The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-10-25
The Last Days or Hungary.
From the London Daily News |

|
report OF an English gentleman, an eye witness of
those fatal events -
WIDDlN, Sept IL.
arrived here with the last wrecks of the
Hungarian army on the 3lst ult. There are now
encamped IN the neighborhood of Widdin I'm
GLIDING Poles and Italians) upwards of 5000 men,
all OF whom have been disarmed by the Turks.
In the meanwhile they receive ratlons, though not
very regularly, and the authorities make great
parade OF hospitality; but the inveerate corruption
OF Turkish administration has in this instance not
| failed TO display itself. In Walachia the Hun
garlan officers have been plundered by certain
Mehem.t Pacha, who, pretending that the Porte
would have TO indemnify the Austrian govern
ment, has appropriated the horses and personal
effects of the officers. Kossulh had reached
W!ddln ten days previous 10 the arrival of Benz
end Guyon. He was accompanied by Generals
Dembmski and Messaros. All these ustrious
exiles are, am sorry to say, in state of positive
destlaton. There can be no greater proof Of his
patriotism and dlsinterestedness, than that after
having had the disposal of the accumulated re-
sources of all Hungary for more than twelve
month, kossuth should quit that country with not
more than 500 ducats in his possession. The
greater part OF this sum he has already disbursed
in alternating the dstresses of his brother exles
We are in daily expectation of frman from Con-
stantnople, which will determine the future lot
and destination of the emgrants. From private
letters we hear that they are to be transported to
| Gambia; but | think there will be found to be
many insurmountable objections to such scheme
have only time to say few words on the sub
| Ject OF the sudden catastrophe TO which was an
eyewitness IN Hungary. From my first arrival
| there, about three months ago, was struck with
the tone of dependency which, in discussing the
prospects OF war, universally prevailed among the
| officers Of the Hungarian army All abored UNI
der the conviction, that resistance against the COM
bined forces OF Russia and Austria was altogether
| hopeless General Georgsy, instead of endeavor-
ing to promote better spirit, did all in his power
| to increase this decentralization. 1t is evident,
that he long meditated the detection and rsachery
he tcas at last guilty Of Had he, according to the
instructions he received from his government, eff
tected junction between his corps and that OF
| Dembinskl, which he had many opportunities of
doing, II is certain that the war might at any rate
have been protracted to an indehnite period. But
! he preferred any aternative-even that of playing
me part OF traltor-to surrenderlng or even div-
| ding his authority with any other general and on
the hrst report OF the defeat OF Demblnskrs CORPS
| he FASTENED TO cspltulae to the Russians. Had
he, on the other hand, waited for few days long
er, he would have learnt that the army in question
had rallied five days after the battle Of Temesyar,
and having been joined by the corps under Kmet-
tling and vetchey, was IN every respect stronger
and more formidable than il had been before We
had l40 guns, 1000 cavalry, Tin which tbs Hun
| garlaDs had great superiority over the enemy,)
and almost 10000 infantry. la the battle before
clsred itse If for the Hungarans From Ii O'Clock,
NJ, I'LL IN the afternoon, they had driven the
enemy from position to position. He had brought
| up all his reserves, Russians and Austrlans as a
! last resource, he had charged with all his caval-
| ry, which was routed by the hussars and at
this decisive moment, when whole line, IN.
family, cavalry, and artillery, advancing and
confident OF victory, our cannon-at first upon the
| LETT wing ana centre, and thea upon the right,
ceased firing, and the fatal discovery was made
| that all our ammunition had, through some de-
porable blunder or treachery, been sent forward
on the road 10 Arad. The enemy on his side, per-
ceIying this ominous silence, took heart. and got
his guns once more into position; while TOR the
Hungarans there renamed no alternative bat
! treat. They accordingly retired IN very good or
der from the field Of battle. Unfortunately, we had
in cur rear extensive forest Into this the whole
army, unmolested by the enemy, had detiled before
sunset; but during the night they disbanded aud
dispersed OF themselves every direction II being
impossible tor The generals in the Intcdcles OF the
| forest TO maintain anything like order and control
| Had the Austro- Russian generals acted with energy
| the next morning, the army could not have been
collected again but for SIX days they remained in-
active, and In the meanwhile, as | have already
SAID, the Hungarans had been again concentrated
| al Lugos IL was here that Rem, who, though sut-
| ierng severely from the disocatlon OF a shoulder,
showed his habitua cheerfulness and presence Of
| mind, adopted the bold resolution OF marching by
! the Deeva Pass into Transylvania. lie calculated
that, with the force he had already there and the
| large reinforcement he was bringing TO IL, he would
have an army of at least 10000 men, and upwards
OF 200 pieces of artillery and at the head OF this he
made sure OF expellIng the Russians, aud alter
| wards shutting all The passes, twelve IN number,
into Transylyania. This plan, which was undoubt-
! edly practicable, was submitted TO an assembly of
the Hungarian generals and superior officers at Luz
gosj but, though il was at fret embraced by them
with apparent enthusiasm the example set by Geor-
pey at Aiad had begun TO exercise fatal influence.
We had also traitor amongst Us when the army
had reached Futchet, where the road branches
oil In one direction 10 ATad, and IN the other
10 Transy lvana. General Vechey, who, while
| promising the most jealous support To Benz, had
been engaged in seducng the officers OF his corps,
| suddenly declared his intention OF proceeding to
hrad with view OF benetting by and being IN.
cuded IN the capitulatlon granted by Marshal rs
| kewitsch To Georgey. The contdglon st this das-
tardy spirit spread rapidly among the rest OF the
troops, and not more than 1000 nien could be in
duced to follow BEN and Guyoa into Transylva-
MA On reaching Deeya we iel IN with the out
posts OF the Russian army, commanded by Luders.
| Benz attacked the Russians with his usual spirit,
and when arrived there with Guyon, who COM
mandeo the rear, we found he had driven them
| cut, and was in possession Of the place. lie an
| nounccd also his determination, notwithstanding
his numerical infcrlory, Of attacking them the
next morning. IL was vainy urged to hun by his
officers, that the attempt was desperate, and that
nothing then was TO be done but to capitulate.
! lie answered that he had not come 10 Hunga-
~ 10 treat and negotiate with the Russians;
"and have not, moreover, he added, ''still sixty
pieces of srullefy, end would you deprive me OF
the pleasure we may yet derive from The music of
such an orchestral" All, however, was OF no
avail; he could no longer INSPIRE his troops with
his own undaunted mettle, and if he had rem AIM
ed another day at Deeya, probably the only man IN
his army who would have remained staunch 10
him was General Guyon. The other officers had
already clandestlnely. agreed upon a truce Of q
houis with the Russians; and we learned there
was some talk among them OF making better terms
for themselves, by sacrificing and giving up BEN
and Guyon IL was clear, therefore, that they had
only 70 provide for their own safety and, escorted
by roo men, they retraced their steps TO Lesneth,
and then struck of TO the left over the mountains
to Ruseberg. From thence marched in the
night TO Moiel, where we found General kmetthy
and II other Hungarian officers, who, in endeayor
ing to make their escape through the woods, had
been captured by the wild Wallacbians. After rob-
birg them Of their money, they had hesitated whe-
they should murder or detain them, with view Of
being rewarded for their seizure by the Austrian
government. They had been In the meanwhile
confined in mil, and on our arrival at Morel, the
Wsllachians, mistakDg us for Austnans, had be-
trayed their own secret, but subsequently. 20 pre-
vent detection, set fire to the mill and by the
timely discovery of the place Of their detention,
the brave kmetihy and his companions narrowly
ESCAPED being burnt alive by those wretches.
-Four Of them, with hslters about their necks, were
dragged into the presence OF Bem, who, however,