GEMS FROM THE POLISH CAMPAIGN. 535 



Prince Albert's regiment with those of St. George, Novogorod, and 

 Starodub, advanced along the Chaussee, having a division of lancers 

 on their left and a division of hussars on their right. While Pahlen's 

 corps were ordered to support the attack on the left, and the Lithu- 

 anian grenadiers and a brigade of the 2d division of grenadiers on 

 the right, the Russian hussars made a furious charge upon the 1st 

 and 3d light battalions of the 4th division, who were thrown into 

 confusion, some retiring upon Praga, others driven into the marshes 

 of the Vistula, crossed the river on the ice and spread terror through 

 the environs of Warsaw. 



Grochow was evacuated, and the whole right wing forced back. 

 The charge on the right was led by the lancers of the Russian im- 

 perial guard. Carried away by their ardour, and burning to bathe 

 their lances in Polish blood, these haughty pretorians, confident of 

 success, rushed forward at a furious rate, leaving the remainder of 

 the division far in their rear. To their cost, however, they encountered 

 the celebrated 4th of the line, which had been thrown into square to 

 receive them. Three times, with loosened rein and loud hurrahs, did 

 the Russian lancers dash at the Polish square ; three times did every 

 squadron of the regiment in succession gallop fiercely up to the 

 bristling bayonets of the kneeling front rank, and, receiving the mur- 

 derous and well-directed fire of the rear ranks, opened out to the 

 right and left, and retired by either flank to the rear to reform their 

 broken ranks for another charge. But fruitless were their efforts ; 

 the Polish square stood firm as a mountain rock ; with stern compo- 

 sure they withstood the whirlwind charge, and, reserving their fire 

 till the foe was within a few yards of them, they poured on the Mus- 

 covite horsemen a shower of death which soon covered the front of 

 their iron formation with a rampart of men and horses. It was in 

 vain now that the Russian trumpets sounded the charge ; in vain did 

 their officers, with a self-devotion worthy of a better cause, exert 

 themselves to rally and bring back their men ; the lancer-guard of 

 the imperial autocrat broke and fled, and communicated their panic 

 to the rest of the division not a squadron of which dared couch a 

 lance against the gallant 4th ! 



But the principal charge reserved for the cuirassiers along the 

 the causeway, was the most disastrous of all. Prince Albert led the 

 attack, and galloping through the intervals of the first line, rode fu- 

 riously against the second, where it created considerable disorder ; but 

 a battalion of the 8th, commanded by Major Karski, checked their 

 furious onset, by a cool and well-directed fire. At this moment the 

 2d regiment of Polish Lancers, observing the confusion of the cuiras- 

 siers, dashed impetuously at them. The melee was terrific ; and 

 deeply, in that short space, did the formidable larice of Poland drink 

 of Muscovite blood the steel-clad cuirassiers were to a man annihi- 

 lated ! If at this moment Krukoweski and Sanowsky's divisions, as 

 they ought to have done, had appeared upon the field, the battle 

 would yet have been a glorious victory ; but they never came ;- a 

 single brigade of Gielgud's corps alone reached Zombki towards the 

 evening, and reinforced General Uminski, who, in spite of the im- 

 mense superiority of Szachowski's corps, had not lost an inch of 



