Cologne, evening of May 3. As the flight of the imperial troops 
from Hungary becomes ever wilder, and the pursuit by the Magyars 
more inexorable, so much the more confused and contradictory 
become the reports on events in the theatre of war. They agree only 
in one respect: that the imperial troops are daily suffering fresh 
defeats. 

The following facts, however, emerge as pretty well certain: 

Firstly. The battle at Acs, which the imperial forces depicted as a 
victory, was a defeat. This follows from the fact that Schlick, who 
claims to have won a victory here, immediately afterwards retreated 
to Raab. The Lithographierte Correspondenz, too, states that the 
outcome of the encounter at Acs proved to be disadvantageous for 
the imperial troops, and that the Zanini regiment, apart from a few 
officers, went over to the Hungarians. 

Secondly. On April 28, in the region of Hungarian Altenburg 
(halfway between Raab and Pressburg), the Austrians were defeated 
again. Various reports concur in stating this. Many wounded were 
brought across the Leitha and the whole surrounding area is 
crowded with them. On the 29th and 30th, some 2,000 are said to 
have been brought to Vienna itself. Some say that Welden’s 
headquarters is in Pressburg, others that it is in Bruck on the Leitha 
(on Austrian soil). At Raab, too, where Schlick is supposed to have 
been on the 27th, the pursuing Hungarians are said to have engaged 
him in a murderous battle. 

From this news it would appear that the bulk of the Austrian army 
has already been driven out of Hungary. And it is beyond doubt that 
it is for the most part already on Austrian soil, and in Hungary it 
merely occupies Pressburg and Oedenburg. In addition, what we 

From the Theatre of War 397 

predicted is now confirmed, namely that the Hungarians have 
crossed the Danube at Komorn and are advancing on both sides of 
this river in a concentric movement against Vienna. The clearance of 
Slovakia by the Hungarians is now confirmed by the Wiener Zeitung 
as well. | 

Thirdly: It is practically certain that Jellachich, too, has been 
completely defeated. He himself, as the Wiener Zeitung reports, has 
already arrived in Esseg, which means that, since he only left Pest on 
the 23rd or 24th, and was already in Esseg on the 26th, he has made 
a much quicker journey than his corps. It is said that this corps has 
been completely destroyed and that the greater part of the survivors 
have gone over to the Magyars. According to one report, the battle 
took place at Kis-Bér, but this is impossible since this place, situated a 
few miles south of Komorn, is quite outside Jellachich’s route. Apart 
from that this report contains also various other impossibilities. The 
news of Jellachich’s defeat, however, appears in all newspapers and 
correspondents’ reports. 

A manifesto issued by Kossuth proclaims the independence of 
Hungary and its neighbouring territories from Austria and 
declares the separation of these territories from the Habsburg- 
Lorraine dynasty because the latter unleashed such a calamitous 
war against Hungary." 

From the south, no news has come of further advances of the 
Magyars. Perczel is said to have moved with his main army towards 
Pest. Rukavina has asked for help from the Serbs in order to fortify 
Temesvar, but the Serbs have refused it. On the contrary, they are 
demanding the immediate convocation of the Serbian National 
Assembly for election of the voivode and constitutional establish- 
ment of the Voivodina. 

The Hungarians are said to have obtained 80,000 rifles from 
England via Turkey. The Grosswardein factory supplies them with 
300 daily. 

Meanwhile, in Vienna joy and excitement prevail among the 
people, and consternation in the Government. On April 30, 
indescribable despondency was evident on the Stock Exchange. Petty 
traders came from the suburbs and gave accounts of mounting unrest. 
In the afternoon, well-known barricade personalities were noticed in 
the streets. 

The Government is in the throes of complete break-up. Not only 
has Stadion resigned, but it is already the turn of Schwarzenberg, who 
is to be replaced by Colloredo-Waldsee. 

The Russians are coming. The Russian General von Berg has 
already travelled via Cracow to Vienna. 12,000-15,000 Russians of all 

branches of the service,including four squadrons of cavalry and two 
artillery batteries, were expected in Cracow on May 1 and 2. It is said 
that the orthodox Tsar* himself will come to the neighbourhood to 
supervise the operations. 

The Russians have already marched into the Bukovina, according to a 
note from Czernowitz of April 28. 

(The Viennese and Prague newspapers have not reached us this 
evening.)