MEMOIRES HUNGARIAN LADY. BY THERESA PULSZKY. A HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION, By FBANCIS PULSZKY. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. II. LONDON: HENRY COLBURN, PUBLISHER, GREAT MABLBOROUGH STREET. 1850. LONDON: Printed by Schulze and Ca, 13, Poland Street. CONTENTS TO THS SECOND VOLUME. CHAPTER I. PAGE PATRIOTIC AND CONSTTTUTIONAL CHARACTER OF COUNT LOVIS BATTHYÁNYI..........................................................................................1 CHAPTER II. THE BATTLE OF 8CHWECHAT.......................................................................23 CHAPTER III. THE SERB8 AND WALLACHS...........................................................................50 CHAPTER IV. ADVANCE OF WINDISCHgrätz....................................................................... 87 CHAPTER V. FLIOHT TO THE MOUNTAINS...........................................................................117 CHAPTER VI. WAR-SCENES OF THE WINTER CAMPAIGN.............................................. 141 CHAPTER VIL THE EPOCH OF THE HUNGARIAN V1CTORIES ..................................... 174 CHAPTER VIII. FROM PEST TO DEBRECZEN ..................................................................... 202 CHAPTER IX. ESCAPE..................................................................................................................231 CHAPTER X. THE CATASTROPHE.......................................................................................... 251 APPENDIX. PAGE I. — ROYAL SANCTION TO THE LAWS PASSED BY THE DIET OF 1847-48, GIVEN APRIL 11, 1848, IN PRESENCE OF THE ARCHDÜKBS FRANC IS CHARLES, FRANCIS JOSEPH, AND STEPHEN, AND OF THE MAGNATES AND REPRESENTATIVES OF HUNGARY AND ITS DEPENDENCIES.................................................................285 II. — IMPERIAL MANIFESTO ANNOUNCING TO THE CROA- TIANS AND SCLAVONIANS THAT THE BAN, BÁRON JOSEPH JELLACHICH, IS SUSPEND1D FROM ALL HIS DIGNITIES AND OFFICES ....................................................................286 III. — ROYAL SPEECH READ BY ARCHDUKE STEPHEN, PALATINE AND ROTÁL LIEÜTENANT OF HDNGART, IN THE NAME OF THE EMPEROR FERDINÁND, KING OF HUNGARY, AT THE OPENING OF THE HUNGARIAN DIET, JULT 8, 1848.........................................................................295 IV. — MANIFESTO APPOINTING BÁRON JOSEPH JELLA- CHICH ROYAL LIEUTENANT AND CIVIL AND MILITARY COMMISSARY OF HUNGARY............................................................299 V . — DECLARATION RELATÍVE TO THE SEPARATION OF HUNGARY FROM AUSTRIA.............................................................. 302 VI. — EXPOSE OF THE AUSTRO-RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN IN HUNGARY..................................................................................... 325 VII. — DETAILS OF THE HUNGARIAN EMIGRATION AT WIDDIN, BY AN ETE-WITNESS......................................................... 328 VIII. — SENTENCE BY THE AUSTRIAN COURT-MARTIAL ON COUNT LOUIS BATTHTANY............................................................ 358 IX. — THE PRAGMATIC SANCTION .......................................................360 X. — LETTER OF GENERAL KLAPKA TO BÁRON HAYNAU, CIVIL AND MILITARY GOVERNOR OF HUNGARY.............................. 367 MEMOIRS OF A HUNGARIAN LADY. CHAPTER I. PATRIOTIC AND CONSTITUTIONAl. CHARACTER OF COUNT LOUIS BATTHYÁNYI. AT that period, the actions of Count Louis Batthyányi were severely censured by the ertreme parties of both Hungary and Vienna. The men of the most decided stamp in Pest reproached him, not only on the ground that he was ready to countersign the appointment of Count Lamberg, but likewise, that in his anxiety to avoid conflict, previous to Lamberg´s arrival, he had granted, on the 27th of September, an armistice of twenty-four hours to Jellachich, who might otherwise, in that early stage of events, have been utterly beaten. Further, they thought it a grave fault, that after the murder of Lamberg, the Prime Minister left 2 the government at the most critical moment. For this, they called him unfaithful to his fatherland. Several months later, in January 1849, Prince Windischgrätz detained Count Batthyányi, when sent by the diet to come to a parley with the Austrian commander. The Count was accused of high-treason; was finally sentenced by court-martial, and shot the 6th of October, at Pest, on the wood- market. His enemies have attempted to tarnish even his memory by calumnies. But in both respects, Count Batthyányi is spot- less: true to his fatherland, faithful to the law, he lived and died a patriot. The following documents, little known to the public at large, will suffice to decide the opinion of every impartial judge. When Batthyányi heard in November that, by the extreme party in Pest, he was accused of having forsaken the cause of the fatherland, he wrote the following letter to Kossuth: — "Dear Friend — For six months full of diffi- culties, I have been worn out by the cares of public concerns. The first feeling, after I withdrew from the government, yielding to the power of circum- stances, is bitterness. What can be more bitter to a true patriot, than to be accused of duplicity against the fatherland, when it is encircled by intrigues and endangered by manifold treason? "If any body disapproves my politics, it does 3 not afflict me in the least. But nobody shall accusc me of having misused my influence to endanger the independence of my country. "My whole past life — an open book since the first beginning of my public career — should prove suf- ficient against every suspicion. But as my last stay at Vienna occasioned suspicions, I will simply state its causes. "You, dear friend, know well, that I went to the camp with the consent of the Committee of Defence, and of several deputies then assembled at my houee. 1 wanted to speak with Lamberg, and persuade him, if possible, not to forsake the legal path. As, however, he was not in our camp, and as I presumed him to be in the eamp of Jellachich, I sent Major Bubna to the enemy, with the knowledge of General Moga, ordering him to invite General Lamberg, in my name, to an immediate interview; but if Lam- berg should not be in the enemys camp, then my presence among our army was not to be mentioned at all. Bubna did not find Lamberg ín the camp of Jellachich, but trusting that the Count would soon arrive, the Major, without my order or know- ledge, made an armistice. I only mention this circumstance, because the negociation of this armi- stice was attributed to me, in order to raise suspi- cions against me. "Meanwhile, the deputies sent by the Diet to the 4 camp, arrived with the resolution; which was not only founded on distrust of me, but likewise migbt possibly have the most prejudicial influence on the army.* "I explained this to the deputies, and advised them, before they took any further steps, to consult on the matter with the corps of officers. They did só. The officers corroborated my opinion, that it would not be safe to communicate to the soldiers the resolution of the Diet. With this the deputies complied, after the officers had declared, that in case of any attack from Jellachich, notwithstanding the Royal manifesto, by which the continuation of the contest was interdicted, they would not lay down their arms until all hostile troops should have left the Hungarian soil. I was then anxious to return to Pest. But on the road I learnt by a courier the murder of Count Lamberg. Simulta- neously the messenger delivered to me three auto- graph letters from bis Majesty, directed to myself.† In these letters I was directed to countersign the appointment of Lamberg as unlimited Royal Com- * This was the resolution of the Diet on the 27th of Sep- tember, declaring the uncountersigned nomination of Count Lamberg illegal, and himself a traitor if he should make use of it, and traitors all those who should obey it. † The above-mentioned documents had, after the murder of Lamberg, all been found upon him, 5 missary; further, the appointment of George Mai- lath as Stadtholder of Hungary, and likewise the order authorizing the dissolution of the Diet. I speedily hastened back to speak personally with Jellachich, and convince him of Lamberg's appoint- ment; (since he had always declared the Royal manifesto [to that effect] false and counterfeit,) and to persuade him to leave the country with bis troops. As in this I did not succeed, I proceeded directly to Vienna, actuated by two motives. "First, I wished to express my judgment concern- ing the unlawfulness of the autograph letters I had received; and, secondly, I was anxious to make matters up in respect to the sad end of Lamberg, lest arbitary will and bad intention should snatch at this deed as a pretext for a coup-d'état. I likewise went to Vienna, because I thought that there the crisis of our affairs would take place; and I wanted to arrest at its very source the danger which might threaten my fatherland. "I therefore spoke to Wessenberg, (to whom I had always been directed,) and told him that our laws did not recognize any Lieutenant, and that according to the law, the Diet could only be pro- rogued or dissolved after the discussion on the budget was ended. In regard to Lamberg, I told him, that since a criminal inquisition concerning 6 this sad event had been ordered, it could not be turned into a pretext for a coup-d'état; so much the less, as the Diet had expressed its condemnation of the deed. At the same time I pointed out to Wessenberg, how they themselves in Vienna had indirectly occasioned the murder of Lamberg, by their disregard and avoidance of the lawful forms. To prevent