482 GALLICIA AND LODOMERIA. 



more than an hundred pieces of cannon disposed upon thirty-three bat' 

 teries. The Russians succeeded in their assault, and the Polish ge- 

 nerals found themselves unable to oppose, with 10,000 soldiers, which 

 was the whole of their force, the united attack of 50,000 men. After 

 a severe conflict of eight hours, the resistance on the part of the Poles 

 ceased ; but the massacre of the sanguinary Suwarrow continued for 

 two hours longer ; and the pillage lasted tifl noon on the following day. 

 Five thousand Poles were computed to have been slain in the assault ; 

 the remainder were either imprisoned or dispersed. The citizens were 

 compelled to lay down their arms ; and their houses were plundered by 

 the merciless Russians, who, after the battle had ceased nearly ten 

 hours, about nine o'clock at night set fire to the town, and again began 

 to massacre the inhabitants. Nine thousand persons, unarmed men, 

 defenceless women, and harmless infants, perished either in the flames. 

 or by the sword, and nearly the whole of the suburb was reduced to 

 ashes. In the whole of this seige it is computed that not less than 

 30,000 Poles lost their lives. 



The city being thus reduced under the power of the Russians, the 

 king was for a short time restored to a kind of mock authority, by the 

 supreme council remitting into his hands that which it had exercised. 

 On the 9th of November, the Russian general made his triumphal en- 

 try into Warsaw, in which the streets were lined with his troops, and 

 the inhabitants, shut up in their houses, observed a melancholy silence. 

 The chief magistrate delivered him the keys of the bridge of the su- 

 burb, after which he received the compliments of the king; and, on 

 the 10th, went with much pomp to the castle, to pay his respects to 

 his majesty. To complete the whole of this execrable scene, the first 

 of December was set apart for a day of solemn thanksgiving, and Te 

 Deum was sung for the triumph of barbarous oppression. 



In the mean time Kosciusko was under surgical care at Nozcylack, 

 where the utmost attention was paid to his recovery He was after- 

 wards sent to Petersburg, under a very powerful military escort, and 

 was confined in the fortress there, till the death of Catherine II, when 

 the late emperor, who on several occasions showed great liberality to- 

 wards the persecuted Poles, set him at liberty, assigned him a pension, 

 and allowed him his choice, either to return to his own country, or go 

 to America Kosciusko preferred the latter, and arrived safely in the 

 asylum which he chose. On his way thither he passed through Eng- 

 land, and was received with the warmest welcome and congratulation 

 by all the friends of freedom. 



On the 20th of December, 1794, a courier arrived from the empress, 

 demanding the arrestation of count Ignatius Potocki,and several of the 

 other patriots, whom she ordered to be sent to Petersburg. The same 

 messenger brought a command from the empress to the unhappy mo- 

 narch oi Poland to repair to Grodno, who, in obedience to the summons, 

 set off from his capital on the 7th of January, 1795. 



The unfortunate king was afterwards removed to Petersburg, where 

 he had a palace and a suitable pension assigned him, and where he diedj 

 February 1 1, 1798. With him ended the kingdom of Poland. 



