enemy into the Ukraine, prince Poniatowski had previously been stationed in that quarter. His army was unexpectedly augmented by the arrival of 2,000 men, chiefly Coffacks, who had been embodied by count Siznefa Potocki for the Ruffian fervice, but who went over to prince Poniatowski, with all their cannon, amounting to about thirty pieces. In fpite, however, of the exertions made to collect a force of fufficient magnitude to oppofe fo formidable an enemy, and of the difficulties which the emigrated nobles found in drawing over their countrymen to their party, the Ruffians met with but little refiftance in penetrating the Polish territory.

The first action of any May 27th. importance, that occurred, was fought near Winnicze, where prince Poniatowski was at the time encamped, which, although a mere affair of posts, appeared highly creditable to the Polish arms. An officer of the national cavalry, whofe name was Golciowfki, having occupied an outpoft with only 300 men, was fuddenly attacked by 2,000 Ruffians. He inftantly returned the fire, and then charging them fword in hand, with an impetuofity which they were unable to refift, completely broke their ranks. A general action enfued, which lafted about two hours and a half, when Golciowski remained mafter of the field. The lofs on the Polish fide, was faid to have been only 30 killed and 24 wounded, while that of the Ruffians was estimated at full 300 left dead upon the spot.

The enemy, notwitflanding this little check, having ultimately made good their ground, and obtained poffeffion of fome important pofts,

A

June 14th.

compelled prince Poniatowski to fall back to Lubar. General Rochowski, the Emprefs's principal general in this diftrict, immediately pufhed forwards, apparently with the defign of giving him battle, or of cutting off his retreat to the capital. It was not long before a part of the adverse armies met. column or two of Ruffians appearing in fight, prince Poniatowski difpatched general Wielhorski to reconnoitre along the river Slucz, towards Oftropol. The prince himself followed; and found Wielhorfki already engaged with the enemy. Falling without delay on the flank of the Ruffians, he quickly obliged them to retreat; but after having taken a view of Rochowski's whole force near Oftropol, he inftantly returned, ordered his camp to be ftruck, and commenced his march from Lubar at four o'clock the subsequent morning, retreating ftill further from the frontiers. A body of the enemy, amounting to about 4,000, continually harraffed his rear; but little material lofs was received, until he reached Borufzkowee, where an unlucky accident occurred. While the troops were paffing over bridge made of wood, the timber unfortunately gave way with the weight of the cavalry, which threw them into fome confufion, as well as retarded their progrefs. The main force of the Ruffians coming up at this moment, foon brought their cannon to play upon a dam, over which the Poles attempted to pafs after the deftruction of the bridge. Two whole battalions thus became expofed to a furious attack, and loft, after a brave refiftance, about 250 men. The remainder having funk their cannon, threw them

a

felves into the river, and swam over. Prince Poniatowski continued retreating, till he arrived at Zielime, where, having received fome reinforcements, he halted, with the refolution of rifking an engagement. The Ruffians appearing, an action immediately took place, which lafted from feven in the morning till five in the evening, when the prince compelled them to retreat; and after having refted two hours on the field of battle, purfued his march, and encamped at Zaflaw." His lofs in this engagement was eftimated at 800 infantry and 300 cavalry; that of the Ruffians at about 4,000 men. After a fhort ftay of a few days at Zaflaw, he retreated to Oftrog, and from thence towards Dubno, frequently fkirmishing with the enemy, who kept clofe at his heels. Continuing his retrograde motion, he then took a favourable pofition on the river Bug, not far from Dubienca and Wladowa. While the army was thus pofted, July 18th. an attack was made by 17000 Ruffians, on general Kofciufko, who had with him a divifion of only 5,000 Poles ftrongly intrenched. Kofciufko received them in the moft gallant manner; and for a confiderable time bore the whole fury of the attack, without quitting his pofition. The Ruffian cavalry at length making a circuit round, took him in the rear, and obliged him to retreat. The lofs of the enemy was very great, amounting to about 4,000 men, among whom were feveral officers of diftinction. This was the laft engagement which took place between the Polish and Ruffian armies in that quarter.

In Lithuania, the progrefs of the Ruffians was equally rapid, if not more fo. After croffing the river

Dwina, a confiderable body of them marched to Wilna, and took poffeffion of that town without the leaft oppofition. The Polish army. in this quarter, feemed lefs able to contend with the formidable forces of the Emprefs, than that in the Ukraine. The only engagement of any importance, which occurred in Lithuania, was one that took place between Mire and Swierzna, on the 10th of June, when the Polish army was vigorously attacked, but with little fuccefs, by the enemy, who, after a conflict of fome hours, retreated with the lofs of 150 men. A heavy fall of rain prevented the Poles from purfuing them in their retreat. On the fubfequent day, both armies met. A warm action fucceeded. The Polish cavalry, however, terrified by the bombs which fhowered around them, firft gave way, while the infantry fupported a very heavy and inceffant fire with great bravery. The Ruffians, difpatching a body of troops. over a river, took them in flank, and at length terminated the conteft. Retiring from the field of battle, the Poles fell back to Niefwiez, and from thence to Grodno. Niefwiez was afterwards taken. No further refiftance feems to have been made; but as the Ruflians advanced, the Poles, incapable of facing them, retreated towards Warfaw. A plan was projected of forming a camp in the neighbourhood of the capital, to defend it to the laft extremity; but little progrefs was made in it, except the encamping of the royal guards, and a few other troops on the oppofite bank of the Viftula, before all military operations ceased.

On the entrance of the Ruffians into the Ukraine, a confederation, [Bb] 2

in

To collect information for this enterprize, the Swedish monarch vifited Aix-la- Chapelle in the month of July, where he converfed with the marquis de Bouillé on the fubject, and spared no pains to procure materials for the improvement of his project, which he propofed to cxecute in the fubfequent spring.

When the interview took place at Pilnitz, between the Emperor and king of Pruffia, the plan of Guftavus was laid before thofe monarchs by the marquis de Bouillé. It was far, however, from being favourably received. The king of Pruffia betrayed evident figns of direct difapprobation, and the views of Leopold were too pacific to adopt fo bold and hoftile a measure.

Shortly after this period, the acceptance of the conftitution by the king of France appeared to give a new turn to the affairs of that country. Spain began to recede from her original promifes of affiftance; and became principally ftudious of the prefervation of peace.

In fpite, however, of every obftacle, Guftavus perfevered in his defign; but before his intended departure from his kingdom convened a diet, for the purpose of re-establishing a more perfect order in his finances, which had been deranged by the late war. The diet affembled; and after having proceeded in the bufinefs of its meeting with the utmoft tranquillity, paffing many refolutions that ftrengthened the royFeb. 23. al prerogative, peaceably

1792.

terminated its fittings.

The moment for his embarking on his long projected enterprize feemed now faft approaching, and

every domeftic arrangement, previous to his departure, was finally adjufted, when an unexpected cataftrophe occurred, which cut him off in the midst of his dreams of glory, and hurried him to an untimely grave. Among the order of the nobility, in confequence of the recent revolution, he had many daring and inveterate enemies, who fecretly wished for an opportunity to revenge themselves on their too popular fovereign. The diet, which had lately met, by its firm and full adherence to the royal caufe, contributed to augment the hatred of his enemies, and rouse them to fome immediate and desperate act of vengeance. A perfon named Ankerftrom, who was a gentleman by birth, and had been an officer in the guards, offered himself as a ready inflrument for their bloody purpose. Exclufive of what he termed public motives for his conduct, this man profeffed to feel a private and perfonal refentment against the king*, on account of a former profecution for high treafon. The confpirators, among whom were fome perfons of high rank, formed feveral projects to effect this defign, and made feveral attempts without fuccefs. Sufpicions of fome lurking treafon began to be entertained; reports of plots and confpiracies alarmed the public mind; and the king was perpetually cautioned by his friends not unneceffarily to expofe his perfon. To every request

of this kind he unfortunately turned a deaf ear, remarking, "that were "he to listen to every idle rumour "of plots, he should be afraid of drinking even a glass of water."

66

[Bb] 3

On

On the 16th of March, while fupping with fome perfons of his household, before he went to a mafquerade at the opera house, he received an anonymous letter, which although written in hoftile language, advised him not to attend the mafquerade that evening, as a confpiracy was formed for his affaffination. Always confident and intrepid, he fhewed the letter to fome of his friends then prefent, treated its contents with ridicule, and perfifted, in fpite of their earneft entreaties to the contrary, in his original intention of visiting the opera houfe. He accordingly proceeded to the fatal fpot, entering the room, arm in arm with the baron de Effen, his mafter of the horfe; but had fcarcely taken two or three turns there, before he fuddenly found himself furrounded by a crowd violently preffing upon him, and was fhot by a perfon behind him in the left fide. A cry of fire was inftantly raised; and the confufion in the affembly became indefcribable. Guftavus was not killed on the fpot; but, falling on a bench near him, immediately called out for all the doors to be fhut, and every person to be unmasked. He was afterwards led into an adjoining apartment. On the floor of the room were found a pistol, and dagger, or rather a knife of a peculiar conftruction; both of which the affaffin was fuppofed to have dropt, after the perpetration of the horrid deed. Every perfon, as he left the room, was compelled to unmask, and give in his name. Ankerstrom was the last perfon who left it; yet he left it without a difcovery. He afterwards confeffed

that he had intended to have difpatched the king, after the difcharge of the pistol, with his dagger; but his hand trembling, as he raised it, he involuntarily dropt it on the floor.

On the following morning the arms which had been found were fubmitted to public examination, and were recognized by a gunsmith and cutler of the city; the former depofing that he had repaired the identical piftol for captain Ankerftrom, and the latter, that he had made the dagger at the request of the fame perfon. The affaffin was in confequence immediately arrested; and confeffed the crime without hefitation, glorying in the bloody deed, At first indeed he denied his having any accomplices; but afterwards made a full recital of the plot, giving in the names of the feveral confpirators, among whom was the author of the anonymous letter, M, de Liljehorn, a lieutenant colonel in the guards, and a man brought up and fupported by the very prince, against whofe life he had confpired. The perfons taken into cuftody on this occafion, befides lieutenant colonel Liljehorn, were count Horn, count Ribbing, baron Ehrenfward, baron Bjelike, baron Pechlin, two brothers by the name of Engeftrom, the one counsellor of chancery, the other the royal fecretary, and major Hartmansdorf, Baron Bjelike previous to his arreft had taken poison, and fhortly after expired. The king himself named count Ribbing, in confequence of a fingular incident: Juft before he fat out for Gefie, his fortune was told by a woman named Harviffon; and he was advised to beware of the month of March, and

of