Schembart Carnival Costumes

The Galician campaign of 1809

Today let me tell you a little bit about the Galician campaign of the Austro-Polish war of 1809, which proved to be a great success for the Duchy of Warsaw.

After the battle of Raszyn there happened the series of small battles, which prevented Austrians from crossing the Vistula, thus leaving the initiative on the right bank of the river firmly with the Poles. So, the Polish forces under Poniatowski’s command moved along Vistula to the South-East, to the lands Austria seized during the latest partition of Poland.

On the 14th of May the Polish Army entered Lublin:

Konstanty Gorski, “Prince Józef Poniatowski enters conquered Lublin in 1809, showered with flowers by ladies”

As Kajetan Koźmian recalls in his memoirs, Poniatowski and his men were greeted with “joy and elation”, and in the evening “… the city and the citizens gave a great ball <…> in the house in Korce. Prince Józef honored them with his presence starting the ball.”

The next city on the way of the Polish Army was Sandomierz, and after a short siege it was taken on the 18th of May.

Siege of Sandomierz in 1809.

Michał Stachowicz, a scene from the battles in Galicia (“The Capture of Zamość”)

Then there was Zamość, where the Polish trooped entered on the 20th of May.

Siege of 1809, M. Adamczewski Entry of Prince Poniatowski to Zamość (postcard)

On the 27th of May the Polish advanced forces even reached the city of Lwów, but prince Józef wasn’t among them.

Meanwhile the Austrians under command Archduke Ferdinand realized the precariousness of their position in the center of Poland, and on the 1st of June left Warsaw for the south.

Poniatowski, for his part, decided not to engage with the Austrian, focusing instead on “liberating” as much Galician land as possible.

Prince Józef Poniatowski seeks information from local peasants in Galicia in 1809, a photo of Stanisław Bagieński’s painting

On the 3rd June there appeared the third participant of the events - Russian forces crossed the Austrian border to Galicia as well. And though formally they were acting as Napoleon’s ally, as was prescribed in the Tilsit Treaty, their real goal was to prevent the Poles from taking too much of the Austrian-held territories.

So, to outwit the Russians prince Józef was taking Galician cities not in the name of the Duchy of Warsaw, but in the one of emperor of the Frenchmen. Like the proclamations were being made in the name of Napoleon, the eagles on the coats-of-arms replacing the Austrian ones were not Polish and French etc.

Lancers lead Austrian prisoners of war near Kraków in 1809, in front of Prince Józef Poniatowski, a photo of Stanisław Bagieński’s painting

Then, in the outer theater of war on the 6th of July the French defeated the Austrians at the Battle of Wagram. And according Franco-Austrian truce signed five days later the land division was to take place along the line where the troops were at the time of receiving news of the truce, not at the time its signing.

The Austrian army leaves Wawel, a postcard based on the painting of Wojciech Kossak

And so began the race between Russians and Poles, to advance to as farther as possible.

In the middle of July both armies reached Kraków.

PRINCE JOSEPH’S ENTRY TO KRAKOW. A drawing by Jan Feliks Piwarski.

And there the clash of the interest took place.

Poniatowski approached the city from the side of St. Florian’s Gate, but it turned out that the Austrians, wanting more comfortable terms of capitulation, had already let Russian troops into Kraków.

The Russians, namely the Cossacks of General Sievers, wanted to deny Poniatowski passage. But Prince Józef, as Dezydery Chłapowski recalls in his memoirs, "draw his broadsword and with together his staff galloped into the gate through the Cossacks”. The Polish infantry followed its commander “in a double step <…> so that the Cossacks were pressed against the walls of the gate.” Seeing this, Mariampol’s hussar regiment, which was stationed at that time in the market square, make a decision to put up resistance and due to this, the whole Polish army was able to enter the city.

Michał Stachowicz, The entry of Prince Józef Poniatowski into Krakow on July 15, 1809

Then, as Ambroży Grabowski recalled, when prince Józef’s troops reached the market square, “in front of the church of St. Wojciech, the magistrate went out to meet the prince, to give him the keys of the city”.

Józef Poniatowski in the Cathedral after Kraków was taken from the Austrians, an image by Stanisław Tondos and Wojciech Kossak

Most probably prince Józef visited the Wawel cathedral during his sojourn in Kraków that time. (In a small voice: little did he know that in 8 years he’ll be buried there…)

And after exactly a month since the Polish troops entered Kraków, there was a ball arranged in the Cloth-hall, the image depicting it I have already posted here.

Russian Treasure Island - Russian Long John Silver Boris Andreev. My favorite film.

1) Dress of a Prince, high dignitary: Velvet coat, embroidered on all seams; … coat in the same way, with white lining and cuffs, embroidered with gold; … the coat is full of bees; jacket, pants and stockings are white; … Sash of gold stuff, at which the sword is attached; … black felt hat, raised by a braid and a button of gold; … white feathers; … lace tie, the Grand Cordon is carried on the coat; … the collar of the Legion of Honor is worn at the neck; … plate of the Legion of Honor is fastened on the dress and on the coat. Every great dignitary has a color assigned to him, namely: the great elector in poppy-red, the constable in big blue, the arch-chancellor of the Empire in violet; the arch treasurer in black; the arch-chancellor of State in light blue, the great admiral in green. 2) Dress of a marshal of Empire, carrying the honors: Dress and coat are in dark blue, lined with white satin, embroidered in gold on all seams, with oak and laurel leaves … black velvet cap, surmounted by a white feather; … tie of lace; … the sword is attached to a sash of golden cloth. The cushion, on which the crown of Charlemagne is resting, is in purple velvet, embroidered with golden bees. 3) Dress of a great officer of the crown: Velvet coat, lined with white silk; … the coat and the cuffs are embroidered with silver; … the velvet coat is embroidered with silver on all seams; … the pants and jacket are made of white silk, embroidered with silver; … sash of white silk, embroidered and trimmed with silver twists; … tie of lace; … black felt hat, raised by a silver braid and topped with white feathers; … the plate and the Grand Cordon are worn on the dress; … the cane is covered with velvet embroidered with bees and topped with a gold crown. Each great officer has a color assigned to his department, namely the grand chamberlain in scarlet, the grand marshal of the palace in amaranth, the Master of the Horse in light blue; the grand “veneur” (huntsman) in green, the grand master of ceremony in purple. 4) Dress of a Secretary (Ministre): The suit, coat and pants are of blue velvet, embroidered with silver; … the lining is of white silk; … the facings of the mantle are of white silk, embroidered with silver; … white moire sash, embroidered and trimmed with gold twists; … tie of lace; … the Grand Cordon is worn on the dress; … black felt hat, raised and surmounted by feathers. 5) Dress of a Colonel-General of the Hussars: White dolman and blue pelisse, embroidered with gold on all seams; … white fur; … dark blue pants, embroidered with gold; … red boots, embroidered and trimmed with gold twists; … the sabretache is red, embroidered with the arms of the Emperor and lined with golden twists; … golden sash; … shako is of black felt, embroidered with gold, with a plume and a white egret; … the plate and the Grand Cordon are worn on the dress. 6) Dress of an officer of the Imperial Household: Dress and coat of velvet, embroidered with silver and lined with white silk; … the cuffs and collar are of silvered cloth, embroidered with silver; … vest and pants of white silk, embroidered and trimmed with silver twists; … tie of lace; … black felt hat, raised by a silver braid and topped with white feathers. The same colors, worn by the great officers of the crown, distinguish officers of the Household, according to the department to which they are attached.

Soviet marine artist Evgeny Voishvillo (1907-1993). Tea clipper "Thermopylae". "Marine Fleet Magazine" No.8, 1981

The Taffrail

A taffrail is a railing at the stern of the ship or the handrail around the open deck area at the stern of a ship or boat. The term is a shortening of taffarel, the original name for this ornament.

The stern of the Prins Willem with a wooden carved taffrail and a Captain on the Poop deck taffrail, by William Heysmann Overend (1851-1898) (x) (x)

Sometimes the railing refers only to the curved wooden top of the stern of a sailing ship or an East Indian ship.  It could also be a complete handrail along the poop deck. The rail of these wooden sailing ships usually had hand-carved wooden mouldings, which were often highly ornamented.

Joachim Murats descendants in the (Great War) World war 1

1. Louis Napoléon Achille Charles Murat (1872-1943)

A vivid figure from a family known for its colorful characters, Louis Napoléon Achille Charles Murat was the great-grandson of Joachim Murat, King of Naples. He began his military career in the French Army, serving from 1891 to 1903 and rising to the rank of lieutenant in the 9th Régiment de Cuirassiers (Heavy Cavalry) stationed in Noyon.

With maternal roots in Mingrelia (present-day Georgia), Murat’s path took a dramatic turn when he joined the Russian Imperial Army during the Russo-Japanese War. Following the Russian defeat, he remained in service, riding with the Kuban Cossack Regiment from 1905 to 1909, and later serving on the staff of Grand Duke Nicholas Nikolaevich until 1911.

At the outbreak of World War I, Murat was in Argentina. Upon learning of the war’s declaration, he returned to Russia and was assigned to several general staffs. By 1917, he was fighting as a colonel in the 12th Starodubovsk Dragoons. During the Russian Revolution, he joined the White Army, continuing to fight in the Carpathians.

After the civil war, Murat returned to France in 1921, where he made a modest living as a translator. In recognition of his service, he was named a Chevalier (Knight) of the Legion of Honor in 1928. He proudly continued to claim his Russian decorations, including the Orders of Saint Vladimir and Saint George, adorned “with all possible swords and citations.”

He passed away in Nice on June 14, 1943,

2. Alexandre Murat (1889–1926)

Alexandre served as a French artillery officer and a direct descendant of the King of Naples. During World War I, he served as a battery commander and was cited for distinction in combat. His commendation praised him for “obtaining from his battery an excellent performance through the precision of fire which he always directed personally from the most exposed observation posts,” and for maintaining morale and discipline “through his calm demeanor and disregard for danger, even amid heavy losses.”

He was one of eight children of Prince Murat who served in the Great War. Among them, Louis Murat fell at the champ d’honneur (field of honor), and several others were wounded—a remarkable testament to the family’s deep involvement and sacrifice during the conflict.

3.Joachim, 6th Prince Murat (1885-1938)

Joachim began World War I as a cavalry lieutenant. He later commanded the Fort des Sartelles during the Battle of Verdun in 1916, where his exemplary conduct earned him the Croix de Guerre with three citations. Subsequently, he served as an interpreter at the General Headquarters of the Royal Flying Corps, based in Saint-Omer from August 1914 to November 1915. After the war, Murat was elected deputy for the Lot in the 1919 French legislative election and served in the Chamber of Deputies until 1929.

4.Prince Charles Murat (1892–1973):

Cavalryman in the Dardanelles Prince Charles Murat brought the legacy of the Napoleonic cavalry to the battlefields of World War I. Initially serving in the French Army, he was later assigned to the Moroccan Tirailleurs, colonial infantry units known for their fierce combat prowess.

During the Gallipoli campaign in the Dardanelles, Charles fought in brutal close-quarters combat and was wounded in the head. His courage under fire earned him one of France’s highest honors: he was named a Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur for acts of bravery.

5. Prince Gérôme Murat (1898–1992)

Gérôme took part in numerous operations as a machine gunner with the Salmson, Squadron MF 1, making him an aviator of the Murat family. On February 25, 1918, after an aerial battle over the Vosges, his plane caught fire, forcing him to make an emergency landing. As a result of the incident, he had to have one of his legs amputated.

6. Prince Louis Murat (1896-1916)

A volunteer (registration number 2771/308 - Class 1916), he served as marshal of the houses with the 5th Regiment of Foot Cuirassiers. He went to the front on the night of the 17th to the 18th, in the area of the village of Lihons, on the Santerre plateau in the eastern part of the Somme department, during the Battle of the Somme. He was killed on August 21, 1916, just north of Lihons.

Ivan Kharchenko. First Russian warship "Oryol" ("Eagle")/

It was built in 1668 in the village of Dedinov on the Oka River. Displacement of about 250 tons, length - 24.5 m., width - 6.5 m., draft - 1.5 m., armament of 22 guns, crew of 58 people (captain, 22 sailors, 35 soldiers)