Memoirs of the War of Independence in Hungary. Volume 1
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This is a reproduction of a library book that was digitized by Google as part of an ongoing effort to preserve the information in books and make it universally accessible. https://books.google.com MemoirsofthewarindependenceinHungary GyörgyKlapka Now ready, in one volume %iro.9 price 12*,, SAND AND CANVASS: A Narrative of ADVENTURES IN EGYPT, HE ARTISTS IN ROME, &c. lirations. By SAMUEL BEVAN, " The random high fpirit of this book gives fait to the ' fand ' and colour to the ' canvafs.' " — Athenaum. " The truth is never difguifed, but things are mentioned with an air of fincerity that is pofitively irrefiftible — we never recollect to have opened a book which poffeffed this charm in anything approaching to the fame degree.'' — Morning Poji. " Mr. Bevan has a rough, hearty and withal flirewd power of feizing and illuftrating individual peculiarities, and his defcriptions of his travelling parties acrofs the Ifthmus, his cooking contrivances and modes of 'roughing' it, his adventures with the mails and paffengers, and his Chriftmas-day dinner of goofe and champagne poffefs undeni able merit." — Examiner, " This is a charmingly goffippy book, containing lketches made in a plealing ftyle, and with confiderable and happy defcriptive powers.'' — Morning Advertifer. London : CHARLES GILPIN, 5, BISHOPSGATE STREET WITHOUT. Now Ready, Seventh Thoufand, with a Portrait, foolfcap Sim., cloth, Price 51. THE PASTOR'S WIFE. A MEMOIR OF MRS. SHERMAN, Of Surrey Chapel. \ Vol. 2, Which is expected to be ready on or about the 6th proximo, will contain a PORTRAIT OF GENERAL KLAPKA, A CONTINUATION OF THE MEMOIRS OF THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE IN HUNGARY, WITH Copies of valuable and important Government and other Documents connected with the recent events in the Austrian Empire. fuaded he will be repaid by the benefit it will confer upon the mem bers of the Church of Christ." — IVefuyan Times, January 23rd, 1849. 11 This volume deferves a large circulation^ and we feel it a pleafure to commend its perufal to the various claffes of our readers, efpecially to thofe whofe fex may enable them to tread in Mrs. Sherman's Reps."— Nonconform//} , January 24th, 1849. London : CHARLES GILPIN, 5, BISHOPSGATE STREET WITHOUT. MEMOIRS OF THE WAR OE INDEPENDENCE IN HUNGARY. LONDON : REED AND PARDON, PRINTERS, PATERNOSTER ROW. y, }j/rr. ,1 Li )'..">*. ., MEMOIRS OF THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE IN HUNGARY. BY GENERAL KLAPKA, LATE SECRETARY-AT-WAR TO THE HUNGARIAN COMMONWEALTH, AND COMMANDANT OF THE FORTRESS OF KOMORN. VOL. I. LONDON : CHARLES GILPIN, 5, BISHOPSGATE WITHOUT. EDINBURGH : ADAM AND CHARLES BLACK. DUBLIN : J. B. GILPIN. 1850. CONTENTS. Historical Introduction •CHAPTER I. APRIL. Introduction CHAPTER H. MAY. Pesth — Aulich — General Henzi — Debrezin — The Parliament — Kossuth's Government — The Russian Intervention — Plan for the Defence of the Country — The Military Resources of the Nation — A Cabinet Council — Siege and Fall of Buda — The Wallachians in Transylvania — General Klapka returns to the Army — He takes the Command of the Fortress of Komorn, and of the Troops on the Right Bank of the Danube VI CONTENTS. CHAPTER HI. Arrival at Raab — The Seventh Corps — Positions and Strength of the Austrians on the Upper Danube — Positions and Strength of the Hungarians — The Palatinal Hussars — Battle at Tshorna — Reconnoitres in the Shiitt, and on the Waag — Battle of Zsigard — Letter to Gorgey — A two days' Battle on the Waag 60 CHAPTER IV. Battle of Aszod — Fresh Delays, and Neglect of the Central Chancellery — Translocation of the Imperialists from the Waag to the Right Bank of the Danube — Advance of the Austrians against Raab — Retreat of the Seventh Corps to Komorn — Battle of Jhaza — Kmetty's Retreat to the Lower Danube 96 CHAPTER V. JULY. Conference with Kossuth at Pesth — Battle at Atsh on the 2nd July — Gorgey is wounded — He is recalled — Mesza- ros is appointed to the Command — He cannot join the Army — The Spirit which prevailed among the Troops — A Council of War — Klapka again attempts to mediate between the Government and Gorgey— Another Con ference with Kossuth — Gorgey remains with the Army . 127 CONTENTS. VU CHAPTER VI. JULY. PAGE Gbrgey insists on breaking through on the Right Bank of the Danube — Battle at Komorn on the 1 1th July — An un successful Attack — The Army withdraws from Komorn on the Right Bank — Retreat of the groa of the Aus trian Army — Sally on the 28th — Austrian Proclama tions — Sally against Ogyalla and Bajes on the 30th — Retreat of the Austrians to the Waag, on the Left Bank of the Danube 158 HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. The first germs of the late Hungarian War of Liberation were sown as early as three hundred years ago. When, in 1526, the Hungarians insti tuted Ferdinand I. of Hapsburgwith the crown and the cloak of St. Stephen, they created the neces sity of a violent rupture of so unnatural a con nexion. The elements thus joined together, were too heterogeneous to admit of a lasting union. On the one hand stood a people which, by some strange freak of historic fate, had brought a free constitution from Asia, the home of despotism, and which, ever since it settled in Europe, had become so closely wedded to the principles of civil liberty and tolerance, that their loss would have entailed the loss of national, and indeed of all existence. On the other hand, we see a family of princes, who, since they took their place vol. i. b X HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. among the sovereigns of Europe, felt so strong and cordial an antipathy to civil rights and reli gious liberty, that they came to be the voluntary and persevering champions of absolutism and intolerance, and who attacked and intrigued against the hereditary and old-established rights of the peoples under their sway. For it ought not to be forgotten, that when Rudolf of Hapsburg, after defeating Przemisl Ottokar, on the March- field (1278),* took possession of the heritage of that unfortunate prince, he found the countries under his command in the enjoyment of re presentative and municipal institutions. These institutions were their birthright, of which they were robbed by the Hapsburg family. Even in our times, the generous burst of popular feeling, in the year 1848, was of no avail to the inhabitants of Austria Proper ; and nothing is left to them of all the rights which they believed they possessed, but the wretched fabric of provincial Diets, with their boisterous loyalty, and their ready assent to all the impositions of their Imperial Master. The nations of the Austrian provinces, when once fairly under the yoke of the Hapsburgs, had , * That battle was gained chiefly by the assistance of the Hungarians. HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. xi their patent of privileges torn and thrown at their feet ; their rights were abolished by Imperial decrees; in other instances, insurrections were fomented and used as a means of oppression. No matter whether factious or loyal, the same fate awaited all. Austria, Styria, Carinthia, Krain, Silesia, and the Tyrol, were in turn the tools and the victims of an uncompromising despotism. The history of Bohemia and the Netherlands furnishes the most striking example of that op pression, its successes and its failures, from the battle on the White Mountain (1620), down to our time. Bohemia has most readily subjected itself to the Austrian yoke ; it has never at any time made an attempt to re-conquer its liberty : her sons are fit tools of oppression. The Netherlands broke the yoke of the Spanish and Austrian Hapsburg. Their example was fol lowed by the American colonies, which were depopulated by the Hapsburg Inquisition, and which still look back with disgust and fear upon their brutal attempts at conversion. Even Spain, though afflicted with the Bourbons, has reason to rejoice in the change ; for even the simoom of the African desert cannot boast of such destruc tive powers as belonged to the shadow of the sceptre of the house of Hapsburg. b 2 Xii HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. The liberty of Hungary alone held out for more than three hundred and twenty years ; and this period was one uninterrupted contest between tyranny and a spirit of independence — between low cunning and noble firmness — between hypo crisy and honesty. To enable my readers to judge of the points at issue between Hungary and Austria, I mean to go back to some of the leading features of our national history. Warlike courage and unbounded love of liberty stand most prominently forward amongst them. The Magyars had scarcely made their first ap pearance in Europe, when their predatory expe ditions filled the neighbouring nations with fear and astonishment. A strange race, unconnected in language and traditions with the other nations — a people of horsemen, numbering three hundred thousand soldiers — they pass through the most extraordinary adventures, and perform incredible feats of arms. In 894, we see their Duke Arpad assisting the Emperor Arnulf against Swatopluk, Prince of Great Moravia ; he conquered the Wallachians of the Prince Gelon, in Transyl vania ; he routed the Petshenegi ; and imme diately afterwards, in 895, he defeated the Bul garians, under their prince, Menumorut, and the HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. Xlii Sclavonians, under their prince, Glad. After Prince Swatopluk's death, the Hungarians conquered part of the grand Moravian empire, and com menced a series of fabulous expeditions into Germany, France, and Italy. They conquered Austria, up to the city of Molk; they ravaged Bavaria; they fought battles at Augsburg (910), and on the banks of the Ems ; they defeated the German emperor, Henry I. ; they conquered Pan- nonia, from the right bank of the Danube to the Moare ; they invaded Italy ; they fought a battle on the Brenta, and twenty thousand Italians re mained on the field.