Today, April 4, 1894, is the one-hundredth anniversary of the historical Battle of Raclawice, fought on April 4, 1794, by a Polish army under the command of Thaddeus Kosciusko.

This victory will always be of great significance to us, inasmuch as in this bloody combat both the common people and the noblemen[united] for the first time and shed their blood for their country. Therefore, Raclawice will never be forgotten by real patriots.

[In this battle] Kosciusko defeated a very strong Russian force with only four companies of regular soldiers and a few hundred peasants armed with scythes.

We are reprinting some of the details of this battle, as written by J. I. Kraszewski.

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[Before] starting the attack, Kosciusko appealed to all the people of Poland, the highest authority, asking them to join the insurrection and defend the motherland. People came to him from everywhere--some to join his army and others to bring him money and whatever they had in the way of war supplies.

Three "Flisaks", or watermen, who transport goods on wooden rafts along the Vistula River, came once to the commander and offered twenty river rafts for the service of the country. Their names were John Gryzywa, Thomas Brandys, and Albert Sroka. When Kosciusko thanked them, Thomas Brandys stepped out and said: "Dear Commander, please accept also the funds which we laid aside for the upkeep of the crew," and he filled a sheepskin cap with ducats and gave it to him.

The commander, moved by their patriotism and generosity, embraced every one of them in brotherly fashion. Those who witnessed this incident exclaimed, "Long live such citizens!"

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Many peasants armed with scythes and spears volunteered, and Kosciusko prepared them for the new fight. Peasant mothers sent their sons, sisters sent their brothers, girls their fiances, all armed with scythes, to Kosciusko; each one blessed her young man and hung a scapular, or a medalion depicting the Holy Virgin, on his neck, recommending him to her protection.

Kosciusko left Crakow on April 1, 1794, and encamped his army at Luborzyca. Later on his army marched to Koniusza, and from there it proceeded to Skalmierz.

The first three hundred scythe men arrived at Kosciusko's camp on April 3, 1794. Kosciusko commanded Manzet's and Malewski's brigades, which were stationed eight miles from Crakow, and Malinski's brigade, which arrived for the purpose of helping him with approximately three thousand infantrymen and twelve hundred cavalrymen.

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On the morning of April 4, just when the army was occupying the hill near the road leading to Dzialoszyce, the enemy appeared on the right wing. The Russians stationed at Raclawice occupied a very strong position on an inaccessible hill known as Gora Kosciejowska. Kosciusko approached the Russians from the left and overtook them at Raclawice. The armies remained at their positions without action for two hours. Finally, Tormasoff, the commander of the Russian forces, arranged his army in three columns and advanced. The Russian columns moved in such manner that it appeared to be a retreat. The Polish artillery hidden in the woods mowed down their men. The well-aimed fire of this battery compelled the enemy to fall back. The [Russian] middle column advanced and was reached by the guns from the [Polish] right wing, as well as by the rifle fire from the second regiment stationed in the woods.

The Russian right column appeared against the Polish left wing and its riflemen and artillery took positions. Zajaczek and Madalinski attacked this column three times but could not defeat it.

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Then Kosciusko, leading the peasants who had arrived at the camp the day before, and with two companies of the sixth regiment, attacked boldly the middle column of the enemy.

"Hey, boys, take those guns!" cried Kosciusko to the scythe men. The Russian guns had hardly a chance to fire twice when the peasants headed by Glowacki and Swistalski broke up the infantry, overpowering and defeating the whole Russian column.

First, the battalion of grenadiers commanded by Count Tomatys took to flight, throwing down their weapons. Tormasoff then advanced a file of Uhlick's regiment, but even they threw down their weapons and ran. The third battalion resisted the longest, but was defeated and disappeared into the woods. Colonel Muromceff attacked the Polish cavalry with four squadrons, but he was killed and his guns captured.

Two staff officers, ten high-rank officers, and four hundred and twenty-five 6soldiers fell, according to the Russian report. Among the fallen ones was Lieutenant-Colonel Pustowaloff, famous for his bravery.

The battle raged from three o'clock in the afternoon until eight o'clock at night.

Fate had favored the Polish people in their first military engagement with Kosciusko at their head.

The victory was complete. The Russians themselves admitted great losses. Besides winning the battle, the Poles captured eleven guns with ammunition and equipment and the flag of a cavalry unit. One colonel, one captain, one lieutenant, one standard-bearer, and eighteen soldiers were captured. The Polish losses were small--one hundred and fifty dead and two hundred wounded. It was night when the guns were silenced, and on the battlefield there was an outcry of "Long live the nation! Long live freedom!"

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At Raclawice, as in all other battles, Kosciusko displayed his great knowledge of engineering and artillery. He distinguished himself not only for his bravery but also for [his good judgment in] choosing positions and his knowledge of intrenchment and mounting of batteries.

To his ever-present enthusiasm he added the cool head of a leader who feels responsible for the lives of his men. He was good at encouraging his soldiers and peasants during a battle, never failing to reward them afterwards.

He advanced Bartholomew Glowacki and Stanislaus Swistacki who contributed to the victory by their bravery, to the rank of officer, and he entrusted the army flag to Glowacki. From then on he shared his army troubles with the scythe men. He ate with them and was in their company for days. The scythe men were his favored troops. Finally, he put on a peasant's smock and a four-cornered cap, which pleased the people very much, and they worshiped him as if he were their father and a deity.

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The battle of Raclawice had especially a moral significance, for it brought encouragement, cheered the hearts, and inspired enthusiasm.

The commander himself appraised its great significance when in his report, after the battle, he wrote: "People! Raise the spirit of your courage and your citizenship. God supports your great cause. The people throughout the world are praying to Him and shedding tears for you, and only your tyrants and their ignoble instruments are against your undertaking." And he concluded:

"People! This is written at Raclawice on April 4, 1794. You must realize at last your power, make use of this power, desire to be free and independent; you can attain this noble aim by unity and bravery."

Indeed, from that time on our nation has desired to be free--and despite the hundred years of suffering it has not lost hope of gaining freedom.