Hungary. February 6, 1849

Hungary.
No. 214, February 6, 1849
Neue Rheinische Zeitung.
* The 19th Army Bulletin has appeared. Even if we give credence to this document, the advantages gained by the Imperialists in the recent period are not worth mentioning.

Of the army corps in the Slovak (north-western) comitates5 we learn nothing. This corps is therefore evidently still fully occupied with the “pacification of the already occupied parts of the country”.

Of the troops sent from Pesth to Miskolcz, which are to establish the connection between Windischgrätz and Schlick and to whom10, it will be remembered, we prophesied a fairly long journey, of those troops, whose outposts, according to alleged letters from Schlick’s camp, were already supposed to be at Miskolcz, we likewise learn nothing. Proof that they have not yet got far.

Of the Banat gypsy bands we likewise learn nothing.

And finally, of the troops sent against Bem we hear nothing at all. On the whole, not only the official bulletins, but also the otherwise boastful unofficial lying reports have been completely silent about Bem for some time. Proof enough that the Imperialists are likewise winning no laurels against him. Since we thus have no news whatever about Bem, we must not be at all surprised if he suddenly appears in the rear or on the flanks of Schlick, thereby upsetting the entire imperial war plan.

We need hardly mention that the bulletin, too, knows not a word about the storming of Leopoldstadt25, now six times mendaciously reported by the court-martial sheets and six times believed by Mama Dumont. The capture of this fortress therefore still remains “to be hoped for”.

All that, then, the bulletin does not say. What does it say?

It reports on three points: on the Slavonian border, at Szolnok and on the upper Theiss. Of these three points it naturally again reports “brilliant successes”.

First: “Feldzeugmeister Count Nugent, who, in order to drive out the rebels assembled at Fünfkirchen, set out on 25 January from Kanisa thither, transferred his headquarters to Fünfkirchen on 29 January, which town the rebels, 4,000 men strong with 10 guns, left on 26 January and are likely to have taken the direction of Essegg, in order to rally under the protection of the fortress occupied by the rebels, which, however, they will not succeed in doing, as this fortress is blockaded by the brigade of Colonel van der Null of the Gradiskan Border Regiment, and Feldzeugmeister Count Nugent will also follow them in that direction. The appearance of the Imperial-Royal army in the Baranya and Tolna comitates has completely annihilated the elements hostile to the government.”

Let us first state that, according to this, the fortress of Essegg on the Drave has not been taken, as the court-martial rumours asserted, but that it has just been “blockaded”, a blockade which will be broken through all the more easily by the “4,000 men with 10 guns” as it is simply not feasible on the left bank of the Drave because of the extensive marshes.

The further success consists in Nugent having advanced as far as Fünfkirchen. Since, according to the 18th Bulletin, Kaposvar was already occupied by the Imperialists, the entire advantage lies in the army’s position being pushed forward by about 10 miles, parallel to the Drave. Nothing has been gained by this but more difficult provisioning, which increases in proportion as the army approaches the heart of Hungary. The Magyars here, moreover, are evidently following the same tactics as Görgey in the Slovak territory: they hold the towns as long as possible and then begin guerrilla warfare in the countryside. What is said about the pacification of the Baranya and Tolna comitates is entirely reminiscent of the pacifications in Slovakia. We shall soon hear that here too the army has been unable to advance because it must first restore peace and order in the comitates already conquered.

Second: “As already reported in the 18th Bulletin, the cavalry brigade Ottinger, reinforced by 3 battalions of infantry and 2 foot batteries, had taken up position at Cegled. On learning that the rebels intended to attack this position, Field-Marshal Prince Windischgrätz found himself induced to advance against them with all supernumerary troops, hoping that the rebels would accept battle. But this time, too, they did not dare to let matters come to a decisive engagement, and after seeing these reinforcements approach, they hastily withdrew across the Theiss, pursued by the Brigade Grammont.”

Just so! The fact that Windischgrätz himself went to Cegled “with all supernumerary troops” proves that Mr. Ottinger must have suffered a severe defeat there. The reinforcing “3 battalions and 2 batteries” had thus come to nothing! The advantage is limited to the fact that the Austrians are now again on the Theiss at Szolnok. The annoyance of Windischgrätz that the rebels once again did not accept battle is comical. As if it had not been the plan from the outset to avoid all decisive battles as much as possible for the time being, to lure the Imperialists as far as possible into Hungary, and to organise peasant war and guerrilla actions in their rear! In due time they will certainly “let matters come to a decisive engagement”.

Third: “Field-Marshal-Lieutenant Count Schlick, after having already accomplished the cleansing of Zips, has now also achieved that of the Zemplin comitate of rebels, and has thereupon advanced towards Tokaj, whither Kossuth’s adherents were streaming from all sides. The vanguard of Field-Marshal-Lieutenant Schlick under Major Piattoli encountered the enemy on 19 January at Szanto and threw them back towards Tokaj. On 21 January a reconnaissance showed that the enemy had withdrawn and taken up a rather advantageous position at Tokaj, Tarczal and Keresztur. On 22 January Field-Marshal-Lieutenant Count Schlick undertook a general attack on this position. Major Herczmanovsky led his brave battalion Stephan, together with a squadron of Emperor’s Chevauxlegers and four guns, against Keresztur, while Field-Marshal-Lieutenant Count Schlick advanced with the main column via Tallya and Mad towards Tarczal. The engagement ended victoriously for the Imperial troops. The enemy suffered considerable loss, especially in dead from the Polish legion.”

This advantage is completely striking. Schlick has pushed back the Hungarian outposts by a few miles and fought them at Tallya and Keresztur. “The engagement ended victoriously for the Imperial-Royal troops –” is the laconic report on the success. Whether Tallya and Keresztur have been taken, whether the Magyars have withdrawn across the Theiss, not a word is said. This victorious but fruitless engagement will probably be of the same character as Ottinger’s last victory, which ultimately turned into a defeat. The

“Cleansing of Zips” is no great feat, since Zips is largely inhabited by Germans. In the Zemplin comitate there are Ruthenes, thus for the present still friends of the Imperialists, and here too it sounds comical to hear talk of “cleansing”.

The main result of the bulletin is that the Imperialists are stationed on the Theiss at two widely separated points. The two corps are without connection. Kossuth will probably now soon venture the decisive blow: either to throw himself with full force upon each of the two corps separately, or to break through between them, march on Pesth, and thus fall upon the Austrians in the rear.

And while the situation still stands thus, while the Imperialists, despite their superior strength, are advancing only very hesitantly and cautiously, letting all their columns operate singly without thinking of concentration, while the Magyars are standing in arms behind the Theiss, the court-martial press reports: Kossuth has been captured in the district of Stry in Galicia. And German papers print this.