02-22-2013, 07:52 AM
References below (as well as more excerpts from sources).
All sources below describe the battle of Klushino 1610, where chests of hussar horses were used to break oak fences and pikes:
Original Old-Polish text:
"[Husarze] Zniósłszy piersiami prawie wszystkie, których nieprzjaciel na starcie użył fortele, mężnie się o wojsko jego uderzył".
Translation:
"[Hussars] Ramming with chests of horses almost all fences, which were initially used by the enemy, bravely plowed into his [Jacob De la Gardie's] army".
Source: Anonymous account from the battle of Klushino ("Primary sources to history of the Polish art of war", volume 5, Ed. Zdzisław Spieralski, Jan Wimmer, Warsaw 1961, p. 189).
Original Old-Polish text:
"Sieła nasi w koniach przez mężne natarcie znosząc płoty, któremi zdradą nieprzyjaciel założył w obronie, a na spisy piersiami wpadając szkody odnieśli."
Translation:
"Our horsemen, in a brave charge ramming fences with which the enemy treacherously strengthened their defences, and plunging into pikes with chests of horses, suffered a lot of damage in horses."
Source: Anonymous account from the battle of Klushino ("Primary sources to history of the Polish art of war", volume 5, Ed. Zdzisław Spieralski, Jan Wimmer, Warsaw 1961, p. 190).
Original Old-Polish text:
"Naszym przez opłotki przyszło się potykać i płoty końmi łamać zarazem."
Translation:
"At the same time we had to charge across hurdles and break fences with use of horses."
Source:
"History of the False Dmitri" by Józef Budziłło, [in:] "Moscow in Polish hands. Memoirs of commanders and officers of the Polish garrison of Moscow in years 1610 - 1612. Ed: Marek Kubala, Tomasz Ściężor, Kryspinów 1995, p. 444.
Józef Budziłło was a Polish soldier and diarist who fought in Russia between 1607 and 1612 (then in 1612 he was captured by Russian forces and liberated from captivity in 1619).
Original Old-Polish text:
"Natarli naszy tak mężnie, że z sobą płoty znieść musieli."
Translation:
"Our horsemen attacked so bravely, that they rammed fences during their attack."
Source:
"Diary of the route of His Majesty the King Sigismund III since his fortunate departure from Vilna up to Smolensk in year 1609 on 18th of August and fortunate success for two years until capturing the Smolensk castle in year 1611", Ed. Janusz Byliński, Wrocław 1999, p. 158.
Original Old-Polish text:
"Naszy, przez kilkanaście płotów przebijając... "
Translation:
"Our horsemen, piercing through over a dozen fences... "
Source:
Account of Piotr Kulesza, written in Tsaryovo-Zaymishche on 5 VII 1610 (Library of the National Museum in Krakow)
Original Old-Polish text:
"Panu Podolskiemu koń szwankował na płocie i zginął ze wszystkim."
Translation:
"A horse of Sir Podolski got injured on a fence and was lost with all equipment."
Source: "Casualty Registery of the Companions in the battle of Klushino, 2 miles behind Tsaryovo-Zaymishche, on the day of 4 July 1610" (Library in Kórnik of the Polish Academy of Sciences)
Original Old-Polish text:
"[Husarze] na spisy końskimi piersiami wpadali."
Translation:
"[Hussars] were running into pikes with chests of horses."
Source: "Account about the defeat of Dmitri" (Library of the National Museum of Czartoryscy in Krakow, rps 105, No 41).
And such a Russian primary source / account (maybe some Russian-speaker will be willing to translate it more accurately than I am able to, my Russian is poor):
„Польские войска понемногу тают, но снова свежими силами пополняются и безбоязненно наступают, насмерть стоят и доблестно на полки нападают и пики железные ломают, а в них у немцев вся надежда на спасение”
Source: ЛЕТОПИСНАЯ КНИГА.
And a late 17th century account written by a French courtier of Polish king John III Sobieski:
"Hussars are the most beautiful cavalry in Europe thanks to selection of soldiers, beautiful horses, magnificent outfit and bravery of their horses. (...) Hussars never retreat, riding their horses at full speed, they pierce everything in front of them."
Source:
Francois Paul d'Alerac, "Les anecdotes de Pologne ou memoires secrets du regne de Jean Sobieski", published in Amsterdam in 1699, page 21.
All sources below describe the battle of Klushino 1610, where chests of hussar horses were used to break oak fences and pikes:
Original Old-Polish text:
"[Husarze] Zniósłszy piersiami prawie wszystkie, których nieprzjaciel na starcie użył fortele, mężnie się o wojsko jego uderzył".
Translation:
"[Hussars] Ramming with chests of horses almost all fences, which were initially used by the enemy, bravely plowed into his [Jacob De la Gardie's] army".
Source: Anonymous account from the battle of Klushino ("Primary sources to history of the Polish art of war", volume 5, Ed. Zdzisław Spieralski, Jan Wimmer, Warsaw 1961, p. 189).
Original Old-Polish text:
"Sieła nasi w koniach przez mężne natarcie znosząc płoty, któremi zdradą nieprzyjaciel założył w obronie, a na spisy piersiami wpadając szkody odnieśli."
Translation:
"Our horsemen, in a brave charge ramming fences with which the enemy treacherously strengthened their defences, and plunging into pikes with chests of horses, suffered a lot of damage in horses."
Source: Anonymous account from the battle of Klushino ("Primary sources to history of the Polish art of war", volume 5, Ed. Zdzisław Spieralski, Jan Wimmer, Warsaw 1961, p. 190).
Original Old-Polish text:
"Naszym przez opłotki przyszło się potykać i płoty końmi łamać zarazem."
Translation:
"At the same time we had to charge across hurdles and break fences with use of horses."
Source:
"History of the False Dmitri" by Józef Budziłło, [in:] "Moscow in Polish hands. Memoirs of commanders and officers of the Polish garrison of Moscow in years 1610 - 1612. Ed: Marek Kubala, Tomasz Ściężor, Kryspinów 1995, p. 444.
Józef Budziłło was a Polish soldier and diarist who fought in Russia between 1607 and 1612 (then in 1612 he was captured by Russian forces and liberated from captivity in 1619).
Original Old-Polish text:
"Natarli naszy tak mężnie, że z sobą płoty znieść musieli."
Translation:
"Our horsemen attacked so bravely, that they rammed fences during their attack."
Source:
"Diary of the route of His Majesty the King Sigismund III since his fortunate departure from Vilna up to Smolensk in year 1609 on 18th of August and fortunate success for two years until capturing the Smolensk castle in year 1611", Ed. Janusz Byliński, Wrocław 1999, p. 158.
Original Old-Polish text:
"Naszy, przez kilkanaście płotów przebijając... "
Translation:
"Our horsemen, piercing through over a dozen fences... "
Source:
Account of Piotr Kulesza, written in Tsaryovo-Zaymishche on 5 VII 1610 (Library of the National Museum in Krakow)
Original Old-Polish text:
"Panu Podolskiemu koń szwankował na płocie i zginął ze wszystkim."
Translation:
"A horse of Sir Podolski got injured on a fence and was lost with all equipment."
Source: "Casualty Registery of the Companions in the battle of Klushino, 2 miles behind Tsaryovo-Zaymishche, on the day of 4 July 1610" (Library in Kórnik of the Polish Academy of Sciences)
Original Old-Polish text:
"[Husarze] na spisy końskimi piersiami wpadali."
Translation:
"[Hussars] were running into pikes with chests of horses."
Source: "Account about the defeat of Dmitri" (Library of the National Museum of Czartoryscy in Krakow, rps 105, No 41).
And such a Russian primary source / account (maybe some Russian-speaker will be willing to translate it more accurately than I am able to, my Russian is poor):
„Польские войска понемногу тают, но снова свежими силами пополняются и безбоязненно наступают, насмерть стоят и доблестно на полки нападают и пики железные ломают, а в них у немцев вся надежда на спасение”
Source: ЛЕТОПИСНАЯ КНИГА.
And a late 17th century account written by a French courtier of Polish king John III Sobieski:
"Hussars are the most beautiful cavalry in Europe thanks to selection of soldiers, beautiful horses, magnificent outfit and bravery of their horses. (...) Hussars never retreat, riding their horses at full speed, they pierce everything in front of them."
Source:
Francois Paul d'Alerac, "Les anecdotes de Pologne ou memoires secrets du regne de Jean Sobieski", published in Amsterdam in 1699, page 21.
