The Sun. — 1863-02-25 (London, England)

TIE INSURRECTION IN POLAND.  A letter from Cracow of the 19th inst. gives an eccount of the attack on the town of Alkchow by the insurgents, and their defeat. The Russian garrison of Miechow consisted of 800 men, and the in-' surgent chief Kurowski determined to attack them with his corps, consisting of 1,500 riflemen, cavalry, and pikemen. Tne attack was made without any order from the superior revolutionary authority, and theiefere Kurowski alone is responsible for the consequences. He attacked the town on three different points. The first column, composed of cavalry, preceded by riflemen, advanced and entered, notwithstanding a murderous fire from the Russians, who were barricaded in the houses. The insurgents arrived at the great square without being ab.e to answer the Russian fire except with their revolvers. In the meantime another column, composed of riflemen and pikcmen, attacked a chinch occupied by the Russians. The church and churchyard were taken by assault, but the affair cost the Poles a number of men. They nevertheless continued their course through the streets, exposed to a volley of musketry, and they likewise arrived at the great square, cheering and declaring to their chief that they had rather die than abandon the ground they had conquered. They next attacked, but ineffectually, another church and a convent in which the Russians had barricaded themselves. At eight o'clock in the morning Kurowski gave the signal to retreat, just at the moment when the column composed of cavalry and pikemen arrived, This handful of men commenced a fresh attack on the Russians, but after having lost some men they were likewiss forced to retreat. The insurgents lost in this sffair about 100 killed and wow ded, and several of thelatter finding that their comrades had retreated, committed suicide. The Russian loss was rather less—it is calculated at 80 killed and wounded. During the struggle some houses caught fire, but no great injury had been done up to the time of the insurgents' retreat. The Russians, however, would not suffer the inhabitants to extinguish the fire, and the town continued to burn during the whole of the 17th and 18th. Neither would the Russian commander suffer the inhabitants to bury the dead for three days. When the insurgents retreated the Russians pillaged the town and then murdered several of the inhabitants in their houses, and among them the mayor, beloved and respected by everybody, a Russian functionary, and the public accountant. After the battle of Aliea chow a number of the insurgents principally Gall cians, crossed the Austrian frontier and arrived at Cracow. Those who had retained their arms were disarmed by the Austrian autlorities. A great number of wounded arrived on the 18th and 19th at Cracow, and were placed in the public hospitals. The unfortunate Polish conscripts have been despatched by railway from Warsaw to the interior of Russia.  The Presse has the subjoined summary of affairs in Poland:—  " On comparing the intelligence received from different sources, it is easy to form a distinct idea of the situation and to estinaato the extent of the insurrectional movement, The Poles are divided into numerous bands, each of which has its centre of operations. The government of Radom is enclosed between two insurrectional bodies, commanded by Kurowski. 'I he first of them occupies the south-eastern district ; the south is guarded by flying detachments, which connect the east with the west, and keep open communica• tions with the second corps, strongly posted in the west, and protected by extensive forests. Here appeared the fist detachments of the corps under Langiewicz, encamped on the frontier of the department, watching the isolated movements of the Russians and preventing their concentration. In this government the Russian troops occupy the towns of Miechow, Kielce, Kaut kie, Czenstochawa, Radom, and Sandorair. The centre of Kurowski's corps is at Donabrows. Statements, which we consider exaggerated, represent this corps to be 6,000 strong. Its lines extend to Olkusz and Ojow, and threaten the railway from Cracow to Warsaw. As for Langiewicz, he threatens the high road from Cracow to Warsaw, via Radom. In the government of Lublin, the high road from Lublin to Lemberg is threatened by the corps of Frankowski, some of whose detachments are in communication with other bands extending into Volhyrda. Lastly, in Vollaynia itself there is a band under the command of Neczaj, a Cossack by birth. To this gtneral sketch we may add that Lithuania and the government of Augustow ale overrun with bands whose number and movementsare altogether unknown. Forests, lakes, rivers, marshes, render repression impossible. These bards extend to the very gates of Warsaw in the forests lying between Siesnewice and Psolimon. Some German journals speak of numerous desertions from the Russian army in Lithuania."