An ancient Lieutenant of the Polish army — Resides near the borders of the Ukraine — Drills a detachment of the Polish insurgents in the middle of the Russian armies — Surrounded by the Russian Regulars, vanquishes them — Breaks several squares of the Russian infantry with young men who had never been under fire — Proceeds to Miendzyrzec, in Volhynia — Marches through the Russian armies in the night as Russian Cossacks— Orders to speak Russian — Destroys a Russian detachment — Marches towards Poland— Gallant affair before the village of Novosilki — Cuts to pieces the Russian infantry regiment of the Duke of Wellington — Makes his junction with. the Polish army near the fortress of Zamosc— Is made a Colonel— Gallant affair at Hza, where he kills the Colonel of the dragoon regiment of Kargopol, and routes superior forces — Rises in fame — Excites jealousy — Beats superior Russian forces — Intends to raise the whole of the Russian provinces against Russia — Dreaded and beloved by his soldiers, inspires great confidence — Is never vanquished, and maintains rigid discipline to the end of the war — Great military and administrative capacities — The only Partizan of note in the last War — Believes in the success of the Insurrection in the Ukraine on a large scale — Adventure of the Marquis of Douro and the Emperor of Russia— Their misimderstanding — Douro leaves Kalisz — Returns to England.
In the late war by Poland against Russia in 1831, a war so badly conducted, and the disastrous results of which are to be attributed more to the incapacity of its directors than to any other cause, there shone forth. nevertheless, some military characters well worthy of admiration and renown; and amongst which must certainly be included Charles Rozycki, of whose victories I shall now endeavour to trace a rapid but faithful sketch.
Rozycki was at the time a retired officer, residing on the borders of the Ukraine. No sooner did he perceive that circumstances afforded him an opportunity of serving the cause of his native country, than he contrived to form, to organize, and to animate with his own ardent spirit, in the midst of hostile Russian forces, and as we may say, indeed, in their very teeth, a detachment of light cavalry, mounted and armed according to the ancient Polish-Cossack fashion; at the head of which, surrounded as he was by infinitely superior numbers of the enemy, he made good his escape, and, subsequently, performed a series of brilliant achievements.
After surmounting the greatest difficulties, and the fatigues and hazards of a twenty- five days"* march, he succeeded in joining the Polish army near the fortress Zamosc.
Promoted to the rank of colonel, he soon became conspicuous for his enterprising bravery; constantly breaking through their squares of infantry, and routing every squadron of cavalry he attacked, he became a terror to the Russians: and even towards the end of this war, and in the midst of the general anarchy and disorder of the Polish army, he managed to maintain, in his own regiment, the strictest discipline; so that his ROZTCKI. 143 name spread consternation and dismay to such an extent, that the Russians, who well knew his detachments, more than once evidently avoided measuring their forces with them.
The intrigues of petty rivalship, the mean and sordid machinations of jealousy, and more especially the miserable incapacity of certain pretenders to miKtary talent, whose measures served but to engender mistrust and discouragement throughout the army, prevented the really splendid talents of Rozycki from being adequately and efficiently employed; nay, on more than one occasion it was but too apparent that these very soi-disant patriots, who were incessantly blaming every thing, inventing nothing; and who, in point of fact, at the most critical and important juncture, purposely checked or withheld the forces organized for the defence of the country; were absolutely desirous of getting rid of him altogether.
As Rozycki was the victor in several engagements and as I am unable, for the moment, to procure access to the details of all his military successes I shall here confine myself to a relation, and that too but cursory and incomplete, of such only of his principal military achievements as appear to me to contain the most striking points of interest.