Battle of Rajgród
The Battle of Rajgród was a battle fought on 29 May 1831 between Poland and Imperial Russia, during the November Uprising. The Poles, according to some accounts, were victorious.[1]
| Battle of Rajgród | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Polish-Russian War 1830-1831 | |||||||
 Charge of the Poznan Cavalry during the Battle of Rajgrod by Juliusz Kossak | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Poland |
 Imperial Russia | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Antoni Giełgud |
Fabian von Osten-Sacken | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 12,000 men, 10 cannons | 5,800 men, 14 cannons | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
Background
Due to the Polish expedition against the Russian guards in the area led by Antanas Gelgaudas failing near Łomża, a retreat was ordered to Rajgród, where they would encounter the Russians, which had a force of 5,800 men.
After the Battle of Ostrołęka Gelgaudas' force planned a march on Lithuania, which also included the city as part of the route.
Battle
Both forces met, and as the guards started a fight Atantanas' vanguard near the village of Miecze, they were attacked during a march and forced to retreat to Rajgród, which they were pushed out of and lost the battle, which resulted in 800 casualties and 1,200 prisoners of war.[1]
This victory was an important strategic move for the Poles, as the Russians gave them an open way to Lithuania, where there was an active partisan movement since February.