Plan of operation against the two corps of Rosen and Kreutz.--Battle of Iganie.--Reflections on the state of the Polish cause after the victory of Iganie.--Review of the course of the campaign.--Condition of the Russian army.--Discontents in Russia.--Representations of the Senate at St Petersburgh to the Emperor.--Comparative view of the forces of the two armies at the present stage of the conflict. 238 CHAPTER XVI. Position of the two armies after the battle of Iganie.--Plan of a simultaneous attack upon the Russian forces upon opposite sides.--Instructions to the different corps.--Operations on the enemy's front.--Unfortunate operations of general Sierawski, and the _first defeat_.--Details of those operations.--Operations of general Dwernicki.--He defeats Rudiger; but by a false operation exposes himself to be attacked disadvantageously by two Russian corps.--In the course of the action the Austrian frontier is passed by the combatants.--An Austrian force interposes, and general Dwernicki consents to go into camp.--His arms and prisoners are taken from him, while the enemy is permitted to leave the territory freely.--Reflections on the conduct of Austria.--Consequences of the loss of Dwernicki's corps.--The cholera makes its appearance in the two armies. 254 CHAPTER XVII. The Russian commander resumes offensive operations.--Object of the attack of the 25th of April.--Combat of Kuflew.--General Dembinski evacuates the position of Kuflew and awaits the enemy at Bady.--Battle of Minsk.--The enemy suddenly evacuates his position.--Reflections on this stage of the conflict.--Positions of the two armies. 271 CHAPTER XVIII. General Skrzynecki resumes the offensive.--He decides to adopt an enlarged plan of operations, and to make the revolutionized provinces supply the place of a corps d'armee.--The corps of Chrzanowski is sent to occupy the Russian corps of Witt and Kreutz.--Admirable execution of this enterprise.--Attack on Kock.--Attack of Rudiger's camp.--Plan of operations by the main army against the Russian guard.--Forced march from Kaluszyn by Praga to Serock.--Advanced post of the guard attacked and defeated.--The corps of Saken is cut off.--The 2d division under Gielgud sent into Lithuania.--The imperial guard are driven with great loss beyond the frontier.--Retrograde movement. 283 CHAPTER XIX.