Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1849-09-07
HUNGARIAN WAREARE


A recent letter from the seat of war in Hun
gary, describes in considerable detail the formi-
dable auxiliaries the Magyar armies have found
in the wild population scattered over the vast
steppes and forests of the interior, particularly
the horse-herds, or tenders of the troops of wild
horses of the plains, the swineherds, and fisher
men. The first named of these are especially
dreaded by the Austrian troops, on account of
the extraordinary weapon they carry and use
with deadly skill. 1t is simply the whip, with
which they select and catch any horse of the
herd they wish to tame and dispose of. The APP
piicatlon OF 1t in war is quite novelty. 1t has
a handle not more than two feet in length, while
the thong measures from TO 20; leaden ball
Is liked TO the end of il, with smaller ones at diff
ferent distances from it, like shot on fishline;
when thrown it acts like Iasso, curling round
man or horse, or it strikes either to the earth with
acrushing blow. The horseherds (or ChykOse)
are so skiful in this weapon, that at full gallop
they will strike an enemy with unerring certain
ty, on any part of the body they please. In Skin
mlshes any isolated foot soldier if he fires his
musket and misses, is lost before he can at
tempt to reload-the wild horseman rnshes past,
and with a sweep of his ball-loaded thong
stretches him lifeless on the earth by blow on
the head There are some thousands OF these
men in the Hungarian armies, and they are gen.
orally mixed with the light hussars and sent
against the heavy Austrian cavalry. They Of
ten strike the officers from their horses with in
credible dexterity. The wounds this weapon
lnfilcts are describedas lrghtful
Before it was known that these horseherds
were serving in the Hungarian ranks, a
great number of the cuirasserS were brought
into Pesth, wounded in a manner the military
surgeons could not explain. The injury was
neither cut nor a puncture, nor gun shot
wound, and the soldiers were long time asham-
ed to own that it was caused by so ignoble a
weapon as whip. Fortunately it can only be
used where the horseman has ample space; in
nything else like "close order, it would be as
dangerous to friends as foes. One of these men
was lately taken prisoner at Wleselourg, and,
probably to obtain an exact knowledge of the
power of his arm, he was ordered to display his
skill in the camp A stuffed figure was set up
the Austrian officers-pointing out the parts he
was to strike while in full career. Twice he
did as directed, but the third time introduced a
startling variation; swing his whipin wide cir
Gle, he dashed his horse at point OF the line OF
soldiers round the place of exercise, broke through
it, and was far on his wayt to the open fields IN
an instant, untouched by the volley of balls sent
after him. These swineherds (or kdnasU are
generally Servians; their weapon is a small axe
with small handle, called tokOSch, and they
throw it with such deXterity, that at 80 or 100
PAGES they rarely miss a man, and the blow is
almost always fatal, as the Austrian army sur
geons can testify. The fishermen are employed
in constructing bridges in their own manner, on
sort of tubs in style which at first the Austr-
ans rdiculed exceedingly; but though rude they
were effective, and put together in very short
tine, and have proved of the greatest use in the
Hungarian operations. London Times.