Battle of Grochowiska The Battle of Grochowiska took place on 18 March 1863 at the village of Grochowiska near Pińczów , Poland during the Polish January Uprising against the Russian Empire . It involved a 3000 strong unit of Polish insurgents under the command of Marian Langiewicz which had been cornered by Russian forces numbering around 3500 soldiers and six artillery pieces . It was one of the most bloody , as well as one of the largest battles of the Uprising . Setting . In the aftermath of the Battle of Chrobrze , Polish insurgents under Marian Langiewicz were intercepted in a forest by a stronger Russian force . The battle took place in a very unfavorable circumstances , since the Polish forces were caught by the Russians while trying to withdraw through inhospitable forests and swamp land ; neither side was prepared to fight in this terrain . Langiewicz ' s force was composed of two infantry regiments with three battalions of 350 soldiers each ( so , 2100 infantry ) , two units ( " pułk " ) of cavalry , 400 - strong each , 100 military engineers , 150 in the command units ( incl . its security detachment ) and about 450 non - combatant support personnel . Battle . The insurgents were attacked on the flank by a column of troops moving from Stopnica , as well as by the troops in their front . Despite the initially unfavorable situation for the Polish forces , which were trying to avoid contact with the opponent , a charge by the Zouaves of Death , under the command of Francois Rochebrune , captured the Russian artillery and eventually forced the Russians to withdraw . The " kosynierzy " ( peasant troops armed with scythes ) , under the command of Col . Dąbrowski also contributed to the overall outcome of the engagement when they successfully attacked and routed two regiments of Smolensk infantry . Another Polish unit under Dionizy Czachowski covered the rear of the insurrectionist forces , and after heavy fighting moved towards Stopnica . During the battle , Langiewicz lost control over his troops who initially panicked . It was Rochebrune , who with the help of his Zouaves , managed to restore discipline and lead a successful attack on Russian positions . He did so by personally grabbing panicked soldiers , throwing them back into the line , pointing his gun at them and cursing in broken Polish ( " " Psiakehv ! Ktoha godzina ? " " – " Goddammit ! Would you tell me the time ? " – which according to contemporary sources was the only Polish he knew ) . As a consequence after the battle , Rochebrune was promoted to the rank of general and considered for the role of the overall leader of the uprising ( ultimately rejected for political reasons ) . Aftermath . Despite the fact that Polish forces successfully escaped annihilation , they found themselves dispersed , were forced to retreat towards Pińczów and had trouble reorganizing afterward . As a result , shortly after the battle , Langiewicz crossed into Austria with a portion of his troops , where he was interned a week later . This ended Langiewicz ' s short career as the dictator ( leader ) of the uprising ( he was chosen around 10 March ) . Hence , while the Polish forces managed to repel the attack and avoid destruction or capture , their high losses and eventual retreat across the border led some commentators to describe the battle as a Pyrrhic victory for the Poles . Notable participants . Albert Chmielowski , who was later to become known as " Saint Albert " of the Catholic Church after he had founded the Albertines , took part in the battle on the Polish side , as a 17 year old recruit . Priest Agrypin Konarski also participated in the battle . The future painter Bronisław Abramowicz served as adjutant to Langiewicz during the battle and was wounded . Commemoration . Several tombstones and memorials commemorate the battle near the village of Grochowiska . A historical reenactment of the battle is also held in the area between Pinczow and Grochowiska annually .