Orloff is by poison and strangling-the second having taken an effective part in destroying the Emperor Paul, father of Nicholas. The present Count supposed to possess the talent of his race. after his arrival, Diebitch died suddenly, as first stated, of cholera, and as afterwards of apoplexy. The Russians again, said he had poisoned himself, and a Pultusk apothecary was arrested, on suspicion of having furnished him with the means. Finally a certificate signed by four Russian physicians, once more attributed his death to cholera. History may be allowed to doubt such evidence, and to record facts in the order of their occurrence. Shortly before this event, Field Marshal Count Paszkiewicz arrived in St. Petersburgh from Caucasus,-a circumstance which was thought to indicate some intention on the part of the emperor to supersede Diebitch; which intention was perhaps confirmed by his own letter, requesting leave to resign. But as an abrupt dismissal would have been considered tantamount to an acknowledgment of defeat, and was not therefore to be thought of in the Russian cabinet, it was natural to recur to the policy which had already been found convenient towards many members even of the Romanoff line. The command now given to Paszkiewicz was held, ad interim, by General Toll; and his provisional appointment binding him, by the regulations, to act exclusively on the defensive, was a circumstance favourable to Chrzanowski's meditated expedition. The army thinned by the late struggle, was besides obliged to wait both for reinforcements and stores. To solicit these, Count Orloff hastened to Berlin, with a letter from the empress to the king her father, who, it was not doubted, from his general habit of yielding to momentary impulse, would be easily moved to comply with his son-in-law's request. On the 14th of June, the Poles commenced their operations. General Skarzynski, with two divisions, was sent towards Serock to observe the enemy on the Narew, Skrzynecki at the same time advancing a day's march on the chaussée of Siedlce to Siennica, where he stationed himself with a part of the forces to protect the capital, whilst General Jankowski with the rest went in quest of Rudiger. Entering Kock on the 18th, Jankowski heard with satisfaction, that the Russian general had crossed the Wieprz at Lysobyki, and had destroyed the bridge with a view to ensure the capture of General Ramorino, who had just passed the Vistula at the head of Sierawski's corps. Thus taken unawares, when he believed he had to deal only with Ramorino, Rudiger found himself in considerable perplexity. But Jankowski, in his over anxiety lest any part of the enemy's force should escape, dispersed his men over too long a line, sending General Turno, with four battalions and seven squadrons, to reconnoitre the Russians at Lysobyki. In the morning of the 19th, he fell in with their vanguard, which was quickly joined by Rudiger with his whole force. Turno stood his ground during several hours, when, according to an order sent him, he fell back upon the main body. On the following morning, Jankowski determined to attempt repairing his blunder of the day before, and was in the act of commanding the attack, when he received a communication from Skrzynecki, who believed he had already beaten Rudiger, informing him that the great Russian army had crossed the Narew, and enjoining him to give over all pursuit, and march towards Warsaw. As the order originated in a mistake, Jankowski ought to have persevered in his plan; but perplexed, and unable to comprehend the case, he summoned a council, and proposed the question, whether to withdraw at once, or, first of all, to fight Rudiger. All, excepting General Milberg, gave their advice in writing for an immediate retreat. Thus, by an accidental misunderstanding, did the Poles lose the chance of an important victory, for not a Russian had in fact crossed the river. When General Toll assumed the provisional command, he reviewed each division in turn; and at Serock, accompanied by a numerous escort, examined the works on the banks of the Narew, the plan of which had been made under Napoleon's direction. Peter Wysocki, stationed with a battalion on the opposite side, gave notice to General Skarzynski, that they were about to pass, and the latter, calculating that the messenger could not have required less than two hours to bring him the intelligence, sent on at once to Skrzynecki, A A 354 CHRZANOWSKI'S MARCH FROM ZAMOSC. that the enemy passed the Narew, instead of going in person to ascertain the fact. Thus misinformed, Skrzynecki was so fearful of being cut off from Warsaw, that, instead of returning from Siennica by the chaussée, he chose a much longer march, by crossing the Vistula at Potycza. The retreat of Jankowski's corps placed that of Chrzanowski in extreme danger. Conformably to his plan, he left Zamosc, and reached Lublin on the 22nd, where, instead of encountering Rudiger, as he had hoped, in his flight, he found himself confronted by a victorious body of 16,000 men, and pursued by Kayzaroff with 6000 more. Yet so rapid and masterly were his manœuvres, that, although hampered by the twenty-seven heavy guns brought from Zamosc for the defence of Warsaw, he contrived to cross to the left bank of the Vistula, losing only one man, while the Russian cavalry at Lublin lost at least 100. The disappointment in the capital, and throughout the nation, at this failure, was extreme, and soon a universal cry of treachery was raised against Jankowski. The military council, however, summoned by him, saved him from a court martial; and, to the charge of weakness, Skrzynecki had not dared to add that of treason, until, on the evening of the 28th of June, a special communication from a distinguished Galician converted suspicion into certainty. It stated, that General Hurtig, ci-devant commander of Zamosc, under the Grand Duke Constantine, had kept up a secret correspondence with the Russians, and that amongst his papers would be found proofs of a conspiracy conducted by Jankowski and others for arming the Russian prisoners against the capital. On the following day, warrants were issued for their apprehension, and as it was Sunday, and the monthly celebration of the 29th of November, a crowd soon gathered in the streets, and, at the sight of General Hurtig, formerly the merciless gaoler of the state prisons, their indignation broke forth. His uniform was pulled to pieces, and his hair torn from his head; and it was with much difficulty that a strong escort of the national guard could at length convey him to the Royal Castle, where he was joined by Jankowski and four others. Nor did the peril cease there. The crowd were vociferating death to the traitors, when Prince Czartoryski appeared, and his carriage was stopped by thousands, demanding justice. To restrain them, he pointed out the disgrace that would be cast by any violence upon their sacred cause. This appeal was not in vain, although some still asked for summary punishment; but the prince again assuring that the prisoners would be punished if their guilt were proved, the populace was satisfied, and would willingly have drawn his carriage in token of gratitude. A want of money, the sinew of war, was now beginning to be felt. One hundred millions of florins had been expended, in addition to the liberal contributions forwarded to the capital from all parts of ancient Poland, and especially from Galicia. The |