The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-04-23 00:00:00

THE INSURRECTION IN POLAND.

The following graphic account of this lamentable
affair is from a correspondent of the Tines, who dates
—Warsaw, April 10th. After stating the cause which
led to this catastrophe, which was the suppression of the
Agricultural Society by order of the Emperor, and that
this was considered by the populace as • direct attack
on Count Zamoyski, the president, the writer proemial& :
—"Monday brought with it that uneasy, restless, in-
secure feeling which generally forebedes • storm. It
was a ROLllati Catholic holyday. As is customary, all
the shops were closed, all workshops empty, and the
population of the town for the most part in the streets.
The early part of the day passed without disturbance ;
but towards 5 o'clock it was evident something was
about to occur. Streams of people—men, women, and
children—were seen tending in one direction, and that
towards the Viceregal Castle. At about 7 o'clock up
went three signal rocket!, and then three guns sent
their booming signals over the town. We all knew too
well that the work of bloodshed had begun. In a few
minutes sinadrons and detachments of cavalry and Cos.
sacks were rushing through the principal streets to take
up their prearranged positions. Every open space was
occupied, every commanding position secured. And
then was heard the fire of the infantry in the distance.
It was a terrible imminent. Citizens, grant them mis-
guided? if you will—grant them assembled on purpose to
make demonstrations against the Goverment—but still
citizens, unarmed, unresisting, to be shot down like
dugs! Surely this is not work for the 19th century and
for civilized Europe. The crowd had collected in very
large numbers ; and a drummer was sent among them
to bid them by beat of the drum to disperse. This was
repeated kthree times, but without effect. Indeed, how
should it have been otherwise, for man/ had that morn-
ing received the tut sacrament, and were prepared to
die? The Marquis Wielopolski's carriage appeared
amid the crowd at this point, on its way to
the Castle. It was instantly assailed with stones,
and chow within it—the son of the Marquis, M. Enoch,
and a doctor, namcd Clialubinski were more or
less hurt. The order was then given to BOWS squadrons
of mounted Gendarmes and Cossacks to charge with
drawn sabres. This they did, wounding many, but still
the crowd would not move. Then went forth the word
of command to the infantry to fire. The scene, I am
told, hail something of the sublime in it. Men and
women stood up before the levelled muskets and re-
peated the order, " Fire I" Mothers held up their babes
and re-echoed the cry, " Fire !" The disregard of death
was something awful. Then came three crashing volleys
in quick succession. The accurate number of the
killed and wounded, perhaps, never will be known. The
Viceroy. in an official statement published in some of
the papers next day, acknowledges that 10 were killed
and 108 wounded; but the number was much, much
greater. The corpses were at once seized, and many
wounded also, and dragged within the court of the
Castle. The crowd, running for shelter into the nearest
streets, was met by other bodies of troops and attacked.
At one point they were hemmed in between two Masses,
and, falling on their knees, commenced singink, a hymn.
Even in this posture shirts were tired among them. In
the exasperation of the moment two soldiers were killed
and several seriously wounded. Two young students,
intimate friends, were there together in the front rank.
One fell dead, shot by the soldier opposite ; his friend
seized the soldier's bayonet and killed him on the spot.
Little by little the crowd dispersed, and the streets
were cleared by mounted patrols of Cossacks, with their
lances all in rest. Meanwhile, in answer to the signals,
regiment after regiment of infantry had been tuarclied
into the town, and now occupied all the squares and
open spaces under anus. Night closed in upon • city
held by • hostile army, not protected by its own peace-
ful civil Government.