We had just heard the news of the disaster at Vienna and we were packing up our camp to begin the long retreat out of the Christian's country when our scouts reported that the enemy were coming.
They were upon us quickly. The scouts had not done their job very well. It was understandable, if not forgivable: they did not want to be left behind either.
The Pasha ordered the infantry to man the walls and the two units of Jannissaries as well as our Tufeckis stood in the prepared position. The two cannon that had not been limbered were readied as the Polish force moved quickly through the pass and into the plain beyond the little village to our North.
At first the Pasha ordered us to start to fall back, but before anyone could move, he ordered us to halt. The river was at our back and we were forming columns to cross it.
We heard shooting and the sounds of horse hooves became audible. Turning to look I could see the Poles were within pistol shot of our lines.
So the Pasha ordered us to be ready to defend ourselves. The formations to the east of our redoubt moved into line and then the order came for us to do the same.
They advanced to meet the enemy who was attempting to storm our breastworks.
Failing that they flowed around it and I saw our cavalry go into action to oppose them.
The Poles had not waited for the slower parts of their force. They were out for blood now and the flower of their army faced us.
We waited as the sound of combat echoed between the two villages towards us.
Then came the order to pull back. We were going to leave the infantry to its fate.
Suddenly the Poles were in the village to the East and the order was rescinded. Poles moved through the village to our North. As a unit moved over optimistically South, the cavalry next to me charged it, routing it back through the village where we could see more Poles moving through the streets.
The bulk of the Polish forces smashed over the quickly built entrenchments and into our infantry and through our infantry.
The men fell back, steadily at first and then in a flood towards the river, the Poles were after them, cutting them down as they fled.
I could see the Polish banners moving through the village to the east of us, they must have cut their way through the cavalry over there.
We charged to try to stop the assault to our center and our left, but there were two few of us, the cannons were firing as quickly as they could.
Before them we broke and joined the route. The tide of men flowing towards the two small bridges over the river was stronger than the current flowing through it.
I saw the Pasha in headlong flight too and in my rage I caught up to him. I pulled him from his horse by his coat and fell on him. With my dagger drawn I turned him over. Tears flowed down his face and I heard him say, "I am not a good commander," before I mingled those tears with his blood.
The Poles were amongst us not and cutting us down. I stood, my horse had run off and looked at the mass of retreating men, a very few making it across the bridges, some attempting to swim the river. They flowed past me. Standing there I must not have appeared a target, they were just cutting down anything running.
I lay down then, next to the Pasha and waited for dark before I slipped away.
18 December 2011, 07:44:01 PM
