrolenka, he encountered Skrzynecki there on his return. Meanwhile a combat took place on the 24th between the advanced guard of the Russians, and a detached corps of the Poles under Lubinski near Czyzew; and on the 25th the Russians came up with the rear guard of the Polish army at Kleczkow, where an engagement took place. In each of these actions a comparatively small Polish force was able to repulse or withstand a large Russian force: for it is the remarkable feature of the contest, that, in every battle, the victorious Poles were but a handful, and the beaten Russians a host, so much can the love of country and liberty effect against mercenary troops fighting battles in which the latter have no moral stake. It was the same in the battle of Ostrolenka, of the 26th of May, between the two great armies under their respective generalissimos. Ostrolenka is situated on the left bank of the river Narew. The line of march pursued by Skrzynecki lay through Ostrolenka across the Narew, and so down the right bank of the river towards Praga. He had passed the river when the Russians entered the town, having partly destroyed the bridge, and having taken a position so as to DEATH OF DIEBITSCH. 155 be able to subject the Russians to great loss while they were effecting the passage. This battle was one of the bloodiest and most obstinately contested of the whole war. Skrzynecki himself was in the very hottest of the fight, and while thousands were falling around him, while most of his aides were struck and his own garments pierced with balls, he escaped as if he bore a charmed life. He succeeded in arresting the Russians, who lost from 10,000 to 15,000 men in the battle; but the Poles suffered a proportionate loss. Among the latter, also, were two general officers of great merit, Kaminski and Kicki, who died in gallantly leading on a charge. After the battle the Poles continued their march undisturbed to Praga. Soon after this time occurred the sudden decease of Marshal Diebitsch. He died at Pultusk early in the month of June. The most probable accounts of his death ascribe it to apoplexy occasioned by excess. It has been said, however, that chagrin arising from the slow progress of the Russian arms and the great losses they sustained, and the knowledge or expectation that Paskiewicz was to supersede him, hastened or produced his death. We should mention, also, that the Grand Duke Constantine died during the campaign,of disease, it is true, but still, perhaps, in consequence of the vexation and hardships occasioned by the insurrection. It has been remarked as a coincidence, singular to say the least, that the decease of Diebitsch happened suddenly upon the arrival of Count Orloff, an aide-de-camp of the Czar, at the Russian head-quarters; and that Constantine died with the same suddenness at Minsk, on Count Orloff's proceeding thither from Pultusk. After the death of Diebitsch, the provisional command of the army devolved upon General Toll, until the arrival of Paskiewicz, who |