Battle of Żyrzyn

Battle of Żyrzyn
Part of the January Uprising
Battle of Żyrzyn 1863
Date 8 August 1863 Location Puławy County, Poland Result Polish victory
Belligerents
Polish Insurgents	Russian Empire
Commanders and leaders
General Michal Heidenreich O'Brien de Lacey[1]
Strength
700[1]	500
Casualties and losses
	184 killed 282 captured

The Battle of Żyrzyn took place on August 8, 1863 in or near the village of Żyrzyn, 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 insurgents counted the engagement, one of many similar small battles, as a "great victory".^[1]

References

Coordinates: 51°30′00″N 22°06′00″E / 51.500000°N 22.100000°E / 51.500000; 22.100000