The Sun.
London, England, 1848-05-12 00:00:00

LONDON,

FRIDAY EVENING, MAY 12, 1848.

PRUSSIA AND POSEN.

The Poles in Posen are waging a war of exterm
nation against the Prussians.

" The call to arms issued by Mieroslawski," says the
Cologne Gazette, " has been universally responded to.
The towns and villages are deserted by all capable of
bearing arms, and left to the care of old men, women,
and children. The Poles have no head-quarters, but
keep constantly moving. In the last encounter with
General Hirschfeld they fought with a disregard of
death that was wonderful ; although they were exposed
to a raking fire from a battery of tour guns loaded with
grape, and finally to the terrible carnage of sharpnell
shells and grenades charged with 150 bullets, they ad-
vanced undaunted over heaps of their own slain, and
finally broke through the Prussian ranks. No less
thou 460 Poles fell in this battle, without counting the
wounded."

Since the fall of Xionz the Prussians have been
beat in every skirmish. The tactics of MIEROBLAWSLI
are peculiar, and puzzle the Prussian leaders, at the
same time that they strike terror into the soldiery,
who are awed by the daring courage of the Poles
t h a theirn e
energy
yh es,
that until
sendsthey p
sparks
are close and the wild advance of the scythemen. The latter
advance whetting
v,
tohnotshteeeeln,eamody,singing
in chorus the well-known na-
tional air, "Noch ist Polen Nicht verlorem." They
keep step to the air, and on the first volley of the
Prussian troops they fall on one knee, and then sud-
denly rising rush impetuously on the foe. This
struggle for the liberty which they had hoped from
Germany will be a war of extermination. Thirty-six
pieces of heavy artillery and numerous field batteries
are on the road, accompanied by grenades and rockets
to carry on the slaughter. On the evening of the Zith,
heavy firing
which wc-has heard in the neighbourhood of
wiroario
fort, as well as Fort Wilda, fired
guns at intervals. At eleven o'clock the rappel was
beaten in the streets of Posen, as it was reported that
the scythemen were advancing on the town.
The Preussische Staats Anzeiger gives the following
particulars of the fighting at Buck :
.4 Captain Boenigk entered Buck at half-past one
o'clock A.m., on the 4th inst. His force consisted of one
battalion of infantry. He found the place in the posses-
sion of a civic guard, who assured him of their desire to
maintain peace and order. Captain Boenigk quartered
his soldiers in the town, and is said to have been careless
in his measures of precaution. He was surprised by the
insurgents about four oclock in the morning. The
soldiers were partly disarmed, and some of them mur-
dered by the citizens, in whose houses they were quar-
tered. All the officers were for a short time captives.
They were liberated by ten soldiers, most of them Poles,
who attacked the insurgents and drove them back.
c d
raopvtea i
the
einsurgents Boenigk
from
which
hh
ei s n en.
occu-
piedHe
informtilaltteolenvetnnaot'efiloecshk in the
of
morning,
ewnhtsenwhereereceived
march-
ing upon Buck.
Upon this he evacuated the town and
retired to Prinn. Six soldiers were killed, and sixteen
wounded. One man's eyes were thrust out by the
insurgents in the morning. He died during the night.
o Bu tu
ot
waso'cl o'clock
occupiednfor mbay-
G:ii‘ t,zt no
fo orderly from
events,fro m Bwuhcok
sei
nn
tfoor
off one
ed
otopr Ba
nyr eoe
footz a t
that• lr
Ab
tt
ioo
na s
was
i ass t
rCaptainenetved Ba ot ran Boenigk
the insurgents, and that the troops were either killed
or taken. Major Breetz collected all his available forces
and marched upon Buck. Being reinforced on the road
by the company that had preceded him, he approached
the town, where he did not find that obstinate resistance
he had been led to expect. His entrance was chiefly
opposed by the priest of the place, who headed a party
of scythemen. He was killed in doing so. The insur-
gents n .
carried off by women
sacked Buck before they
laccompeft it; the
them booty w
The
as
greater part of the inhabitants of Buck have fled.
" The insurgents are spreading in all directions. This
is no longer a war; it is downright butchery. Blood for
blood is its motto. The insurgents of Stenszewo are
the same who surprised Buck. They were led by Colonel
Niezolewski. Eugen von Szczanicky, whom we cap-
tured, was one of the leaders, and very active in the
attack upon our troops.
The following account of the battle of Miloslaw is
given by a Polish officer, -in a letter to General
WILLISEN :--
"The Prussian artillery opened its fire upon the town,
and the battle commenced at 11 A.M. The town, at-
tacked first by two and then by two more battalions, was
at length carried. Count .Midzynsla's palace was plun-
dered and he slightly wounded. In the meantime,
Garesynaki hastened to our support from Neustadt,
whereupon we rallied, and took the palace and stormed
the church, now defended by the Prussians, which, as
well as the whole town, was soon in our hands again.
Bu t the Prussians also reformed, attacked, and under
toyer of a heavy fire of eltillory, drove us into the neigh- ,

bouring Miloslaw forest. Already two regiments of
Prussian cavalry were advancing to charge us, when a
loud hurrah was heard in their rear. This pro-
ceeded from Bialoskovski, who, with his lan-
cers and mounted scythemen, had hastened from
Pleschen, and, falling upon the Prussian left
flank, their cavalry, thus finding itself cut off,
went to the rightabouts, and dashing in amongst
its own infantry, bore down everything in its
eight. The Polish infantry, which had completely ral-
lied by this time, again advanced, and, attacking the
town on two sides, re-took it, and drove the Prussians
before them in great disorder in the direction of Wres-
nia and Schroda. Had our cavalry been in better con-
dition, and not drooping with fatigue, we should have
taken all the Prussian baggage, and, perhaps, artillery.
Much blood has flown. Many brave men have fallen on
our side. Only think, General, that with only 3,000
men in all, we fought from eleven A.m. to seven Rm.,
against from 9,000 to 10,000 men, with twelve guns."
The letter then proceeds to say, " Every district is pre-
paring for revolt- The whole province will ere long be
in flames. A terrible blood bath is preparing. To what
—to what, I beseech of you, can all this lead ? Thoy
have driven us to a state of desperation ! Would they
have us act like madmen ? Is there no means, no
strength, no power, to prevent this ? Do they not
foresee the consequences that must result, if we fall,
murdered by Prussia, in our exertions for freedom 2"