Battle of Iganie

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Battle of Iganie

Part of November Uprising

Date	April 10, 1831
Location	Iganie at Muchawka near Siedlce
Result	Polish victory

Combatants

Poland

Imperial Russia

Commanders

Ignacy Prądzyński

George Rosen

Strength

7,000

Casualties

ca. 500 killed

ca. 3,000 killed

November Uprising
Stoczek • 1st Wawer • Nowa Wieś • Kałuszyn • Białołęka • Olszynka Grochowska • 1st Puławy • 2nd Puławy • Kurów • Markuszów • 2nd Wawer • Dębe Wielkie • Domanice • Iganie • Poryck • Wronów • Kazimierz Dolny • Boremel • Sokołów Podlaski • Firley • Lubartów • Połaga • Tykocin • Nur • Wilno • Ostrołęka • Warsaw

The Battle of Iganie was fought on April 10, 1831 between Russian and Polish forces. It was one of the last major battles of the November Uprising and the last major victory of the Poles.

Following the battle of Grochów of February 25, the Poles managed to stop the Russian advance and repel the forces of General Hans Karl von Diebitsch. However, it was not until the spring that a Polish Corps under Ignacy Prądzyński started a counter-offensive. The Poles, numbering some 11,000 men (both bayonettes and sabres) and 16 cannons advanced rapidly towards the town of Siedlce, a major Russian munitions depot. On April 10, 1831 the Poles encountered the withdrawing forces of Gen. George Rosen in the village of Iganie, several miles west of Siedlce, at the Muchawka river.

Prądzyński, believing the remainder of the Polish forces would arrive shortly, decided to assault the Russians with his avant garde only. The mounted artillery units under Gen. Józef Bem took advantage of its mobility and successfully shelled the village of Iganie defended by Russian infantry. This allowed for the Polish infantry led by Prądzyński himself to recapture the village. After the initial surprise, the Russian forces managed to regroup across the river and started shelling the Poles with their artillery, much supperior in numbers. Seing the numerical inferiority of the Poles, the Russian commander ordered the artillery barrage to stop and the infantry to charge the Polish positions from across the river. However, shortly after the Russians entered the combat, the combined forces of Prądzyński's infantry and Gen. Ludwik Kicki's cavalry managed to cut the Russians from their rear and seize the sole bridge above the river.

After a short struggle, the Russians lost approximately 3,000 men and 1,500 additional were taken prisoners of war. Although the Polish losses were incomparably low (less than 500 men), the Polish commander in chief Gen. Jan Skrzynecki who arrived at the battlefield later that day opposed the idea of a pursuit of the Russian forces. Because of that the Polish victory was somehow phyrric.