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Contents

CHAPTER I.
Enter the Honvéds. Occupations out of Hungary. Advanced to Honvéd major. Szolnok; the Volunteer Mobile National-guards. Political confession of faith

CHAPTER II.
Detached to the island of Csepel. Nominated commander-in-chief of the southern militia, and simultaneous extension of my military mission. Count Eugene Zichy arrested; examined, condemned, and executed by court-martial

CHAPTER III.
Three days' armistice after the battle at Pákozd, Velencze, and Sukoró. Vásárhelyi. Recommencement of hostilities. Perczel my commander-in-chief. The militia. Opening of the expedition against Major-general Roth. Skirmish at Tácz. Disarming of a Croat column. Philippovich in Perczel's head-quarters. Retreat of Major-general Roth. Dispute between Perczel and myself. Disarming of the Roth corps at Ozora

CHAPTER IV.
Advanced to Honvéd colonel, and recalled from the Perczel corps. Kálozd. Take possession of some jewels belonging to the late Count Zichy. Vásárhelyi. Pesth. Deliver up the jewels

CHAPTER V.
A consultation at Kossuth's. His want of confidence in Móga. Secret object of my recall from the Perczel corps and mission to Parendorf

CHAPTER VI.
The command of the van-guard of the army of the upper Danube transferred to me. Ladislaus Csányi. Our outposts on the Lajtha. First crossing of the frontier. The head-quarters at Parendorf, and my secret mission. The troops of the van-guard. Second crossing of the frontier

CHAPTER VII.
First proclamation of Prince Windischgrätz, and its consequences. A deliberation beforehand at Móga's about the impending third crossing of the frontier. Some light on the first two crossings of the frontier. The military council in Nikelsdorf. Kossuth in Parendorf. His ultimatum to Prince Windischgrätz. The agitations in the camp for the offensive. A Hungarian trumpet made prisoner in the hostile camp, and its consequences

CHAPTER VIII.
Third and last crossing of the frontier. The battle at Schwechat. Remarks upon it

CHAPTER IX.
A conference with Kossuth. His experience on the flight from Schwechat. Count Guyon named colonel of the national guard and commander of the expedition against Field-marshal Lieut. Simunich. The chief command of the army of the upper Danube transferred to me. The expedition against Simunich fails. The two meetings between Bem and myself

CHAPTER X.
Reasons which had determined me to accept the chief command of the army. I demand the evacuation of the frontier; Kossuth its occupation. Kossuth's dependency. Nevertheless I desire him for Dictator. My reasons. My letter to the Committee of Defense in reference thereto. Controversies between Kossuth, the Committee of Defense, and Mészáros on the one part, and myself on the other. Proofs of it

CHAPTER XI.
Reasons why I was not removed from the chief command when in Presburg. Why I did not, of my own accord, resign. Whether I did or did not aspire to the dictatorship and why. A private letter. Establishment of defensive works at Presburg, Wieselburg, and Raab. The state of Hungary in autumn, 1848, and the regular troops

CHAPTER XII.
Prince Windischgrätz crosses the frontier. It is evacuated. Presburg abandoned. Great losses. Beginning of the retreat toward Raab. Combat at Wieselburg. Continuation of the retreat as far as Raab. Patriotic devastations. An end put to them. Troops believed to be lost unexpectedly saved

CHAPTER XIII.
Raab evacuated without drawing a sword. Combat with the rear-guard at Bábolna. Vértesi Hegyek. Plan of defense. Undeceivings. General Perczel defeated at Moor. Offensive disposition against Perczel's conqueror. Retreat toward Ofen

CHAPTER XIV.
Perczel's views about his defeat at Moor. The last resolutions of the Diet at Pesth. Kossuth demands a decisive battle before Ofen, and at the same time the army to be saved and the capitals spared. The impracticability of this. Kossuth at Debreczin. Military council in Pesth. Its resolutions. Battle at Tétény. Evacuation of the capitals

CHAPTER XV.
The state of Hungary and the regular troops after the evacuation of the capitals. The proclamation of Waizen. The regular troops get out of the rain and under the spout

CHAPTER XVI.
The corps d'armée of the upper Danube. Offensive against Field-marshal Lieut. Simunich. Its interruption by Field-marshal Lieut. Csorich. Characteristics of Colonel Count Guyon. I insist on prosecuting the offensive against Simunich. The chief of the general staff proposes to save the corps of the upper Danube in the mountain-towns, and prevails

CHAPTER XVII.
The district of the mountain-towns. Position of the corps d'armée of the upper Danube before the retreat thither. Position of the hostile corps. The plan of retreat. Its execution. Position of the corps d'armée of the upper Danube in the mountaintowns

CHAPTER XVIII.
The enemy attacks the mountain-towns. Zsarnócz. Turning column of Colonel Collery. Conflict at Hodrics (22d of January)

CHAPTER XIX.
The defeat of the Guyon division at Windschacht (21st of January), and its retreat from Schemnitz as far as Búcsa (22d of January), subsequently becomes known. Critical situation of the Aulich division. Saved from it. Still more critical situation of the Guyon division and that of the left wing. Final junction in Neusohl of the corps d'armée of the upper Danube. A previous order to retreat by the war-minister is afterward taken into consideration. Our lines of retreat from Neusohl toward the upper Theiss. Plan for retreating as far as the Zips. A train of heavy-loaded wagons as rear-guard. The retreat commences. A tempter. Disposition of the population

CHAPTER XX.
Arrival of the corps d'armée of the upper Danube in the Zips. Sudden attack at Igló (between the 2d and 3d of February). Dangerous situation of the corps d'armée of the upper Danube. A possible outlet. Reasons against making use of it, and for the offensive against Field-marshal Lieut. Count Schlick. Offensive begun. Positions of the corps under Klapka and Schlick. The combinations deduced from it very unfavorable for the corps d'armée of the upper Danube. Importance of the battle at the Branyiszkó. A reckoning with the past

CHAPTER XXI.
Report on Guyon's victory at the Branyiszkó (5th of February). Essentially changed situation of the corps d'armée of the upper Danube. Count Schlick abandons the basis of his operations. Conjectures occasioned thereby as to his next intentions. Measures against them. Surprising defensive measures of the enemy. Direct news from Colonel Klapka. Their influence on our dispositions for attack. The enemy evacuates Kaschau without striking a blow. Junction of the corps d'armée of the upper Danube with the Hungarian forces on the Theiss. Klapka's last operations against Count Schlick. Offensive concerted between Klapka and myself. The Klapka corps undertakes the pursuit of the Schlick corps. Lieut.-general Dembinski orders the Klapka corps from Kaschau to Miskolcz. The corps d'armée of the upper Danube undertakes the pursuit. Its results

CHAPTER XXII.
Dembinski becomes Hungarian commander-in-chief. New classification of the Hungarian forces. The corps d'armée of the upper Danube receives the name, Seventh Army Corps. Antipathies therein against Dembinski's being commander-in-chief. Causes and consequences. Measures taken against the consequences. Dembinski recognized as commander-in-chief

CHAPTER XXIII.
Dembinski rejects the plan of operations concerted between Colonel Klapka and myself. The seventh army corps ordered to Miskolcz. First encounter with Dembinski. Dembinski's first acts as Hungarian commander-in-chief

CHAPTER XXIV.
Dembinski's dispositions assume an offensive character. His dissatisfaction with Klapka and the government. His dispositions of troops. Encounter with Dembinski in Erlau. The enemy himself assumes the offensive. Dembinski's characteristics

CHAPTER XXV.
Position of the Hungarian army immediately before the two days' battle at Kápolna. Termination of the first day's battle (26th of February). Dembinski's dispositions for the second day's battle. Circumstances causing delay in forwarding them to the army corps. Guyon arrives too late at Kápolna

CHAPTER XXVI.
The second day's battle at Kápolna (27th of February). The Kmety division arrives too late at Kerecsend. Dembinski's dispositions of troops after the battle

CHAPTER XXVII.
Dembinski after the battle at Kápolna declines any further resistance. I disapprove of this measure, but can no longer prevent it. A private misunderstanding between Dembinski and myself. The support of the army

CHAPTER XXVIII.
Retreat to Mező-Kövesd. The camp there. Battle at Mező-Kövesd on the 28th of February. Guyon's characteristics

CHAPTER XXIX.
Dembinski intends to give the army rest. His dispositions to that effect. The army enters the cantonments. Klapka attacked at Eger-Farmos (1st of March). The army quits the cantonments. Dembinski's theory for procuring rest. Character of the Windischgrätz-Dembinski campaign

CHAPTER XXX.
The Klapka divisions refuse unconditional obedience to Dembinski. Dembinski decrees the retreat beyond the Theiss. Klapka effects it with his divisions (2d of March). I delay the retreat of the seventh army corps. Reasons for it. Dembinski countermands the retreat of the seventh army corps. My written declaration against it. I effect the retreat (3d of March)

CHAPTER XXXI.
The staff-officers of the army demand Dembinski's removal from the chief command. The government commissary Szemere undertakes to execute it. Dembinski's unsuccessful objections. Kossuth's arrival at the army. Interrogation of the staff-officers. Vetter appointed commander-in-chief

CHAPTER XXXII.
Colonel John Damjanics victorious at Szolnok. Dembinski allows us subsequently to discover his plan of operations

CHAPTER XXXIII.
The new (Vetter-Dembinski) plan of operations. The interregnum in the army. My acts during it

CHAPTER XXXIV.
Kossuth and his political opponents

CHAPTER XXXV.
My journey to Debreczin. Termination of the interregnum. Vetter commander-in-chief

CHAPTER XXXVI.
Independent operations of the seventh army corps. The Vetter-Dembinski plan of operations abandoned. Advance of the united army as far as Gyöngyös and Hort

CHAPTER XXXVII.
Vetter falls sick. The chief command provisionally transferred to me. Our plan of attack. The seventh army corps conquers at Hatvan (2d of April), and thereby renders possible the execution of the plan of attack

CHAPTER XXXVIII.
The first, second, and third army corps separate from the seventh corps, and begin to turn the enemy. One half of the third army corps defeats the enemy at Tápió-Bicske, after the latter had previously defeated the whole first corps (4th of April). Continuation of the turning-manoeuvre

CHAPTER XXXIX.
Battle at Isaszeg (6th of April)

CHAPTER XL.
On the state of affairs in Hungary

CHAPTER XLI.
Delayed advance against Gödöllő after the battle of Isaszeg. Retreat of Prince Windischgrätz toward the capital. The seventh army corps before and after the battle of Isaszeg

CHAPTER XLII.
Kossuth in Gödöllő

CHAPTER XLIII.
The new plan of operations. Its execution, by storming Waizen, begun on the 10th of April, 1849. The sudden attack on Lossoncz (end of March), and its probable consequences

CHAPTER XLIV.
Details of the battle at Waizen. Continuation of operations as far as the river Gran at Lévencz. The resolution of the Diet at Debreczin, 14th of April, 1849

CHAPTER XLV.
Crossing the Gran. Damjanics conquers at Nagy-Sarló on the 19th of April. My views on this combat. Continuation of the operations. The battle at Kéménd on the 20th of April. Relief of the fortress of Komorn on the left bank of the Danube on the 22d of April

CHAPTER XLVI.
Preparation for the relief of the fortress of Komorn on the right bank of the Danube. Sudden attack on the hostile trench in the night between the 25th and 26th of April. The relief on the right bank also effected on the 26th of April

CHAPTER XLVII.
Retrospective glance at my helpless situation as commander of the army, after the first news of the declaration of independence. How events assisted me. Situation at that moment, and my proclamation of Komorn

CHAPTER XLVIII.
The theatre of war after the 26th of April. Instead of the uninterrupted prosecution, as at first intended, of our offensive operations against the hostile main army, the siege of the fortress of Ofen comes into the fore-ground

CHAPTER XLIX.
My appointment as war-minister. Damjanics becomes unfit for service. Klapka leaves the main army in order to act as my substitute in the war-ministry. Changes in the army

CHAPTER L.
Poltenberg occupies Raab. The main body of the army invests Ofen. The range of the investment. The fortress of Ofen. The disposition of our batteries. The over-hasty attack. Its cessation. My letter to Major-general Hentzi. His answer, A letter from Klapka, in which he dissuades from the operations against Ofen

CHAPTER LI.
The siege of Ofen

CHAPTER LII.
Criticism on the siege and defense of Ofen

CHAPTER LIII.
The events of the war on the upper Waag. Condition of affairs in the district of the operations of the main army at the time of the taking of Ofen. Klapka's plan of defensive operations, and my disposition of the troops, immediately after the taking of Ofen

CHAPTER LIV.
A meeting between General Klapka and myself. Its consequences. I refuse the distinctions which the Diet had intended for me, and in consequence of this enter into communication with the parliamentary opponents of the declaration of independence

CHAPTER LV.
Account of the circumstances which, on the one hand, bound me to the chief command of the army, and on the other hand determined me to undertake personally the management of the ministry of war. Plan for the offensive against the Austrians. Origin of the central office of operations

CHAPTER LVI.
My meeting with members of the peace-party in Debreczin

CHAPTER LVII.
Kossuth and the declaration of independence. My relation to Kossuth after the 14th of April, 1849

CHAPTER LVIII.
The seat of government, notwithstanding my counter-representations, transferred from Debreczin to Pesth. Commencement of my activity against the existence of the declaration of independence. Two captured Honvéd officers executed by order of the new commander-in-chief of the Austrian army, Baron Haynau

CHAPTER LIX.
Significance and consequences of the executions mentioned in the preceding chapter. Continuation of my endeavors hostile to the existence of the act of independence. The final aim of these endeavors. The peculiarity of my relation to the peace-party, to Szemere, to Kossuth. Supplementary facts from my duties as war-minister

CHAPTER LX.
Events on the theatre of war of the Hungarian main army from the taking of Ofen to the middle of June. Reciprocal position of the Hungarian and Austrian main armies at that time. My suppositions about the enemy's plan of operations. Uncertainty as to the strength and the serious commencement of the Russian intervention. The influence of this uncertainty on my resolves as commander-in-chief of the army. The causes of the delay of our offensive. Dispositions for the retreat and other preparations in the event of a serious commencement of the Russian intervention

CHAPTER LXI.
The opening of our offensive against the Austrians (on the 16th of June) miscarries. I fix the 20th of June for a second more energetic attempt at the offensive. General Klapka dissuades from it, and proposes again instead his plan of defensive operations, but in vain

CHAPTER LXII.
The events of the war on the 20th, 21st, and 22d of June

CHAPTER LXIII.
The first news of the serious commencement of the Russian intervention. Their confirmation, and influence on my resolutions. The ministerial council of the 26th of June. Loss of Raab (28th June). Retreat into the fortified camp at Komorn

CHAPTER LXIV.
Differences between the government and myself

CHAPTER LXV.
The 2d of July

CHAPTER LXVI.
The last days at Komorn

CHAPTER LXVII.
A part of the main army leaves Komorn. Retreat as far as Waizen. First encounter with outposts of the Russian main army. Battle at Waizen (15th of July). Not able to improve the advantages gained by it, and informed that the Russian main army was immediately opposite us, I determine on turning the latter by Miskolcz. Reasons for this choice. Necessity of gaining on the new line of retreat a considerable advance on the Russian main army. The only means of attaining it, the nightly retreat from the position before Waizen, is ordered for the night between the 16th and 17th of July. Unexpected interruption. The hostile surprise very early in the morning of the 17th of July. General Leiningen nevertheless enables the army to depart. Rear-guard combat on the Waizen mountain, before Rétság and at this place. Continuation of the retreat on the 17th of July as far as Vadkert. Commencement of the further retreat on the 18th toward Balassa-Gyarmat

CHAPTER LXVIII.
Events of the war from the 18th to the 20th of July. Our conjectures at that time about the plan of the enemy's operations. Their influence on the employment of the divers army corps. Dispositions for the march on the 21st of July

CHAPTER LXIX.
The first Russian trumpets in the camp of the army under my command. Immediate consequences of this event

CHAPTER LXX.
Continuation of the operation of breaking through toward Miskolcz. Drawing up of the army on the left bank of the Sajó. Situation of the army at that time. Encounter of outposts at Harsány on the 23d of July. Dispositions for the 24th

CHAPTER LXXI.
A letter of the Russian General Count Rüdiger. My answer. What occurred to it. Exchange of arms between Lieut.-General Sass and myself

CHAPTER LXXII.
Combat at Görömböly on the 24th of July. Battle on the Sajó on the 25th. Retreat from the Sajó to the left bank of the Hernád. My determination to remain on the Hernád. Motives for it

CHAPTER LXXIII.
Kossuth censures my answer to the Russian commander-in-chief. Particular motives which determined me to receive this censure in silence. The real object of a letter to General Klapka. Conditions for a favorable turn of affairs in the south of Hungary. I advise Kossuth to remove Dembinski from the chief command. Kossuth assents, and intends himself to take the chief command. A projected rendezvous with Kossuth does not take place

CHAPTER LXXIV.
The Russians cross the Theiss at Tiszafüred. Our strategic situation on the Hernád. A new Russian corps enters on the scene of war. Combat at Gesztely on the 28th of July. Commencement of the retreat from the Hernád in the night between the 28th and 2gth. News about the movement of the Russians from Tiszafüred. Division of the army into two columns (at Nyiregyháza). Dispositions of the march for the combined retreat. Explanations of them; and instructions for the leader of the secondary column. Conflict between the latter and the Russians at Debreczin on the 2d of August. The situation of the principal column (the main body of the army) during this conflict and immediately after it. Retreat as far as Gross-Wardein. General Nagy-Sándor's culpability, and my seeming indulgence toward him. The consequences of the 2d of August at Debreczin, and their influence on the further dispositions. Uninterrupted continuation of the retreat from Gross-Wardein to Arad

CHAPTER LXXV.
Supplementary account of divers circumstances, rumors, and events, from the time of the retreat from the Hernád to Arad

CHAPTER LXXVI.
The next war operations, and Lieut.-General Dembinski's retreat from Szőreg to Temesvár. General Nagy-Sándor on his march from Arad to Temesvár attacked and forced back to Arad. The last ministerial council of the 10th of August, 1849

CHAPTER LXXVII.
The provisional government and the negotiations with Russia. Tendency of my taking part in the latter

CHAPTER LXXVIII.
My last meeting with Kossuth. Count Guyon reports that Dembinski's army has been scattered at Temesvár. I call upon Kossuth to resign. He nominates me commander-in-chief. Csányi induces the governor to resign. Kossuth's last proclamation to the nation. Answer of the Russians to our invitation to negotiate. I propose an unconditional surrender before the Russians. The military council accepts my proposal

CHAPTER LXXIX.
March from Arad to Világos. Events there

CHAPTER LXXX.
The surrender of arms

CHAPTER LXXXI
After the surrender of arms

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Preface

The resistance of Hungary to Austria and Russia was broken, Kossuth and Szemere and their partisans saved themselves, like the Poles, on a neutral territory. I rejected flight; and the majority of the unfortunate combatants for Hungary against New Austria followed my example.

Hereupon I was pardoned, and meanwhile banished to Carinthia. The decision on the fate of my companions, however, was left to the Master of the Ordnance, Baron Haynau.

The striking contradiction between my pardon and the subsequent executions might have induced the relatives of some of those who were awaiting the decision of their case to suppose that it would be possible for me, by some means, to save these unfortunate men; for, immediately after the first executions at Arad and Pesth, I was requested by letters from various quarters to exert my presumed influence with the government of Austria in favor of one or other of the politically compromised persons who had come into the power of Baron Haynau.

The failure of these applications needs scarcely to be mentioned. I had positively no influence at all to exert. I had, on the contrary, to perceive that it was my duty to suppress even the anxious cry for pardon, so long as Baron Haynau remained the absolute master of life and death to my companions in war. My intercession could but kindle still higher the pious zeal of the Baron.

Not until there was a pause in the execution of the capital sentences pronounced at Arad and Pesth, and it seemed to be indicated by this circumstance that Baron Haynau no longer ruled with unlimited sway in my country, could I venture to beg attention to the logical consequences of my being pardoned, without having to fear at the same time that my intercession would completely endanger the lives of those whose deliverance it implored.

I was on the point of handing my petition, addressed to his Majesty the Emperor of Austria, to the local military authority of Klagenfurt to be kindly forwarded, when the rumor that the Monarch would perhaps visit Carinthia also on his state-progress in May, 1850, roused in me the desire, as will easily be conceived, to make my request orally to his Majesty.

The rumor, indeed, was well founded; but an audience was refused me, and I was referred with my petition to the Minister of the Interior. Re-encouraged in some degree by the assurances with which Herr von Bach dismissed me, I thought it best to present through him my petition to the Monarch. This I did in the following letter.

...

I give these documents in the Preface, because I think their contents may be calculated to serve as a pledge beforehand to the reader of the frankness of the subsequent records of my life and acts.

Those historical documents of value which accidentally remained in my possession appear in their proper places, partly given verbatim. partly faithfully translated from Hungarian into German.

The surprisingly small number of documents is explained by the circumstance, that I never expected to survive the revolution.

ARTHUR GÖRGEI.
Klagenfurt, 15th of August, 1851.

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