| Battle of Żyrzyn | |||||||
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| Part of the January Uprising | |||||||
Battle of Żyrzyn 1863 |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
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Polish Insurgents |
Russian Empire |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| General Michal Heidenreich O'Brien de Lacey[1] |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 700[1] | 500 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 184 killed 282 captured |
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The Battle of Żyrzyn took place on August 8, 1863 in Puławy County, Poland, between a small detachment of Russian troops and a force of Polish troops under the command of General Michal Heidenreich. The Russian force of 500 soldiers and two cannon were escorting a load of 200,000 rubles for the Russian army, 140,000 of which was captured by the Polish forces, along with 282 prisoners of war. Of the remaining Russian troops, 181 were killed, and 87 men escaped along with the remaining 60,000 rubles. The embarrassing defeat was widely reported on by the European press, and throughout the January Uprisings the Polish rebels counted the engagement, one of may similar small battles, as a "great victory".[1]