50 Wysocki's Narrative of the Polish Insurrection. [JAN- 



regiments lying in garrison at Warsaw, must be immediately assembled. 

 2dly. That it be clearly intimated to them, that they were understood to 

 approve our undertaking, and would be expected effectually to second 

 the enterprise. 3dly. That on Sunday, towards evening, the plan of 

 military operations should be read to them." 



On Sunday, the 28th November, about seven o'clock in the evening, 

 the representatives accordingly repaired to the barracks of the guards, 

 and assembled at the apartments of Borkiewicz. During the night from 

 Sunday to Monday we fixed our plan of military operations. The fol- 

 lowing were the main articles : 



. '.' 1st. To make sure of the person of the Grand Duke. 2dly. To 

 force the Russian cavalry to lay down their arms. 3dly. To take pos- 

 session of the arsenal, and distribute arms among the people. 4thly. 

 To disarm the regiments of the Russian, Volhynian, and Lithuanian 

 guard, under the command of Generals Essakow and Engelmann." 



The result of this plan is now known to every one. Some of the 

 most remarkable details may however still be interesting. At six 

 o'clock in the evening, the signal of revolt was given by setting fire to 

 the brewery on the Solec, close to the barracks of the Russian cavalry, 

 but by some chance or other the fire was extinguished. The Polish 

 troops left the barracks to repair to their appointed posts ; at the same 

 instant, a division, consisting of several students of the university, 

 hastened, under command of two ensigns of the academy, to insure the 

 person of the Grand Duke, who, amidst the confusion, might have run 

 a risk of being sacrificed. This business was confided to the two Ensigns 

 Fraszkowski and Kobylanski ; the names of the others were, Louis 

 Nabielak, Sewerin Goszczynski, Karl Paszkiewicz, Stanislaus Poninski, 

 Zenon Niemojewski, Louis Orpiszewski, Rochus and Nicodemus Rup- 

 niewski, Valentine Nosiorowski, Louis Jankowski, Edward Trzcinski, 

 Leonard Rettel, Antony Kosinski, Alexander Swientoslawski, Valentine 

 .Krosniewski, and Rottermund, all either teachers or pupils of the uni- 

 versity, and men of upright character, wholly devoted to the cause. 



Four light companies, and two of the sixth regiment of the line, who 

 were dispatched to assist the ensigns, and to prevent the Russian cavalry 

 from forcing their way into the city, were foiled in their mission by 

 General Stanislaus Potocki, who met them on their way, and took them 

 as prisoners of war to the Russians. The four cannons, which were to 

 have taken possession of the posts between the rural coffee house* and 

 the Radziwil barracks, as well as of the passages leading to the Bel- 

 vedere, and which were only intended to fire for the sake of the moral 

 influence this would have on the troops, were seized by a Polish regi- 

 ment, which I shall purposely avoid mentioning, lest its reputation 

 should be for ever branded with infamy. At the moment the small 

 detachment sent to the Belvedere disappeared from the little wood at 

 Lazienki, I hurried away to the barracks of the Ensigns' Academy, 

 accompanied by Lieutenant Schlegel, who brought us cartridges from 

 the camp, and by Joseph Dobrowolski. We found the young men 

 busily engaged at their theoretical studies ; the two above-mentioned 

 gallant officers instantly disarmed the Russian. 



On entering the school, I exclaimed to these valiant youths " Poles ! 

 the hour of vengeance has struck ; this day we must either conquer or 



* The Polish expression is wieyska kawa, which means a rural, or country coffee- 

 house. It is difficult to. hit the exact signification without being thoroughly ac- 

 quainted with the localities. 



