Class 
 
 JS&\3&- 
 
 Book ,o5 
 
 U50 
 
SCENES 
 
 OF THE 
 
 "JL 
 7<m i 
 
 CIVIL WAR IN HUNGARY, 
 
SCENES 
 
 OF THE 
 
 CIVIL WAR IN"hUNGABY : 
 
 IN 1848 AND 1849; 
 
 WITH 
 
 THE PERSONAL ADVENTURES 
 
 OF 
 
 AN AUSTRIAN OFFICER 
 
 IN 
 
 THE XKM OF THE BAN OF CROATIA. 
 Ef)tr*r edition. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 WILLIAM SHOBERL, PUBLISHER, 
 
 20, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 
 
 [entered at stationers' hall.] 
 
 1850. 
 
-pi 
 
 
 F. Shoberl, Jun., Printer to H.R.H. Prince Albert, Rupert St., Haymarket. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 BY THE TRANSLATOR. 
 
 The late Civil War in Hungary will 
 assuredly form a prominent subject in the 
 history of the world for the last two years. 
 
 Whether it originated in a spark commu- 
 nicated by the revolutionary explosion in 
 France; whether it arose from discontent 
 excited by ambitious demagogues in the 
 inflammable minds of a portion of the 
 population of Hungary ; or whether the 
 inhabitants of that country had any real 
 grievances, any oppressive acts of their 
 government, to complain of, appears to me 
 to be a question which yet remains to be 
 
VI PREFACE. 
 
 solved. So much, however, is certain, that 
 this insurrection furnishes additional evi- 
 dence, if any were needed, of the invariably 
 sanguinary spirit of mob-rule, as manifested 
 in the great prototype of succeeding revolu- 
 tions — the first French Kevolution ; in the 
 rising of the Spaniards against a foreign 
 usurper: and in recent events at Frankfurt 
 and Vienna. 
 
 The people of Hungary are composed of 
 descendants from a greater number of races 
 than any other nation of Europe, and each 
 of these races keeps itself remarkably dis- 
 tinct. Of these, the descendants of the 
 Magyar and of the Slavonian, or Slowack, 
 races are by far the most numerous. The 
 latter occupy almost exclusively the moun- 
 tainous tracts; the former the extensive 
 plains, which are more favourable to their 
 peculiar pursuits — agriculture and the 
 breeding of cattle, particularly of horses. 
 
 According to the earliest accounts, the 
 
PREFACE. Vll 
 
 Magyars were settled, for several centuries 
 after the Christian era, in the countries to 
 the northward of the Caspian Sea. Some 
 authors derive their origin from the Par- 
 tisans ; but, according to Fessler, the histo- 
 rian of Hungary, they belong to the great 
 Turkish clan. 
 
 About the end of the seventh century, 
 they removed into Europe, and took posses- 
 sion of the countries between the Dnieper 
 and the Don, where they remained for two 
 hundred years ; till, thrust out by the migra- 
 tion of another Asiatic horde, they pushed 
 on into Dacia and Pannonia ; and there 
 founded, in the latter half of the ninth cen- 
 tury, a kingdom since called Hungary. To 
 this tribe the late outbreak — let us call it 
 at once by its proper name, rebellion — 
 seems to have been exclusively confined. 
 
 Of the general character and sentiments 
 of the Magyars, the Letters contained in 
 the following sheets present abundant illus- 
 
Vlll PREFACE. 
 
 trations; and the enthusiastic patriotism of 
 them all, from the highest to the lowest, 
 would be entitled to warm admiration, had 
 it been exerted in a better cause. This 
 feeling, indeed, had the effect of thinning 
 considerably the ranks of the Austrian 
 army, and of proportionably strengthening 
 those of the insurgent force with its best 
 troops. 
 
 It would appear that the insurgents them- 
 selves knew not for what object they were 
 hazarding their lives, and making large 
 sacrifices of property in voluntary contribu- 
 tions. We find in these Letters that, on 
 one occasion, when the Writer reproached 
 some of the soldiers who had formerly been 
 under his command with having deserted 
 their sovereign, they replied that they still 
 acknowledged the Emperor Ferdinand to 
 be their King, and had no desire to change 
 him ; but that they could not tamely suffer 
 the Austrian Generals to come into Hun- 
 
PREFACE. IX 
 
 gary, and to divide the land among whom- 
 soever they pleased. Kossuth, they argued, 
 said that this was the case ; and whatever 
 Kossuth said was true. 
 
 If it was upon representations so utterly 
 groundless that a large portion of the Hun- 
 garian population could be induced to rise 
 in arms against the legitimate government, 
 it must be admitted that much sympathy 
 has been thrown away in this country upon 
 an unworthy cause. 
 
 There is, however, in Hungary an object 
 that prefers irresistible claims to the inter- 
 position of the British Government and of 
 this generous nation — I allude to the state 
 of our unfortunate fellow-Protestants in that 
 kingdom. The doctrines of the Eeforma- 
 tion, promulgated by the disciples of Huss, 
 who was burned as a heretic by the decree 
 of the Popish council of Constance, in 1415, 
 found such extensive acceptance in Hun- 
 gary, that, on the foundation of the Pro- 
 
 a 5 
 
X PREFACE. 
 
 testant Church there, in 1525, it compre- 
 hended almost all the magnates and two- 
 thirds of the population. 
 
 Deprived successively of their equal po- 
 litical and civil rights, robbed of their 
 churches, and subjected to a series of most 
 oppressive regulations — not for rebellion, 
 not even for imputed discontent — but by 
 means of concessions to the Romish clergy, 
 wrung from the weak consciences of succes- 
 sive priest-ridden sovereigns, by confessors 
 and Jesuits, animated by the spirit of perse- 
 cution inherent in Popery to labour with zeal 
 for the extermination of heresy — the mem- 
 bers of the Protestant Church have by such 
 means been greatly reduced in number and 
 prosperity. 
 
 The English reader will scarcely believe 
 that, even now, in the middle of this nine- 
 teenth century, the institution of Bible So- 
 cieties is forbidden; that the Bible in the 
 Hungarian language is liable to confisca- 
 
PREFACE. XI 
 
 tion ; and that literary intercourse in general 
 with foreign countries is clogged with all 
 sorts of prohibitory obstructions. Here, 
 then, I repeat it, is a subject which claims, 
 with irresistible force, the warmest sym- 
 pathies of this Protestant nation, and the 
 most energetic interposition of the British 
 government. 
 
 If this volume is rendered highly inte- 
 resting by the political and military views 
 which it opens, I must confess that I con- 
 sider it still more valuable for the light 
 which it throws on the manners, customs, 
 and way of thinking of the people of Hun- 
 gary, with which the Writer of these Letters 
 had the best opportunities to make himself 
 acquainted. I am greatly mistaken, how- 
 ever, if readers in general will not regard 
 the claims of the work on these accounts 
 as far surpassed by the intense interest at- 
 tached to the narrative of the Writer's Per- 
 sonal Adventures, which fully verifies the 
 
Xll PREFACE. 
 
 remark that truth is often more romantic 
 than fiction. 
 
 For my own part, I cannot help thinking 
 that it possesses a still superior merit, which 
 ought to make it a manual for all, but for 
 the young in particular, whose pursuits ex- 
 pose them to hardships, perils, and rapid 
 changes of fortune ; inasmuch as it teaches 
 by example, especially to the Soldier and 
 the Sailor, under all the circumstances of 
 their frequently chequered lives, that em- 
 phatic precept, which well deserves to be 
 adopted for their motto, 
 
 nil desperandum! 
 
 These Letters have been published in 
 Germany, without date, and without the 
 name of the Writer, who is everywhere 
 represented in them as a German Officer 
 in the service of the Emperor of Austria, 
 in the army of the Ban of Croatia, and 
 called in one place Baron W. 
 
 Ban, or Banus, a title derived from the 
 
PREFACE. Xlll 
 
 Slavonian word Ban — Lord — is a high 
 official dignitary, possessing powers nearly 
 similar to those that appertain to our Lord- 
 Lieutenant — the military and civil govern- 
 ment of his Province, called Banat. Be- 
 fore the conquest of a great part of Hun- 
 gary by the Ottomans in the sixteenth 
 century, there were several Banats along 
 the Turkish frontier. The only one now 
 existing is that of Croatia, Slavonia, and 
 Dalmatia ; the Ban of which is Baron 
 Jellachich, whose eminent services largely 
 contributed to the quelling of the late in- 
 surrection. 
 
 The German Editor, it will be seen, 
 apologizes for having frequently omitted or 
 given only the initials of the names of 
 persons and places; because these, owing 
 to the Letters being written in pencil, 
 could not be deciphered with any cer- 
 tainty. This deficiency, of course, it has 
 not been in my power to supply. All, 
 
XIV PREFACE. 
 
 therefore, that could be done was to render 
 the Translation in every respect confor- 
 mable to the Original. 
 
 F. Shoberl. x 
 
 Brompton, 
 December 15, 1849. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 LETTER I. 
 
 A glance at the character of the Italians — Siege of Pes- 
 chiera — March through Italy, and behaviour of the Italians 
 — The Writer joins the Army of Baron Jellachich, Ban of 
 Croatia — His person, character, anecdotes . . .1 
 
 LETTER II. 
 
 Military Frontier of Hungary ; its extent and Situation 
 — Frontier troops —The Seressans ; their personal appear- 
 ance, costume — Dress of the other Border Troops ; their 
 character ; military spirit of their Women ; their personal 
 beauty; their costume — Villages of the Borderers — Family 
 Houses — Patriarchal manners — Service required of the 
 Border- Soldier — Guard-posts . . . .1*2 
 
 LETTER III. 
 
 Agram, the capital of Croatia, and residence of the Ban; 
 preparations there for the campaign in Hungary, — The 
 Writer appointed to command the advanced guard of Jella- 
 chich's army — Nature and vicissitudes of that duty — The 
 
XVI CONTENTS. 
 
 Magyar Population almost exclusively confined to the great 
 plains, and the Slavonian race to the mountains of Hungary 
 — Military character of the Magyars — Composition of the 
 Insurgent force — Unexpected meeting — Mansion of Count 
 
 St Cavalry action with the Pesth National Guard 
 
 — Bivouac scenes . . . . . .27 
 
 LETTEK IV. 
 March to Vienna — Sentiments of the Peasantry in Lower 
 Austria — Diversity of feelings awakened by the sight of the 
 Capital — Encampment at Modling — Visit to Count Auers- 
 perg's camp — Efforts of the Insurgents to seduce the Soldiers 
 — Visits of Vienna citizens and coxcombs to Jellachich's 
 Army — External appearance of the Writer and his men — 
 Unskilful defence of Vienna by the Insurgents — Singular 
 interview with an Insurgent leader — Aspect of the Im- 
 perial camp — Bohemian cuirassiers ; Nassau infantry ; the 
 Kress regiment of chevaux-legers; artillery; Border soldiers ; 
 cadets, &c. — Storming of the city — Dexterity displayed in 
 the attack by the Border soldiers — Conduct of the Insur- 
 gents — The capitulation violated by them — Action with the 
 Hungarians near Schwechat — Description of a Scene in 
 that action ....... 46 
 
 LETTEK V. 
 March from Vienna to Pesth — Presburg and Raab aban- 
 doned to the Imperial Army — Devastations and cruelties of 
 the Insurgents — Intense cold and night march — A battle 
 scene — Remarkable incident during the pursuit of the enemy 
 — Tragic scene enacted by the Magyars on New Year's 
 
CONTENTS. XV11 
 
 Day, 1849 — General character and cruelty of the Honvöd 
 troops — Despotic conduct of Kossuth and his retinue — 
 Character of his officers ..... 72 
 
 LETTER VI. 
 
 Capture of a Convoy by the Writer's party — Merry- 
 making in Bivouac — Scene described — Kossuth, after con- 
 structing extensive works near Buda, retreats precipitately 
 without resistance — Entry of the Imperial army into Pesth 
 — Wretched roads in Hungary in spring . . 92 
 
 LETTER VII. 
 Hardships of advanced post service — The Writer's picture 
 of himself — Frequent actions with the Magyars — Sharp com- 
 bat at Gyöngiös — Excellence of the Hungarian cavalry — 
 Quality of the Austrian army — Cruel necessity of having 
 to fight against former friends and comrades exemplified — 
 Remarkable meeting of the Writer with hussars of his old 
 regiment — Brief occasional suspension of hostilities between 
 the advanced posts of the two armies — Extreme animosity 
 of both parties in fight — Diminished importance of cavalry 
 in war ........ 101 
 
 LETTER VIII. 
 Action with a Honvöd corps — A military field hospital 
 — Painful meeting of the Writer with an old friend — 
 
 Affecting death-scene of St Serious affair with 
 
 a body of the enemy's infantry — Singular fate of the 
 
 Countess Helene, sister of Count St A halt, and 
 
 military workshop . . . . . .119 
 
XV111 CONTENTS. 
 
 LETTER IX. 
 
 Action with the Magyars — The Writer, having received 
 two wounds, is left for dead on the field — Survey of the 
 field of battle on recovering his senses — Examination of his 
 wounds — Awful situation in the night — Found by a patrole 
 of his hussars, and conveyed to the watch-fire of the cavalry 
 — Bivouacking on the field of the battle in the morning — 
 Orders to fall back, and painful night-journey — Insen- 
 sibility — Another hospital scene — Extracting of the ball 
 — Another awful night-journey with wounded men — Halt 
 at a solitary Pusta . . . . . .138 
 
 LETTER X. 
 Quarters of the invalid at the Pusta — The landlady, a 
 genuine Magyar, and her family — Their reserve — Extraor- 
 dinary discovery of the portrait of an hussar painted long ago 
 by the Writer — Favourable influence of that portrait on the 
 family of the inn — Orders arrive to fall back by forced 
 marches — The Writer prevails on the landlady to keep him 
 at her house — Mutual promise of secrecy — Preparations for 
 his assuming a new character — Circumstances of the family 
 at the inn — Armed troops of horse-herds — Visit of some 
 of their number to the Writer — Their persons, dress, and 
 accoutrements — Extraordinary whips — Wilma, the land- 
 lady's eldest daughter — Uncle Imne — Gradual convalescence 
 — Peste Hirlap (Pesth newspaper), formerly edited by Kos- 
 suth — Stock of cattle belonging to the family — Mode of 
 forwarding Insurgents' despatches — Provisions sent from 
 the Pusta to the army of the Magyars — With the recovery 
 
CONTENTS. XIX 
 
 of strength, the Writer resolves to leave the Pusta — He 
 buys of the landlady a light cart and a pair of horses — 
 Magyar patriotism . . . . . .162 
 
 LETTER XI. 
 The Writer travels disguised as an Hungarian peasant — 
 Meets with a body of Insurgents — Is forced to accompany 
 a detachment of the Polish Legion, as carrier — Escapes 
 from it — Directs his course for Styria — Reaches Lake 
 Platten — State of his wounds — He falls in with Insur- 
 gents, by whom he is again detained — Appointed super- 
 intendent of the cart-drivers — Incidents while acting in 
 this capacity — Passage through Pesth, where he sees the 
 Countess St Action with the Russians — Despon- 
 dence of the Writer — Another encounter with Russian 
 troops — Precipitate retreat of the Magyars — The Writer, 
 purposely upsetting his cart, contrives to be left behind, and 
 surrenders to the Russians— Their kind reception of him — 
 He joins a convoy, and travels to Moravia, to await there 
 his complete recovery . . . . . .188 
 
SCENES 
 
 OF THE 
 
 CIVIL WAR IN HUNGARY. 
 
 LETTEE I. 
 
 A glance at the Character of the Italians — Siege of Pes- 
 chiera — March through Italy, and behaviour of the Italians 
 — The Writer joins the Army of Baron Jellachich, Ban of 
 Croatia — His person, character, anecdotes. 
 
 When I took leave of you last autumn, in the 
 splendid Hotel de l'Europe at Hamburg, to 
 return to my regiment, little did I anticipate 
 the changeful fortunes that I was so soon to 
 experience. Let me tell you some other time 
 of the scandalous treachery of the Milanese ; 
 and also of the perilous retreat, in a dark night, 
 amidst the insurgent country-people, who fired 
 at us incessantly from safe ambuscades. I 
 have not my diary at hand just now. 
 
 B 
 
2 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 Never while I live shall I forget that Milan- 
 night; but signally have our brave fellows 
 revenged this retreat ; and they are again 
 stationed as conquerors in a city, which fondly 
 feasted itself with the vain notion that never 
 would its walls again encompass an Austrian 
 soldier. Indeed, the Italians must learn to 
 fight in a different fashion, if they expect to 
 cope with our squadrons and battalions: that 
 is not to be accomplished by all their swag- 
 gering phrases and furious execrations, or 
 by the thousand times repeated Morte ai 
 Tedeschi! (Death to the Germans !) with which 
 they loaded us on every occasion. 
 
 The brave and well disciplined Sardinian 
 army alone gave a sanguinary colouring to 
 this Italian campaign; while the Crociati, and 
 all the other volunteer corps, by whatever 
 names they call themselves, were, for the most 
 part, a downright cowardly rabble. About 
 the time passed in Peschiera, whither an un- 
 toward accident carried me, and where I was 
 afterwards detained while my comrades were 
 ranging over the open country, I shall write 
 to you hereafter more circumstantially. 
 
IN HUNGARY. 3 
 
 Those were trying, very trying days, which 
 we were doomed to spend in that old den of 
 stone. At last, our provisions were entirely 
 consumed : we were then obliged to fall foul of 
 dogs, cats, rats, mice, frogs — in short, every- 
 thing that was eatable. The table d'hote at 
 Hamburg was rather better. For table-music 
 we had the whizzing, the dashing, and the 
 bursting of bombs, which often produced no 
 slight disturbance. It was nevertheless a fine 
 sight when the huge bombs, like fiery meteors, 
 came flying towards us amid the darkness of 
 night. But for the confounded bursting, 
 which cost us many a brave fellow, we should 
 have enjoyed the beautiful fireworks, to which 
 we were not rarely treated. Our soldiers be- 
 haved admirably. It was gratifying to observe 
 their calm courage, and the fortitude with 
 which they endured dangers, as well as hunger 
 and the most harassing service, without a mur- 
 mur, or even a complaint. 
 
 While the House of Austria has such sol- 
 diers, it cannot be ruined, let its foes come 
 from what quarter they will. 
 
 Not till we had fired our last cartridge, and 
 
 b 2 
 
4 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 the Piedmontese were unable to reply — which 
 we had hitherto done with all our energy — 
 did we surrender the shattered fortress upon 
 the most honourable terms. We were not to 
 fight against Italy in this campaign ; and were 
 shipped at Ancona for Trieste. Well; the 
 Emperor had still plenty of soldiers to send 
 against the Italians, and we were quite as ser- 
 viceable to him in another quarter. But grief 
 and rage filled our hearts, when we saw our 
 colours hauled down, and those of Piedmont 
 hoisted in their stead ; and, thousands of times 
 as we had cursed Peschiera, still we were 
 deeply grieved to be now obliged to leave it 
 as the vanquished party. 
 
 The Piedmontese — I must say it to their 
 credit — behaved on this occasion with decorum 
 and dignity ; and among their officers I made 
 acquaintance with several highly-accomplished 
 and agreeable men, with whom — notwith- 
 standing the peculiar nature of our respective 
 positions — I passed some very pleasant hours. 
 Under no circumstances whatever would we 
 have given up the fortress to any but regular 
 troops : before we would have opened the gates 
 
IN HUNGARY. 5 
 
 to free corps, we would have blown the place 
 into the air with the last remnant of our pow- 
 der. 
 
 With what appetite we once more sat down 
 to our usual food and to the wine-cup, you 
 may easily conceive. The spectacle, however, 
 that we presented at our departure was any- 
 thing but imposing ; and a parade at Milan 
 before Radetzky exhibited a very different 
 sight. A pair of whole trousers were a rarity ; 
 and instead of shoes many had sandals made 
 out of their useless knapsacks, fastened to the 
 feet with thongs. All looked pale, famished, 
 had long beards and hair, and many were 
 bandaged ; for none of the wounded that could 
 possibly stir would stay behind. But, in spite 
 of all their wants, our men maintained a bold 
 bearing, and looked their enemies in the face 
 daringly and defyingly. Had we, indeed, had 
 a fresh supply of provisions and sufficient am- 
 munition, we should not have cared much to 
 be shut up again in Peschiera, and to undergo 
 another siege. 
 
 As for myself, I had still "a brilliant, nearly 
 new uniform, as I had scarcely ever worn it 
 
6 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 during the siege; but my horse had long since 
 gone the way of all flesh — that is to say, into 
 our stomachs. I was, therefore, a dismounted 
 horseman. 
 
 Of our march through Italy, I have nothing 
 further to say. That the populace, but among 
 whom were many well-dressed men and women, 
 insulted us in every possible way, even pelted 
 us with mud, you, who know something of the 
 Italians, can readily conceive. When did an 
 Italian ever treat a foreigner, from whom he 
 had nothing to fear, but by whom he hoped 
 to make a gain, otherwise than with insult! — 
 The base wretches ! 
 
 One day, however,! could not forbear laugh- 
 ing at a scene of this kind. We were passing 
 through a small Roman town, when an elegant- 
 ly-dressed young man had the impudence to 
 spit in the face of a corporal of the Ottochans, 
 who was marching upon the wing, and still 
 carried his right arm in a sling. Firmly gri- 
 ping the offender with his left hand, he hurled 
 him into the ranks ; where the soldiers made a 
 regular ball of him, kicking and cuffing him 
 from one to another, and finally flinging him 
 
IN HUNGARY. 7 
 
 upon the first dunghill they came to. The 
 populace showed a disposition to make a dis- 
 turbance ; but we assumed so serious an atti- 
 tude, and our border-men cut such hideous 
 faces, and began to screw on their bayonets, 
 that the Sardinian officers who accompanied 
 us themselves reprimanded the rabble; who 
 thereupon ran away. 
 
 As my regiment was stationed in Italy, 
 and, of course, I durst not rejoin it, I solicited 
 and received permission to serve on the fron- 
 tiers under Jellachich. Accordingly, after 
 recruiting myself at Trieste, I travelled by 
 way of Fiume to the military frontier of Cro- 
 atia; where in a village I saw for the first 
 time Jellachich engaged in inspecting troops. 
 I presented myself to him, and was most kindly 
 received. 
 
 The impression which this distinguished offi- 
 cer made upon me at the very first moment 
 was most prepossessing ; and it has since be- 
 come stronger and stronger, the more I have 
 had occasion to observe him in all the situations 
 of life — in battle, and in cheerful society. He 
 is an extraordinary man ; and Austria may 
 
8 • THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 deem herself fortunate in possessing him and 
 Radetzky precisely at the same moment. 
 
 Jellachich is of the middling height and 
 size. His bearing is upright and truly mili- 
 tary ; his gait quick, as indeed are all his mo- 
 tions. His face, of a somewhat brownish tinge, 
 has in it something free, winning, and yet 
 determined, The high forehead, under the 
 smooth black hair, is very striking. The eyes 
 are large, hazel, and full of expression. In 
 general, there is something extremely calm 
 and gentle in their glance; but, when the Ban 
 is excited, they flash, and have so stern — nay, 
 so wild — a look as to curb even the most dar- 
 ing fellows. At the same time he is the mild- 
 est and kindest of officers. When but Cap- 
 tain, he had almost entirely abolished blows 
 in his company ; and, while commanding the 
 second Banat regiment as Colonel, there were 
 not so many punishments in it in a year as 
 there were formerly in a month. 
 
 Here is just one instance of the care which 
 the Ban takes of his men. Last winter, when 
 he was still Colonel, Lieutenant Field-mar- 
 shal D , who commanded on the frontier, 
 
IN HUNGARY. <) 
 
 fixed a certain hour for inspecting the regi- 
 ment. There was a piercing frost, and the 
 soldiers shook with cold ; but the Lieutenant 
 Field-marshal sat enjoying himself over his 
 bottle at the tavern, leaving the regiment ex- 
 posed to the cutting wind on the parade, to be 
 frozen or petrified, for what he cared. 
 
 Jellachich waited nearly an hour beyond 
 the appointed time ; and the General not yet 
 making his appearance, he ordered the regi- 
 ment to disperse quietly. No sooner had it 
 obeyed, than the General appeared upon the 
 ground ; but it was then too late, and the in- 
 spection could not take place. 
 
 This affair is said to have produced a great 
 sensation, and, when reported to Vienna, to 
 have been entered in the black book. But 
 March has expunged this, like many other 
 matters ; and the Ban was in a few weeks 
 promoted from Colonel to Lieutenant Field- 
 marshal. The whole army, some antiquated 
 nobs perhaps excepted, rejoiced at it. But 
 this was nothing to the rejoicing with which, 
 on the appointment of Jellachich to the office 
 of Ban, he was received in Croatia and Sla- 
 
 b5 
 
10 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 vonia, and which is said to have defied de- 
 scription. 
 
 Never was General more beloved by his 
 troops. Wherever he shows himself in a mili- 
 tary village, all — old and young, little boys 
 and aged men, ay, and pretty girls, too — all 
 rush out to see him, to shake hands with 
 him, and to greet him with one Zivio! after 
 another. In battle, after the most fatiguing 
 march ; in bivouac, exposed to pouring rain ; 
 wherever and whenever the border -soldier 
 espies his Ban, he joyously shouts his Zivio! 
 and for the moment, bullets, hunger, weari- 
 ness, and bad weather, are nothing at all to 
 him. 
 
 The scene that I witnessed when the Otto- 
 chans, who had been with me in Peschiera, 
 and who arrived a few days after me in Cro- 
 atia, were reviewed by the Ban, I shall never 
 forget. Old border-soldiers — who had often 
 braved death, and not flinched when the bombs 
 at Peschiera fell in their ranks — wept for joy, 
 when Jellachich praised them for their good 
 behaviour. And yet he told them at once 
 that the repose at their own homes which they 
 
IN HUNGARY. 1 1 
 
 had so richly earned and hoped to enjoy could 
 not yet be granted to them ; that, after a few 
 days' rest, they must start for Hungary, to 
 engage in fresh conflicts. 
 
 The language usually spoken by Jellachich 
 is German ; but he also understands Italian, 
 French, Croatian, and has some knowledge of 
 the Hungarian. His voice is soft and pleasing, 
 but perfectly distinct when giving the word of 
 command. He is unmarried; has not much 
 property ; lives simply and frugally, applying 
 almost all that he can spare to the support of 
 his soldiers. 
 
 I had now an opportunity to make myself 
 intimately acquainted with the Slavonian and 
 Croatian military frontier, and to acquire from 
 personal observation an accurate notion of all 
 the peculiarities of that frontier. 
 
 I shall transcribe for you a few particulars 
 from my diaries. 
 
12 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 LETTER II. 
 
 Military Frontier of Hungary ; its Extent and Situation 
 — Frontier troops — The Seressans ; their personal appear- 
 ance, costume — Dress of the other Border Troops; their 
 character; military spirit of their Women; their personal 
 beauty ; their costume — Villages of the Borderers — Family 
 Houses — Patriarchal manners — Service required of the 
 Border- Soldier — Guard-posts. 
 
 The military frontier, which, as you know, 
 furnishes eighteen regiments of infantry, and 
 one of hussars, the well-known Szekler reei- 
 ment, is composed of men belonging to several 
 tribes, differing considerably in language, man- 
 ners, and bodily conformation. The three 
 Szekler regiments in Transylvania are of Ma- 
 gyar origin, and are now for the most part 
 ranged on the side of the Hungarians. Other 
 regiments — the Wallacho- Illy rian, for instance 
 — comprehend a great number of Wallachians. 
 In the Banat regiments, the Slavonian and 
 Croatian, the Slavonian tribe predominates; 
 
IN HUNGARY. 13 
 
 and about two-thirds of all the border-soldiers 
 speak Slavonian, though, it is true, in widely 
 differing dialects. But in this tract, upwards 
 of 1000 (English) miles in length, from 20 to 
 60 broad, and extending from the Bocca di 
 Cattaoo to the Moldau, there are many more 
 discrepancies. 
 
 In the East is situated the lofty mountain 
 range of Transylvania, the abode of the 
 Szeklers ; then the low marshy grounds of 
 the Danube and the Saave ; and, lastly, to- 
 wards the West, the wild and lofty mountains 
 of Ogulin stretch away to the Adriatic Sea. 
 Here dwell the most uncouth, but the bravest, 
 the hardiest, and at the same time well disci- 
 plined soldiers of the Liccan, Ottochan, and 
 Ogulin border-regiments, all of whom, or at 
 least as many as could possibly be spared, are 
 now in Italy — tall, bony figures, with meagre 
 faces, sharp features, the upper lip covered 
 with a long moustache, not closely twisted up 
 to a point, like that of the Magyars, but hang- 
 ing loosely down. 
 
 The frame of such a borderer seems to be 
 nothing but sinew and muscle ; and with ease 
 
1 4 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 — nay, without appearing to be at all affected 
 by them — he endures hardships and fatigues 
 to which we, seasoned soldiers, are scarcely 
 equal. A piece of oaten bread, a dram of 
 sklikowitz, (plum-brandy) suffice him, on an 
 emergency, for a whole day ; and the Ot- 
 tochan, Ogulin, and Liccan soldier, as well 
 as the men of the regiments of Kreutz and 
 St. George, will march on untired alike in the 
 most scorching heat and the most furious 
 snow-storm, and desires no other couch than 
 what the bare ground, no other roof than 
 what the sky, afford him. 
 
 He possesses the shrewdness to avail him- 
 self of every petty advantage that offers, whe- 
 ther in reconnoitring an enemy's position, or 
 in a hand to hand fight, and is a master in the 
 use of arms. I have myself seen a Seressan, 
 with his stanitza — (a long Turkish gun) for 
 a wager, shoot the bowl off a short pipe, 
 which a comrade, at the distance of eighty 
 paces, had to hold up in one hand above 
 his head. Any Seressan would wager ten 
 to one that he hits a swallow as it flies, at 
 thirty to forty paces ; and, when one of them 
 
IN HUNGARY. ] 5 
 
 misses, he becomes a laughing-stock to his 
 comrades. 
 
 These Seressans are wild fellows, of singular 
 aspect, such as is not to be found elsewhere 
 in Europe. A high cap, of brown or black 
 felt or fur, covers their long shaggy hair. The 
 bearded face is lean, with sharp features, and 
 darkly tanned. The spare, sinewy body is 
 clad in a short brown jacket, with a half- 
 standing collar, bordered with red braiding, 
 and wide, dirty white linen trousers, tied at 
 the ankle. The foot-clothing consists in wide 
 blue and white stockings, drawn up to the 
 thigh, and sandal-shoes fastened with thongs. 
 Round the waist they wear a wide red or yel- 
 low sash, in which are stuck the broad Turkish 
 handjar, usually in a red, richly ornamented 
 sheath, and a long pistol, the but of which 
 is often richly inlaid. A small cartouch- 
 pouch hangs from a black bandelier, adorned 
 with numerous yellow nail-heads, over the 
 shoulder ; on the other, the long Turkish gun, 
 which has a very narrow barrel. These guns 
 are frequently of very beautiful workmanship, 
 enriched with ornaments of gold and silver, 
 
1 6 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 and often of considerable value. In general 
 they are booty taken in some Turkish war or 
 other, and transmitted, as dearly prized heir- 
 looms, from father to son, and hence almost 
 all of them have very ancient locks. 
 
 In like manner as the hussar wears his 
 pelisse, the Seressan has his long cloak, of a 
 particular kind of thick woollen stuff, con- 
 tinually fastened about his neck, even in fine 
 weather, by a double cord : it is lined and 
 turned up with red, and provided behind with 
 a large hood. From these cloaks they have 
 obtained the name of Red-mantles ; and under 
 this designation, or that of Pandours, they 
 acquired in the Seven Years' War, under 
 Trenk's command, a somewhat equivocal repu- 
 tation. In bad weather, the Seressan draws 
 this cloak about him, throws the hood over 
 his head and face, and thus defies the pelting 
 of the most pitiless storm. 
 
 These people serve partly on foot, partly 
 on small, mean-looking, but nimble and never- 
 tiring horses, unequalled in particular for 
 climbing the steepest hills. They constitute 
 the frontier gendarmerie ; live in constant hos- 
 
IN HUNGARY. 17 
 
 tility with the wild predatory bands, which, 
 coming from Bosnia and Dalmatia, frequently 
 take up their abode here ; and this occupation 
 is apt to communicate something savage to 
 themselves. If the Seressan can take the 
 robber by surprise, he shoots him dead upon 
 the spot, with the same sang-froid as we 
 should shoot a hare : likewise the robber 
 murders the Seressan when he falls into his 
 hands ; and often, in the most cruel manner, 
 cutting off, while alive, ears and nose, and then 
 hanging him on a tree. Both parties, who 
 bear the most implacable hatred to each 
 other, never think of taking prisoners : with 
 them taking and hanging are synonymous. 
 
 If the Seressans, as well as the Croatian 
 frontier regiments dwelling here, have not 
 clever officers, who know how to maintain 
 strict discipline, which, with a little energy, is 
 not difficult, licentiousness is apt to creep in 
 among them ; but under good leaders they 
 make the best soldiers in the world, especially 
 for advanced post service. Subsequently, in 
 Hungary, I have been the only officer of thirty 
 or more Seressans, and have never had reason 
 
18 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 to complain of want of obedience. Of course, 
 the Ban, who is as much feared as beloved by 
 them, understands how to keep up admirable 
 discipline. 
 
 The clothing of the other frontier troops is 
 precisely similar to that of the regular Hun- 
 garian regiments, except that, instead of white, 
 they wear a brown uniform coat, with black 
 leather accoutrements. The coats, indeed, 
 now looked excessively shabby ; and scarcely 
 half the troops assembled by the Ban in 
 Croatia and Slavonia, against Hungary, were 
 in proper uniform. The field-battalions of 
 the regiments were almost all in Italy ; it 
 was therefore necessary to call out the re- 
 serves and the third battalion ; and very many 
 of these men, in general no longer in the ser- 
 vice, were out of uniform, and wore their brown 
 cloaks and linen gatjes [trousers]. The officers 
 and subalterns alone appeared in regular uni- 
 form. So torn and tattered were also the 
 coats of some of the Ottochans who had come 
 with me from Peschiera, that the men were 
 obliged to fling them away, and to have re- 
 course to their brown woollen cloaks and 
 
IN HUNGARY. 19 
 
 their working jackets. These brave fellows 
 had been but a few days at home, with their 
 wives and children, before they were obliged 
 to march off again ; and they did so cheer- 
 fully and joyously, amidst hearty Zivios ! for 
 Jellachich. 
 
 What the military frontier, and particu- 
 larly the Croatian and Slavonian part of it, 
 has performed this year, is almost incredible. 
 About 35,000 men were in Italy; 20,000 
 were required for the protection of the fron- 
 tier itself; for the Bosnians, excited by agents 
 of Kossuth's, taking advantage of the critical 
 situation of affairs, attempted incursions ; and 
 yet the Ban, in not quite six weeks, brought 
 together 86,000 men, who certainly were not 
 so completely equipped as to be fit to appear 
 at a review under the Linden (Limes) at 
 Berlin, but, nevertheless, as fit for fighting, 
 and animated by as good a spirit as could be 
 wished. 
 
 What enthusiasm, what zeal for the Em- 
 peror and the independence of Croatia! I 
 have myself seen, in districts of the Ottochan 
 regiment, wives and maidens take up the 
 
20 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 musket, and repair to the chain of posts on 
 the Turkish boundary, that all the men might 
 be able to take the field : and such an eight 
 days' duty at these frontier posts is no trifle, 
 and requires not a little firmness. Old, half- 
 invalided, frontier subalterns, incapacitated 
 for taking the field, were the commandants ; 
 young, many of them handsome females com- 
 posed their troops. By my faith, I should 
 have had no objection to be the commander 
 of such a corps of Ottochan females my- 
 self! 
 
 They are almost all pretty — nay, even 
 handsome ; tall, elegant figures, yet plump ; 
 small feet, oval faces, long dark hair, hanging, 
 braided into two tresses, far down the back ; 
 rather dark complexion, it is true, but at the 
 same time dark, animated eyes, red lips, ex- 
 quisitely beautiful teeth ; and brisk and lively 
 withal in manner and gesture. This, you see, 
 accounts for the wish to command such a 
 corps of Amazons. At any rate, it does one 
 good to behold again friendly female faces, 
 instead of seeing, as of late in Italy, tongues 
 almost always stretched out at us. This was 
 
TN HUNGARY. 21 
 
 really done, shortly before the outbreak of the 
 revolution, by a lady of very high rank, who 
 met me in her carriage, and whom I politely 
 saluted, because I had been several times in 
 companies with her. Besides, the costume of 
 the female sex here is very handsome and 
 ornamental. The sleeves of the chemise are 
 neatly worked with a variety of arabesques, 
 and every seam is braided with gay cording, 
 and the stockings are generally coloured. A 
 Croatian woman, in her Sunday dress, looks 
 just like a female peasant on the stage. 
 
 And these women frequently astonish by 
 their courage and fortitude. We had wives 
 of frontier soldiers with us in Peschiera, and 
 on the march through Hungary, who equalled 
 the men in the endurance of fatigue, and dis- 
 played undaunted courage in battle. In Hun- 
 gary, we had with us a young Croatian, the 
 daughter of an old Seressan, who was as 
 daring a rider as the best hussar, and more 
 than once fearlessly joined the men in the 
 charge. An Hungarian jurat gave her, in an 
 action, a cut on the right cheek, which she 
 returned with a severe blow on the arm, 
 
22 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 seized the bridle of his horse, and took him 
 prisoner. This horse, a gray stallion, she 
 ever afterwards rode, and refused to sell, 
 though I offered her forty ducats for him. 
 
 The villages of the borderers in the moun- 
 tains are mean and scattered, the houses almost 
 all in the Swiss style. In the rich plain of 
 Slavonia, on the other hand, where wine, 
 maize, wheat, and capital vegetables of all 
 sorts are grown in abundance, the villages 
 are large and regular. Fine alleys, mostly of 
 plum-trees, which are planted here in great 
 numbers, border the wide village streets ; the 
 houses are spacious, neat, in good repair ; no 
 filth, no disorder, no decay — at the same time, 
 no beggars, no poor, no rags ; every where 
 plenty, regularity, activity. 
 
 All this makes a most agreeable impression, 
 especially on coming from Italy — the land of 
 dirt, beggary, and every kind of disorder. The 
 people here prate less than the Italians, but 
 then they are more industrious; and as for 
 courage, I would engage, with one company 
 of borderers, to drive a thousand of those 
 Roman or Neapolitan volunteers, who made 
 
IN HUNGARY. 23 
 
 believe that they would eat us up, hide, hair, 
 and all, to the world's end. 
 
 Upon the whole, I have taken such a liking 
 to the country and way of living here on the 
 frontiers, that I have a great mind, when the 
 war is over, if I am living, to get myself ex- 
 changed from my hussar regiment into a Sla- 
 vonian frontier regiment. 
 
 What has particularly pleased me on the 
 frontiers, is the peculiar custom of family 
 habitations. There is something quite patri- 
 archal in it. To every house on the frontier 
 is attached a sufficient extent of land, which 
 belongs in common to the whole family, but 
 cannot be sold by it. In general, the eldest 
 of the family, mostly a border soldier, whose 
 term of service has expired, and who still 
 belongs only to the reserve, is elected by the 
 others to be house-father, and his wife is the 
 house-mother. These are then invested with 
 the superintendence over the whole family, 
 which consists of children, grandchildren, sons- 
 in-law, of all degrees of relationship, to the 
 number frequently of sixty or eighty indi- 
 viduals in a single house. 
 
24 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 All take their part in agricultural labour, 
 as well as in their meals, and also in any 
 surplus-money. The latter is divided by the 
 house-father, who settles all petty disputes, 
 and when his influence is insufficient, applies 
 to the captain of the company. Every house 
 must furnish the company to whose district it 
 belongs with a certain number of soldiers, in 
 proportion to its adult male inhabitants. The 
 unmarried, and indeed all up to the age of 
 thirty-five, belong in general to the field-bat- 
 talions, and the others to the reserve. 
 
 In time of peace, the field-battalions are 
 assembled for a week only in spring, in com- 
 panies, and for a not much longer time in 
 autumn, in regiments, or even larger divisions, 
 for the purpose of exercising ; and, further, 
 only four days in each of the winter months 
 are destined for manoeuvring in detail. It is 
 only on these occasions that the soldier wears 
 his complete uniform, which he keeps at home : 
 at other times he goes in the ordinary dress 
 of the country, and receives pay only for the 
 period that he is called out, or on guard- 
 duty. 
 
IN HUNGARY. 25 
 
 The frontier soldier is supplied by the go- 
 vernment with shoes, accoutrements, arms, 
 and ammunition ; the other parts of his uni- 
 form he must procure himself. With the ex- 
 ception of extraordinary cases, the soldier in 
 the field-battalions must go upon guard-duty 
 the whole of every fourth, or even third week. 
 At his departure, the family to which he be- 
 longs supplies him with provisions, which he 
 cooks himself at his post. He takes with him, 
 to the frontier, musket, sword, cartouch-box, 
 and cloak ; for the rest, he wears the ordinary 
 dress of the country — the staff-guard, which is 
 in complete uniform, alone excepted. 
 
 The guard -posts consist, in the dry, moun- 
 tainous part of the frontier, in Transylvania, 
 and again, from the Unna to the Bocca di 
 Cattaro, of huts sunk in the ground. Each 
 of these huts, which are at so short a distance 
 apart, that the posts can see one another, 
 contains six or eight men. At certain dis- 
 tances, there are larger posts of twelve or 
 fourteen men, with a corporal, and at a still 
 greater distance the officers' posts, from which 
 the main patroles set out. At every officer's 
 
 c 
 
26 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 post is set up a signal pole, with a pitched 
 barrel, which is fired, in case of emergency, 
 to alarm the district upon any serious incur- 
 sion of the Bosnians. 
 
 In the marshes of the Danube, the Saave, 
 and the Unna, the guard-posts are raised upon 
 poles, and communicate with each other by 
 means of causeways, or plank bridges. A 
 wooden gallery runs round these guard-houses, 
 and there the men on duty walk to and fro. 
 This whole line of posts along the Turkish 
 frontier has the two-fold object of preventing, 
 by means of a strict cordon, the introduction 
 of the plague, and of forming a defence against 
 the predatory incursions of Bosnian hordes of 
 banditti. There are generally about 8,000 
 men upon guard on the frontier line. 
 
IN HUNGARY. 27 
 
 LETTER in. 
 
 Agram, the capital of Croatia, and residence of the Ban ; 
 preparations there for the campaign in Hungary — The 
 Writer appointed to command the advanced guard of Jella- 
 chich's army — Nature and vicissitudes of that duty — The 
 Magyar Population almost exclusively confined to the great 
 plains, and the Slavonian race to the mountains of Hungary 
 — Military character of the Magyars — Composition of the 
 Insurgent force — Unexpected meeting — Mansion of Count 
 
 St Cavalry Action with the Pesth National Guard 
 
 — Bivouac scenes. 
 
 I was at Agram, the capital of Croatia, for 
 several weeks, on military business. There I 
 again completed my equipment, which had 
 suffered lamentably on the retreat from Milan 
 and in Peschiera. 
 
 Agram is a considerable and a lively town, 
 and pleased me much. In the upper town, 
 which is enclosed with walls, like a fortress, 
 is situated, in an open place, the palace of the 
 Ban of Croatia, a handsome and extensive 
 building. Just at that time, great military 
 
 c 2 
 
28 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 bustle prevailed in the city. The prepara- 
 tions against Hungary were prosecuting with 
 the utmost zeal. I had enough to do, to col- 
 lect remounts, to clothe recruits, and give 
 them instructions in riding, and to travel 
 about the country in quest of suitable horses. 
 We were in great want of cavalry; for the 
 greatest part of the hussar regiments lying 
 iu Southern Hungary had ranged itself under 
 Kossuth's banners. Many of the officers, how- 
 ever, and all the men who were not of Magyar 
 but of Slavonian descent, had come over to 
 us, and we were enabled to form some squad- 
 rons of efficient light cavalry. In Hungary 
 itself we had reason to expect reinforcement : 
 Hardeg's cuirassiers, and Kress's Italian regi- 
 ment of light horse, which lay not far from 
 the Croatian frontier, were already preparing 
 to join us, and so was a great part of an 
 hussar regiment in which very many Slavo- 
 nians were serving. 
 
 As I am perfect master of the Hungarian 
 language, I received directions to form the 
 advanced guard, with a flying corps of eighty 
 excellent horse, among which were thirty-five 
 
IN HUNGARY. 29 
 
 mounted Seressans, and to flank about at dis- 
 cretion. To me this was most agreeable ; for, 
 though my commission was a dangerous and 
 extremely arduous one, on the other hand, 
 such an independent, romantic life, had the 
 greatest charm. 
 
 Often have we fared extremely well, revel- 
 ling like princes, surrounded by abundance of 
 every kind, dwelling in splendid mansions, 
 quaffing generous Tokay ; then, again, for 
 weeks together without house or harbour; 
 scarcely finding a few heads of maize for our 
 horses; the tschuttora (large wooden bottle) 
 filled with half-putrid marsh water, instead of 
 wine or sMikowitz. Frequently, too, were 
 we hunted on all sides, like wild beasts, by 
 Kossuth's partisan corps, and often escaped 
 from them only as by a miracle. 
 
 On one occasion, we were not a moment 
 out of the saddle for full thirty-six hours; 
 and during that whole time our horses had 
 not a handful of fodder, scarcely a drink of 
 water ; and I had become so stiff, that I could 
 hardly walk or stand; and when, after a few 
 hours' rest, we were obliged to start again, 
 
30 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 for the first time in my life, I mounted a horse 
 most reluctantly. When we could not save 
 ourselves in any other way, we fell back upon 
 the main army of the Ban, and remained with 
 it for a few days ; but no sooner was there an 
 opening than we were off again. 
 
 Our principal object was to ascertain the 
 disposition of the country ; to reconnoitre the 
 position of the enemy's corps; to seize convoys 
 of money and emissaries of Kossuth's ; and to 
 give such divisions of the imperial troops as 
 were in Hungary, and wished to join the army 
 of the Ban, directions where to find it. We 
 were often a hundred miles distant from the 
 main army ; then again only twenty or twenty- 
 five, and even no more than five or ten. 
 
 I had thus abundant opportunity to make 
 myself acquainted with the western and south- 
 ern counties of Hungary. It is precisely in 
 these that the Magyar population predomi- 
 nates, and that comparatively few Slavonians 
 are met with ; whereas, in the north-eastern 
 part of the country, and especially in the Car- 
 pathians, the Slavonians far outnumber the 
 Magyars, as is also the case in the west, on 
 
IN HUNGARY. 31 
 
 the Styrian frontier. Upon the whole, it may 
 be adopted as a general axiom that the great 
 plains of the kingdom are predominantly oc- 
 cupied by Magyars, the mountain districts by 
 Slavonians. 
 
 The Magyars, a nation of horsemen, sought 
 out for themselves, in preference, the exten- 
 sive open plains, where they could freely 
 scamper about with their horses, to their 
 hearts' content. Hence it is that, in the vast 
 plain, stretching from Pesth southward, be- 
 tween the Danube, and extending in some 
 parts to the length of two hundred miles, and 
 to the breadth of from fifty to seventy, the 
 Magyar race has kept itself most unmixed. 
 This, however, applies solely to the real pea- 
 santry : the gentry, wholly of Magyar descent, 
 dwell in all parts of the country as masters ; 
 but the villages where every peasant, even 
 though possessing but a ruinous cottage, is a 
 gentleman, are to be found only in the purely 
 Magyar districts. 
 
 The principal supports of the Hungarian 
 insurrection are the numberless, mostly needy, 
 Magyar gentry, who live scattered over the 
 
32 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 whole country. These people, who may be 
 computed at twenty thousand, and who for- 
 merly procured a subsistence as petty pro- 
 prietors, &s jurats, or as officers in the Hun- 
 garian regiments, are full of inordinate national 
 pride, ever disposed to warlike operations and 
 adventures, and have, most of them, but little 
 to lose. At the same time, they are capital 
 horsemen and good soldiers, who rush boldly 
 into battle ; but perseverance is not their 
 forte. Herein is shown the still Oriental blood 
 of the Hungarian : fiercely and daringly as he 
 assaults, so easily is he dispirited ; to pro- 
 tracted enterprises, which require patience and 
 perseverance, he is no friend ; and in this re- 
 spect he is far surpassed by the Slavonians. 
 
 Very few of the families of the great mag- 
 nates of the country take part in the present 
 insurrection ; on the contrary, they are mostly 
 on the side of the imperial house ; while most 
 of the officials, gamekeepers, &c, on their 
 large domains, had gone over to the in- 
 surgents. 
 
 Instigated and partly forced by these per- 
 sons, about thirty thousand peasants, young 
 
IN HUNGARY. 33 
 
 and old, from the Magyar districts, have 
 joined Kossuth's banners, and ten or twelve 
 thousand of them at home form a sort of 
 landsturm. Among the former are many 
 horse-herds, cow-herds, and shepherds, who 
 are known as the most daring fellows in Hun- 
 gary. In addition to these, all the prisons 
 and houses of correction have been emptied, in 
 order to strengthen the insurrectionary army. 
 Out of those herdsmen has been formed an 
 excellent light cavalry ; the Hungarians being, 
 in general, the best horsemen in the world. 
 
 Besides these new levies, about ten thousand 
 regular imperial troops are associated with the 
 insurgents ; and this is more to be lamented 
 than all the rest put together. These consist 
 chiefly of Magyars, who were serving in the 
 Hungarian infantry, and in still greater num- 
 ber in the hussar regiments. Many of these 
 people were given to understand, at first, that 
 Jellachich meant to depose the Palatine Ste- 
 phen ; but many of them have been incited to 
 rebellion by national pride. Many Hungarian 
 regiments are completely broken up ; the Sla- 
 vonians who were with tbem have joined us, 
 
 c 5 
 
34 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 and the Magyars are with Kossuth. For the 
 rest, many officers and soldiers are there also 
 by compulsion, and avail themselves of every 
 opportunity to come to us. We have already 
 received several hundred officers and soldiers 
 in this manner. 
 
 The national guard of the towns, with the 
 exception of that of Pesth, is not worth much, 
 and fights in general against the grain. Upon 
 the whole, the Hungarian army of insurrection 
 may be computed at sixty to seventy thou- 
 sand good, safe troops ; and twenty to thirty 
 thousand combatants, on whom less depend- 
 ence is to be placed. The Hungarian regi- 
 ments serving in Italy under Radetzky have 
 universally continued faithful, and the utmost 
 reliance can be placed on them. 
 
 The different sentiments prevailing in the 
 country were best to be learned from our re- 
 ception in the villages. In the places where 
 dwell many Slowacks, Raizes, and Serbes, we 
 were received with acclamations, cherished in 
 every possible way, supplied with provisions 
 and wine in abundance — nay, many young fel- 
 lows followed us voluntarily, and enrolled 
 
IN HUNGARY. 35 
 
 themselves in the army of the Ban for this 
 campaign. 
 
 In the wholly Magyar villages, and at the 
 residence of the inferior gentry, we were re- 
 ceived unkindly, and were not supplied with 
 any thing but reluctantly, or even by com- 
 pulsion. The peasants collected wherever they 
 could ; and we were obliged to be vigilantly on 
 our guard, lest we should be surprised. More 
 than once we have had to sustain rights with 
 such peasants, in which we lost men. Not 
 far from Szabad-Szallas, we were engaged for 
 a whole day with a band of three or four hun- 
 dred men, headed by a man who had formerly 
 been a county-hussar, when we had four men 
 killed and nine wounded. On this occasion, 
 the port-epee of my sword was shot away. 
 In the end, we were victorious, and dispersed 
 the rebels. 
 
 We had once been riding about all day, not 
 far from Topolga; and when it grew dark, the 
 gipsy who served us for a guide lost the way, 
 so that we proceeded pretty much at random. 
 
 At length — it might be about ten o'clock — 
 I was about to order my men to bivouac; 
 
36 THE CIVIL WAK 
 
 when four Seressans, who had gone on before 
 us as a scout-patrole, brought word that there 
 was a large mansion on the right of us, and 
 not far from it a village. I then ordered ten 
 Seressans and hussars to dismount, to steal as 
 near as they could to the mansion, to learn if 
 there were any partisan corps round about, 
 and, if possible, to bring back a prisoner. 
 
 It was not long before they brought back a 
 peasant-girl, caught probably on her way to 
 her sweetheart, and who was frightened to 
 death, when, instead of being clasped by her 
 lover, she found herself in the arms of a Red- 
 mantle. I cheered the trembling and weep- 
 ing damsel, and asked her whether there were 
 soldiers or armed peasants in the mansion or 
 in the village. She assured me, with many 
 solemn protestations, that the last had de- 
 parted eight days ago ; on which, still with an 
 advanced and flank patrolc, I rode on towards 
 the mansion, and, conducted by the girl, who 
 now chatted unreservedly, entered the spacious 
 courtyard. 
 
 At the tramp of horses, and the clank of 
 swords, the porch-door opened, and an old 
 
IN HUNGARY. 37 
 
 man, a kind of steward, followed by servants 
 with great lanterns, came towards us, asking 
 who w T e were, and what was our errand. I re- 
 plied, that I was an officer of the Emperor 
 and King, belonging to the army of the Ban ; 
 and requested, in the first place, to be con- 
 ducted to the master of the mansion. The 
 man obeyed, though with some reluctance, 
 and led me into a spacious hall, which, by 
 the dim light of a lamp, appeared to be a sort 
 of ancestral hall. Large pictures were hung 
 upon the walls, and between them swords, 
 muskets, old armour, and arms of all kinds. 
 
 Here the castellan bade me wait while he 
 went to announce me ; aad I availed myself 
 of this moment to take off my cloak, to set 
 my hair to rights a little, to fasten my dol- 
 man close about me, to tie my sash properly ; 
 in short, to make myself as smart as I could. 
 The old man presently came back, conducted 
 me along a corridor, and then opened the 
 folding-doors of an apartment, whence issued 
 the brilliant light of tapers. 
 
 Somewhat dazzled, I entered the apartment, 
 which was most elegantly fitted up, where a 
 
38 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 tall, handsome lady received me with a polite 
 but proud obeisance. I was just going to 
 introduce myself, and to apologize for my un- 
 bidden visit, when she extended her hand to 
 me with the loud exclamation of joy, " Ah, 
 Baron W !" 
 
 I now recognised her. It was the Countess 
 
 St , the Milan beauty, the wife of my old 
 
 comrade, St , who once saved my life in 
 
 Bologna, and who, after his marriage with the 
 
 fair Marchesa B , had obtained leave to 
 
 resign, and retired to his lordship in Hungary ; 
 and I now found myself, without having sus- 
 pected it, in his mansion. 
 
 Being called by his wife, he made his ap- 
 pearance immediately, and cordial was our 
 embrace. He was still, as he ever had been, 
 Magyar with body and soul ; and told me 
 frankly that he should long since have gone 
 to Kossuth, had he not been restrained by the 
 odious idea of being obliged to fight against 
 his former comrades ; but he assured me that 
 he should yet do so. 
 
 I advised that we should not talk of poli- 
 tical matters, but rather think of old times ; 
 
IN HUNGARY. 39 
 
 and his wife approved the suggestion. By 
 and by came his sister, the young Countess 
 Helene, the most beautiful Hungarian female 
 I had ever seen ; and that is saying a great 
 deal. 
 
 St gave me his word of honour that 
 
 we were perfectly safe from any surprise 
 by the enemy, and my men were abundantly 
 supplied with wine and meat ; and, while they 
 made themselves comfortable outside, I found 
 myself in Paradise, between two beautiful and 
 amiable females, opposite to a friend whom I 
 had not seen for a long time, and before a glass 
 of exquisite Tokay. All weariness vanished ; 
 and we joked and laughed half the night, for- 
 getting the war, and Kossuth, and national 
 hatred. 
 
 Two days I rested iu St 's mansion, 
 
 as a little respite was highly desirable for both 
 men and horses. The eyes of the Countess 
 Helene began to be dangerous for me; but 
 upon earth the soldier has no abiding quarters. 
 On the third morning, with a tear in my eye, 
 
 I pressed St to my breast, kissed the 
 
 cheek of his wife and his sister; the latter 
 
40 
 
 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 plucked a rose-bud for me as a keepsake, my 
 trumpeter sounded to horse, and away we 
 dashed. 
 
 A few days afterwards, we had, about a 
 thousand strong, not far from the pusta Mon- 
 tony, a smart cavalry action, with a nume- 
 rous corps of Hungarian insurgents. It was 
 fine when, as we rushed over the green heath 
 at one another, the trumpets flourished, the 
 swords clashed. Unluckily, almost all the 
 former hussars were opposed to us ; and this 
 cut me to the heart. Those fine Hungarian 
 hussar regiments — where are they now ? Will 
 the old bond ever knit us together again ? I 
 cannot bear to think about it. 
 
 To my great joy, the lot did not fall to me 
 to be obliged to fight with men who had been 
 hussars ; it was the Pesth national guard with 
 which we were engaged ; and to those gentle- 
 men, admirably as they manage their beauti- 
 ful horses, we have given a sound drubbing. 
 I have myself cut down two or three of them 
 from their horses, and come off with a quite 
 insignificant graze on the arm. 
 
 Here it was, too, that the young Seressan 
 
IN HUNGARY. 41 
 
 female whom I have told you of already made 
 prize of her gray steed. Her brother, when 
 he saw the enemy's horseman making up to the 
 girl, who dashed on daringly in the first ranks, 
 would have hastened to her assistance; but 
 she called to him, laughing, " Je jedan brate: 
 ne boisse!" ('Tis only one, brother; never 
 fear !) and she was victorious, too. Though 
 we at first had greatly the advantage of the 
 insurgents, we were at last obliged to retreat 
 slowly, as they received reinforcements of 
 infantry; but they did not venture to pur- 
 sue us. 
 
 Our bivouacs were often extraordinary, on 
 the wide plains, under the tent of heaven. At 
 nightfall we halted ; patroles were sent out in 
 all directions ; and, when these reported that 
 all was safe, the necessary advanced posts, 
 which were relieved every three hours, were 
 placed. The greatest bustle now commenced, 
 in order to provide against the wants of the 
 night. The horses were watered — for we 
 always chose our lodging for the night in the 
 vicinity of a rivulet or of a well, such as the 
 herdsmen dig for their cattle; then saddles 
 
42 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 and bridles of half the horses were taken off, 
 and the nose-bags with maize fastened to their 
 heads. 
 
 The hussars and Seressans who were not 
 engaged in this business went in quest of 
 materials for the great fire, and these it was 
 often difficult to collect. Others unpacked 
 the provisions, meat, wine, maize-flour, brought 
 in the great covered waggon, drawn by six 
 Hungarian horses, which served us for an 
 itinerant magazine, store-room for equipments, 
 field-smithy, and hospital. 
 
 You see, none of us could claim any great 
 space for baggage. The fire soon blazed up, 
 and our cooks fell to work to prepare the 
 favourite gulyas-lius of the Hungarians, which 
 was highly relished by them, after the ex- 
 ertions of the march. It is really an excellent 
 dish, consisting of beef cut into small cubical 
 pieces, onions, cumin, and paprika, (red Spa- 
 nish pepper) an indispensable ingredient in 
 every dish in this country. If we had been 
 lucky enough to get wine, the tschuttora 
 passed briskly round among the men ; other- 
 wise sklikowitz, and frequently water, sup- 
 
IN HUNGARY. 43 
 
 plied its place. I, as officer and commander, 
 had a plate and a cup to inyself, but ate and 
 drank whatever the soldiers had, and fared 
 extremely well. Upon the whole, I had every 
 reason to be perfectly satisfied with my men : 
 they were courageous, persevering, and obe- 
 dient. 
 
 After supper, they mended saddles, bridles, 
 clothes ; looked to the shoes of the horses ; or, 
 seated round the watch-fire, sang, frequently 
 for hours together, their melancholy national 
 songs, in not disagreeable chorus. I then 
 stretched myself upon a horse-cloth, wrapped 
 myself in my cloak, leant my head upon my 
 saddle, and watched the smoke of my cigar 
 curling about before me, till silence gradually 
 stole over the busy scene, and sleep strength- 
 ened us all for the exertions of the coming 
 day. 
 
 Often have I lain for hours awake, absorbed 
 in reverie ; above me, the vast, dark firma- 
 ment, with its innumerable twinkling stars ; 
 around me, the immense plain, whence, in 
 the distance, was heard at times the call of 
 our advanced posts and patroles ; near me, the 
 
44 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 high-blazing fire, about which lay the sleeping 
 forms of the Seressans and hussars, in their 
 red and white cloaks ; not far off, their horses 
 fastened with the snaffle, some lying down, 
 some with bowed heads, resting as they stood ; 
 some neighing and pawing the ground. If 
 the march had not been too fatiguing, or if 
 we had had a day of repose, two or three 
 hussars would play upon the Jew's harp, while 
 others sang ; and the rest danced their pretty 
 national dances, at the same time clanking 
 their broad spurs, and clashing their swords 
 together, so as to resound far over the heath. 
 
 In this manner we scampered about many 
 a day in Hungary, always on horseback, always 
 pursued by near or distant foes, often involved 
 in fights, losing many a brave fellow and good 
 comrade by mortal wounds, but in high spi- 
 rits, and full of confidence in the Ban. 
 
 The latter had concentrated his whole army 
 near Raab : and the intention was to give battle 
 in the next days to Kossuth, a prospect which 
 rejoiced us all ; when, in the evening of the 
 9th of October, an officer, who had ridden 
 day and night, brought us intelligence of the 
 
IN HUNGARY. 45 
 
 insurrection at Vienna, and of the atrocious 
 murder of Latour. 
 
 The trumpets instantly gave the signal for 
 breaking up. We marched away in the dark ; 
 halted as little as possible ; and, in the even- 
 ing of the 10th of October, we, who were the 
 foremost of the advanced troops, descried at 
 a great distance the tower of St. Stephen's. 
 
 Another time about the camp before Vienna, 
 the assault of the city, and my abode in the 
 hospital — three things which I shall never 
 forget while I live. 
 
46 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 LETTER IV. 
 
 March to Vienna — Sentiments of the Peasantry in Lower 
 Austria — Diversity of feelings awakened by the sight of the 
 Capital — Encampment at Modling — Visit to Count Auers- 
 perg's camp — Efforts of the Insurgents to seduce the Soldiers 
 — Visits of Vienna citizens and coxcombs to Jellachich's 
 Army — External appearance of the Writer and his men — 
 Unskilful Defence of Vienna by the Insurgents — Singular 
 interview with an Insurgent leader — Aspect of the Im- 
 perial camp — Bohemian cuirassiers; Nassau infantry; the 
 Kress regiment of chevaux-legers; artillery; Border sol- 
 diers, cadets, &c. — Storming of the city — Dexterity dis- 
 played in the attack by the Border soldiers — Conduct of 
 the Insurgents — The capitulation violated by them — Action 
 with the Hungarians near Schwechat — Description of a 
 Scene in that action. 
 
 It was beginning to get dusk, when, on the 
 10th of October, we first came in sight of the 
 tower of St. Stephen's at a great distance. 
 We had ridden hard the preceding night and 
 the whole day, and had rested but for a few 
 moments. Our horses, covered all over with 
 mud and foam, were still more weary than 
 
IN HUNGARY. 47 
 
 their riders ; when we made a first halt near 
 Schwechat, and kindled our bivouac fire, in 
 order to pass the night there. We belonged 
 to the foremost advanced troops : the Ban, 
 with the main body of the army, was yet 
 several leagues behind ; and, as we were to- 
 tally ignorant of the disposition of the coun- 
 try-people, great caution was necessary. But 
 nothing stirred or moved, and there was not 
 the slightest indication of a rising of the pea- 
 santry, of which we had been apprehensive. 
 
 On the very first day, we could plainly 
 perceive that the country-people in Lower 
 Austria, so far from having any thing what- 
 ever to do with the Vienna insurrection, had 
 rather conceived an animosity against its 
 authors and partisans. In the villages they 
 received us every where with some shyness, it 
 is true, on account of the uncivilized appear- 
 ance of my Seressans ; but, as for resistance 
 or hostility, no such thing was ever thought 
 of. "What is it to us? We cannot sell 
 any thing now, and that is all we care about." 
 Such were the expressions used by all the 
 peasants with whom I spoke ; nay, frequently 
 
48 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 they broke out into invectives against the 
 students of Vienna, and the other fellows, as 
 they called them, who had caused all the 
 gentlefolks to leave the city, so that they 
 could not find so profitable a sale as formerly 
 for their corn, fruit, and vegetables. 
 
 I felt, nevertheless, very uncomfortable, 
 when I first saw Vienna again under such cir- 
 cumstances. How many happy hours had I 
 passed there ! and what joyous recollections 
 attached me to that city ! When I had last 
 left Vienna, four years ago, a cheerful com- 
 pany of jovial friends and lovely women ac- 
 companied me to the Spinnerin am Kreuz, 
 (Spinner at the Cross) the well-known point 
 where you overlook the whole imperial city ; 
 and now I was leading with hostile intent my 
 Croatian horse against it. In spite of bodily 
 fatigue, I sat musing for several hours in the 
 dark night, by the blazing watch-fire, before 
 sleep visited me. 
 
 My Seressans and hussars participated not 
 in my feelings ; on the contrary, they were 
 unusually merry, and sang their popular songs 
 with greater glee than ever. Of the splen- 
 
IN HUNGARY. 49 
 
 dours of Vienna they had heard often enough 
 in their lives : the fame of the brilliant capital 
 of the Empire, as the seat of all earthly 
 grandeur and pleasure, penetrates into the fur- 
 thest corners of the extensive monarchy. All 
 the border-officers, who had once dwelt as 
 cadets in Vienna, had, from sorrowful recol- 
 lection, related in the solitary frontier guard- 
 houses much concerning the pleasures which 
 they had there enjoyed. The Croatian car- 
 riers — whose huge waggons, drawn by from 
 twelve to sixteen small, meagre, shaggy horses, 
 are so frequently seen in Vienna — had given 
 at home many alluring descriptions of the 
 glories of the place ; and so my men were 
 filled with joy at the idea that they should 
 themselves learn to know something of these 
 wonders. 
 
 It was curious enough that they could not 
 be made to comprehend that the Emperor was 
 not at Vienna : in their minds, Vienna and the 
 person of the Emperor are conceptions so in- 
 timately connected, that they could not se- 
 parate them ; and, notwithstanding the pains 
 I took to explain to them why the Emperor 
 
50 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 was now in a different place, they still shook 
 their heads incredulously. They were also of 
 opinion that the tower of St. Stephen's, which 
 rises to such a height into the air, and com- 
 mands so vast a prospect, must be the palace 
 of the Emperor, and that he lives at the top 
 of it. 
 
 In Vienna itself they seemed to be already 
 made aware of our coming, either by telescopes 
 or by scouts. In the very first night, I saw, 
 as I conceived, various signals given by lights 
 and coloured lanterns on St. Stephen's. A 
 patrole, which I sent out in the night, with a 
 guide acquainted with localities, beyond the 
 Neugebäu, to the moor of Simmering, brought 
 word that no attack need be apprehended ; but 
 that on the Max line itself, great noise and 
 excitement must prevail, as they heard loud 
 singing and shouting proceeding from that 
 quarter. 
 
 Next morning, when more troops of the 
 Ban's kept arriving, I moved more to the left, 
 and we pitched our camp near Mödling. 
 Partly in order to visit some former ac- 
 quaintance, partly on professional duty, I rode 
 
IN HUNGARY. 51 
 
 over soon afterwards to the troops of Count 
 Auersperg, which had been in Vienna itself, 
 and were now encamped not far from the Bel- 
 vedere. What I there heard filled my heart 
 with indignation, and I now fought with real 
 passion against this insurrection. 
 
 During the whole summer the soldiers and 
 officers had been treated with every species of 
 insult and indignity, because they were not to 
 be seduced by Kossuth's gold to violate their 
 oath of fidelity. The Aula, and the savage 
 scum of the suburbs, upon which the former 
 supports itself, had vented upon the soldiers 
 every sort of contumely that could be devised. 
 Our contest in Italy, where we upheld the 
 honour of Austria against foreign conquerors, 
 had been ridiculed, disgraceful defeat pub- 
 licly invoked for our arms, victory and triumph 
 for Charles Albert. And then the 6th of 
 October ! 
 
 All this and still more was related to me 
 by comrades in the Auersperg corps. The 
 men of the Ruthenian regiment Duke of Nas- 
 sau, which had sustained the greatest loss 
 on the 6th in Vienna, were in particular so 
 
 d 2 
 
52 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 exasperated that they would joyfully have 
 stormed at any hour. 
 
 Just while I was there, two members of the 
 Academic Legion, who had stolen into the 
 camp in disguise, to persuade the soldiers to 
 desert, were made prisoners. It was with 
 difficulty that a strong guard could protect 
 them from the fury of the men. A council 
 of war soon decided their fate — that always 
 allotted in war to the discovered spy — death. 
 
 Their plan, however, was utterly hopeless. 
 Some bad subjects indeed deserted now and 
 then from the Auersperg camp; on the other 
 hand, grenadiers of the battalion, which had 
 in part gone over to the people on the 6th, 
 were continually coming in, penitent and im- 
 ploring pardon. They related that they had 
 been made drunk ; that much money had been 
 given to them, and they had been promised 
 such great things that at last they knew not 
 what they were, or what they ought to do. 
 And subsequently at the storming of the 
 barricades of the Jägerzeil, they expunged the 
 stain of the 6th of October ; and the captain, 
 who should have conducted himself more ener- 
 
IN HUNGARY. 53 
 
 getieally when Latour was murdered, found 
 on the same occasion that death which he 
 sought, and thus wiped off the blot upon his 
 military honour. 
 
 On the first day after our arrival, and still 
 more frequently afterwards, we received nu- 
 merous visits from inhabitants of Vienna, who 
 had fled from the city and other places round 
 about, still further off. There was no end to 
 their complaints and wailings about the insur- 
 rection. Their lamentations and bursts of 
 anger were often highly comic. 
 
 To these Philistines and Money-bags it was 
 the greatest of hardships, that they were 
 obliged to forego their domestic conveniences, 
 their seat at the theatre, their visits to the 
 coffee-house ; and yet their want of firmness, 
 their cowardice, were the principal causes of 
 all the mischief. Had the numerous burgher 
 guard possessed courage at first, and displayed 
 energy, the Aula and the rabble of the suburbs 
 would never have got the better of them ; and 
 the storm, which began to burst over Vienna on 
 the 6th of October, might have been prevented. 
 Indeed, had not the honour of Austria been 
 
54 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 at stake, these street-loungers might for me 
 have regained their comforts as they could. 
 
 Now that we were there and going into 
 fire for them, they had wonders to tell about 
 the heroic deeds which they had already per- 
 formed, or meant to perform. One of those 
 drawing-room heroes, an elegant, such as 
 every great city produces in abundance, in 
 yellow gloves, and with the lorgnette at his 
 eye, strutted about among us, and enlarged 
 upon the feats of courage and loyalty which 
 he purposed to achieve for the Emperor ; but 
 one day I very soon silenced him. 
 
 I took the old, greasy, fur cap of a Seres- 
 san's, which happened to be lying there, and 
 clapped it upon his befrizzed head, saying, 
 " That fits admirably. If you want to fight 
 against the insurgents, you can enter at once 
 among my Red-mantles ; there is a vacancy 
 at this moment ;" and, while I was thus 
 speaking, a comrade threw an old red cloak 
 over his shoulders. He stood quite con- 
 founded, and knew not what to say; while 
 my men greeted their new companion with 
 roars of laughter. 
 
IN HÜNGARY. 55 
 
 The handsome Croatian and Slavonian 
 women who were with the borderers attracted 
 the particular notice of these Vienna cox- 
 combs, who considered them as piquant beau- 
 ties. But they met with any thing but a 
 favourable reception from them. Those bold, 
 fiery maidens have a very different taste from 
 that of the ladies of Vienna. My handsome 
 Seressan damsel, whom I mentioned in my 
 last letter, gave one of these puppies, who 
 had probably made rather too close approaches 
 to her, such a watsche, as the people of Vienna 
 call it, that he came to me rubbing his ting- 
 ling cheek, and complained of the girl. I 
 laughed heartily at him, but offered him my 
 horse and my sword, if he was disposed to 
 fight his antagonist, and in that way to obtain 
 satisfaction ; but he manifested no inclina- 
 tion to do so, saying that would be beneath 
 him. 
 
 Our exterior seemed not particularly 
 pleasing to these visitors ; and in the radical 
 papers of Vienna we were even described as a 
 band of ragged vagabonds. In truth, we did 
 look rather savage and grotesque ; and a 
 
56 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 parade would not have exhibited any very 
 splendid sight. 
 
 As the greater part of the frontier bat- 
 talions from Croatia and Slavonia were in 
 Italy, our uniforms, at our departure, were 
 sadly defective, and many had left in their 
 bundas, [sheep-skin cloak] fjatjes, and hoods. 
 The long, arduous march through Hungary, 
 and the incessant bivouacking, had completely 
 spoiled the men's clothes, and most of the 
 officers themselves were the very reverse of 
 elegant. My tscliismen [hussar-boots] were 
 so badly mended, the braiding on pelisse and 
 dolman turned so pale, the white cloak so gray, 
 that I should indeed have cut a very wretched 
 figure at a ball. We took advantage, how- 
 ever, of the first days of rest we had before 
 Vienna, to patch, and mend, and darn, as well 
 and as much as we could. This rest was very 
 beneficial to our horses, which were at last too 
 hard worked : they soon recovered themselves; 
 and the men suffered no want of meat or wine. 
 
 It was evident in the very first days that 
 the defence of the city was badly conducted. 
 The many petty sallies beyond the lines, espe- 
 
IN HUNGARY. 57 
 
 cially out of the Maxer, against our advanced 
 posts, were manifestly undertaken without 
 any plan. A great quantity of powder was 
 thus most needlessly expended. Single pa- 
 troles were frequently fired at with cannon, 
 and at such a distance and so unskilfully, that 
 it was an amusement for our soldiers to pro- 
 voke such a fire at themselves. Once or 
 twice, indeed, a few of our men were shot ; 
 and some Croatians, who had incautiously 
 ventured too far, were taken prisoners ; while 
 we, on our part, took a great many. De- 
 serters, especially from the soldiers who had 
 remained behind in Vienna, and likewise from 
 the burgher guard, came over in great number. 
 If the insurrection was expected to hold 
 out any prospect of success, it must have been 
 conducted in a totally different manner. Imme- 
 diately after the 6th of October, an attack from 
 the city should have been made with twenty-five 
 or thirty thousand men — and so many combat- 
 ants might easily have been collected — on the 
 far less numerous Auersperg troops. Then 
 the Hungarians, who, twenty-eight thousand 
 strong, were posted near Raab, should have 
 
 D 5 
 
58 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 appeared about the 12th or 15th of October 
 before Vienna, which they might well have 
 done, had there been any zeal and unity 
 among them. Had an additional body of pea- 
 sants from the neighbouring mountains and 
 from Styria come forward, our situation would 
 have become very dangerous, and we should 
 have been placed between two enemies. 
 
 Nothing of the kind was done. In spite of 
 all the signals from the tower of St. Stephen's, 
 the Hungarians came not till it was much too 
 late ; of an insurrection of peasantry, not a 
 trace was to be discovered ; and the people 
 of Vienna, instead of attempting a sally on a 
 large scale, were content to offer only petty 
 annoyances, to defame us in their newspapers, 
 and thus to exasperate still more the animo- 
 sity of the soldiers. 
 
 Windischgrätz, on the other hand, gained 
 sufficient time to collect his army from Bo- 
 hemia and Moravia, and to join us with forty 
 thousand fresh troops. We could have taken 
 the city earlier, and our soldiers had a strong 
 desire to do so ; but it was thought better to 
 spare unnecessary bloodshed on both sides, as 
 
IN HUNGARY. 59 
 
 much as possible, and therefore to wait the 
 arrival of all reinforcements, that the contest 
 might then be speedily terminated. Every 
 day my soldiers asked me, " Gospodine, shan't 
 we soon go into the city ? — shan't we put the 
 Aula to death ?" 
 
 It was soon clear to us that the succour of 
 the Hungarians was not to be depended upon. 
 In the days between the 18th and 22nd of 
 October, I went, with a strong reconnoitring 
 patrole of fifty hussars, towards Brück on the 
 Leitha, and along the Hungarian frontier. 
 Not far from Brück, I saw, at a considerable 
 distance, and on the Hungarian territory, a 
 troop of about a hundred horse, as it seemed 
 to me, armed tschikos, (horse-herds) halting. 
 
 An elderly man, in the home-dress of a 
 magnate, on a noble horse, and with a long 
 pipe in his mouth, appeared to be their leader. 
 When he perceived me, he came galloping to- 
 wards us till within thirty or forty paces, 
 and then made a signal to me with his hand- 
 kerchief to come to him. He told me that 
 he had formerly been captain of cavalry, but 
 that he had now joined the Hungarian insur- 
 
60 
 
 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 rection, as the lordship upon which he resided 
 wished it. Though we were now in reality- 
 opposed to each other as enemies, he behaved 
 in a most friendly manner; treated me to 
 exquisite Tokay ; gave me fine Hungarian 
 tobacco ; and sent my men meat and wine in 
 abundance. 
 
 I asked him jokingly, why he did not march 
 to the assistance of the people of Vienna, and 
 put himself there under the command of a 
 student, or a tailor, or a shoemaker. Stroking 
 his long moustache, he muttered one ter ern- 
 tete after another, and said : "I am a noble- 
 man ; I shall not put myself under shoe- 
 maker or tailor ; I will have nothing to do 
 with Vienna. If you are in Hungary, you 
 and Jellachich are my enemies; otherwise, 
 you are my comrade. Have not I too worn 
 the King's coat? Out of Hungary, I will 
 not fight against his hussars." With that 
 he shook me cordially by the hand, and we 
 parted as the best friends. 
 
 With the daily arrival of troops coming in 
 larger or smaller divisions, the military bustle 
 in our bivouacs increased. It was a real Wal- 
 
IN HUNGARY. 61 
 
 lenstein's camp. One martial spectacle fol- 
 lowed close upon another. Here, Bohemian 
 cuirassiers of the regiments of Auersperg and 
 Wallmoden ; tall fellows with not very hand- 
 some broad-boned faces ; the glistening helmet 
 on the head ; over the white collar, the heavy- 
 black breast-armour ; the large straight pal- 
 lasch dangling from a broad belt round the 
 waist. The horses are just as hardy and 
 spirited as their riders — of the Bohemian 
 breed, not light, not elegant, but sure and ad- 
 mirably suited to the purpose. Of all arms, 
 these cuirassiers remind one most strongly 
 of the middle ages, of which they are the last 
 vestige. 
 
 There, are men of the Nassau infantry; 
 slender, nimble Ruthenians ; and sons of the 
 northern Carpathians ; soldiers with nervous, 
 elastic frames, who must be numbered among 
 the best infantry of the Austrian army, when 
 their old nature has been somewhat polished, 
 which is no easy task for the poor officers and 
 subalterns — yonder horse, of the Kress regi- 
 ment of chevaux-legers, slim sons of Italy j even 
 of Venice ; handsome, well-shaped figures, with 
 
62 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 animated, expressive countenances, rapid in 
 motions as in words. Their fathers and bro- 
 thers are fighting in Italy against Austria ; and 
 here they are fighting faithful to their oath on 
 entering the service for the honour of Austria. 
 
 Further on we see bright cannon drawn up, 
 their dark mouths pointed towards Vienna ; 
 the artillerymen, in their simple dark uniform, 
 are busily engaged in arranging the ammuni- 
 tion, and in packing the projectiles, as though 
 they were innocent balls to play with, in re- 
 gular rows in the chest attached to each. 
 Whistling merrily, the soldiers of the train 
 are cleaning the hard-worked horses that draw 
 the guns, or mending the gear which has suf- 
 fered much during the hasty march from 
 Bohemia. 
 
 Not far from the artillery, lie borderers 
 of the Ottochan regiment, mingled with in- 
 dividual Seressans, around a great watch-fire 
 — tall, gaunt figures, with grave, furrowed 
 faces, dark flashing eyes, dark moustaches 
 over a finely-cut mouth, with white teeth. 
 The clothing very motley : the hasty depar- 
 ture would not admit of a regular equipment. 
 
TN HUNGARY. 63 
 
 Among the border-soldiers, arms and tsclidkos 
 only are uniform ; and, among the Seressans, 
 the long, brown, and red-hooded cloaks. 
 
 We are frequently met by tall, elegantly- 
 shaped females, with faces full of expression ; 
 their long raven-black hair braided in two 
 tresses hanging down below the hips. Many 
 wives and daughters have followed the bor- 
 derers ; and their motley appearance is a pe- 
 culiar trait in this camp-scene. 
 
 Blithe words, hearty laughter — such as is 
 given to youth alone — resound from a long 
 table, around which are closely-crowded cadets 
 of every different regiment. All arms are 
 here united : the hussar is seated by the 
 artilleryman, the Jäger by the cuirassier. 
 Almost all juvenile faces, many hardly more 
 than boys, the down scarcely covers the places 
 where the manly beard is impatiently awaited ; 
 and yet many have already fought gallantly, 
 and even earned honourable wounds. Diverse 
 as their uniforms are their countries and their 
 languages; and many of them understand and 
 speak German but very imperfectly. Beside 
 the Englishman we here see the Serbe, the 
 
64 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 Italian by the Dane, the Hanoverian by the 
 Tyrolese, the Bohemian by the Walloon. The 
 officers' corps of Austria has ever been accus- 
 tomed to see in its ranks sons of almost all 
 the nations of Europe : they all forget their 
 native country, and find under the banner of 
 the double eagle a new one, for which they 
 cheerfully spill their blood. 
 
 Peasants bringing provisions; long trains 
 of carts laden with corn, hay, or straw ; herds 
 of bellowing cattle, intermingled with elegant 
 ladies and gentlemen who have fled from 
 Vienna, and are curious to see something of 
 life in camp; patroles of hussars, returning 
 from long excursions on wearied horses — such 
 are the diversified scenes which furnish matter 
 for all sorts of reflections, and which have 
 often amused me for hours. 
 
 Of the actions, all in the last days of Oc- 
 tober, I can give no account ; I saw only 
 what was passing around myself : the inferior 
 officer naturally has no opportunity for a ge- 
 neral survey of the whole. In the fight in 
 the city itself we hussars were not employed ; 
 but yet I was, in reality, as an idle spectator, 
 
IN HUNGARY. 65 
 
 for several hours in the Jägerzeil, when a barri- 
 cade there was taken by our troops. It was 
 a savage conflict, carried on upon both sides 
 with great animosity. The insurgents there 
 had the great advantage that they could stand 
 covered behind the barricade, or fire delibe- 
 rately from the windows, without exposing 
 themselves ; while the soldiers, unsheltered 
 from the enemy's balls, were obliged to storm ; 
 but never did they hesitate for a moment to 
 advance. " Terrai, terrai, stravo, Gospodine!" 
 (Forward, forward, forward, in the name of 
 God, sir !) cried a company of borderers to 
 their captain, when ordered to wait awhile 
 before they attacked a barricade, till it could 
 be attacked also from the corner houses which 
 troops were on the point of occupying ; and 
 so to it they fell at once without delay. 
 
 The soldiers of the Nassau regiment, who 
 were still extremely exasperated on account 
 of the 6th of October, particularly distin- 
 guished themselves ; likewise the Bohemian 
 Jägers and the grenadiers, who had partly 
 joined the insurgents on that day. These 
 corps sustained also the greatest loss. It was 
 
66 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 astonishing to see the dexterity displayed by 
 many a Croatian in this street-fight. Lying 
 flat upon the belly, with the knapsack placed 
 before them for a breastwork, they crept like 
 snakes towards the barricade, to get as near 
 as possible, and to do the surer execution 
 when they fired. Every recess of a door, 
 every corner, every lamp-post, was a sort of 
 shelter, to which they sprang and fixed them- 
 selves with the agility and celerity of a cat. 
 Hence the borderers lost proportionably the 
 smallest number of men, though they were 
 perhaps the most exposed to the enemy's fire. 
 Their own was so sure, that they brought 
 down many of their foes by their almost un- 
 erring balls. 
 
 Some portions of the insurgents fought 
 very well, and others particularly ill. Many 
 barricades and positions, which might have 
 been defended for a long time, and from which 
 much mischief might have been done, were 
 hastily abandoned in irregular flight; others, 
 on the contrary, defended almost uselessly, 
 with the courage of despair, to the very last 
 man. Want of superior direction, of due 
 
IN HUNGARY. 67 
 
 military organization, and of obedience, was 
 every where observable ; otherwise, the city 
 might well have defended itself for some days 
 longer, though its eventual fate could not be 
 doubtful. 
 
 The only person in Vienna, who showed 
 military talent and made judicious disposi- 
 tions, was General Bern, a Pole, who was ulti- 
 mately invested with the chief command. 
 Upon the whole, the Polish Legion, as it was 
 called, fought with much zeal, and was our 
 most dangerous foe. The Styrian sharp- 
 shooters also, and individual divisions of the 
 people of Vienna, displayed — it cannot be 
 denied — great courage. 
 
 What most justly incensed the troops, and 
 subsequently occasioned excesses here and 
 there, though the many stories of barbarities 
 and savage acts of pillage are impudent lies, 
 was the infraction of the capitulation by the 
 insurgents. The white flags were every where 
 hoisted ; all the conditions of the entry were 
 agreed upon ; our soldiers were preparing them- 
 selves, with musket on the arm, to march in; 
 when suddenly, and without any previous no- 
 
68 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 tice, the firing from the city was renewed, on 
 the mere report that the Hungarian auxiliary 
 army was at last on its route. 
 
 The authors of this perfidy have drawn 
 upon themselves a heavy responsibility. Great 
 mischief, which would otherwise have been 
 obviated, has been brought by it on the un- 
 fortunate city. And what assistance could 
 the Hungarians then have rendered them? 
 Since the whole corps of Prince Windisch- 
 grätz was united with ours, their help could 
 at most but have prolonged the contest for a 
 few hours, and have cost some more victims. 
 
 If I had nothing to do with the street-fight, 
 I did take part in the action with the Hun- 
 garians near Schwechat. It was a repugnant 
 idea to me to be obliged to draw the sword 
 against many a former comrade, to whom I 
 was attached by the ties of intimate friend- 
 ship. But the moment the artillery thundered 
 and the trumpets sounded, these fancies were 
 dispelled. 
 
 The Hungarians, about tweuty-one thousand 
 strong, under the command of General Moga, 
 formerly in the Imperial service, partly re- 
 
TN HUNGARY. 69 
 
 gular troops of Magyar regiments, but chiefly 
 honvöd battalions and squadrons, fought at 
 first very gallantly. Their position was more 
 favourable than ours ; and, if their artillery 
 had been rather better served, they might 
 have inflicted on us considerable loss. They 
 gained also at first some advantages ; and our 
 cavalry, especially the Italians of the Kress 
 chevaux-legers, could not make much impres- 
 sion on them. We nevertheless completely 
 routed them ; the Auersperg cuirassiers cut 
 into them with irresistible force ; and they 
 had to lament the loss of some brave officers. 
 We also made a very successful attack, and 
 many a foe sank under our swords. 
 
 A cavalry attack of this kind is a fine thing, 
 and never to be forgotten by those who have 
 borne a part in it. When such a body, in 
 close order, horse to horse, scampers at full 
 gallop over the plain, swords flashing, horses 
 snorting — verily, there is a charm in this kind 
 of combat, such as that of no other arm 
 affords. Individual divisions of the Hunga- 
 rians defended themselves desperately; and 
 the parties frequently came, especially after- 
 
70 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 wards, in the pursuit, to hand to hand fights ; 
 but among the enemy there was no direction, 
 no command, no order; and so we had no 
 great difficulty to repulse the whole army of 
 the insurgents, and to make a large booty in 
 cannon, arms, and prisoners. 
 
 Among the many incidents of this day, one 
 scene is vividly present to my view. A very 
 young Hungarian lad, evidently belonging to 
 the nobility of the country, was engaged in 
 fight with two cuirassiers. He contrived to 
 turn his superb horse about with such dex- 
 terity, that his antagonists, on their heavy 
 beasts, could not get at him ; while he had 
 dealt many blows, which, it is true, mostly 
 fell harmless upon the breast-armour and hel- 
 met. At last, one of the cuirassiers, waiting 
 for a proper moment, prepared for a thrust 
 with the pdllasch ; and the broad, pointed 
 blade was driven with such force into the 
 breast of the youth, that he sank on the spot 
 lifeless from his horse, without uttering a 
 single sound. 
 
 What maternal heart may mourn for him ? 
 what bright eye may be filled with tears for 
 
IN HUNGARY. 71 
 
 his loss ? His horse, with blood-stained saddle, 
 ran snorting away, and could not be caught ; 
 his rider we afterwards buried. He had about 
 him nothing but a handsome gold watch, and 
 a ring with hair, which I bought from the 
 cuirassiers for a couple of ducats. 
 
 My own lot was more favourable : a gun- 
 shot wound, which I received late in the action, 
 was attended with no danger, though at first 
 painful ; and the good nursing that I received 
 from friends soon effected my recovery. 
 
72 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 LETTER V. 
 
 March from Vienna to Pesth — Presburg and Raab aban- 
 doned to the Imperial Army — Devastations and cruelties of 
 the Insurgents — Intense cold and night-march — A battle - 
 scene — Remarkable incident during the pursuit of the 
 enemy — Tragic scene, enacted by the Magyars on New 
 Year's Day, 1849 — General character and cruelty of the 
 Honvöd troops — Despotic conduct of Kossuth and his 
 retinue — Character of his officers. 
 
 Scarcely was the wound which I received 
 before Vienna so far healed that I could again 
 mount my horse, when we had to leave that 
 capital. I was heartily glad of this ; for the 
 abode in that once so cheerful city had be- 
 come quite disagreeable : one scarcely knew 
 it again. 
 
 All our comrades who were to remain there 
 envied us, when we broke up for Hungary, 
 and would cheerfully have changed places with 
 us. And yet it was to be foreseen that a 
 winter campaign in so uncultivated a country 
 
IN HUNGARY. 73 
 
 as Hungary would not prove to be a party of 
 pleasure, and that we must prepare ourselves 
 for hardships of every kind. In truth, we 
 have met with them in abundance, and have 
 so often been pinched by cold that our teeth 
 chattered. 
 
 Much as I suffered this summer in Italy 
 from the heat, so much have I now to endure 
 in Hungary from the cold ; and in this year I 
 have been first thoroughly roasted and then 
 thoroughly cooled again. But during the 
 whole campaign not one of my men has com- 
 plained or murmured ; all were day and night 
 exposed to tempest and snow-storm, ready and 
 willing for any service, how arduous soever, 
 full of resignation to their officers, and full of 
 confidence in victory. 
 
 In Hungary we advanced to almost the very 
 same spot which we had left on the 9 th of 
 October. We now made a rather better ap- 
 pearance, were more completely equipped ; 
 our horses were well fed and in recruited 
 strength : and thus we were quite ready for a 
 winter campaign. 
 
 In the very first days after our re-entry, 
 
 E 
 
74 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 having been sent forward with a strong recon- 
 noitring patrole, I had to sustain a petty 
 action with a division of mounted honvöds 
 {landsturni). The result was very trifling: 
 the insurgents soon retired upon a division of 
 infantry, which, when we turned about, sent 
 after us a few balls that did us, however, no 
 harm. 
 
 Upon the whole, the army of the insurrec- 
 tion gave us at first not much to do ; and we 
 were surprised to find so little resistance as 
 we met with. Presburg was abandoned to us, 
 without any defence whatever ; and the great 
 majority of the inhabitants of that city, who 
 had always been averse to the cause of Kossuth, 
 received our troops with loud rejoicing. 
 
 The people of the house in which I lived 
 depicted the terrorism which had reigned 
 there, and the brutalities and cruelties perpe- 
 trated by the honvods, in the most frightful 
 colours. Some jurats, it is true, pulled long 
 faces ; and it was plainly to be seen that to 
 them we were unwelcome guests, whom they 
 would much rather have treated to powder 
 and lead than to red Buda [wine.] 
 
IN HUNGARY. 75 
 
 A severe conflict we had confidently ex- 
 pected, and that at Raab ; but, to our great 
 astonishment, we found ourselves disappointed. 
 The insurgents had there constructed exten- 
 sive entrenchments, and made such prepara- 
 tions as if they were determined to defend 
 them for weeks with their whole force; and 
 yet they abandoned these works the moment 
 we appeared. Why Kossuth imposed such sa- 
 crifices upon the country, why he caused so 
 many fruit-trees to be cut down, so many 
 bridges removed, so many houses burned, if 
 he meant not to make a better defence, is 
 quite incomprehensible. 
 
 The country around Raab has suffered 
 frightfully from the insurgents, and will not 
 be able to recover itself for years. Instead of 
 fighting, several Jionvod divisions had here 
 most cruelly murdered above thirty soldiers 
 of a Croatian frontier regiment who had been 
 taken prisoners, as it was too troublesome to 
 drag them further along with them. 
 
 Moor also was soon occupied by our column, 
 which met with no serious resistance. Beyond 
 Moor, not far from the celebrated military 
 
 e 2 
 
76 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 stud of Babolna, the first smart action took 
 place, on the 29th of December, between us 
 and the corps of Perezel. There was a frost 
 that day of 15 or 16 degrees. Ever since 
 four in the afternoon of the preceding day, 
 we had been marching the whole night long, 
 in order to overtake the enemy. This night- 
 march I shall not easily forget : never in my 
 life was I so frozen. The icy north- wind, 
 penetrating to bone and marrow, whistled over 
 the wide plain. It was impossible to continue 
 on horseback on account of the cold ; and the 
 animals were so incessantly sliding and near 
 falling upon the slippery ground that the whole 
 of the cavalry dismounted and marched for- 
 ward on foot, leading the horses by the bridle. 
 
 In this manner, we proceeded the whole 
 night along a high, narrow causeway, leading 
 through the half-frozen marshes, in not the 
 most pleasant mood, launching many an exe- 
 cration against the insurgents. Had they 
 known ever so little what was for their ad- 
 vantage, they would have attacked us this 
 night on those causeways. 
 
 At length, at ten in the morning, when the 
 
IN HUNGARY. 77 
 
 cold had considerably moderated, we fell in, 
 upon a plain, with PerezePs corps, about 
 19,000 strong, infantry, cavalry, and artillery. 
 Our soldiers, rendered furious by the cold 
 night-march, could scarcely be restrained from 
 the attack till the order for it was issued, and 
 then dashed like mad upon the enemy. 
 
 Here the two cuirassier regiments of Wall- 
 moden and Hardeg in particular found work. 
 The earth quaked when these squadrons of 
 heavy cavalry, in close contact, horse to horse, 
 clattered in a sharp trot over the hard-frozen 
 ground to charge the enemy. The cuirasses, 
 the helmets, the long pallasches glistened — it 
 was a real battle-scene. 
 
 The army of the insurgents fought par- 
 tially with great resolution : but there was a 
 want of direction, of confidence in the officers. 
 The Äoftvod-battalions soon dispersed, and 
 sought their safety in flight. 
 
 A battalion of the late Hungarian regiment, 
 Prince of Prussia — which, with the exception 
 of individual officers and men who continued 
 faithful, was now entirely on the side of the 
 insurgents — fought with the utmost obstinacy. 
 
78 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 It was formerly a capital regiment, well-known 
 and highly estimated in the army — now it is 
 gone ! The men, mostly Magyars of pure 
 race, defended themselves with desperate re- 
 solution, but whole files of them sank under 
 the pallasches of the powerful cuirassiers, who 
 made frightful havoc when they had once 
 penetrated into the ranks. To a great dis- 
 tance might be heard the clash of swords 
 against bayonets ; at intervals, Magyar curses 
 from the one side, Bohemian from the other, 
 in confused medley ; and at times, too, cries 
 of agony from the wounded. It was an awful 
 light, that cost many a life. 
 
 Here, too, we encountered a strong division 
 of the hussar regiment to which I formerly 
 belonged. Fortunately it so happened, that 
 I myself was not brought into collision with 
 them, though my sword found plenty of work 
 that day. It was quite grievous enough for me 
 to see these men, many of whom I had myself 
 trained for soldiers, who had so long been my 
 faithful subordinates, now fighting against 
 their king. Individual hussars, as they galloped 
 past, saluted me with the sword. 
 
IN HÜNGARY. 79 
 
 In the pursuit of the routed enemy, when 
 the mass was dissolved into separate fights, I 
 witnessed a scene which made a very deep 
 impression upon me. As something about my 
 saddle-girth was broken, I stopped to mend 
 it, and was thus left behind in a small meadow, 
 through which ran a wide ditch, that could 
 not be leaped with a horse, the edge being so 
 slippery with the frost. 
 
 All at once, I saw one of the enemy's hus- 
 sars, closely pursued by two cuirassiers, rush 
 from among the brushwood at a little distance 
 on the other side of the ditch. As this ditch 
 parted me from them, and I had a loaded 
 pistol, I continued to stand quietly by my 
 horse, awaiting the issue of the affair. 
 
 When the hussar came nearer, I recognised 
 in him a man who was formerly a subaltern, 
 and had long been in my company. He was 
 a fine, handsome fellow when he enlisted, six 
 years ago, into our regiment, a genuine Cu- 
 mane from the environs of Debreczin, wild, 
 disposed to all sorts of mad pranks, but brave 
 and trusty in service, at the same time a par- 
 ticularly excellent horseman ; not wholly un- 
 
80 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 educated, for he was the son of the overseer 
 of an estate — in short, an ideal of the Hun- 
 garian hussar. As a subaltern, to which he 
 had been promoted in two years, I had him 
 constantly about me; and, when I was re- 
 moved from the regiment, I was extremely 
 sorry to part from him. I subsequently learned 
 that, at the time of the insurrection in Gallicia, 
 lie had, on several occasions, particularly dis- 
 tinguished himself, and so I hoped to meet 
 with him some day as officer. 
 
 Iwanka, on his part, recognised me, and 
 lowered his sword as he galloped past, by way 
 of saluting me. Obstructed by the ditch, he 
 faced about resolutely against his two pursuers. 
 Then ensued a fight than which nothing finer 
 or more picturesque could be exhibited in a 
 Circus by any equestrian company, only that 
 it was bitter earnest, and for life or death. 
 
 The hussar, who rode a handsome stallion 
 of the best Hungarian breed — and many of 
 the insurgents were extremely well mounted — 
 managed his swift steed with wonderful dex- 
 terity. He turned him so short upon his hind- 
 legs, and dodged so quickly to the right or 
 
IN HUNGARY. 81 
 
 left, that for a long time the cuirassiers, on 
 their clumsier horses, could not come at him, 
 though they had dealt many a tremendous 
 blow. The Hungarian, too, had aimed many 
 a one at them, with his glistening blade ; but 
 it had always glided with a loud droning 
 sound from the impenetrable breast-armour. 
 
 At length the hussar's tschako was struck 
 off, and he was covered with blood from a 
 wound on his forehead. "Nimm pardun !" 
 (take quarter !) repeatedly cried the cuirassiers 
 in their Bohemian German ; but, raising him- 
 self upright in the saddle, he replied, "En 
 Magyar wacjych /" (I am an Hungarian !) and 
 levelled fresh blows at his antagonists. His 
 very horse seemed to participate in his master's 
 ardour for fighting. His black hide was dotted 
 with wbite flakes of foam ; his red nostrils 
 were widely distended ; his long mane flickered 
 wildly in the wind ; his large eye seemed to 
 flash. 
 
 At last, the affair ended precisely in the 
 same manner as that of the young Hungarian 
 noble, whose fall before Vienna I have related. 
 As the hussar again dashed past, and pre- 
 
 E 5 
 
82 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 pared himself for a desperate blow, one of the 
 cuirassiers, seizing the right moment, thrust 
 the long, pointed, glistening blade of his 
 pallasch into the right arm-pit of his antago- 
 nist with such force, that it came out on the 
 other side. With a loud exclamation of Jesus 
 Maria ! the hussar sank from his horse, and 
 was instantly dead. What a pity that he 
 could not die thus for his Emperor ! I took 
 care afterwards to have him buried under a 
 tree by our men. 
 
 Stuhlweissenburg was also occupied by our 
 troops without any serious action. We now 
 pursued incessantly the fugitive foe, who, after 
 the defeat at Moor, never attempted any serious 
 resistance. The corps of the Ban marched 
 by what is called the Fleischhackerstrasse 
 (Butcher Road), because the large droves of 
 cattle from southern Hungary are mostly 
 driven along it to Austria. 
 
 As I am tolerably well acquainted with the 
 Hungarian language, it again fell to my lot to 
 form with a detachment of eighty men a re- 
 connoitring patrole, that was to scour the 
 country on all sides — a duty, productive of 
 
IN HUNGARY. 83 
 
 honour, it is true, but also of danger and of 
 great hardships. From twelve to sixteen hours 
 a day we were scarcely ever out of the saddle. 
 
 New-year's day was one which I shall 
 never forget — so doleful a day was it for me. 
 Let me tell you what befel me on it. 
 
 When, in the autumn of last year, we were 
 about to break up from Croatia, and the whole 
 frontier was striving to furnish the Emperor 
 with as many combatants as possible, the pen- 
 sioned German widow of a captain, whose 
 husband had fallen many years ago in light 
 with predatory Bosnians, brought her only 
 son, a fresh, lively, stout lad, of scarcely six- 
 teen, who had from childhood been carefully 
 exercised in arms. He was gladly received 
 as a cadet in the hussars, learned the duty in 
 a short time, and behaved on all occasions 
 extremely well. 
 
 I began to be very fond of the ingenuous, 
 spirited youth. On the march back through 
 Hungary, before Vienna, and also at Moor, 
 he had fought gallantly, borne all fatigues 
 with the unconcern of youth, and his promo- 
 tion to officer must soon have followed. He 
 
84 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 would perhaps have acquired a brilliant posi- 
 tion in the army, for he had all the qualities 
 for it. 
 
 On New-year's day, he rode forward on 
 patrole with three hussars, while the rest of 
 us awaited their return by a great watch-fire. 
 They had been so long absent, that I began 
 to be uneasy. At length, one of the hussars 
 came at full speed towards us, bleeding, and 
 with a wild look. While yet in the saddle, 
 he informed me that they had proceeded 
 rather too far, when a band of savage honvöds 
 suddenly rushed upon them from all sides, 
 and surrounded them. He himself had suc- 
 ceeded in fighting his way through, but the 
 cadet and the two other hussars were taken 
 prisoners. 
 
 Conducted by this hussar, we proceeded 
 with all the speed we could over ground in- 
 tersected by wood and bushes, in pursuit of 
 the honvods, to take the prisoners from them. 
 On coming to a small clearance, what an ap- 
 palling spectacle met our view ! Stripped 
 stark naked, mangled with innumerable 
 wounds, there lay the bodies of the two hus- 
 
IN HUNGARY. 85 
 
 sars ; but the cadet, also completely stripped, 
 was bound to a tree, after the monsters had 
 with their hand-bills, which all of them carry, 
 chopped off both his hands at the wrist. In 
 this condition, he was left to bleed to death 
 slowly ; but the intense frost had congealed 
 the blood, and he was still alive and perfectly 
 sensible, when we came to him. 
 
 It was truly appalling to see the poor boy, 
 who strove with manly fortitude to conquer 
 his pains, and only broke out now and then 
 into a slight moan, which penetrated so much 
 the deeper into our hearts. We cautiously 
 unbound him, and laid him upon a bed formed 
 of our cloaks — this was all that we could do 
 for him at the moment. 
 
 With faint voice, frequently interrupted, he 
 related to me that the honvods had first cut 
 down the two hussars, and then required him 
 to give them information concerning our posi- 
 tion and force. . When he refused to comply, 
 they stripped him to his shirt, they beat him 
 severely with sticks, then chopped off his 
 hands, and tied him to the tree, and at last 
 went off laughing and singing. 
 
86 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 It was now heartrending to hear how ear- 
 nestly he implored me to shoot him, and put 
 an end to his misery. " What should I live 
 for without hands, if it were possible that I 
 could recover ?" said he. " Shoot me dead, 
 I beg of you ; kill me at once." 
 
 Compliance with this request was as unne- 
 cessary as it was impossible. Death, the de- 
 liverer, was fast approaching. His breath 
 already became weaker, his eyes glazed ; it 
 was evident that in a few moments his spirit 
 would be summoned away ; when he rallied 
 once more, and asked me, while kneeling be- 
 side his bed, in a tolerably loud voice, which 
 could be heard by part of the hussars who 
 stood around, " I am dying like a brave sol- 
 dier for the Emperor — am I not ?" 
 
 When with entire conviction I assured him 
 of this, he was evidently rejoiced, and said, 
 " Write to my mother that I have fallen like 
 a brave soldier for the Emperor : this will 
 comfort her in her sorrow; and send her a lock 
 of my hair." Here his voice sunk to a faint 
 whisper, and he was a corpse. 
 
 It was long since I had wept ; but now, 
 
IN HUNGARY. 87 
 
 between grief and rage, my tears flowed pro- 
 fusely: this was also the case with many 
 of the men. As it was now too late for pur- 
 suit, and began to be dusk, and we durst 
 not venture too far from the main body, we 
 bivouacked on the spot, after we had suffi- 
 ciently secured ourselves against a surprise. 
 We thawed the ground under an oak with 
 large fires, so that we could scoop out a grave 
 with our bills, and there laid the three man- 
 gled bodies with all the solemnity we could. 
 We waved our swords over the grave, and 
 clashed them together; because, for obvious 
 reasons, we were obliged to forego salutes 
 with our carbines. In the bark of the oak we 
 carved a cross and the initials of the names 
 of the persons here interred, vowing to revenge 
 their death upon the enemy to the utmost of 
 our power. 
 
 Of course such scenes, and the horrible 
 cruelties in general practised by a part of the 
 honvods upon all who fell into their hands, 
 did not tend to produce in our men a kindly 
 disposition towards the enemy. The officers 
 had often great difficulty to persuade the sol- 
 
88 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 diers that they ought to give quarter to the 
 enemy, and they always rushed into battle 
 with the most terrific fury. 
 
 Among these honvods, indeed, there are all 
 sorts of ruffians. Many battalions and squa- 
 drons of them are well organized, consist 
 principally of peasants possessing landed pro- 
 perty, are commanded by gentlemen, kept in 
 good discipline, and are not guilty of such 
 excesses. Other divisions are composed of 
 the inmates of jails and houses of correction, 
 which Kossuth has entirely emptied. 
 
 The numerous robbers that always infested 
 Hungary play a prominent part. By these 
 are perpetrated acts of pillage, and atrocities 
 of the most barbarous kind ; and they make 
 little distinction to which party a person be- 
 longs, plundering Magyar families as well as 
 others. Though it admits not of a doubt that 
 we shall soon put an end to this insurrection, 
 a long time may elapse before these bands of 
 robbers are exterminated. 
 
 The regular troops which are now with 
 Kossuth, and especially their officers, have 
 naturally but little intercourse with these in- 
 
IN HUNGARY. 89 
 
 famous allies, and strive to keep them at a 
 distance as much as possible. There are, be- 
 sides, to be found in the Magyar armies ad- 
 venturers of all nations, invested with officers' 
 appointments ; for, upon the whole, every one 
 willing to bear arms against us was gladly 
 received by Kossuth, even though he came 
 direct from the gallows. 
 
 An Hungarian gentleman who was taken pri- 
 soner, and made no secret of it how ardently he 
 wished victory to the insurrection, spoke with 
 profound indignation of many of Kossuth's 
 officers, and called them plumply rogues and 
 vagabonds, whose only object was booty, and 
 to be obliged to serve with whom was a severe 
 ordeal for an honourable man. It is comic 
 enough that, in this self-styled army of liberty, 
 the cane rules more arbitrarily than in the 
 Austrian army itself, as we have been re- 
 peatedly assured by prisoners. Flogging is 
 practised there with cruel severity. 
 
 In the head-quarters of the rebels, things 
 upon the whole are reported to be conducted 
 very despotically; and Kossuth, and still 
 more his wife and their numerous retinue, are 
 
90 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 said to make such pretensions as if they be- 
 longed to the imperial family itself. An 
 hussar who did not present his sword before 
 the carriage of Madame Kossuth has been for 
 that omission tied up and received his full 
 twenty-five, as he himself told me, and his 
 comrades confirmed what he said. The offi- 
 cers also are reported to behave brutally 
 towards their subordinates : and, upon the 
 whole, dissension and confusion reign in the 
 ranks of the insurgents. 
 
 The Magyars will not obey the Polish offi- 
 cers whom Kossuth has engaged ; so that he 
 has been obliged to send General Bern, indis- 
 putably the ablest leader in the whole insur- 
 rectionary army, to the Szeklers in Transyl- 
 vania. The inordinate pride of birth of the 
 Magyar nobles shows itself in all its presump- 
 tion ; and in the well disciplined divisions of 
 the army, nobles alone are appointed officers. 
 The free corps, it is true, are not so strict; and 
 in the so-called " Tirolese honvöd battalion," 
 raised by a man who formerly kept a pot- 
 house, persons who had been equestrian per- 
 formers, actors, croupiers at gaming-tables, 
 
IN HUNGARY. 91 
 
 are appointed as officers. The second com- 
 mandant of this corps was formerly an officer 
 in the imperial service, who was cashiered for 
 a vulgar theft, and sentenced to ten years' 
 confinement in the house of correction. The 
 internal disunity and dissension must also 
 have been the chief cause that Pesth was 
 abandoned to us without resistance ; for the 
 Magyar cannot be denied courage, especially 
 in an impetuous attack in the open field. 
 
92 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 LETTER VI. 
 
 Capture of a Convoy by the Writer's party — Merry- 
 making in Bivouac — Scene described — Kossuth, after con- 
 structing extensive works near Buda, retreats precipitately 
 without resistance — Entry of the Imperial Army into 
 Pesth — Wretched roads in Hungary in Spring. 
 
 Two days' march before Pesth, I made a 
 fine prize with my roving corps. We dis- 
 covered that a honvod division of about a 
 hundred men were escorting a convoy of four 
 waggons. Though I had not more than sixty 
 men with me, I resolved, if possible, to secure 
 those vehicles. 
 
 Taking by-ways and riding swiftly, we 
 gained a start, placed ourselves in ambush, 
 and fell with loud shouts upon the startled 
 escort, which had not expected any attack 
 from that quarter. Some of the honvods, 
 indeed, put themselves in a posture of defence; 
 the horse of one of my hussars was shot; two 
 of them received slight wounds ; a ball went 
 
IN HUNGARY. 93 
 
 through my cloak ; but presently the enemy 
 fled, and left us the convoy for our booty. 
 
 The waggons contained principally provi- 
 sions of all sorts, but also a quantity of 
 woollen horse-cloths, which were very accept- 
 able. At last there was discovered a hamper 
 with fifty bottles of genuine champagne, pro- 
 bably ordered by a superior officer of the 
 insurgents. Great was the exultation among 
 my soldiers, not one of whom had ever tasted 
 champagne in his life. The necks of the 
 bottles were quickly chopped off, and the 
 sweet foaming wine drunk in eager draughts. 
 It was much liked, though many declared that 
 they would rather have had sklikowitz (plum- 
 brandy). 
 
 We made our bivouac on the spot where 
 we had taken the waggons ; and here ensued 
 scenes full of animation and mirth. Huge 
 fires were kindled as usual, for it was yet 
 pretty cold, and the men fell to boiling and 
 roasting, to their hearts' content. A patrole 
 had accidentally picked up five gipsies, with 
 a couple of girls. These people, provided with 
 instruments, played up; and my hussars, clat- 
 
94 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 tering with their spurs, snapping their fingers, 
 danced half the night on the hard-frozen 
 ground, which formed a capital floor for the 
 purpose. All was gaiety and merriment; 
 and yet we imagined that, in the next days, 
 we should have hot work in the reduction of 
 Pesth and Buda. But the soldier enjoys the 
 present moment, reckless what the morrow 
 may produce. 
 
 I too yielded to the seductive influence of 
 the moment, and danced several rounds with 
 the handsome Seressan girl, whom I have 
 already mentioned. Then, shoving my saddle 
 under my head, wrapping myself in a woollen 
 coverlet, I lay down by the watch-fire, to con- 
 template the scene about me. 
 
 Above, the dark wintry firmament, with its 
 sparkling stars, reddened in the distance by 
 the glare of a conflagration, such as we saw 
 almost every day — for Kossuth's bands burned 
 in their retreat many dwellings, and even vil- 
 lages inhabited by Germans and Slaaves — in 
 a wide circle around me, our horses, com- 
 pletely covered with their warm cloths, either 
 stretched at full length, or feeding out of their 
 
IN HUNGARY. 95 
 
 nose-bags, part of them of course saddled and 
 bridled, ready at the first signal to bear their 
 riders against the enemy. Near me, tinged 
 by the bright blazing fire, the dancing hus- 
 sars, in their white cloaks, all hale fellows, 
 with dark expressive countenances, black eyes, 
 and the lower part of the face covered with a 
 thick black beard. 
 
 The few Seressans whom I still had with 
 me — on account of the extraordinary service 
 they render in scouting patroles, the uncom- 
 mon acuteness of their senses, and their pecu- 
 liar dexterity — lay asleep by the fire, wrapped 
 in their red and brown hooded cloaks ; for 
 they were elderly men, and had ceased to have 
 any taste for dancing and noisy mirth. Add 
 to all this the tones of the gipsy music, which 
 was not amiss, and the shouting, the singing, 
 the snapping, the clattering of my men. 
 
 At a distance was heard occasionally the 
 cry of our vedettes, and here and there, from 
 the recesses of the woods, the howling of 
 wolves, which are still tolerably numerous in 
 Hungary. For those animals this year was a 
 propitious one; many a dead horse, and like- 
 
96 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 wise many a human corse, found its way into 
 their never-sated maws. 
 
 About midnight my order put an end to the 
 dancing, for the men could not be allowed to 
 w T aste their strength to no purpose ; and all 
 whose duty did not keep them waking were 
 soon stretched by the watch-fire, sleeping the 
 sound sleep of the weary, which the soldier 
 always does in the field. 
 
 Shortly before the morning dawn, we others, 
 alarmed by a vedette, which made the signal 
 for an attack, were prepared for it, and in our 
 saddles in a few minutes. It proved to be a 
 false alarm : no enemy made his appearance, 
 and so we could take a few more hours' rest, 
 before we broke up, in order to get sight 
 about noon of the steeples of Buda in the 
 distance. 
 
 It was believed throughout the whole army 
 that the insurgents would concentrate them- 
 selves before Buda, and attempt to make as 
 long a stand as possible in that town and in 
 Pesth, which is connected with it. All of us 
 looked forward to a decisive engagement here, 
 and made every preparation for it. In pom- 
 
IN HUNGARY. 97 
 
 pous phrases, the radical Hungarian news- 
 papers, which, be it observed by the way, lied 
 more impudently, and boasted more absurdly, 
 than the Vienna papers themselves during the 
 October insurrection, proclaimed that Buda 
 would be another Saragossa, and that there 
 the Imperial army of Austria would find its 
 destruction. 
 
 For months together entrenchments had 
 been constructing, and much property of in- 
 dustrious families laid waste. And now, when 
 the trial came, all this had been done for no- 
 thing. Kossuth was afraid of getting between 
 two fires ; the majority of the population of 
 Buda and Pesth, who had sufficiently learned 
 his character, and had seen through his am- 
 bitious schemes, was wholly adverse to him 
 and his party. Had we therefore made an 
 attack from without, he must have appre- 
 hended that a party within was rising against 
 him; and it is not improbable that this consi- 
 deration contributed much to his retreat, re- 
 sembling a flight, to Debreczin. 
 
 When our scouts informed us that the 
 entrenchments near Buda were wholly un- 
 
 E 
 
98 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 occupied, and that Kossuth's army was fleeing 
 from Pesth, we could not give any credit to 
 the report. Cautiously and still apprehen- 
 sive of treachery, or an ambuscade of some 
 kind, we approached the city; but the report 
 was perfectly correct ; with the exception of 
 individual laggards, we found not a single 
 defender in all the works ; and we soon re- 
 ceived certain intelligence from the city, that 
 we could enter without molestation. To many 
 in our army who were eager for fighting, this 
 was a great disappointment. Many of our 
 divisions had not had an opportunity, since 
 Vienna, to fire a single shot at the enemy. 
 
 It was a fine sight when, on the 6th of 
 January, we marched over the great bridge of 
 boats from Buda to Pesth, to make our entry 
 into the first city of Hungary. All possible 
 preparations had been made, and the bands of 
 several regiments played with animation the 
 Austrian national hymn. We were greeted 
 with loud Eljens ! and handkerchiefs waved 
 from the windows of very many houses. It 
 was a day of universal rejoicing. The many 
 thousand Germans and Slaaves who compose 
 
IN HUNGARY. 99 
 
 half the population of those two cities made 
 bitter complaints of the ill-treatment which 
 they had suffered from the partisans of Kos- 
 suth. Whoever is acquainted with the coarse 
 haughtiness of the Hungarian nobles, and the 
 savage character of Magyar peasants, will not 
 be surprised at this. 
 
 It was an extraordinary sensation for me 
 to sleep once more in a bed, and to be able 
 to pull off my clothes. This had not been 
 the case since the 21st of November, when 
 we marched away from Vienna. Upon the 
 whole, the incessant advanced post duty, and 
 the continual . patroles, have so harassed men 
 and horses, that we need repose. This rest 
 will not be long; for, though the complete 
 suppression of the rebellion is to be antici- 
 pated, the business may still be protracted for 
 weeks. The many plains of Hungary, the 
 districts of the Cumanes and Jazj^ges, the 
 seats of the genuine Magyar race, will hence- 
 forth be the theatre of war; and there, so 
 clever, shrewd, and at the same time energetic 
 man as Kossuth, will find many resources, if 
 he is resolved to play a desperate game. 
 
 * 2 
 
100 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 After all, the best allies of the insurgents 
 are the wretched roads ; in spring, when the 
 thaws commence, they are almost bottom- 
 less, and impede every operation. In par- 
 ticular, the transport of artillery, in which 
 arm we are so superior to the insurgents, is 
 attended with prodigious exertions. Hun- 
 dreds of poor horses, employed in this service, 
 are driven to death, and you advance very 
 slowly, or not at all; so that the General never 
 can execute a plan with certainty. 
 
 We hussars, on our light horses, are less 
 cramped by the miserable roads : at least, our 
 enemies, who are mounted and organized in 
 the same manner as we, are subject to the 
 same inconveniences that we experience. In 
 these Hungarian affairs, it is a fine thing to 
 belong to the cavalry ; and let us only get to 
 the extensive plains, which seem to be made 
 for cavalry actions, and we shall be found 
 capable of doing good service. 
 
 My next letter will, I hope, be dated from 
 Debreczin; the place where, in early youth, my 
 military career commenced. 
 
IN HUNGARY. 101 
 
 LETTER VII. 
 
 Hardships of advanced post service — The Writers pic- 
 ture of himself — Frequent actions with the Magyars — 
 Sharp combat at Gyöngiös — Excellence of the Hungarian 
 cavalry — Quality of the Austrian army — Cruel necessity 
 of having to fight against former friends and comrades ex- 
 emplified — Eemarkable meeting of the Writer with hussars 
 of his old regiment — Brief occasional suspension of hos- 
 tilities between the advanced posts of the two armies — Ex- 
 treme animosity of both parties in fight — Diminished im- 
 portance of cavalry in war. 
 
 It frequently appears incomprehensible to 
 me that I am yet alive, and have not even one 
 crippled limb about my body. What hardships 
 I have encountered during the last weeks, 
 what dangers I have escaped, are not to be 
 described. 
 
 As I am still employed with the advanced 
 troops, which of late have unfortunately become 
 too often the rear-guard of our corps, and as 
 I am in general roving about with my little 
 
102 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 troop, difficulties and dangers fall in double 
 measure to our lot. I had long forgotten 
 what a bed, what a chair was like; and I never 
 had my clothes off, ever since our departure 
 from Pesth till the day before yesterday ; when, 
 on account of the excessive fatigue of our 
 horses — for of course no regard was paid to 
 us men — it was found absolutely necessary to 
 grant them a few days' rest. 
 
 But how do I look myself? — frightful, 
 hideous. I could not forbear laughing, when 
 I first saw my figure again in the glass. A 
 long beard covered chin, cheeks, and lips, 
 forming not the most graceful curls, the hair of 
 the head wretchedly cut by an hussar; the 
 forehead bound with a black handkerchief, on 
 account of a slight cut which I had received 
 from an Hungarian hussar, a few days before ; 
 my white cloak covered with spots, gray, 
 black, brown, and yellow, marbled with streaks 
 of blood, in holes from sword-cuts, balls, and 
 firebrands of the bivouac ; the tschako cut 
 through and bent; instead of the neat tscliismen, 
 clumsy fisherman's boots, over the trousers, 
 having a broad border of leather; and the 
 
IN HUNGARY. 103 
 
 black and yellow sash, stripped of all its 
 fringe. 
 
 My sword, from the many strokes that it 
 has dealt and parried, is full of notches and 
 covered with rusty blood-stains ; my excellent 
 Ali, my noble charger, is dry as a cat, and de- 
 prived of one ear; but, at the same time, 
 like his master — God be praised ! — fresh and 
 hearty, and always ready for new conflicts. 
 My soldiers, too, bear up stoutly, but look 
 still more like a band of robbers than I do 
 like a captain of banditti. 
 
 More than half of those whom I had at first 
 along with me have, it is true, fallen or are 
 severely wounded, and my little corps has re- 
 peatedly required completing. Well; this 
 great empire has still abundance of men ; 
 even though all who are here should perish, 
 the Emperor will always obtain more soldiers. 
 Human life sinks prodigiously in value, when 
 one has, like us, lived for a year in continual 
 war. 
 
 As we are always in the immediate neigh- 
 bourhood of the enemy, and our vedettes are 
 frequently placed not above a mile from his 
 
104 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 advanced posts, we have had to sustain in- 
 numerable fights, particularly of late. Scarcely 
 a day passes, on which we have not been en- 
 gaged, on a greater or a smaller scale, with 
 the enemy's hussars ; and we often enjoyed 
 this treat in the morning for breakfast, and 
 again in the evening — nay, some days were 
 wholly passed in incessant skirmishing. 
 
 Frequently it was only a few sword-cuts that 
 individual horsemen exchanged with one ano- 
 ther, or the advanced posts sent for variety's 
 sake a few carbine balls to and fro ; or the 
 point was to execute or to repel some cunningly 
 devised attack. But sometimes the matter 
 was more serious ; real battles were fought, 
 and the cannon roared lustily the while. Many 
 a rider had to exchange his seat in the saddle 
 for ever, for a bed in the cold ground. 
 
 The more important actions were some of 
 them very sanguinary ; for both parties fought 
 with the greatest courage and inexpressible 
 animosity. Thus, at Gyöngiös, I saw two 
 squadrons of Kossuth's hussars charge three 
 times, in order to break into a square of our in- 
 fantry : twice were they repulsed by the calm, 
 
IN HUNGARY. 105 
 
 steady fire of our men ; horses and riders had 
 fallen in files ; when they made a third charge, 
 amidst loud shouts of " Huzzah ! eljen, eljen, 
 Kossuth r dashed at full speed, utterly re- 
 gardless of our fire, broke the square, and 
 plied their sharp swords with destructive fury. 
 Unfortunately, being ourselves at the moment 
 engaged with a superior body of the enemy's 
 cavalry, we could not go to the assistance of 
 our gallant comrades. Though, after a hot 
 contest, we retained the field of battle, our 
 loss was not inconsiderable. 
 
 It is not to be denied that the greater part 
 of the insurgents, and their cavalry in parti- 
 cular, fight valiantly, and display a courage and 
 an address which are the prominent character- 
 istics of the good soldier. What are those 
 prating, boasting, cowardly Italians to these 
 bold Magyars and death-defying Poles ! With 
 the exception of part of the Sardinian army, 
 especially the Piedmontese regiments, all these 
 so-called soldiers of the so-called republics 
 are not wortli so much as four regiments of 
 Hungarian hussars. 
 
 But it is a question whether, in spite of the 
 
 f5 
 
106 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 gallant and clever defence of the enemy, we 
 might not have been more successful, if mat- 
 ters had been managed differently in the 
 highest quarter. The spirit of our soldiers, 
 with very few exceptions, continues to be the 
 best ; and, in the firm endurance of the endless 
 hardships which this campaign brought with 
 it, they have performed things almost incre- 
 dible. Yes, our army is brave and faithful ; the 
 good old spirit still lives in it; and under ju- 
 dicious guidance and direction, very much may 
 still be accomplished with it. 
 
 Should it be decreed in the book of Fate 
 that the power of Austria shall be dissolved ; 
 that this once so proud empire shall be over- 
 turned, our army must first be destroyed — 
 annihilated. So long as this subsists, so long 
 as it adheres firmly together, so long will Aus- 
 tria stand unshaken. She must support her- 
 self upon her bayonets : these have not yet 
 begun to waver — all other props are rotten, and 
 of little value. 
 
 But to return to the details of my life, 
 since my last letter. — It would be too tedious 
 to describe all the petty actions in which I 
 
IN HUNGARY. 107 
 
 have since been engaged. We frequently 
 drove back the Magyars, and were sometimes 
 repulsed by them when the fortune of war so 
 willed it. Doleful scenes there were in abun- 
 dance — rarely cheering ones. 
 
 The buoyant joyousness with which we 
 entered into the war is much damped, and 
 has given place to a manly sobriety. Jovial 
 war and drinking-songs are now heard but 
 seldom, and on particular occasions, in our 
 bivouacs. They proceed in general from in- 
 dividuals only ; the majority are too fatigued 
 or out of humour. Almost every day are 
 coming accounts that this or the other friend 
 or gallant comrade has met with death from 
 the enemy's balls or swords, or that he is lying 
 severely wounded. The incessant recurrence 
 of such tidings must in the end depress the 
 spirits. 
 
 Of late, too, it is not forward that we have 
 moved ; but a great way backward that we 
 have had to go ; and that is a galling word 
 to the ear of the brave soldier, which is apt 
 to rob him of all disposition to cheerfulness. 
 Now, it is to be hoped that we shall move 
 
108 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 forward, steadily forward, and make amends 
 for previous omissions. 
 
 But it is impossible to foresee when this 
 unhappy war is to end. The Hungarians will 
 keep it up to the last extremity ; it will yet 
 cost one cannot tell how much blood, till 
 Austria can consider all Hungary and Tran- 
 sylvania as completely conquered provinces. 
 And whenever this takes place, an army of 
 Jfty thousand men must be left in the country, 
 to extinguish any flame that may burst forth 
 from the fire, w 7 hich will long, very long, smoul- 
 der under the ashes. 
 
 But what is this to us inferior officers ! If 
 any faults have been committed, it is not by 
 us, neither have w r e to answer for them : our 
 duty is only to fight for the honour of the 
 Austrian colours, and that we will faithfully, 
 till our latest breath. 
 
 What has of late frequently rendered fight- 
 ing extremely unpleasant to me has been, that 
 I so often found myself opposed to hussars of 
 the regiment to which I formerly belonged, and 
 that I have been repeatedly obliged to battle 
 with them in good earnest. Thus, I was once 
 
IN HUNGARY. 109 
 
 nearly a day skirmishing with a troop of ca- 
 valry, chiefly composed of hussars of the squa- 
 dron to which for yearslhad formerly belonged. 
 
 A corporal of my company, whom I had 
 myself clothed and trained, now commanded 
 as officer; and it cannot be denied that he did 
 his business cleverly. I myself shot through 
 the head, with my pistol, an old hussar, who 
 had known me when still a cadet, and from 
 whom I gained much practical knowledge. 
 He dropped from his horse immediately. He 
 had fired at me twice, and his balls had passed 
 through my cloak and through the flourishing 
 tail of my horse. With another hussar, who had 
 long been my private servant, I was engaged in 
 a longer single combat with the sword. Both 
 cut away stoutly, but at last separated without 
 either having done the other much harm. 
 
 Comrades of other days, with whom I had 
 emptied so many a bottle, with whom I had 
 played or chatted so many an hour, with whom 
 I had had so many a wild nocturnal ride, when 
 returning from the convivial halls of Gallician 
 mansions to our distant villages — these were 
 now arrayed as bitter enemies against me. 
 
110 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 One of their hussars, with whom I had 
 formerly been well acquainted, once called out 
 to me in Hungarian, in the midst of an action: 
 " Formerly you were my brave officer, and I 
 was attached to you ; now you are the enemy 
 of my country, and I'll shoot you." At the 
 same moment he fired his pistol at me, and 
 galloped off; the ball whizzing past my 
 head. 
 
 A few days afterwards I again met with 
 hussars of my former regiment in a singular 
 manner. The petty advanced post fights and 
 skirmishes had been so incessant and so haras- 
 sing, particularly for the horses, that both 
 parties necessarily required some rest ; and so 
 a kind of truce ensued between the corps 
 opposed to each other. Our vedettes were 
 posted about two thousand paces distant from 
 each other, both parties equally unconcerned 
 about an attack, at least about any secret sur- 
 prise ; for to all a day's rest was far more 
 agreeable than fighting. 
 
 We were upon short commons, as we had 
 long been : our supplies were very scanty, for 
 there was not much to be picked up in the 
 
IN HUNGARY. Ill 
 
 extensive plains where we then were ; as the 
 Magyars had carried off all the provisions 
 they could, or concealed, or even destroyed 
 them. 
 
 I looked, therefore, rather disconsolate, 
 when I saw my men cooking the everlasting 
 mamaliga (Indian meal porridge) at the 
 watch-fire. This is of itself rather insipid 
 food ; but when you are confined to it for 
 weeks together, with scarcely any variation, 
 it becomes absolutely disgusting ; and I shall 
 think of this mamaliga as long as I live. 
 Neither was there much sklikowitz in our 
 tschuttoras ; and so we sat in no very good 
 humour around our slender watch-fire, swal- 
 lowing our meal porridge, and washing it 
 down with bad water. 
 
 Our adversaries must have been, as they 
 generally were, better supplied with provisions 
 of all kinds. The sounds of their laughter 
 and singing rang in our ears like derision. I 
 saw two hussars waving a white cloth, as a 
 signal for us to come to them. 
 
 Curious to learn what they meant, I ap- 
 proached, and recognised in them two soldiers 
 
112 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 of my old squadron. On my coming up to them, 
 they saluted me respectfully ; said they had 
 excellent provisions, a cask of wine, and a fat 
 hog ; and, as they knew that we had not much 
 that was good, they came to ask me to accept 
 part of their store. As I perceived that I had 
 before us genuine Magyars, who, when not 
 excited, always act honourably, I thankfully 
 accepted their offer, and sent a couple of hus- 
 sars over to them. 
 
 The hussars soon returned, laden with about 
 forty quarts of good Hungarian wine and a 
 quarter of a pig ; and it was not long before 
 my soldiers were feasting in high glee, quite 
 forgetting that they had received this treat 
 from an enemy, with whom, in a few hours, 
 they might be fighting for life and death. 
 One civility is worthy of another ; so, when 
 our meal was over, I took a large bladder of 
 fine Turkish tobacco, of which I still possessed 
 a tolerable stock, and which I knew from 
 experience the Hungarian hussars to be very 
 fond of, and went towards the enemy's bivouac 
 fire. An hussar came forward, to serve me as 
 a guide. 
 
IN HUNGARY. 113 
 
 As soon as I approached the fire, the whole 
 of the men on guard, about fifty hussars of 
 my former regiment, rose respectfully; saluted 
 me in the same manner as if I was still their 
 officer ; and were delighted when I acquainted 
 them with the object of my visit, and deli- 
 vered the tobacco to the grey-bearded veteran 
 who acted as commander, 
 
 I conversed for a few moments with the 
 hussars, most of whom I personally knew, and 
 asked them why they had left their colours 
 to fight against their king. " That we do not," 
 replied they very seriously ; " Ferdinand is 
 still our king, and we would have him remain 
 so ; but the country must not be divided among 
 Croatians and Germans, such as the Ban Jel- 
 lachich and Windischgrätz choose to give it to." 
 
 I laughed, and assured them that nobody 
 had ever thought of such a thing : but they 
 declared that Kossuth had said so ; that what 
 he said was true ; that they would do every 
 thing that he commanded ; and that their 
 captain and colonel also had enjoined them to 
 do all that Kossuth directed. 
 
 I asked them whether I had not formerly 
 
114 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 treated them as kindly as the captain, who 
 had dispensed so many floggings. " Better, 
 much better," they exclaimed ! " You are an 
 excellent man, but you are a German, and the 
 captain is an Hungarian, and so we had rather 
 do what he orders." 
 
 One of them said : " You have been a good 
 officer, and, when we take you prisoner, we 
 will use you well." I laughed, and replied, 
 " You may be sure that I shall not let you 
 take me prisoner, but be cut in pieces first." 
 The old soldier acting as commandant of the 
 watch patted me familiarly on the shoulder, 
 and said gravely : " You are right ; who- 
 ever has had the honour to command us for- 
 merly as officer, must now not let us catch 
 him." 
 
 On departing, many of them extended their 
 hands to me, and they shouted a thundering 
 Eljen! eljen! as I withdrew. In a few hours, 
 a detachment of the Polish legion relieved the 
 Hungarians, and attacked us the same evening 
 with such fury, that we could scarcely keep 
 our ground. 
 
 Such suspensions of arms at the advanced 
 
IN HUNGARY. 115 
 
 posts were not practicable, unless with what 
 had formerly been regular troops, or well 
 disciplined konvod battalions or squadrons. 
 There were divisions in the Magyar army 
 which it would have been very dangerous to 
 trust, even for a moment. If an advanced 
 post division on either side wished for a few 
 hours' truce, it caused the signal for foddering 
 to sound. If this was answered from the op- 
 posite side, the truce was concluded ; if not, 
 it was rejected. If hostilities were to recom- 
 mence, the signal for saddling was blown ; and 
 in a few minutes the attack began, or at least 
 might be begun. 
 
 Notwithstanding this mutual, amicable 
 agreement, both parties fought with extreme 
 animosity, and giving or accepting quarter 
 was very rarely thought of. The Magyars 
 scarcely ever accept quarter : many of them 
 have been taught to believe that Windisch- 
 grätz has both thumbs of all prisoners chopped 
 off, to render them unfit for military service ; 
 and our soldiers, who well knew how many 
 unfortunate prisoners had been inhumanly 
 slaughtered by individual battalions of savage 
 
1 1 6 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 honvöds, preferred fighting to the last gasp to 
 surrendering their swords. 
 
 How often have I seen, on our side as well 
 as on that of the Magyars, a horseman com- 
 pletely covered with blood, defending himself 
 with desperation against great odds, and suf- 
 fering himself to be cut down from his horse 
 before he would accept quarter ! I have my- 
 self once had to sustain the attack of three 
 mounted honvöds for half an hour ; and saved 
 myself at last only by my Ali, who lost an ear 
 in the fray, making a prodigious leap over a 
 ditch, across which my antagonists could not 
 follow me. From this affair, I brought away 
 only a slight wound in the forehead. It 
 would have been much deeper, had not a silk 
 handkerchief which I had in my tschako broken 
 the chief force of the stroke. 
 
 It was a fine sight, such a combat of horse 
 soldiers, man against man, in which strength, 
 courage, and dexterity display themselves. 
 In this Hungarian campaign, in which the 
 cavalry was in general of such prominent im- 
 portance, this treat was profusely afforded to 
 us partisan corps and advanced post troops. 
 
IN HUNGARY. 117 
 
 In other situations, these fights are becoming 
 less frequent : all firearms are now so im- 
 proved, that the cavalry is thrown more and 
 more into the background. This relic of 
 chivalry is wholly disappearing. If I had 
 sons who were determined to be soldiers, I 
 would put them into the artillery or the en- 
 gineers ; on these the issue of battles will 
 more and more depend. 
 
 This, indeed, is not the country for them. 
 The roads are so bottomless that the artillery 
 is either not to be moved forward at all, or 
 not without the greatest exertions. Sixteen 
 or eighteen horses are often harnessed to a 
 single piece, and then it can scarcely be 
 dragged from the spot. The wretched and 
 often impassable roads are, upon the whole, 
 of great advantage to the Magyars. With 
 their small, light, active hussar horses 
 they can get on every where incomparably 
 better than our cuirassiers, on their heavy, 
 unwieldy beasts. The poor cuirassier horses 
 often appear to suffer sadly. Nevertheless, 
 precisely the cuirassier regiments, especially 
 the regiments of Hardeg, Auersperg, Wall- 
 
1 1 8 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 moden, and Prince of Prussia, have done a 
 great deal in this campaign, and gained them- 
 selves high reputation. 
 
 We hussars are upon a par with the enemy 
 in respect to getting forward ; and, as there 
 is a considerable want of light cavalry, our 
 services have been in great request, so that 
 we have often been obliged to remain in the 
 saddle night and day. 
 
 But how cheerfully I should bear it all, did 
 not this accursed war bring with it scenes 
 that have harrowed my soul ! Yes ! in these 
 last weeks I have had to endure profound 
 sorrows. 
 
 I will tell you more about this in my next. 
 
IN HUNGARY. 119 
 
 LETTER VIII. 
 
 Action with a Honvöd corps — A military field hospital 
 — Painful meeting of the Writer with an old friend — Af- 
 fecting death scene of St Serious affair with a body 
 
 of the enemy's infantry — Singular fate of the Countess 
 
 Helene, sister of Count St A halt and military 
 
 workshop. 
 
 We had — as we so often have had — a se- 
 rious engagement with the Magyars, in which 
 there were, on both sides at least, ten or twelve 
 thousand men in the fire. On this occasion, 
 the enemy again had a numerous and excellent 
 light cavalry, and had the skill to employ it 
 on ground favourable for himself; so that our 
 infantry was repeatedly exposed to the most 
 violent attacks, and had the greatest difficulty 
 to ward them off. 
 
 Two squadrons in particular, of very well 
 organized and equipped honvods, distinguished 
 themselves by their furious charges on Cro- 
 atian infantry battalions, and could at last not 
 
120 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 be compelled to retreat but by several dis- 
 charges of grape, which made dreadful havoc 
 in their ranks. 
 
 The leader of this corps, a man of tall 
 elegant figure, in the rich dress of a magnate, 
 mounted on a superb, spirited, gray stallion, 
 which he managed with great dexterity, was 
 indefatigable in always rallying his men, and 
 leading them back against our infantry. He 
 galloped to and fro with as much unconcern 
 as if the balls whizzing around him were but 
 snowballs, continually flourishing his glistening 
 blade. 
 
 The figure of the rider seemed to be well 
 known to me ; but I could not distinguish 
 his features, as we were drawn up in rear of 
 our column of infantry, at the distance of 
 some hundred paces from him. 
 
 Twice he had escaped unhurt the fire of our 
 infantry ; when, as I have already mentioned, 
 some guns, which had meanwhile come up, 
 began to fire with grape. He seemed not to 
 heed the first discharge ; for I saw him, still 
 brisk and animated as ever, galloping about at 
 the head of his men. The second must have 
 
IN HUNGARY. 121 
 
 been directed better; for when the smoke 
 cleared off, I could perceive horse and rider on 
 the ground. 
 
 At the same moment we received the signal 
 for charging. The ranks of our infantry sud- 
 denly opened, to let us pass through, and we 
 advanced at full gallop upon the enemy's horse. 
 These at first retired precipitately, to get 
 beyond the range of our cannon ; then rallied, 
 and drove us back ; we did the same by them ; 
 and so we went on, till at length, as it is usual 
 in Hungary, the whole dissolved into single 
 combats, in which man is engaged hand to 
 hand with man. 
 
 It was nearly dark when, with my troop, 
 some of whom were killed, others severely 
 wounded, I reached the main body. Scarcely 
 had we unsaddled, and, tired to death, I was 
 about to stretch myself by the watch-fire, 
 fed with the ruins of houses which had been 
 pulled down, when an infantry soldier, ap- 
 pointed to hospital duty, came to inform me 
 that an officer of the insurgents, dangerously 
 wounded and taken prisoner, having heard my 
 name, wished to speak to me. 
 
 G 
 
122 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 In spite of weariness, I immediately fol- 
 lowed my guide to the hurdle-shed, which was 
 fitted up for an hospital. Dismal was the 
 appearance of this dark, low place, scantily 
 lighted by the hand-lanterns of the surgeons 
 and attendants, who, with their blood-striped 
 sleeves tucked up high, and with aprons 
 equally bloody, were busily engaged. The 
 wounded lay close to one another upon dirty 
 straw, which in places was quite wet and slip- 
 pery from the blood upon it. Loud and gentle 
 sighs, moans, groans, gnashing of teeth, 
 mingled at times with curses, in the Bohemian, 
 Polish, Hungarian, German, and Croatian 
 languages. I was obliged to rally my cou- 
 rage, lest I should be scared back. 
 
 In the furthest corner of the long building, 
 on a bed of straw, lay the wounded pri- 
 soner, who wished to speak to me. How was 
 I shocked when the light of the attendant's 
 lantern fell upon his face, and I recognised 
 Count St ! 
 
 On our march through Croatia to Vienna, I 
 had passed two days at his mansion ; had seen 
 him in the society of two charming women — 
 
IN HUNGARY. 123 
 
 his wife and his sister — in the full enjoyment of 
 happiness ; and now, in what a state was I 
 
 doomed to find him ! St , a Magyar to 
 
 the inmost fibre of his heart, had indeed then 
 told me that he should take up arms for Kos- 
 suth ; but thus to meet him again I was not 
 at all prepared. 
 
 Kneeling by the side of my pale friend, 
 whose noble countenance bore the evident im- 
 press of speedy death, I grasped his cold hand, 
 and asked in what way I could be serviceable 
 to him. " Thank you for coming," he replied 
 in a voice scarcely audible, and this effort 
 manifestly caused him great pain ; "I heard 
 that you were here, and I sent for you. I am 
 dying; my chest is shattered. When I am 
 dead, take the pocket-book out of my uniform, 
 
 and send it to my wife, who lives at K : 
 
 it contains my will and other papers." 
 
 Here he made a long pause, during which 
 I strove to cheer him. 
 
 " Don't talk thus — 'tis of no use — we part 
 as friends — I have fought for my country — 
 you are faithful to your colours." 
 
 I pressed his hand in silence. 
 
 G 2 
 
124 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 " Where is your sister Helene ?" I at length 
 asked. 
 
 " With the army," he answered — " she is 
 fighting for Hungary." 
 
 It was now a considerable time before 
 
 St could utter a word. He moaned 
 
 gently; and a regimental surgeon, who came 
 to us, significantly made the sign of the cross 
 with his finger. 
 
 At length, after a full hour, he suddenly 
 raised himself and said, — " So — now 'tis all 
 over — salute Marie (the name of his wife) 
 — Marie !" and with that he stretched himself 
 out, his eye-strings broke, and his spirit 
 fled. 
 
 With tears in my eyes, I took, in obedience 
 to my friend's last injunction, from the breast- 
 pocket of his uniform, his pocket-book, which 
 was so steeped in blood, that the writings in 
 it had become almost illegible ; cut off several 
 locks of his fine black hair and of the curling 
 moustaches, which had always been his pride ; 
 and took the rings from his fingers ; to send 
 as speedily and as safely as possible to the un- 
 fortunate widow. The chief surgeon promised 
 
IN HUNGARY. 125 
 
 me that St should be decently buried and 
 
 alone ; and so I had done what I could. 
 
 St had been one of my most intimate 
 
 friends in the army. For years together, as 
 cadets and officers, we had been almost inse- 
 parable. I had always wished to spend a few 
 months on leave of absence upon his fine 
 estates in Hungary ; and now I had buried him 
 as my enemy ! 
 
 A few days afterwards, my heart was 
 doomed to suffer another severe wound. We 
 had been battling about with the Magyars, as 
 we so often were, on a white moor — for the 
 whole country was covered with snow. The 
 three Croatian battalions of ours had got into 
 a rather serious affair with a strong body of 
 the enemy's infantry, and had in the end 
 driven it back with the bayonet. We too 
 had pushed on pretty far, and had driven the 
 enemy's horse opposed to us from the field. 
 We had also taken some of his forage waggons, 
 with wine, bacon, and maize-flour — a most 
 welcome prize for our men. 
 
 Mine was, as usual, the forwardest troop of 
 the advanced guard, and my posts were pushed 
 
126 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 on to a considerable distance against the enemy. 
 As this part of the country was pretty well 
 stocked with growing wood, the want of 
 which we often felt most sensibly in the exten- 
 sive plains, my hussars had kindled a prodi- 
 gious fire, the flames from which rose high into 
 the air; roasted and boiled at it in high glee; 
 and circulated the wooden camp-bottles, once 
 more replenished with wine, at the same time 
 singing their songs in full chorus, as though 
 there were not an enemy far or near ; and they 
 had the happiest and pleasantest life in the 
 world. 
 
 I could not participate in this joyous mood ; 
 an obscure presentiment depressed me ; and, 
 much as I otherwise like to see my hussars 
 enjoy themselves of an evening at the watch- 
 fire, and to hear them sing, it was now disagree- 
 able to me. As I was, moreover, apprehensive 
 that my vedettes might have made too free 
 with the wine to exercise the necessary vigi- 
 lance, I took two of the Seressans with me, 
 to inspect the chain of posts on foot. All 
 the posts were watchful ; and, though I sought 
 to steal softly and cautiously upon some of 
 
IN HUNGARY. 127 
 
 them, yet they all challenged me in due time, 
 and behaved with great propriety. 
 
 Satisfied on this point, I set out, with my 
 two attendants, on my return to the watch- 
 fire, the tall flame of which flared up cheer- 
 ingly before us ; when, the moon shining 
 tolerably bright, we perceived a human figure 
 lying at the foot of a tree. 
 
 We went nearer — it was a woman, dressed 
 as a man, in the costume of an Hungarian 
 magnate ; the long hair which fell over her 
 shoulders betrayed her sex. My Seressans 
 turned her round ; and by the pale moonbeams 
 I recognised Helene, the lovely sister of my 
 
 friend St -. Inexpressible anguish thrilled 
 
 me at that moment, and I was well nigh throw- 
 ing myself upon the corpse. 
 
 Forcibly mustering my spirits, I ordered my 
 men to carry the body to the fire. There we 
 examined it more closely, and with extreme 
 anxiety I sought to ascertain whether there 
 was any hope left of reviving her. Vain hope ! 
 it was several hours since her spirit had de- 
 parted ; the ball of one of our riflemen had 
 gone through her heart. From the small red 
 
128 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 wound the blood was still oozing in single 
 drops, which I carefully caught in my hand- 
 kerchief, to be preserved as a relic. 
 
 My only consolation was that the deceased 
 could not have suffered long ; that she must 
 have expired the very moment she was struck. 
 Those pure, noble, still wondrous beautiful 
 features — on her brow dwelt peace and com- 
 posure, and the lips almost smiled. There she 
 lay as if in tranquil slumber ; and yet those 
 eyes were never more to open — those lips 
 never more to utter noble sentiments, or words 
 of kindness. 
 
 My hussars were visibly affected, and 
 thought it a pity that one so young and so 
 beautiful should die so early. Many of them, 
 who had been with me on our first march 
 through Hungary, for two days together at 
 
 St 's mansion, instantly recognised Helene, 
 
 and doubly lamented her death, because she 
 had shown such kindness to them. 
 
 We thawed by a fire the ground not far 
 from a maple-tree, and were employed nearly 
 the whole night in digging a large deep grave 
 with our hand-bills and swords. By the time 
 
IN HUNGARY. 129 
 
 the first rays of dawn appeared, we had 
 finished ; an hussar, who could do carpenter's 
 work, having meanwhile made a simple cross 
 out of the stems of two young white maples. 
 
 The corpse, in full uniform; the kolpack, 
 with plume of glistening heron's feathers on 
 the head ; the light Turkish sabre by her side ; 
 was then carefully wrapped in a clean, large 
 blanket, which we had with us, and so depo- 
 sited in the grave, which we filled up again 
 with earth. Then, regardless of caution, I 
 had a full salute fired with pistols over the 
 grave. I have preserved a small gold ring 
 and a lock of her hair for a memorial. When 
 our melancholy business was finished, we 
 moved off after the enemy, who retreated 
 rather hastily. 
 
 The tempestuous feelings that filled my 
 heart I am not able to describe. Helene had, 
 as I subsequently learned, served as aide-de- 
 camp to her maternal uncle, who commanded 
 a considerable Magyar corps, and was shot, 
 when acting in that capacity, by our soldiers 
 in the above-mentioned action. 
 
 Thus have I lost, in one week, two indivi- 
 
 g5 
 
130 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 duals so dear to me, and both opposed to me 
 as enemies; and, besides them, how many 
 esteemed comrades, on the side of the insur- 
 gents as well as ours ! how many excellent 
 officers have already been snatched from us ! 
 how cruelly the brave cuirassier regiments, in 
 particular, have suffered ! 
 
 And what has yet been gained ? Nothing — 
 absolutely nothing ! Our prospect is worse than 
 it has been for months. It costs us trouble 
 enough to keep Pesth alone ; and the march 
 to Debreczin, which I myself thought to be 
 so easy, is again far distant. 
 
 But all this must not make our courage 
 falter for a moment. We shall continue to go 
 undauntedly into fire again and again ; and, if 
 we are but ably led, there will be no want of 
 willingness on the part of our soldiers. 
 
 For the last two days, I have lain quietly, 
 with my detachment, at a solitary inn, per- 
 fectly safe from an attack of the enemy ; and 
 hence the leisure of which I avail myself to 
 pen these lines. This rest was a necessity for 
 us ; if horses, arms, clothes, were not to be 
 
IN HUNGARY. 131 
 
 utterly ruined. The place in which I am 
 writing, and what meets my eye when I raise 
 it from the paper, is so extraordinary, that I 
 must describe it. 
 
 A long, low, public room, with unpaved 
 floor, the walls blackened by the smoke of 
 the fire of the hearth, which is in one corner ; 
 the small window-panes, almost all broken, 
 and replaced by wisps of straw, so that the 
 chief light must enter at the open door. The 
 whole of the furniture consists of a table of 
 dirty wood, and a few rush-bottom chairs. 
 
 Above half of this room is occupied by a 
 vast bed of straw, on which are stretched 
 about a score of my hussars, in their now 
 grotesque-looking uniforms, in all possible 
 postures, sleeping the sound sleep of the 
 weary, and at the same time snoring and 
 snorting in disagreeable concert. 
 
 I myself, the writer of these lines, which, 
 it is to be hoped, will duly reach their desti- 
 nation, am balancing myself upon one of the 
 aforesaid rush-bottom chairs, which has but 
 three legs left, but which is the least damaged 
 of them all. My paper lies upon a corner of 
 
132 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 the table, and my pencil is moving nimbly 
 over it. 
 
 Almost close to me, upon the table, so that 
 their wide-spreading arms pass close over my 
 head, two hussars have established themselves 
 as tailors. They sew away with such spirit 
 as though they had never in their lives prac- 
 tised any other than, the noble art of tailor- 
 ing; and before them lies a large heap of 
 patched dolmans, cloaks, trousers — attesting 
 their industry. They seem, however, not to 
 possess much tact in regard to colours; for I 
 see at this moment that one of them has 
 clapped on the knee of my gray riding trou- 
 sers a reddish brown patch, probably taken 
 from an old Seressan cloak. Well ; if it only 
 lasts, the colour just now is of little conse- 
 quence. 
 
 The other end of the table is turned into 
 a saddler's workshop, where some hussars are 
 hard at work in supplying the place of da- 
 maged thongs about saddles and bridles with 
 fresh ones. The cobbler, also a dilletante in 
 his very useful profession, has squatted himself 
 on the floor ; and, as he has not leather for 
 
IN HUNGARY. 133 
 
 mending, lie takes some of the softened parts 
 of a calf's hide, from which the hair has been 
 scraped with a knife. 
 
 In the field, the grand point is to know 
 how to help one's self; and the hussars 
 thoroughly understand that art. Though in 
 garments patched with incongruous colours, 
 we shall leave our station in whole clothes 
 and boots; and so a great deal is gained. 
 
 We have also an armourer here in the room. 
 A large field -stone, which he has rolled up 
 to the hearth, serves for his anvil. He is an 
 old, weather-beaten hussar, who served for 
 many years as haiduck in a frontier country, 
 and is busily engaged in removing notches and 
 bumps from the blades and sheaths of swords. 
 He wished to exercise his skill on my Da- 
 mascus blade ; but the excellent steel with- 
 stood his tools ; and so, grumbling, he laid it 
 reluctantly aside. 
 
 But it is our cooks, who are bustling about 
 a huge kettle over the fire, that excite the 
 greatest interest. Though the house was left 
 quite deserted — for the landlord and his two 
 sons are reported to be with the insurgents, 
 
134 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 and the wife to have fled to Pesth — we disco- 
 vered a lean hog which had almost become 
 wild, and soon afterwards a cellar, containing 
 some sacks of kuku?*uz, a bag of paprika 
 (red Turkish pepper), and a small cask of 
 sklikowitz. 
 
 Great was the rejoicing. The hog soon 
 gave up the ghost, under the swords of the 
 hussars; and now there was roasting, and 
 feasting, and revelling, as in the house of 
 Ulysses. Our cooks (my handsome Seressan 
 girl is unfortunately no longer with us, but 
 has gone back to the frontiers with her father, 
 who is severely wounded) contrived to make 
 a variety of dishes, all of which, however, 
 were reducible to one, with the three ingre- 
 dients, pork, Turkey corn, and pepper ; and 
 some of them were really savoury. I, at least, 
 relished them better than the best dinners I 
 ever enjoyed at the tables of princes. 
 
 In the long barn attached to the house, 
 where our horses stand, and at the well be- 
 fore it, as great activity prevails as in the 
 room itself. There the shoes of the horses 
 are examined ; the gun-shot wounds and con- 
 
IN HUNGARY. 135 
 
 tusions which many of them have received 
 are washed and rubbed with hog's lard ; the 
 fetlocks clipped ; and the manes, which have 
 almost run wild, trimmed, and put to rights a 
 little. 
 
 Here, in the room, the men are provided 
 for ; yonder, without, the faithful horses, our 
 second halves, to whom we are so often in- 
 debted for life and liberty. But, when I sur- 
 vey many of these small lean animals, stand- 
 ing about with low-bowed head, I can scarcely 
 conceive them to be the same that have shown 
 such untiring vigour, energy, and speed, and 
 which make the best soldiers' horses in the 
 world for a harassing campaign. 
 
 They are just leading my Ali to water in 
 the courtyard. The noble beast, a genuine 
 Turkish stallion, who has already been much 
 harassed, still cuts a proud figure enough, 
 when compared with our hussar horses. I 
 whistle to him upon my finger, and he pricks 
 his only ear, comes running to me through 
 the open door into the room, snuffles inquisi- 
 tively about the table, and throws down all 
 the work of the tailor-hussars. 
 
136 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 Our cobbler leathers away quite uncon- 
 cerned, though the horse stands almost over 
 him as he cowers upon the ground, and might 
 easily tread upon him. But our horses, and 
 Ali in particular, hostile as they are to stran- 
 gers, know us so well, and have become so 
 familiar with us, that we could lie down fear- 
 lessly under their ]egs. How often have I 
 slept, with my head lying on my resting horse ! 
 We are become half-Centaurs. It is not till 
 he has him in the field that his rider is fully 
 sensible what a noble beast the horse is. 
 
 The cook is just telling me that dinner is 
 ready : a piece of intelligence that gives uni- 
 versal pleasure, and calls all away from their 
 various occupations to the pot. I, as officer, 
 receive my portion first in a pewter plate to 
 myself ; this is my only privilege. 
 
 A lie-down had been prepared for me in a 
 chamber half fallen in, on a bedstead half 
 broken to pieces ; but it swarmed so terribly 
 with vermin that I preferred sleeping, as usual, 
 with cloak, saddle-cloth, and saddle, in the 
 barn among the horses. 
 
 Such are the quarters in which we are at 
 
IN HUNGARY. 137 
 
 present recruiting ourselves, and which we 
 shall leave to-morrow evening. You may 
 judge from this, how it often fares with us in 
 the open field, and what hardships we have to 
 undergo; but to all this and a great deal 
 more I would cheerfully submit, were it 
 but a different kind of war — were we not 
 obliged to direct our most vigorous efforts 
 against our own flesh and blood. 
 
 When I shall be able to write again I know 
 not. My name, it is to be hoped, will ere 
 long appear in the list of the slain. 
 
 Note of the Correspondent from whom the 
 Letters were received by the German Editor. 
 
 The author of these Letters, a few days after 
 the transmission of the last, was very danger- 
 ously wounded, and doubts are entertained of 
 his recovery. 
 
138 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 LETTER IX. 
 
 Action with the Magyars — The Writer having received 
 two wounds, is left for dead on the field — Survey of the 
 field of battle, on recovering his senses — Examination of his 
 wounds — Awful situation in the night — Found by a patrole 
 of his hussars, and conveyed to the watch-fire of the cavalry 
 —Bivouacking on the field of the battle in the morning — 
 Orders to fall back, and painful night-journey — Insensi- 
 bility — Another hospital scene — Extracting of the ball — 
 Another awful night-journey with wounded men — Halt at 
 a solitary pusta. 
 
 This time it has gone hard with me — I have 
 had a narrow escape from Charon's boat — a 
 little more, and I should have been struck out 
 of the Army-list, as one of the dead. Thanks 
 to my tough constitution, and the concurrence 
 of many fortunate circumstances, which I 
 should almost call miracles, I have weathered 
 it this time. 
 
 Patched up again, I have been resting for 
 some weeks from the late tremendous hard- 
 ships and fatigues ; and, as I am unfortunately 
 
IN HUNGARY. 139 
 
 still too weak to wield the sword, I will make 
 amends by plying the pencil the more indus- 
 triously, and relate all that has befallen me. 
 Many things, when I call them to mind, 
 already appear to me like a dream ; and fre- 
 quently I can scarcely comprehend myself how 
 I could have endured all that I have done. 
 
 A few days after writing my last letter in 
 
 the pusta , l where, forced by necessity 
 
 for the refreshment of horses and men, we 
 rested for a couple of days, our rear-guard 
 again had a hot combat with a strong Magyar 
 corps. 
 
 The Hungarians, reckoning upon their then 
 superior force, pursued so sharply, that we 
 were several times obliged to show our teeth 
 in good earnest. We were obliged to show 
 them, too, that, though we had been necessi- 
 tated to abandon Pesth to them again, our 
 courage was not in the least diminished. 
 
 1 The names of persons and places which occur in the 
 journal, written in pencil only, are, almost universally, very 
 illegible. We have, therefore, thought it better to omit 
 them entirely, as we should otherwise be liable to give them 
 only in a very erroneous or mutilated form. — Note by the 
 German Editor. 
 
140 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 These combats were frequently mere skir- 
 mishes, in which cavalry fought against cavalry, 
 and more sword-cuts were dealt than balls 
 exchanged ; but at times also larger masses 
 of infantry were engaged. Such was the 
 case, too, on the day when I received my 
 wounds. 
 
 Very early in the morning, when day had 
 scarcely dawned, their hussars endeavoured to 
 surprise our guard ; and at half-twilight we 
 were engaged in a serious skirmish with them. 
 It was still so dusk that it was scarcely pos- 
 sible to distinguish friend from foe ; and we 
 officers had great trouble to keep our men 
 together, and to prevent them from separating, 
 and thus getting taken. 
 
 After a combat of about an hour, in which 
 neither gained much advantage, we had driven 
 back our adversaries so far that we could give 
 our horses a regular bait. 
 
 We were thus engaged, with most of the 
 nose-bags still hanging about the horses' necks, 
 and our breakfast consisting of kukuruz por- 
 ridge, mixed with warm red Hungarian wine — 
 for it was still rather cold — was suspended in 
 
IN HUNGARY. 141 
 
 the camp-kettles over a scanty fire, when our 
 advanced posts gave notice that the enemy 
 was coming upon us again in far greater 
 masses, and also with infantry. 
 
 In haste, to which we had long been accus- 
 tomed, and now amidst loud curses and exe- 
 crations, the feeding-bags were snatched from 
 the horses, the bits placed in their mouths, 
 the steaming kettles removed from the fire ; 
 and, in a few minutes, we were perfectly 
 ready in our saddles, waiting for the enemy. 
 Nor did they let us wait long; the Magy- 
 ars being on all occasions distinguished in a 
 high degree for briskness and impetuosity in 
 attack. 
 
 The insurgents appeared this time to be 
 several thousand strong; and, amidst loud 
 shouts of " Eljen ! Eljen Kossuth /" mingled 
 with the tones of the Ragotzky march, played 
 by a band, a mass of infantry, in close order, 
 advanced upon us in charge-step. 
 
 As we were too weak to make resistance, 
 and were obliged to wait for our infantry, 
 which was on march, we fell back step by 
 step, halting and making front every fifty or 
 
142 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 one hundred paces. Our tirailleurs, whom we 
 had relieved, rushed upon the enemy's cavalry; 
 and snapping pistol-shots here and there 
 proclaimed the commencement of the fight. 
 Meanwhile, more and more of our troops came 
 up ; and when the Croatian frontier battalion 
 had arrived in charge-step, and with them 
 some light field-pieces, we were strong enough 
 to make head against the enemy, and to 
 accept battle. 
 
 It soon became general. The volleys of the 
 infantry, accompanied by the thunder of the 
 cannon, crashed incessantly, mingled with sig- 
 nals of trumpets, rolling of drums, words of 
 command, snorting of horses — in short, the 
 complete din of battle, such as I have so often 
 heard since March last year. 
 
 We ourselves played an important part in 
 this great drama. We had fenced about a 
 little with our usual antagonists, the Magyar 
 hussars ; and I had received a cut upon the 
 shoulder, which scarcely penetrated through 
 the cloak and the aiguillette of the dolman, 
 but had afterwards separated from them. 
 
 We then received orders, with a squadron of 
 
IN HÜNGARY. 148 
 
 cuirassiers, to disperse, if possible, a honvod 
 battalion, which had pushed on too far, and 
 therefore was badly covered. The ground, a 
 level plain, was at first very favourable for a ca- 
 valry attack ; and the Croatian horse charged 
 with loud " Zivio ! Zivio /" and the German 
 with " Hurrah ! Hurrah I for the Emperor !" 
 
 But the ground was so saturated by fre- 
 quent showers, that we could not advance at a 
 gallop. We soon fell into disorder ; the lines 
 were broken ; and many horses could not get 
 forward but with difficulty, and at a slow pace. 
 Others stuck so fast in the morass, that the 
 men were obliged to dismount, in order to 
 pull them out ; in short, our fine attack proved 
 a complete failure. Had the honvods not fired 
 so ill, we must have sustained very great loss; 
 but, owing to that cause, it was inconside- 
 rable. 
 
 I, for my part, had no difficulty to advance. 
 My noble steed bore me, in prodigious bounds, 
 over the swampy soil, into which he sank 
 deep, and out of which he rose as upon 
 springs ; and some hussars succeeded in keep- 
 ing up with me. But of what use was this ? 
 
144 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 Two or three dozen horses could not disperse a 
 whole battalion. 
 
 Furious at our miscarriage, we were obliged 
 to turn, when the trumpet gave the infamous 
 signal to do so ; while the honvods broke into 
 loud rejoicing, and amused themselves with 
 sending many a ball after us. Our squadrons 
 rallied on a more solid spot, and re-adjusted 
 their ranks. Our loss was trifling ; but many 
 of the horses and their riders, who had stuck 
 fast in the mud, were in a horrible plight. 
 
 Scarcely had the horses recovered their 
 breath, when we prepared ourselves for a 
 second attack. A somewhat more elevated 
 piece of ground, sixty or eighty paces broad, 
 seemed to promise us a firmer footing ; and 
 along this we again dashed, in the breadth of 
 half-squadrons, upon the battalion. 
 
 . Here the ground was better ; and, though 
 most of the horses were obliged to cease gal- 
 loping, we advanced pretty rapidly, and had 
 hopes of coming in contact with the hostile 
 battalion. Our loss, however, was more con- 
 siderable than the first time; in particular, 
 many horses were wounded ; as the honvods 
 
IN HUNGARY. 145 
 
 had given up firing volleys, but discharged 
 their pieces singly, and took as good aim as 
 they could. 
 
 My horse, made wild with the din of the 
 fight, and snorting with wide-distended nos- 
 trils, carried me forward so impetuously that 
 I had difficulty to curb him, lest we should 
 advance too far. At the same time, I helped 
 individual hussars — who were likely to stick 
 fast again — out of the bog, either by pulling 
 the horses by the bridle, or by inciting them 
 to fresh exertions by smart blows with the flat 
 of my sword. 
 
 Thus I was among the foremost, and still 
 fifteen or twenty paces distant from the first 
 rank of the enemy ; ready in the next mo- 
 ment to slash away among them, as several 
 gaps were already made ; when I saw, exactly 
 opposite to me, a flash proceed from the barrel 
 of a piece. At the same moment, my horse, 
 hit by a ball, made a tremendous leap ; but 
 I felt as if an ice-cold object struck my skin, 
 and penetrated the abdomen, just below the 
 last rib. It was such a sensation as if a large 
 drop of the coldest water had fallen upon my 
 
 H 
 
146 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 heated body. The ball had passed through 
 the neck of my horse, and then entered my 
 body below the sash. I kept my seat, reeling 
 in the saddle, though my horse made some 
 prodigious bounds towards the enemy. 
 
 I saw a honvod running towards me — a 
 great sturdy fellow, in a brown sheep-skin, 
 his brownish-red face inflamed with rage or 
 spirituous liquor ; with long upturned, pointed 
 moustaches, lank hair, wildly waving about 
 the head, from which the tscliako had fallen ; a 
 sight that I shall never forget while I live. 
 
 With a loud bassamalika, he made a thrust 
 at my breast with his glistening bayonet ; but 
 at that moment my horse, in the agony of 
 death, made another high spring ; and the 
 bayonet, instead of entering my breast, pierced 
 my left thigh. At the same instant my horse 
 suddenly fell with me, and bore me to the 
 ground along with him. 
 
 Of what further happened to me I know 
 nothing ; darkness seemed to extinguish my 
 sight, and my senses forsook me. I recollect 
 only so much that a dull sound of clashing, 
 and swearing, and firing arose around me; 
 
IN HUNGARY. 147 
 
 and likewise that a horse's hoof touched my 
 shoulder ; and I shrunk instinctively as close 
 as possible to the solid object beside me — my 
 dead horse. All gradually became silent ; and 
 I sank into complete unconsciousness. 
 
 There I must have lain for several hours ; 
 for, when I came to myself, and opened my 
 eyes, I perceived that the sun was high in the 
 firmament, and that the hour of noon was past. 
 The violent pain which I now felt in my thigh, 
 and that less violent in the abdomen, reminded 
 me that I had been severely wounded. My 
 cloak, originally white, now of a yellowish 
 grey colour, was stained with blood ; and one 
 hand, which had been placed just under the 
 body- wound, was filled with blood. With 
 great difficulty I raised myself up, against my 
 dead horse, which lay by me already cold and 
 stiff, into a half-sitting posture, to contem- 
 plate the nearest objects and the country 
 about me. 
 
 All around was still and deserted ; not a 
 living thing stirred as far as my eye could 
 reach. The combat must have been fierce 
 precisely at this spot. Five paces in front of 
 
 h2 
 
148 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 me lay a dead cuirassier horse ; close to it the 
 body of its rider. Flat on the back, the hel- 
 met still upon the head, the cuirass upon the 
 breast, lay the corpse, stiff and regularly out- 
 stretched, as if on a bed of state. Three or 
 four bodies of Jionvods formed not far off so 
 confused a group, that I could not distinguish 
 to which of them individual members belonged. 
 
 I thought that I could recognise also the 
 Jwnvod who had stabbed me with his bayonet 
 lying dead near me : but the face was so mu- 
 tilated by sword-wounds, that the features 
 could scarcely be distinguished. 
 
 Further forward, at the distance of twenty 
 to thirty paces, lay several dead men and hus- 
 sars. As far as I could discern in my half 
 recumbent posture, two of these bodies were 
 in the hussar uniform of our regiment ; and 
 several dead horses had our saddles and saddle- 
 cloths. A dead piebald horse I knew to be 
 the one which a subaltern of my squadron had 
 ridden. That our cavalry must have suc- 
 ceeded in penetrating into the enemy's bat- 
 talion was evident from the circumstance that 
 all the bodies lay forward from me. 
 
IN HUNGARY. 149 
 
 Some hundred paces further off, I thought 
 I could discern dead soldiers and horses ; 
 which were to me a sure sign that ours had 
 driven back and pursued the enemy. This 
 idea was very consolatory. I hoped that, on 
 their return, some of my soldiers would search 
 for me, in order to bury me ; and thus I might 
 be found, and perhaps saved. At any rate, 
 if my conjecture was well founded, I had less 
 reason to fear falling into the enemy's hands 
 as a prisoner — an idea more terrible to me 
 than any other. For the rest, I saw and 
 heard nothing either of friend or foe; but 
 now and then I fancied that I could distin- 
 guish at a distance faint sounds of the trumpet, 
 in which T imagined that I could recognise 
 the signal for gathering. 
 
 After this preliminary survey, in which I 
 convinced myself that it was utterly impos- 
 sible for me to raise myself, my next care was 
 to examine my wounds more closely, and to 
 bind them up in the best manner I could. It 
 was of great service to me that I had iii my 
 saddle-pocket a packet of lint, some linen 
 bandages, a bottle of balsam for wounds, 
 
150 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 knives, and scissors ; and I grudged not the 
 great exertion and the violent pain it caused 
 me, to raise myself so far upon the horse as 
 to be able to take these articles out of the 
 pocket. I availed myself of this occasion to 
 take also a loaded pistol from the holster ; 
 and now felt much easier in regard to my 
 fate. 
 
 I first examined the shot-wound, sensible 
 that it was the more important of the two, 
 though the stab with the bayonet was far 
 more painful. When I had unbuttoned cloak 
 and dolman, I saw that my sash had become 
 so rumpled up as to form a sort of compress 
 over the wound. To this fortunate circum- 
 stance I owe perhaps the preservation of my 
 life ; but for that, I might easily have bled to 
 death ; whereas, now only single drops oozed 
 from beneath the sash. 
 
 I took some lint, wetted it with balsam, 
 cut with the scissors my shirt, which adhered 
 to the wound, laid the lint close upon it, 
 thrust my pocket-handkerchief over that, and 
 tied the sash as tight as possible over the 
 whole. In this operation, I assured myself 
 
IN HUNGARY. 151 
 
 that there was no orifice in the back part of 
 my body, and that the ball must consequently 
 have lodged in it — a circumstance that was 
 not agreeable to me. Easy as this operation 
 is now to be described, so difficult did it prove 
 in the execution. In raising the sash, I lost 
 a good deal of blood, and was obliged to 
 muster all my energies to prevent fainting. 
 
 When I had finished with that, I turned to 
 my thigh, the pain of which became more and 
 more intolerable« Here, too, knife and scis- 
 sors soon procured me access to the wound, 
 which was rather deep, but seemed to me not 
 dangerous : because, as I could feel, the bone 
 was not injured. The application of the 
 balsam gave me immediately great relief. The 
 contusion on my left shoulder, though of no 
 consequence, began to swell and to pain me 
 much ; with my right hand I therefore ap- 
 plied the balsam, and rubbed on the place as 
 far as I could reach. 
 
 When I had finished this business, which 
 must have taken me full two hours, I wrapped 
 myself in my cloak, reclined ray head upon 
 my dead horse, and calmly awaited what was 
 
152 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 further to befal me. I found a small quantity 
 of wine left in my camp-bottle, which I drank 
 eagerly, and which served to refresh me much. 
 Meanwhile, it had become dusk, and the 
 short twilight of a spring-day was succeeded 
 by a rather dark night. The discomfort of 
 my helpless situation was thereby not a little 
 increased. I had reason to fear that, in the 
 night, patroles of our soldiers might march 
 past close to me without finding me. A 
 dread also that wolves, which hereabout were 
 very numerous, and often annoyed us much 
 when on guard-duty by their howling, might 
 be attracted by the scent of the dead horses, 
 and that, without power to resist, I might fall 
 a victim to their voracity, thrilled me at times 
 with horror ; as well as the idea that on this 
 desolate, unfrequented heath I might not be 
 found at all by human beings, and thus perish 
 by a lingering death. However, I banished 
 these considerations as much as I could ; and, 
 on the contrary, firmly resolved, so long as a 
 spark of energy and presence of mind was left 
 me, to make every effort in my power for my 
 preservation. 
 
IN HUNGARY. 153 
 
 A great watch-fire, which I soon saw bla- 
 zing on one side of me, at a considerable dis- 
 tance, it is true, revived my hopes. At length, 
 after a few hours of darkness, the moon rose, 
 to my great joy, and threw such a mild ra- 
 diance over the wide heath, that I had a view 
 of a considerable surrounding tract. 
 
 It might be, by my calculation, about eleven 
 o'clock ; when, all at once, I heard the tramp 
 of several horses and the clank of sword- 
 sheaths against spurs, and perceived a party 
 of six horse at some distance. At this sight, 
 I wavered between hope and fear ; for I was 
 doubtful whether they were Magyars, or some 
 of our soldiers. 
 
 Presently I saw, to my infinite joy, that 
 two of these horsemen wore glistening helmets, 
 which are not to be found in the army of the 
 Magyars ; they must therefore be cuirassiers. 
 I quickly drew forth my pistol and fired it ; 
 and when I saw that they stopped short at the 
 sudden report, I shouted as loud as I could, 
 " The Emperor for ever !" At this call, the 
 patrole immediately trotted towards me ; 
 and I soon found myself surrounded by two 
 
 h 5 
 
154 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 cuirassiers and four hussars of my regi- 
 ment. 
 
 I was saved — at least for the moment. 
 
 With lively joy, the brave fellows related 
 to me that, in the morning, the insurgents had 
 been driven back so far that they would drop 
 for the present their hot pursuit of our rear- 
 guard. They told me that I was universally 
 considered as dead ; for, at the commencement 
 of the attack on the honvods, I had dropped 
 from my horse; and an hussar who had just 
 afterwards dismounted to look closer at me 
 had found me lying motionless and with my 
 eyes shut. No further notice was in conse- 
 quence taken of me. In the evening, our 
 cavalry had returned to the quarter where the 
 combat had taken place, and were now bivou- 
 acking there by the great watch-fire ; and the 
 Major who commanded them had sent off the 
 patrole to find my body, if possible, and to 
 bury it. 
 
 With great care the men then lifted me, and 
 placed me upon a large horseman's cloak. 
 Four of them, laying hold of the four corners, 
 carried me as in a hammock; and, leading 
 
IN HUNGARY. 155 
 
 their horses by the bridle, set out at a slow 
 pace on their return to the watch-fire. Pre- 
 viously, however, they carefully unbuckled all 
 the knapsacks and cartouche-boxes of the 
 dead, whether friends or foes, to be taken with 
 them ; and searched all the pockets and other 
 places where money or other useful articles 
 were likely to be deposited. Whatever was 
 found upon the enemy was lawful booty, which 
 was divided among the patrole party; the 
 rest was punctually delivered to the regiments 
 to which the slain had belonged. 
 
 Great and universal was the rejoicing with 
 which I — who had been set down as dead — 
 was received at the watch-fire ; and this mani- 
 fest attachment of my comrades touched me 
 deeply. Unfortunately, I could not here en- 
 joy much rest or nursing, of which I stood in 
 the utmost need. Scarcely had I swallowed 
 a few spoonfuls of warm wine and a bit of 
 hard kukuruz cake, when orders all at once 
 arrived to break up, and to fall back upon the 
 main body, or we should run the risk of being 
 turned and cut off. 
 
 This was no time for hesitating. Wrapped 
 
156 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 in blankets, I was laid in the provision wag- 
 gon ; the men hastily foddered their horses, 
 and away we went at a rapid pace. But, with 
 the jolting of the vehicle without springs, 
 upon dreadfully bad roads, my wounds were 
 so excessively painful, that, much as I strove 
 to contain myself, I could not suppress a 
 moaning and groaning, for which I am still 
 angry with myself. However, I soon became 
 insensible, and saw, heard, and felt nothing 
 more; only I was aware that the waggon some- 
 times stood still, then proceeded again at a 
 great rate, and, finally, that I was lifted out 
 of it and undressed : but all this seemed to 
 me as but a dream. 
 
 A new and cutting pain at length wakened 
 me, and my eyes opened ; and what a singular 
 sight presented itself! I lay stretched on a 
 long table, completely stripped. I now be- 
 held my faithful attendant for the first time 
 since I was wounded : he was holding my legs 
 fast, so that I could not move them ; and I 
 felt both my arms fettered in the same manner. 
 
 Stooping over me stood a surgeon, with 
 large spectacles on his nose, an apron already 
 
IN HUNGARY. 157 
 
 stained with blood about his waist, his shirt- 
 sleeves tucked up high, and beside him an 
 assistant, with glistening instruments in his 
 hand. The doctor was unmercifully groping 
 about in the shot- wound, to find the ball ; and 
 it was the pain caused by this operation that 
 had wakened me out of my stupor. At length 
 he succeeded in laying hold of the ball with 
 the forceps, and extracting it. The wound 
 then received a regular dressing. The prac- 
 titioners of the healing art immediately turned 
 to my thigh ; and there too I had to suffer 
 severe pain. I was then carefully laid upon 
 a bed, composed of a heap of straw, blankets, 
 and saddle-cloths, in the corner of an old, 
 smoky, dirty chamber. 
 
 During this operation it was broad day- 
 light ; on my inquiring, I learned that it was 
 near noon ; so that I must have been carried 
 along for many hours in an unconscious state. 
 Some broth, prepared from portable soup, 
 which our surgeons usually carried with them, 
 and a bit of maize-flour cake, did me much 
 good. My faithful attendant, tears the while 
 rolling upon his bushy, black moustaches, 
 
158 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 seated himself at the foot of my couch, to 
 watch by me while I reposed. From him I 
 learned that we were in the public-house of a 
 village strongly occupied by our troops, and 
 that we should probably be allowed to rest 
 there for some time. 
 
 Rejoiced at this prospect, T soon fell into a 
 refreshing slumber ; but not long was I per- 
 mitted to enjoy this so needful repose. The 
 blast of trumpets, the rolling of drums, the 
 neighing of horses, the clatter of arms, all the 
 clamour of a body of troops preparing to 
 break up, awoke me, towards evening, just as 
 the rays of the setting sun were tinging my 
 small, half-broken window with a purple ra- 
 diance. 
 
 Presently, Dimitri entered, with some sol- 
 diers of the train. " Off, off, again, Gospo- 
 dine !" cried he, in his bad German. 
 
 This was melancholy intelligence. A jour- 
 ney upon the wretched roads, and the end of 
 which could not be foreseen, would inevitably 
 doom me to renewed sufferings. But what 
 else could be done than submit with resigna- 
 tion to what was unalterable ? 
 
IN HUNGARY. 159 
 
 I was hastily lifted up and carried to a 
 large covered waggon, in which were already 
 laid five wounded men upon a heap of straw. 
 No sooner was the creaking and jolting vehicle 
 set in motion, than I heard the reports of 
 single musket-shots, the loud u Eljen ! eljen /" 
 of the Magyars, the " Hurrah ! hurrah !" of our 
 Germans, and the " Zivio ! Zivio I " of our 
 Croatian troops ; and the battle had already 
 begun. 
 
 While my comrades were fighting, I was 
 obliged to resign myself to being dragged on, 
 ill and miserable, in the dark waggon. Pre- 
 sently a strong red glare arose in the dark 
 horizon. Our troops, unable to maintain the 
 village against the superior numbers of the 
 enemy, had set it on fire, to cover their retreat. 
 
 Yes, that was an awful night ! Never, while 
 I live, shall I forget its torments and terrors. 
 My wounds pained me excessively, from the 
 everlasting jolting of the waggon ; for we were 
 driven, almost always at full trot, upon nearly 
 unbeaten roads. Besides, we lay closely wedged 
 in the vehicle, and my poor companions moaned 
 and lamented. Next to me, so close that his 
 
160 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 lips almost touched my ear, lay a Bohemian, 
 whose leg was shot off, and whose incessant 
 " Jesus Maria ! what have I done, that I must 
 suffer so ! Jesus Maria P cut me to the soul. 
 
 Then the brisk firing, sometimes more dis- 
 tant, sometimes quite close to us ; the cursing 
 and storming of the soldiers, riding past, or 
 behind, or before us ; and the cruel dread of 
 falling perhaps the next moment into the 
 hands of the enemy — all together rendered 
 my situation truly terrible ; I cannot even* 
 now think of it without shuddering. In ad- 
 dition, the bandage about my body had got 
 loose, and I found my wound beginning again 
 to bleed, so that I was fearful I might bleed 
 to death. 
 
 One of my companions in suffering had 
 already breathed his last, with the Hungarian 
 name of Erzsebet (Elizabeth) upon his lips ; 
 and I cannot deny that I often wished to be 
 in his place. 
 
 In the course of a few hours, the pursuit 
 on the part of the enemy slackened ; we there- 
 fore could frequently proceed at a foot-pace ; 
 when, at least, the pains somewhat abated. 
 
IN HUNGARY. 161 
 
 Morning at length came, after a night that 
 to me appeared never-ending. On the bare 
 heath, not a human habitation that might have 
 afforded us a shelter was to be perceived. 
 Neither was any thing to be heard or seen of 
 the enemy : and so we kept moving forward, 
 accompanied by a few squadrons. 
 
 At length, about ten o'clock, we came to a 
 solitary pusta, which was tolerably roomy, 
 and appeared not to have suffered very much ; 
 and to me the order given for halting here 
 sounded like an angel's greeting. When I 
 was carried, pale and exhausted to the ut- 
 most, past the surgeon who had dressed my 
 wounds the day before, I heard him, con- 
 ceiving me to be insensible, observe to his 
 assistant, " Another such ride, and 'tis all 
 over with him." 
 
 This was no very cheering prospect. 
 
1 62 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 LETTER X. 
 
 Quarters of the invalid at the Pusta — The landlady, a 
 genuine Magyar, and her family — Their reserve — Extraordi- 
 nary discovery of the portrait of an hussar painted long ago 
 by the Writer — Favourable influence of that portrait on 
 the family of the inn — Orders arrive to fall back by forced 
 marches — The Writer prevails on the landlady to keep him 
 at her house — Mutual promise of secrecy — Preparations for 
 his assuming a new character — Circumstances of the family 
 at the inn — Armed troops of horse-herds — Visit of some of 
 their number to the Writer — Their persons, dress, and 
 accoutrements — Extraordinary whips — Wilma, the land- 
 lady's eldest daughter — Uncle Imne — Gradual convales- 
 cence — Feste Hirlap (Pesth newspaper), formerly edited by 
 Kossuth — Stock of cattle belonging to the family — Mode 
 of forwarding insurgents' despatches — Provisions sent from 
 the Pusta to the army of the Magyars — With the recovery 
 of strength, the Writer resolves to leave the Pusta — He 
 buys of the landlady a light cart and a pair of horses — 
 Magyar patriotism. 
 
 The indefatigable attention of my servant 
 procured me in the pusta a separate small, 
 very habitable room up-stairs, with a clean 
 bed, a luxury to which I had long been un- 
 accustomed. The surgeon, however, when he 
 
IN HUNGARY. J 63 
 
 renewed the dressing, dubiously shook his 
 head, and recommended above all things per- 
 fect quiet ; and this advice I had it for the 
 moment in my power to follow. My little 
 room was quite retired, so that no noise could 
 reach me, and that, notwithstanding my pains 
 and the violence of the wound-fever, which 
 now began to seize me, I seemed to be in 
 paradise. 
 
 Thus I lay undisturbed in my confused 
 dreams for two whole days, till the fever be- 
 gan to abate, and I could look round me 
 with rather more freedom, and even attempt 
 to talk. I now saw the mistress of the pusta, 
 who, with a girl of fifteen, and a boy twelve 
 years old, was the sole inhabitant of the 
 house. 
 
 She was a genuine Magyar in manner, dress, 
 and language, whose features, which must 
 have been very handsome when she was young, 
 betrayed sullen contempt for us her enemies, 
 and who, with her two children, was as 
 sparing of words as possible. Notwithstand- 
 ing this unkind reception, I liked the woman 
 for her firm, decided manner, her upright car- 
 
164 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 riage, her quick gait, and the great cleanliness 
 and order in her household matters. 
 
 As my Dimitri informed me, the provisions 
 in the pusta were almost entirely consumed ; 
 so that the two squadrons, which still lay 
 here, could obtain scarcely any thing but 
 kukuruz for themselves and their horses. I 
 myself was living almost entirely on portable 
 broth, of which the surgeon had left me a 
 packet, with malais (kukuruz -bread) in it. 
 
 Among the objects in my room, a picture 
 which hung opposite to me in a black frame, 
 adorned with a green wreath of moss, parti- 
 cularly attracted my notice ; it seemed to 
 represent an hussar in the uniform of my 
 former regiment. I desired Dimitri to hand 
 it down to me upon the bed. But what was 
 my astonishment when I recognised in it the 
 portrait in water-colours of an hussar of my 
 former squadron, painted by myself some 
 years ago, and at the lower corner of which 
 my name as the artist was still to be seen ! 
 
 As I draw tolerably, and am a good hand 
 at a likeness, I often amused myself with 
 painting likenesses of hussars in my troop in 
 
IN HUNGARY. 165 
 
 water-colours. To their great gratification, 
 I generally presented those who had sat to 
 me with their portraits, which they were ac- 
 customed to send to their homes. Such was 
 the picture which now fell so unexpectedly 
 into my hands in the pusta. 
 
 I sent immediately to the landlady, request- 
 ing her to come to me. I asked her to whom 
 that picture belonged, and how it had come 
 into her possession. " It is the portrait of 
 my eldest son Istvan (Stephen) ; he sent it to 
 me," replied she, in a sharp tone and lowering 
 look. 
 
 " And is Istyan your eldest son ? I am glad 
 of it. 7 painted that. Look here — there is 
 my name in the corner." 
 
 At these words the woman fixed her dark 
 eyes upon me with a look as keen as though 
 she would have read my soul, to discover 
 whether I told the truth, and replied, " Are 
 you the German gentleman who was so long 
 Istvan's officer, and who painted this picture?" 
 
 " Indeed I am," said I — " only ask Dimitri 
 yonder." 
 
 Her face suddenly assumed a totally dif- 
 
166 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 ferent expression. She grasped my hand, 
 hanging out of the bed, and said, " Then I 
 owe you much gratitude. You are an excel- 
 lent man. Istvan has written so much good 
 about you, and how you saved him from a 
 heavy punishment." 
 
 This was quite correct. Istvan, a very 
 good soldier, but, like most of the Magyars, 
 passionate and hasty, had once, when intoxi- 
 cated, struck on the breast and wrested his 
 sword from an Italian sergeant, who had used 
 some harsh words to him. Had this misde- 
 meanour been reported and come under in- 
 vestigation, the hussar would no doubt have 
 had to run the gauntlet several times to 
 and fro. 
 
 I pitied the lad, and privately prevailed 
 upon the sergeant, who, like all Italians, was 
 very fond of money, by means of a few ducats, 
 to say nothing about the affair; and contented 
 myself with giving the culprit in private a 
 most serious lecture, into which I introduced 
 all the Hungarian imprecations that I was 
 master of. The lad was much affected, and 
 promised that he would never forget my kind- 
 
IN HUNGARY. 167 
 
 ness in saving him from a severe punishment. 
 And this he must have written or told his 
 mother. 
 
 From that moment my relations with the 
 inmates of the house were totally changed. 
 When the little dark-eyed Treescy, (Theresa) 
 with her two long black tresses, soon after- 
 wards came to bring me a piece of a water- 
 melon, she familiarly gave me her hand, 
 though previously she had been shy and silent 
 when she entered my room, and left it again 
 as speedily as possible. 
 
 I likewise received, in addition to my broth, 
 a few little dainties which I had not seen be- 
 fore ; for instance, notis (dry cakes made of 
 wheat-corns that have sprouted) and tarhonya 
 (bread of kukuruz-dough mixed with butter- 
 milk, and baked in the form of cakes, which 
 will keep for years). I now perceived that 
 there must be more provisions concealed in 
 the pasta than our soldiers knew of, and that 
 it was not so poor as those who came to see 
 me related. 
 
 I had enjoyed for three days this better 
 treatment, from which I derived great benefit, 
 
168 TUE CIVIL WAR 
 
 when orders suddenly came to fall back fur- 
 ther in forced marches, as the whole country 
 would soon be occupied by the insurgents. A 
 long hasty journey by waggon, as in that 
 dreadful night, I could not have endured ; I 
 must have perished miserably; this I felt 
 thoroughly convinced of, recollecting at the 
 same time the observation of the surgeon, 
 made on that occasion, when I was carried 
 past him. 
 
 My resolution, therefore, was quickly 
 formed : I would beg my landlady to let me 
 remain at her house, there await my perfect 
 recovery, and then endeavour to escape as I 
 could to our army. As I speak Hungarian 
 tolerably well, and am intimately acquainted 
 with the manners and customs of the hussars, 
 I might, in case of necessity, give the enemy 
 to understand that I had formerly been an 
 hussar ; that I had been long in Italy ; and 
 that I had now been fighting on the side of 
 the insurgents. 
 
 I instantly sent Dimitri to call the land- 
 lady, and acquainted her with my plan. At 
 first, she shook her head disapprovingly, and 
 
IN HUNGARY. 169 
 
 said that the honvods would be sure to take 
 me, and that they would then punish her 
 justly for having concealed an imperial officer. 
 I strove to remove this apprehension.- 
 
 She looked at me for some time, and said : 
 "Be it so then ! you have been kind to Istvan, 
 and his mother shall be kind to you. Besides, 
 you are a German, of course have no country, 
 and so it may be no sin in you if you do 
 fight against us. If you were a Magyar, and 
 taking part against us, I would rather burn 
 my hand off than save you." 
 
 I was now obliged to promise to keep what- 
 ever I should thenceforward see and hear in 
 her house profoundly secret from the Magy- 
 ars ; and she, on her side, gave me a solemn 
 assurance that I should have no treachery to 
 fear from the inmates of her house. 
 
 When I communicated my design to the 
 Major commanding in the pusta, he would 
 not hear of it at first, and said that it was too 
 hazardous a scheme to put myself voluntarily 
 into the hands of the insurgents ; but, when 
 he had spoken with our surgeon, he told me 
 that, after all, perhaps, I could not do better 
 
 I 
 
1 70 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 than stop there, as I should scarcely be 
 capable of bearing the forced march. I then 
 earnestly entreated him not to say a word 
 about me to the landlady, and not to utter 
 any threats against her, in case she should 
 betray me. 
 
 I now had my uniform, my fine shirts, in 
 short, all my property which indicated the 
 imperial officer, packed up, and charged 
 Dimitri to take it with him. I was very sorry 
 to part from this faithful fellow, and he too 
 wept bitterly when I told him that he must 
 go off with the party, and leave me behind 
 by myself. The landlady had positively de- 
 clared that he must not stay, at the same 
 time justly remarking that the first Magyar 
 detachment which might chance to arrive 
 would seize and slaughter him. 
 
 I obtained from the Major a certificate that 
 I was an imperial officer who had been left 
 behind there on account of severe wounds : 
 this, together with a description of my per- 
 son, having the seal of the regiment annexed, 
 I had sewed up under the lining of an old 
 bunda (sheep-skin) which I possessed. 
 
IN HUNGARY. 171 
 
 This I did that, in case I should hereafter 
 fall into the hands of imperial troops, I might 
 be able to prove by these documents who I 
 was. I also caused ducats to be sewed up 
 here and there in the bunda, in a pair of old 
 tschismen (hussar boots) and in the lowest 
 border of the gatjes, (wide linen trousers) that 
 I might have money for any emergency. The 
 doctor left with my landlady a supply of 
 balsam, sticking-plaster, and medicine, and 
 briefly instructed her how they were to be 
 applied ; and thus every thing was done that 
 could be done under the circumstances to pro- 
 mote my recovery. My comrades and many of 
 the men sorrowfully took leave of me ; I shook 
 them by the hand with painful feelings — many 
 of them, perhaps, for the last time in this life. 
 
 I listened as long as possible to the trumpets 
 of the retiring party ; and, when the tones 
 ceased, a profound feeling of solitude and lone- 
 liness came over me, and my heart was sorely 
 depressed. Wounded nearly to death, entirely 
 alone, in the power of the enemy, exposed 
 defenceless to any treachery ; nay, to every 
 untoward accident — a fearful situation, truly, 
 
 i2 
 
172 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 in which melancholy thoughts might well 
 depress the mind of any man. But I strove 
 forcibly to dispel them ; and, though ill and 
 enfeebled, I soon recovered my old buoyant 
 soldierly assurance. 
 
 Little Treescy seated herself at my bedside, 
 and chatted familiarly with me ; and her 
 brother Mischko (Michael), too, a boy twelve 
 years old, in wide gatjes, with spurs already 
 at his heels, and a broad-brimmed hat on his 
 head, a genuine Magyar in miniature, came to 
 me, now that the soldiers were gone, without 
 reserve. 
 
 " To-morrow, Sister Wilma and Uncle Imne 
 (Emmerich) will come back with the cattle," 
 cried the young ones joyously to me; and 
 when I asked inquisitively about those persons, 
 whom I had not before heard mentioned, my 
 hostess informed me that her eldest daughter 
 Wilma, who was grown up, and an elder bro- 
 ther of her husband's, who had but one leg, 
 always fled, with the cattle which they still 
 possess, to a great hansag (marsh), some miles 
 from the pasta, to which the soldiers cannot 
 follow them. 
 
IN HUNGARY. 173 
 
 Her husband and two grown-up sons, San- 
 dor (Alexander) and Laszlo (Ladislaus), had 
 joined the Hungarian array several months 
 before ; and Istvan was now serving under 
 Klapka, and must be at that moment in Co- 
 morn. Her two men-servants also were among 
 the Jionvods : and they had already contri- 
 buted, voluntarily and without pay, eighteen 
 horses, some twenty bullocks, and as many 
 hogs. 
 
 In peaceable times, the family subsisted on 
 the produce of the cattle and the extensive 
 lands which they held in hereditary tenure 
 
 under Count S , and it was, as the woman 
 
 herself told me, in thriving circumstances. All 
 were true Magyars of the purest blood, en- 
 thusiastic for the independence and the great- 
 ness of their country, for which they were 
 ready to make any sacrifice. 
 
 On the morning after the departure of our 
 troops, I was awakened by a great uproar. 
 Horses were neighing in the yard, amidst loud 
 cracking of whips, mingled with plenty of 
 Teremtetel bassa maika! or bassamanelka! 
 No doubt, Magyar troops must be below ; and 
 
174 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 I cannot deny that my heart throbbed at the 
 idea. 
 
 Little Treescy presently came and told me 
 that a troop of about fifty armed tschikos 
 (horse-herds) was below, to give their cattle a 
 bait ; but I might be quite easy, for, as I had 
 been so good to Istvan, they would not betray 
 me. 
 
 I had agreed that, in such cases, they should 
 give out that I was a cousin, who had served 
 in Radetzky's hussar regiment, and who had 
 recently been dangerously wounded. I had 
 purposely mentioned Radetzky's regiment, be- 
 cause it was still in Italy, and few hussars who 
 had belonged to it were serving under Kossuth. 
 
 " God forgive me the heavy sin of being 
 obliged to lie to a Magyar !" said the mother, 
 with a deep sigh, when we had concerted this 
 falsehood. 
 
 The Hungarians had been there about half 
 an hour, when I heard men's footsteps and the 
 clanking of spurs on the stairs. Can it be that 
 I am betrayed ? was the first thought that 
 darted into my mind ; and I was about to grasp 
 mechanically the pistol under my pillow, when 
 
IN HUNGARY. 175 
 
 the innocent face of the girl still sitting beside 
 my bed calmed me. 
 
 The door opened, and three tschikos en- 
 tered with an aged man at their head. The 
 hearty Jonapot agyaliök I (" Good day, cou- 
 sins !" a very common salutation among the 
 Magyars) with which they addressed us, made 
 me perfectly easy immediately. They had 
 heard below, they said, that a cousin of the 
 landlady's was lying ill up there, and they 
 came to inquire how I did, and to wish me a 
 happy recovery. Upon pretext that talking 
 was still very painful to me — which was true 
 enough — I said but little, and my visitors soon 
 retired with familiar nods. 
 
 They were hale, hardy fellows, expressly 
 cut out for excellent light horse. Clumsy 
 boots, with long, rusty spurs ; long, wide, un- 
 seamed gatjes, of coarse white linen ; a short 
 white shirt of the same stuff, hanging down 
 over them ; together with a köpengeg, (a long 
 white cloak of coarse woollen stuff, adorned 
 with braiding of various colours) fastened by 
 a string, fell, like an hussar pelisse, down 
 the back — such was their dress. 
 
1 76 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 Their small round felt bats, with a very 
 broad brim, around which was a band entwined 
 with the Hungarian colours, they had taken 
 off on entering the room, so that their long, 
 black hair fell loosely over their bare necks. 
 
 The eldest, and, as I afterwards learned, the 
 leader, wore a splendid sword, with golden 
 hilt, probably a trophy which he had taken, 
 suspended from a band worked with gold ; 
 forming a singular contrast with his dirty 
 shirt. Tbe two younger had a czakany{ hand- 
 bill) with long wooden handle, stuck under the 
 leathern thongs that held up the gatjes. Each 
 of them carried in his hand a long whip, to 
 the end of the finely-platted lash of which 
 are attached four or five leaden balls, of the 
 size of small musket-balls. 
 
 This whip, which has not a very long handle, 
 but the lash of which is about twenty feet in 
 length, is used as a sling ; and in the hand of 
 an expert tschiko it is a dangerous weapon. 
 When the horse is going at full speed, they will 
 hurl the whip in such a manner, that the balls 
 twine round the neck or leg of the man or 
 beast that they intend to take, and they 
 
IN HUNGARY. 177 
 
 have either of them completely in their power. 
 A clever tscJiikos seldom misses his aim, even 
 though it may be running ever so fast ; and 
 while his own horse is going at full gallop. 
 
 After a halt of a few hours, the wild crew, 
 with loud shouts of Eljen Kossuth ! scam- 
 pered off again, of which I was heartily 
 glad. 
 
 In the evening of the same day, I received 
 a far more agreeable visit. Wilma, the eldest 
 daughter, who had returned with her little 
 herd from the hansag, came to pay her respects 
 to me — a genuine Hungarian beauty, tall and 
 slim, firm in carriage, elastic in gait and move- 
 ment, with regular features, dark, expressive 
 eyes, a bold arched nose, and luxuriant raven- 
 black hair. Her dress, on account of her 
 masculine occupation, was half Amazon — black 
 tschismen on her neat feet ; gatjes, of blue 
 linen ; a short petticoat of the same colour, 
 bordered at bottom with a narrow red ribbon ; 
 a tight-fitting spencer of dark blue cloth, made 
 almost like the dolman of an hussar, and having 
 two rows of white buttons at the breast. She 
 wore her hair in two long tresses, entwined with 
 
 i 5 
 
1 78 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 a narrow red, blue, and green ribbon (the 
 Hungarian colours). 
 
 Next morning old Uncle Imne also came to 
 see me — a handsome old man, in a neat Hun- 
 garian national dress, with snow-white hair and 
 large moustache ; he had served in an hussar 
 regiment from 1802 to 1817; had been ad- 
 vanced to sergeant-major, and received the 
 silver medal for bravery, which he could not 
 wear now. 
 
 Notwithstanding these military recollections, 
 to which he was fond of adverting, old Imne 
 was, with body and soul, a partisan of the in- 
 surrection ; and often lamented that, being 
 a cripple, he could no longer take the field. 
 To me he was of essential service, for he per- 
 fectly understood the management of wounds, 
 and dressed mine with great care and dex- 
 terity. Upon the whole, the attendance that 
 I enjoyed here was excellent, and entitles those 
 good people to my everlasting gratitude. 
 
 Here, then, I lay for three weeks longer 
 continually in bed, frequently tormented with 
 very violent pains, till my strength at length 
 permitted me to be up for a few hours, and 
 
IN HUNGARY. 1 79 
 
 to hobble about the house with a stick. Du- 
 ring all this time, I saw nothing whatever of 
 enemy's troops. A few times, indeed, some 
 ho?ivod patroles were below, in the yard, but 
 none of them came into my room. Once, 
 several battalions and squadrons, with loud 
 singing and music, passed in the middle of 
 the night under my window. 
 
 About the rest of the world I heard not a 
 word during the whole of my abode at the 
 pusta, which lasted nearly seven weeks — not 
 a word — and yet I was rarely troubled with 
 ennui. At first I slept a great deal, or lay 
 for hours together in fevered dreams; sub- 
 sequently, one of the girls, generally little 
 Treescy — more rarely the handsome Wilma — 
 would^sit by my bed, chat with me, or read 
 to me, out of an old Hungarian chronicle that 
 was preserved in the house, the history of 
 Matthias Corvinus, Hunniades, and other Hun- 
 garian heroes. Sometimes, also, I turned 
 over old files of the Pesti Hirlap, (Pesth 
 Newspaper) which, formerly edited by Kos- 
 suth, acquired powerful influence throughout 
 all Hungary, and prepared the way for the 
 
180 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 insurrection. I could not refrain from ad- 
 miring the glowing language and the great 
 perspicuity which prevail in every thing that 
 proceeds from the pen of that highly-gifted 
 man. 
 
 Afterwards, when I began to go about a 
 little, I took great pleasure in observing the 
 many peculiarities of the household, and the 
 manners of the family ; and, though I thought 
 I knew Hungary tolerably well, I here saw 
 and heard much that was quite new to me. 
 
 The principal occupation of the family con- 
 sisted, as I have said, in raising cattle. By 
 the voluntary contributions for the Hungarian 
 army, the stock, which now old Imne, or little 
 Mischko, or sometimes one of the girls, with 
 the aid of three or four huge white wolf-dogs, 
 alternately tended, had very considerably de- 
 creased. Of horses they had now no more 
 than five mares, which were too old, and 
 twelve or fourteen foals, still too young for 
 military service : they had already furnished 
 eighteen useful horses, as I have before stated. 
 To their own were often added hurt or galled 
 horses, sent from the Hungarian army as unfit 
 
IN HÜNGARY. 181 
 
 for duty for the moment, that they might here 
 recover at grass. 
 
 The horned cattle, too, were now reduced 
 to some thirty head ; all the rest had been 
 given to the army : in like manner, there were 
 but few hogs and sheep left. The mistress of 
 the house once told me that she had sent all 
 her silver trinkets, her daughters even the 
 silver crosses from their bosoms, together with 
 six hundred florins which she had saved, as a 
 voluntary donation to the Hungarian military 
 chest. 
 
 Here, in the pasta, inhabited almost ex- 
 clusively by females, it was quite clear to me 
 what prodigious resources the Hungarian in- 
 surrection must have had at its command from 
 such enthusiasm in the whole nation. Thus 
 it happened almost daily that some intelligence 
 or other was to be forwarded as speedily as 
 possible, from one division of the Hungarian 
 army to another. This was frequently done 
 by means of fire-signals- — high poles, with 
 maize-straw fastened about them, which blazed 
 from pasta to pasta. 
 
 At night, one of the members of the family 
 
182 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 was always upon the watch to descry the 
 signal, and to transmit it the next moment. 
 Still more frequently, however, there came 
 messengers on horseback, usually little boys, 
 with letters which were to be forwarded im- 
 mediately. When such a postboy was still 
 at some distance from the pusta, he cracked 
 his whip, while the horse was going at full 
 speed, and set up a shrill cry. No sooner was 
 he heard, than little Mischko seized the first 
 two or three-year old foal he could lay hold 
 of feeding close at hand, threw a halter, made 
 of rush cords, over his head, and sprang upon 
 his bare back. The messenger flung him Ihe 
 despatch, commonly tied up between two 
 small pieces of board, and named the place of 
 destination. Mischko cracked his whip lustily, 
 gave a loud whistle, and away galloped the 
 spirited foal, frequently kicking out behind 
 and before, over the extensive plain to the 
 next jpusta. 
 
 Such a transmission of despatches was not 
 attended with the delay of a minute. If 
 Mischko was not at hand, or happened to be 
 already riding post, one of the girls would 
 
IN HUNGARY. 183 
 
 take his place. On a dark, stormy, rainy 
 night, when Mischko was already out, and 
 another despatch suddenly arrived, I have 
 known Wilma, without saying a word, run to 
 the horses, fling a halter over the head of a 
 three-year old stallion, spring like lightning 
 upon the back of the rearing animal, smack 
 her long whip, and dash away over the dark 
 heath. 
 
 Next morning, seated quietly by my bed, 
 she told me that she rode ten miles out and 
 ten miles back, and was at home again soon 
 after twelve o'clock. Indeed, they are a real 
 Centaur race : the two girls, as well as the 
 boy, would seize by the mane the first two or 
 three-year old foal they come to, leap on his 
 back, often without so much as a halter, and 
 gallop him to and fro upon the heath. 
 
 Provisions of every kind were also fre- 
 quently furnished from the pusta for the 
 Magyar army. Old Imne often drove off with 
 a waggon so heavily loaded with bacon, ku~ 
 kuruz-ÜOMY, wine, brandy, and paprika, that 
 the small horses could scarcely draw it, and 
 not return for several days. All these pro- 
 
184 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 visions were concealed in pits very curiously 
 constructed in the ground out of doors ; so 
 that, when imperial troops came, they found 
 nothing in the house but kukuruz. 
 
 Thus the difficulties of war were infinitely 
 aggravated for us ; we had incessantly hard- 
 ships of every kind to encounter; and, notwith- 
 standing the excellence of our soldiers, they 
 could scarcely move from the spot. The 
 Hungarians, on the contrary, were constantly 
 informed, with the utmost celerity and punc- 
 tuality, of all our motions, and found almost 
 every where provisions of all sorts, while we 
 were so often forced to hunger and thirst. 
 
 For the rest, my fare at the pusta was very 
 simple, but abundant, The doctor, at parting, 
 had positively enjoined me not to partake of 
 dishes in which there was much paprika or 
 much bacon ; and so I was prevented from 
 sharing in most of the national viands of the 
 family, in which those two articles generally 
 perform a principal part. I lived chiefly on 
 milk, kaposta (cabbage), farinaceous dishes of 
 kukuruz, and eggs; and the excellent wine, 
 of which my landlady supplied me with as 
 
IN HUNGARY. 185 
 
 much as I desired, did me a great deal of 
 good. 
 
 Thus I gradually regained strength; and, 
 though many a week might yet pass before I 
 could again mount a horse, I was strong 
 enough to take walks for hours, and to 
 drive about in a light car. But, with the 
 feeling of health, the wish to get away 
 from this place became daily stronger and 
 stronger. 
 
 iVt length, I resolved to make an attempt 
 to steal through to the Imperial army. This 
 was difficult and dangerous, but not impos- 
 sible. The members of the family, and the 
 landlady in particular, strove to dissuade me 
 from this idea, and to represent it as imprac- 
 ticable. 
 
 As, however, I kept continually harping 
 upon it, the mother at length said, " Well, 
 you can do so, for you are not our prisoner. 
 You have promised not to reveal anything of 
 what you have seen here, and you will keep 
 your word. For, though you are a German, 
 and help to ill-treat Hungarians who have 
 done you no harm, still you are in other re- 
 
186 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 spects an excellent man. Go then, if it is 
 your pleasure." 
 
 I then requested her to sell me a light 
 covered cart, several of which were standing 
 in the yard, and likewise two horses, which 
 had lately been sent back from the army as 
 being galled and unfit for riding. I meant to 
 try to reach the military frontier of Croatia. 
 
 " If you will promise me," said she, " that the 
 horses shall never with your consent serve the 
 dark yellow people, (Schwarzgelben) you shall 
 have them, the cart, and harness, for eight 
 ducats." The bargain was presently concluded. 
 
 Abundantly provisioned with several bags 
 full of kukuruz, some flitches of bacon, and a 
 cask of Buda [wine], my light vehicle, with the 
 small lean horses, in wretched harness, stood 
 in the morning before the door of the house, 
 ready to convey me into the uncertain dis- 
 tance. 
 
 The parting from this excellent family, 
 which had so kindly tended me, the foe of 
 their country, cut me to the heart, and tears 
 had well nigh filled my eyes. I timidly asked 
 the mother if she would not permit me to pay 
 
IN HUNGARY. 187 
 
 her something for attendance and entertain- 
 ment. 
 
 She looked proudly at me, and said in a 
 grave tone : " How can you, a German, offer a 
 Magyar money for her entertainment? But, 
 hold ! our country needs money just now for 
 war ; give a ducat per week — I will send it 
 to the military chest." 
 
 Ashamed, I handed to her seven ducats ; 
 as I had been just seven weeks at the pusta. 
 
 I cordially shook hands with all, and 
 mounted the sack of hay which served me for 
 a seat : my spirited nags started off; and I 
 followed at a rapid rate the scarcely percep- 
 tible ruts which led to the south-west. 
 
 When shall I have it in my power to repay 
 those simple, noble-minded creatures the debt 
 I owe them ! 
 
1 88 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 LETTER XL 
 
 The Writer travels disguised as an Hungarian peasant — 
 Meets with a body of Insurgents — Is forced to accompany 
 a detachment of the Polish Legion, as carrier — Escapes 
 from it — Directs his course for Styria — Reaches Lake 
 Platten — State of his wounds — He falls in with Insurgents, 
 by whom he is again detained — Appointed superintendent 
 of the cart-drivers — Incidents while acting in this capa- 
 city — Passage through Pesth, where he sees the Countess 
 
 St Action with the Russians — Despondence of the 
 
 Writer — Another encounter with the Russian troops — Pre- 
 cipitate retreat of the Magyars — The Writer, purposely 
 upsetting his cart, contrives to be left behind, and surrenders 
 to the Russians — Their kind reception of him — He joins a 
 convoy, and travels to Moravia, to await there his complete 
 recovery. 
 
 On leaving the pusta, I drove on all day 
 over the desert plain, without seeing a human 
 creature. 
 
 About noon, when the sun was intensely 
 hot, I halted at a half destroyed draw-well, 
 out of which I raised with great difficulty some 
 water for my horses, by means of my hat, which 
 
IN HUNGARY. 189 
 
 I let down with the lash of my whip. I re- 
 freshed the animals and myself with a few 
 hours' rest, food, and drink, and then proceeded 
 at a rapid pace. 
 
 At times I perceived solitary pustas on 
 one side or the other, but kept away from 
 them, as I wished to meet with as few per- 
 sons as possible. For the rest, I was clothed, 
 exactly like an Hungarian peasant, in wide 
 coarse linen gatjes, and a short shirt of the 
 same kind of stuff; a round broad-brimmed hat 
 of coarse felt on my head ; and near me lay 
 an old sheep-skin. In addition, I was so tan- 
 ned, that I might well pass for a wounded pri- 
 vate hussar. 
 
 When it grew dark, I fastened the horses 
 to the cart, threw down fodder for them, col- 
 lected heath and dry sticks by the way-side, 
 kindled a fire, and broiled myself a slice of 
 bacon, which made me a supper with kukuriiz- 
 bread and wine. Then, wrapping myself in 
 my bunda, I lay down in the cart to sleep. 
 It was a singular feeling to be thus entirely 
 alone, left wholly to myself and my own exer- 
 tions ; but Nature soon asserted her right, and 
 
190 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 I slept soundly and undisturbed till early morn- 
 ing, when I prepared to continue my precari- 
 ous journey. 
 
 I had been travelling some hours, when a 
 numerous body of irregularly-clothed and ill- 
 armed honvods, led by a corporal in the uni- 
 form of his late regiment, came towards me. 
 No very agreeable meeting this, which might 
 easily bring calamity upon me : I contrived, 
 however, to put a good face on a bad game. 
 Jonapot, agyaliöch! (Good day, cousins !) cried 
 I cheerily to them. Jonapot! was their salu- 
 tation in reply. " Where from, and whither 
 away ?" asked some inquisitive fellows. " I'm 
 a wounded hussar ; unfortunately cannot ride. 
 I'm carrying provisions, by way of doing some- 
 thing, and am now bound for Folna." " Good 
 luck go with you !" replied the corporal; and 
 so I was suffered to proceed. 
 
 I had come off better than I expected ; and 
 my confidence in the prosperous issue of my 
 journey was thereby not a little strengthened. 
 Unluckily, it was destined to be very soon most 
 painfully dissappointed. In a few hours, I 
 again met a strong troop of horse, at least four 
 
IN HUNGARY. 191 
 
 hundred strong. When I saw at a distance 
 the glistening points of lances, I conjectured 
 in the first moment that they were Imperial 
 Hulans, though it was scarcely possible that 
 there could be any of them in those parts. 
 They belonged to a Polish partisan corps, 
 mostly armed with lances or straight scythes. 
 
 I was stopped by the very first of them, 
 who thought it was a lucky accident, and said 
 that I must turn back with them, and carry 
 the sick men. Against this I protested to no 
 purpose, and pleaded the urgency of my busi- 
 ness. " Have you any certificate in writing, 
 peasant?" cried the leader of the troop, an old 
 Polish officer, in an imperious tone ; and when 
 I answered in the negative, he replied in his 
 Polish-German-Hungarian gibberish, "Then 
 come along with us : to a patriotic man like 
 you it must be all the same whether you are 
 driving here or there; we want carriages, 
 and that's enough." 
 
 This was a sad affair for me. To accompany 
 the Polish legion as carrier had never entered 
 into my calculation ; and then the danger of 
 being discovered and shot upon the spot for a 
 
192 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 spy was not small. Necessity, however, knows 
 no law, and so I was obliged to submit. I 
 quietly joined the five Slowack peasants' carts, 
 which followed this troop of cavalry, and now 
 had to direct my course to the north-west, 
 instead of the south-west. 
 
 My first cargo consisted of one German 
 and four Polish horsemen, who were suffer- 
 ing from ague to such a degree as to be 
 unable to hold themselves upright in the 
 saddle. The poor fellows' teeth chattered as 
 as they lay close together in a car, from which 
 their comrades had immediately carried off my 
 stock of wine, and drunk it with great glee. 
 In other respects, they behaved orderly, nay, 
 even civilly towards me ; and, upon the whole, 
 good, I may say strict, discipline prevailed in 
 the corps. 
 
 These troops were mostly from Gallicia ; 
 chiefly young men from Lemberg, and other 
 Gallician towns ; and the officers were wholly 
 Polish gentlemen, who had fought in 1831 
 against the Russians, and in 1846 against us. 
 There were also among them many deserters 
 from our Polish Hulans and infantry regiments, 
 
IN HUNGARY. 193 
 
 which might easily be perceived in their more 
 stiff military bearing. 
 
 The clothing of the men, consisting in a 
 short Polish literka, was good, the arms in 
 fair condition ; the horses, mostly of Polish 
 breed, were somewhat worn, but still very ser- 
 viceable ; in short, it was not a contemptible 
 body of horse ; and, indeed, divisions of this 
 Polish legion had, at an earlier period, dis- 
 played great gallantry in the affairs in which 
 they had been engaged with us. If I was 
 to be absolutely necessitated to play the part 
 of carrier, I should have far preferred serving 
 these Polacks, because among them I ran least 
 risk of being discovered. 
 
 We proceeded thus the whole day ; gave 
 the horses a feed at noon, and bivouacked at 
 night in the open air. Our vehicles were 
 ranged in a circle, and completely surrounded 
 by advanced posts ; so that escape was impos- 
 sible. For nine days I travelled in this capa- 
 city with the Polish legion, living all that 
 time, like the other Slowack peasants, on 
 mammaliga, and sleeping at night under the 
 cart, wrapped in my bunda. Opportunity for 
 
 K 
 
194 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 escape there was none, for we carriers were 
 too well guarded at night, and we scarcely 
 ever met with imperial troops to whom we 
 could have gone over. 
 
 At length, however, the wished-for oppor- 
 tunity for flight presented itself. I was de- 
 tached from the main body, and sent off with 
 another cart, under an escort of six men, to a 
 jrusta, to take up provisions there. 
 
 Darkness, overtaking us on the return, 
 obliged us to halt, and to pass the night by 
 the bivouac fire. My Poles, as well as the 
 Slowack peasant, who drove the other vehicle, 
 had drunk rather too much sklikowitz (plum- 
 brandy) in the pusta ; and as no surprise what- 
 ever was to be apprehended, and not the least 
 mistrust was entertained of me, they were soon 
 fast asleep around the fire. 
 
 I determined to avail myself of this oppor- 
 tunity for flight, which might probably not 
 soon occur again ; shoved my cart, out of which 
 I had thrown three-fourths of its load, fifty 
 paces back ; then led to it the better of my 
 two horses, which had only been galled by the 
 saddle, and was otherwise a sound and untiring 
 
IN HUNGARY. 195 
 
 animal, and harnessed him to the vehicle. 
 My other horse, which was old and stiff, and 
 not fit for a rapid journey, I left behind, trans- 
 ferring the head-gear to a young, spirited 
 beast, which a Pole had bought at the pusta. 
 I managed to harness the two animals to the 
 cart, and, holding them by the head, led them 
 off slowly and quietly for some hundred paces ; 
 then mounted and took my seat, flourished the 
 whip, and galloped off in the dark. 
 
 My flight was prosperous. For the mo- 
 ment, at least, I was saved. I continued to 
 move on at a rapid rate throughout the night; 
 and it was not till towards morning that I 
 gave my beasts a hearty feed of kukuruz. I 
 was now forced to relinquish my intention of 
 reaching the Croatian military frontier ; for 
 my wanderings with the Poles had again car- 
 ried me too far northward ; I resolved now to 
 attempt to pass by Vesprim to Styria. 
 
 About ten o'clock by the sun, for this was 
 my only time-piece, I came to a small stream, 
 which seemed to run into Lake Platten, at 
 which I watered my horses ; then I drove on 
 without seeing a creature, steering my course 
 
 k2 
 
196 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 by the sun, and at night by the stars, unre- 
 mittingly, but slowly, that I might not fatigue 
 my cattle too much, for twenty -four succes- 
 sive hours ; till, in the morning, I perceived 
 the waters of Lake Platten. 
 
 Here, greatly refreshed by the shade of 
 some willows and alders, which screened me 
 from the burning heat of the sun, I rested for 
 a day and a half; for I felt very unwell, and 
 the wound in my side assumed a worse ap- 
 pearance, and became extremely painful. I 
 fastened my horses to the cart, and gave them 
 plenty of fodder; incessantly cooling my in- 
 flamed wounds with wet compresses, for which 
 I laded water out of the lake with my great 
 hat. My fare, since my flight, consisted of 
 bacon, of which I had still a small store, and 
 raw or roasted corns of kukuruz ; because, 
 unluckily, I could not bring with me either 
 flour or bread, or even a plate, as all these 
 articles were in the other vehicle. In addi- 
 tion, I had in my tsehuttora (large wooden 
 bottle) a little brandy left, which I drank 
 largely diluted with water. 
 
 With recruited strength and fresh courage, 
 
IN HUNGARY. 197 
 
 I again pursued my journey. Towards even- 
 ing, I came to a small village, which appeared 
 to be almost entirely deserted. I stopped at 
 the first house, to procure, if possible, bread, 
 some wine, and a plate. I obtained them all; 
 but at the same time learned, to my dismay, 
 that about six thousand honvods and hussars 
 were resting only a league off. This was sad 
 news; and yet I was forced to feign to be 
 very glad of it. 
 
 I was still conversing with the owner of the 
 house, an old peasant, when an hussar patrol e 
 rode into the village ; and I saw, with alarm, 
 that the men wore the uniform of the regiment 
 to which I had belonged till two years and a 
 half ago ; nay, when they came nearer, I dis- 
 covered in several faces features with which I 
 was acquainted. The danger of being detected 
 was now greater than ever. 
 
 Fortunately, the hussars rode past without 
 noticing my cart. Scarcely were they gone, 
 and I had begun to breathe more freely, when 
 a division of honvods came straight to the 
 house. The officer, formerly a. jurat of Pesth, 
 put some very captious cross-questions to me. 
 
198 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 He probably imagined that I had withdrawn 
 from the Hungarian military service out of 
 cowardice, but could not have any notion that 
 I was an imperial officer. 
 
 I thought, however, that it was best to 
 offer myself voluntarily as a carrier, in order 
 to escape any further examination. I there- 
 fore told the Jwnvod Lieutenant that I would 
 accompany him to his battalion, and serve it 
 as a carrier of provisions, since my wound 
 prevented me from riding, a point on which 
 he might convince himself. This proposal 
 pleased him : he praised my patriotic zeal ; 
 and I soon drove off with him to his battalion, 
 which was encamped with two others not far 
 from the village. 
 
 The Major, an old, weather-beaten Magyar 
 country-gentleman, who uttered more curses 
 than any other kind of words, called me re- 
 peatedly a d — d good fellow, and immediately 
 appointed me chief superintendent over the 
 ten or twelve small peasants' carts that were 
 compelled to follow the battalion. " There 
 are a great many gipsies among the fellows," 
 cried he, in good Hungarian ; " cut them 
 
IN HUNGARY. 199 
 
 do wd, the blackguards, and send their souls 
 to hell, if they disobey orders, and attempt to 
 escape !" 
 
 I had thus been promoted to head- carrier 
 of a honvöd battalion; and could not help 
 laughing at myself, far as I was from liking 
 the confidential post. For the rest, there 
 were in our corps several divisions of hussars 
 of my old regiment, and some of the men I 
 still knew perfectly well by name. I shunned 
 their sight as much as possible, and they 
 passed me without suspicion ; never supposing 
 that the Hungarian carman, in dirty gatjes, 
 old brown bimda, and broad-brimmed hat, 
 over his dark-tanned face, could be their for- 
 mer lieutenant. 
 
 Formerly, too, I had been slightly ac- 
 quainted with several of the honvöd officers, 
 from their having been in the Hungarian 
 Noble-guard, or cadets, or lieutenants, in Hun- 
 garian regiments. With one of them, who 
 was now captain, I had, two years ago, for 
 some weeks together, frequently played at 
 domino in a coffee-house at Milan. 
 
 I was not recognised by him either; for, of 
 
200 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 course, he did not deign to look closely at 
 me. In order, however, to be the better con- 
 cealed, in case of an accidental meeting with 
 the Poles from whom I had escaped, I swapped 
 my two horses on the following day with an 
 Hungarian peasant, who had a couple of Cos- 
 sack nags, which had been taken from the 
 Russians. The man gave me a tschuttora full 
 of good wine into the bargain, as he declared 
 that his beasts did not understand Hungarian, 
 and he could not talk with them. 
 
 I now moved about for several weeks with 
 the honvod battalion, without any opportunity 
 for escape presenting itself. The hard way 
 of life, full of exertions of every kind ; the 
 pig-meat diet — bacon and kukuruz in every 
 variety of form constituting the almost ex- 
 clusive fare ; lastly, the use of wine and 
 brandy, because the water was in general not 
 drinkable, greatly retarded the healing of my 
 shot-wound, and it began to suppurate consi- 
 derably. In other respects, I fared as well 
 as it was possible to do under such circum- 
 stances. 
 
 One day, I had a terrible fright : my bunda, 
 
IN HUNGARY. 201 
 
 in which was all my money, and, what was of 
 far greater consequence to me, my certificate 
 attesting that I was an imperial officer, was 
 stolen. Luckily, I discovered the thief, a 
 Jionvod soldier, in a few hours, and recovered 
 my bund a uninjured. The Major, to whom I 
 complained, awarded to the thief eighty as 
 sound strokes of the cane as ever were in- 
 flicted in the Austrian army. I found that 
 such punishments were not sparingly dis- 
 pensed in the insurgent army; and, upon the 
 whole, that the officers strove to maintain 
 strict discipline. 
 
 The soldiers were abundantly supplied with 
 wine, meat, and kukuruz, and were mostly well 
 clothed and armed. As for ready money, offi- 
 cers as well as soldiers saw very little of that. 
 We carriers also, in addition to food for our- 
 selves and our horses, received no pay, but 
 were to be compensated by an order upon 
 some Hungarian chest or other. 
 
 I was present as a spectator, among an 
 assemblage of peasants, at a great review of 
 our corps, held by Messaros, the Hungarian 
 minister of war. I was formerly brought into 
 
 k5 
 
202 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 relation in various ways with Messaros, who 
 had been colonel of an hussar regiment ; and 
 then neither of us ever dreamt that he should 
 some day ride past me — he as general of an 
 insurgent army, and I as a carrier of pro- 
 visions. 
 
 I passed with my battalion through Pesth; 
 as we were to operate on the other bank of 
 the Danube. I had hoped that we should 
 spend one night at least in the city, when I 
 should have endeavoured to escape in the 
 dark, and to have concealed myself with par- 
 tisans of the Emperor : but I was disappointed. 
 In a long train, under a strong escort, with- 
 out the least stoppage, we proceeded through 
 the streets of the city, so that it was impos- 
 sible for me to absent myself for a moment. 
 There, in the balcony of a house, stood, in 
 deep mourning, the widow of my poor friend 
 
 St , whose death by our balls I have 
 
 already related to you. Her regular, beauti- 
 ful face, was very pale, and bore the impress 
 of profound grief. 
 
 What vicissitudes of fortune had we all 
 experienced ! Three years ago, she, the most 
 
IN HUNGARY. 203 
 
 admired young beauty of Lombardy, radiant 
 in all the charms of early womanhood, had 
 given her hand to the handsome, vigorous, 
 wealthy man, who attracted the eyes of all 
 the other sex ; and I, the young, pleasure- 
 loving hussar officer, served for brideman — 
 and now — there she stood, a pale, mourning- 
 widow, solitary and forlorn — her husband 
 sleeping the everlasting sleep on an Hungarian 
 heath ! — and I, as a poor carrier, driving a 
 cart laden with flour under her window ! 
 
 I descried also behind the window-panes a 
 couple of handsome, youthful faces, belonging 
 to two sisters of my acquaintance. One of 
 them must have been struck by the resem- 
 blance of the carman to the well-known hussar 
 officer ; for I saw her jog her sister, and point 
 to me with her finder. 
 
 From Pesth we proceeded, in a north- 
 western direction, against a Russian corps. 
 Once the insurgents whom I accompanied had 
 a smart action with the Russians, which, how- 
 ever, terminated without much advantage to 
 either side. I myself, with my cart and 
 horses, was obliged to stay, along with the 
 
204 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 baggage-waggons, upon a height behind our 
 line. Towards the end of the fight, I and 
 two other Slowack peasants received orders 
 to take our horses out of the shafts, and to 
 hasten with them to the line of battle, to be 
 harnessed to a gun, the horses of which had 
 been shot. 
 
 During the short ride thither my wound 
 was excessively painful. Under the hottest 
 fire of the Russians, we put the horses to the 
 gun ; in doing this a Russian ball went 
 through my hat, which had fallen from my 
 head, as it lay at my feet ; and we drove off. 
 One of the peasants, probably feeling not quite 
 comfortable amidst the fire, attempted to run 
 away while we were harnessing, but was soon 
 overtaken by an hussar of the covering party, 
 and inspired with the necessary courage by 
 smart blows with the flat of his blade. 
 
 For me this combat had a still more un- 
 pleasant termination. My hope of escaping 
 on this occasion was again thwarted ; and I 
 was then overpowered by a despondence such 
 as 1 had never yet experienced. The bad 
 fare, the unaccustomed employment as car- 
 
IN HUNGARY. 205 
 
 man, the uncleanliness which it was impos- 
 sible to avoid, and a hundred petty disagree- 
 ables and annoyances, combined with the 
 constantly disappointed hope of deliverance, 
 reduced me very low — morally and physically; 
 and I was frequently obliged to rally all my 
 energies, lest I should sink under them. 
 
 After I had been wandering about for four 
 successive weeks with the honvöds, the day of 
 deliverance at length arrived. 
 
 Twenty carts had been sent under the 
 escort of a troop of hussars, to fetch provi- 
 sions. The train was moving slowly forward 
 in a thick wood, when suddenly cries of " The 
 enemy ! the enemy !" proceeded from our ad- 
 vanced guard. With the courage peculiar to 
 them, the hussars dashed forward, to throw 
 themselves upon the foe, and I could soon 
 perceive that they were engaged with a strong 
 body of Russian infantry. 
 
 The peasants were ordered to face about 
 and drive back with the utmost expedition; 
 but, in turning, I purposely upset my cart, so 
 that for the moment it could not be moved 
 from the spot. The hussars, meanwhile, were 
 
206 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 fighting against the superior force of the 
 enemy with the courage of lions, and actually 
 stopped it till all the carts had got off, with 
 the single exception of mine. Above half of 
 the hussars had fallen ; when, at length, the 
 rest retreated with great precipitation. 
 
 Now or never was the time for me to be 
 saved. I quickly crept beneath my over- 
 turned cart, to be screened from any unlucky 
 cuts by the hussars scampering past, and the 
 pursuing Cossacks, and to wait till I could 
 surrender to the returning Russian infantry. 
 My plan was quite successful. An hussar, 
 galloping by, struck at my horses with the 
 flat of his sword, to drive them off; but, 
 being attached to the overturned vehicle, laden 
 with sacks of kukuruz, they were unable to stir. 
 
 Presently, the first Russian infantry soldiers 
 came up to my car, and were not a little sur- 
 prised when a peasant crept from beneath it, 
 and surrendered himself as prisoner to them. 
 Some Cossacks, who had, meanwhile, come 
 up, would have taken my bunda from me; 
 and, when I resisted, one of them menacingly 
 raised his kantschuh towards me ; but the 
 
IN HUNGARY. 207 
 
 corporal of the infantry took me under his 
 protection, and would not suffer me to be 
 plundered. 
 
 In vain I now strove to render myself intel- 
 ligible to the man, as he understood not a 
 word of German ; but, by means of all sorts 
 of gestures and the word offizier (officer), 
 which I frequently repeated, pointing, at the 
 same time, to myself, I succeeded so far as to 
 get conducted to the lieutenant of the divi- 
 sion. But he too knew nothing either of 
 German or French; and incessantly shook his 
 head, when I strove, in all possible ways, to 
 make him comprehend that I was an imperial 
 Austrian officer. 
 
 At last, I ripped open my bunda, to show 
 him my written document. He did not un- 
 derstand the writing, it is true ; but the seal 
 underneath, inspired some respect. He now 
 became quite civil ; offered me brandy out of 
 his camp-flask ; and ordered the Cossacks, 
 who were ready to appropriate my horses to 
 themselves as booty, to raise my cart, and put 
 the animals to it again. The soldiers, how- 
 ever, kept my sacks of kuTcuruz and pots of 
 
208 THE CIVIL WAR 
 
 lard, and were soon busily engaged in making 
 with them all sorts of pastry about a large fire. 
 
 The officer beckoned me to take a place in 
 the cart, ordered a subaltern and a soldier to 
 seat themselves by me, while two Cossacks 
 were to trot on before upon their small, shaggy 
 beasts; and thus was I conducted, as half a 
 prisoner, to the battalion, which was bivouack- 
 ing about half a league off. 
 
 The Lieutenant-colonel, a tall, handsome 
 man, understood so much German as to be 
 able to read my certificate, and to compre- 
 hend my oral explanation. He was very polite 
 to me; but begged me not to take it amiss if, 
 for the moment, he was obliged to treat me as 
 an officer who was a prisoner. He supplied 
 me with what was particularly desirable — some 
 clean linen out of his wardrobe, and a pair of 
 old pantaloons, instead of my old, horrible, 
 filthy gatjes, and had my wound examined and 
 fresh dressed by the surgeon of the battalion. 
 
 In the evening, he invited me to his supper, 
 which consisted of good beef-steaks, and ex- 
 cellent tea, which was a real cordial to me. 
 For a bed, he ordered meto be furnished with 
 
IN HUNGARY. 209 
 
 some blankets, such as the officers had ; so that 
 I slept most comfortably. For the rest, a sub- 
 altern had orders to keep close to my side, 
 and not to allow me, upon any account what- 
 ever, to leave him. 
 
 After an excellent breakfast of tea and 
 eggs, I requested that the Lieutenant-colonel, 
 who was preparing to march forward with his 
 battalion, to send me to the Russian General 
 to whose corps he belonged, as I expected to 
 find there an imperial Austrian officer. 
 
 With a Cossack, whose horse was fastened 
 to the tail of the cart, as driver, and an in- 
 fantry soldier as orderly, I proceeded in my 
 vehicle to the head-quarters of the General, 
 two leagues in rear. As accident would have 
 it, I was well acquainted with the Captain 
 placed as orderly officer about the Russian 
 General. 
 
 At the moment we entered, he was lolling 
 in a window of the inn, smoking his morning 
 pipe. He looked astounded when he saw me 
 in such a garb, shook me heartily by the hand, 
 and immediately attested that I was exempt 
 from suspicion. 
 
210 CIVIL WAR IN HUNGARY. 
 
 Here I procured the most necessary arti- 
 cles of clothing and linen, in order to make 
 a somewhat more decent appearance, and, 
 through the medium of the Captain, engaged 
 the servant of an Austrian officer who had 
 fallen, as my attendant for the present. I 
 passed two days with the Russian General, 
 from whom I received all possible attentions ; 
 but my bodily state did not permit me to 
 enjoy their hospitality in full measure. 
 
 I then joined a military convoy, travelling 
 in my cart, wrapped in soft blankets, by short 
 marches, to Moravia, having solicited leave of 
 absence to go to that country. I reached 
 without accident the neat little town, where I 
 knew that good nursing awaited me, and 
 where I am now using all possible means for 
 my recovery. 
 
 I shall not be able to take part in the Hun- 
 garian war for some months ; and it is to be 
 hoped that, meanwhile, it will have been 
 brought to a successful termination. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 London: F. Slioberl, Jun., Printer to HR.H. I'rince Albert, 51, Rupert St.