History of the Late Polish Revolution and the Events of the CampaignHordynski, Joseph
History
History of the Late Polish Revolution and the Events of the Campaign
Hordynski, Joseph
Poland -- History -- Revolution, 1830-1832
[Footnote 45: General Dwernicki, on arriving at Pulawy, regarded it as
his first duty to repair to the palace of the princess Czartoriski, the
estimable lady of the president of the National Senate, to offer his
services to her, and to assure her of safety. On entering the court,
the venerable Dwernicki and the officers who accompanied him, could
not restrain their tears at the sight of the ruins of that edifice,
so uselessly destroyed, to gratify the brutality of the prince of
Wirtemberg, who pushed his fury to such a degree, as to have directed a
fire of artillery against the central division of the palace, occupied
at that moment by the princess and her attendants. General Dwernicki
and his officers, struck by the melancholy scene before them, feared to
advance another step, in the dread of meeting even more horrible traces
of barbarity,--to find perhaps the princess and her suite the victims
of Russian cruelty. But what was their astonishment, when, on entering
the porch of the edifice, they were accosted by the princess, who with
a cheerful air exclaimed: 'Brave general, and officers! how happy am I,
that God has allowed me to greet my brave countrymen once more, before
my death.' Then giving her hand to general Dwernicki, and presenting
to him and his officers the ladies who were her attendants during the
whole of these horrible scenes, she continued, 'General, do not be
astonished to see us accoutred in the best garments which the Russians
have left to us; we have arrayed ourselves in our funeral attire,'--and
pointing to the holes with which the enemy's artillery had pierced
the walls, she added, 'Those marks will explain my language.' General
Dwernicki, struck with the heroism of the princess and her companions,
addressed her in the following terms:--'Madam, permit me, in the name
of the whole nation, to make to you the homage of my high admiration.
Brave indeed ought Poles to be, with mothers and sisters such as
these!' He then urged upon the princess the expediency of leaving
Pulawa, which might still be the scene of distressing events, and upon
this suggestion she departed under an escort furnished by general
Dwernicki, for her estates in Galicia.]
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