Battle of Segesvár The Battle of Segesvár ( Transylvania , now Sighişoara , Romania ) was a battle in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 , fought on 31 July 1849 between the Hungarian revolutionary army supplemented by Polish volunteers under the command of General Józef Bem and the Russia n V Corps under General Alexander von Lüders in ally with the Austrian army led by General Eduard Clam - Gallas . The battle was won by the Russian - Austrian army and it is presumed that the Hungarian poet and national hero Sándor Petőfi died in the battlefield , though his body was never found . Hungarian order of battle . Bem had returned to Transylvania after a sally to Moldavia against Russian forces under the command of General Ustrugov . He prepared an offensive against the Russian army group under General Grotenhjelm . He had to cancel this offensive because he got information that the Lüders , having captured the Vöröstorony pass ( now Turnu Roșu Pass , Romania ) and the city of Nagyszeben ( now Sibiu , Romania ) , was advancing towards him . Bem knew that a battle against Lüders would be decisive for the campaign in Transylvania so he decided to concentrate his forces . He sent orders to Colonel Kemény , commander of the Kolozsvár ( now Cluj - Napoca ) Division , that it was to go to Segesvár ( now Sighisoara , Romania ) and support the main Hungarian forces in the fight against the Russian V corps . The remnants of four Nagyszeben divisions and parts of the Brassó ( now Brasov , Romania ) and Háromszék ( now Trei Scaune , Romania ) divisions were to concentrate in Székelykeresztúr ( now Cristuru Secuiesc , Romania ) , which Bem occupied . Colonel Dobay ' s group had to move from Felsőrákos ( now Racosul de Sus , Romania ) across Kőhalom ( now Rupea , Romania ) to Székelykeresztúr in order to support the army group . All of these forces under Bem ' s command added about 10 to 12 , 000 infantry and cavalry soldiers and more than 30 cannon . However , in the event Bem only had 6 , 000 soldiers and 12 cannon on the field . The right wing of the Hungarian army consisted of a battalion of infantry with two supporting cannons placed near the road from Udvarhely ( now part of Harghita , Romania ) to Fehéregyháza ( now Albesti , in Romania ) . The Hungarian center included 8 cannons along with cavalry and 4 infantry formations . Two infantry battalions were positioned on the left wing , above the adduction of a stream crossing the road from Segesvár to Fehéregyháza . Reserves were placed about from the front . Russian order of battle . Lüders had under his command about 12 , 000 soldiers and 30 cannon . He was worried that an attack by the Hungarian reinforcements would come from a side road to Marosvásárhely ( now Târgu Mureş , in Romania ) , so he defended it with three rifle regiments from Zamość , 16 cannon , 5 sapper battalions , 4 squadrons from Prince de Nassau ulan regiment , one division of horse and a Cossack squadron . He placed a rifle infantry regiment from Lublin on the route to Udvarhely , with 5 rifle battalions , 12 cannon , another 4 squadrons of cavalry and 3 squadrons of Cossacks , placing General Engelhardt in command of the group . He positioned a Cossack reconnaissance squadron on the route to Fogaras ( now Făgăraş , Romania ) . The artillery battalion was placed on the route to Medgyes ( now Mediaş , Romania ) . In addition to these forces , Lüders had the support of Austrian allies under General Clam - Gallas . His group , consisting of six infantry battalion , some Cossacks units , and 6 or 8 cannon , was ordered to join forces with V Corps . After getting intelligence at 8 am that Hungarian forces had been seen from the road to Udvarhely , the commander of V Corps ordered his chief of staff ( General Skariatin ) to prepare to fight the column of General Essaułov . Skariatin moved his column to the ford across the Segesvár – Fehéregyháza road . He placed 6 cannon , defended by an infantry battalion , on the right side of road . Two more cannon were positioned on the road along with the second battalion . A third battalion established position to the right of the road at the edge of a forest covering Mount Waldenberg . Parts of the fifth battalion were stationed on the peak of that mountain . A left wing , slightly behind the center , was composed of cavalry , cossacks , and a few cannons . Lüders kept 2 infantry battalions and some artillery in reserve . After observing the Hungarians establish their positions , Lüders was certain that the main attack would come from Marosvásárhely . Battle . After 10 a . m . Bem began strong artillery fire on the main group of the Russian army and began to advance his left wing . During the fighting , a bullet mortally wounded Skariatin . Command passed to General Iwin . The fighting was fierce for about three hours . At about 2 p . m . , Russian resistance on the right wing began to weaken . Iwin sent two companies of the first battalion to reinforce their position . The commander of V Corps ordered the reserve artillery and cavalry to attack the Hungarian right wing , on the other side of the field . Lüders , after getting information that Hungarian reinforcements from Marosvásárhely had not appeared , sent formations to secure that road . After the arrival of the artillery battery and some cavalry units , General Iwin ' s cavalry begin to encircle the Hungarian right wing . After breaking the Hussar s , the Russian cavalry moved around the rear of the Hungarians . The Hungarians begin to retreat to Fehéregyháza as their front collapsed , with the Russians in pursuit . Meanwhile , the column of Colonel Dobanay was defeated by General Clam - Gallas ' s troops . Casualties . The Hungarian army took lost about 1 , 200 men dead , 500 captured , and 8 cannon . Losses to the Russians are not known . Sándor Petőfi , the Hungarian revolutionary and poet , disappeared in the battle , and is supposed to have died in it . Aftermath . Hungarian forces withdrew to Marosvásárhely ( now Târgu Mureş ) where they joined the " Kolozsvár " division , after which they continued to Nagyszeben ( now Sibiu ) . There , Bem won his last victory against Russian General Hasford ' s group .