Kosovo in the Great Turkish War of 1683-1699
"Notes and Reflections on the Glorious Troops of the Imperial Forces in 1689" is an anonymous manuscript in German, preserved in the Military Archives (Kriegsarchiv) in Vienna, Austria, which is a translation of a longer work in Italian entitled Origine della guerra fra l'Imperatore dei Christiani, e quello de Turchi l'anno 1682. It focuses, among other things, on the Austrian imperial offensive against Ottoman forces in Kosovo, Macedonia and northern Albania during the Great Turkish War of 1683-1699. The manuscript is of particular interest for Albanian history, as it describes the organized presence of Albanians and their military forces in XNUMXth-century Kosovo. Also of interest is the mention of the Albanian archbishop Pjetër Bogdani and his death in Prizren. Albanians are referred to in this manuscript as Albanians [Albanian] and Arnaut;, where the first term undoubtedly refers more to Catholics and the second to Muslims, while Serbs are referred to as Rashkjans [Raskhkjan]]. Manuscript leaf numbers and modern place names, where found, have been added in brackets for the reader's convenience.
Translated into English (from German): Robert Elsie[1] Translated into Albanian (from English): Agron Shala
[…32r] I believe I have already written enough about Transylvania and I feel obliged to describe the works of Piccolomini.[2] in the conquest of Nissa [Nish], his brilliant planning, and the chaos that followed in those parts after his death, a situation which the Veteran[3] managed to fix it with great difficulty, using all his virtue and courage. I will also relate what happened between the people who followed Corbell and those from that region.
When His Majesty von Baden[4] left Nissa, he entrusted the command of that city to Count Piccolomini. Advancing towards Procopia [Prokuple], a large and open city, he took possession of the flour, oats and fodder and erected a warehouse there. To defend it, he destroyed the city of Leskovisza [Leskovci] on the left [33v] and occupied the castle of Costnitz [Koznik] on the right with 200 German troops and 200 Raskjanes [Serbs]. When all this was accomplished, he set out on 14 October for Scopia [Skopje], a large, well-populated and almost entirely undefended city with many merchants. During his march, he met a fugitive [who told him] that the Turks would try to retake Nissa. Reflecting on the impossibility of carrying out such an undertaking, Piccolomini nevertheless continued the march and on the 12th [October] found himself in a rugged mountainous region - inhabited by the Clementa [Kelmendi] - and Rosajaceva [Rozhajë] tribes, which with their various settlements and villages constitute a considerable territory which pays a certain sum of money to the Porte every year. Since it is a time of war, the Turkish emperor receives from them various troops in lieu of payment. The general remained there for several days to give orders on matters relating to that region, which had voluntarily submitted to him. The reputation of this commander grew ever more and more due to his order, so much so that 5 Arnauts [Muslim Albanians] in Pristina [Prishtina], who had risen against the Turks, and [the inhabitants of] many large cities nearby, had given it to be understood that they would submit to the Emperor's rule. Thus, when he arrived in Pristina, they swore allegiance to the Emperor and, at that moment, this vast territorial expanse fell under the shadow of the laurels of His Imperial Majesty.
[33r] From Pristina, he advanced on the 23rd to Caziane [Kaçanik], a town at the head of a gorge. This town had a strong-walled fortress surrounded by wide ditches. When the Turkish troops at Caziane, 150 in all, heard of the arrival of the Germans, they fled at night across the Danube, pursued in vain by a detachment of 200 Hungarians and 40 German cavalry. But there our men encountered a large force of barbarians coming from Skopje to reinforce Caziane, who did not know that their troops had abandoned the place in haste. An armed clash ensued, lasting over an hour. The Turks then retreated with some prisoners, but the Christians captured four banners, and the field was left strewn with the bodies of the enemy’s dead and wounded. This victory cost the Emperor six prisoners, four killed, and ten wounded, among whom was a seriously wounded Hungarian captain.
On the 25th, thank God, the General arrived from the mountains and set up camp in the field. There he learned that many Ottomans had arrived in Scopia, two miles away, to defend it and the population to the last drop of blood. However, he knew from various sources that the inhabitants of that city were terrified by the arrival of the Germans and were preparing to flee, all the more so because of the plague that was spreading in that great city.
Among the many different news and reports [34v] that Piccolomini received, there was one informing him that Mamut Bassa [Mahmut Pasha] had withdrawn from Scopia with 8 men, of whom 000 were soldiers, mainly Rashkjan [Serbs] and Albanians [Albanians], and had set up camp in a valley to the right of the city, two hours away from our imperial troops; and that they were far enough from Scopia to resist the General and to avoid the disease that had swept the city.
When the lieutenant field marshal was convinced of this, he prepared all his forces to attack the Pasha. He therefore organized a small celebration in his camp with a volley of guns and, that same night, sent 400 cavalry and 200 horsemen in armor in the said direction, while he himself set out on the march on the 6th, before dawn, to support his troops and defeat the Turks if they encountered them.
When Mamut heard of the approach of the imperial troops and his trembling soldiers heard their firing, they retreated in complete disorder, and when the Hungarians and Germans arrived, they inflicted much damage on the retreating troops. The disorder was so great that the Pasha's men left behind all their baggage and some flags, as well as everything else they had with them, leaving everything in the hands of the imperial troops.
This occasion freed many Christian families from captivity, whom the barbarian Pasha Mamut had taken with him in his chariots. [34r] He left behind over a hundred killed, as well as prisoners - 100 Muslims and 100 Jews. With the Christians continuing their victorious march, the army arrived and the General wished to set up camp where the Pasha had been. The latter had fled to a forest and was hiding there with 200 of his most loyal men. From there, under the cover of night, he set out for Scopia.
On the 22nd, Piccolomini wanted to approach the city of Scopia and ordered Count Czáky, colonel of the hussars, to go ahead of him and report whether the city was really abandoned. The Count returned to the General and reported that there was no one in Scopia, but that the city was full of provisions and that many of the merchants' arched shops, all open, were filled with various choice goods. Hearing this, Count Piccolomini advanced to the outskirts of the city, where he set up camp. Then, curious to see the place for himself, he chose to ignore the rumors that the city was undoubtedly stricken with plague. When he entered the city, he sniffed and examined everything, for the benefit of his troops.
Scopia is a large settlement, not much smaller than Prague, perhaps as large. I call it only a “settlement” because it has no walls or palisades. It has, however, a moat [35v] with a small ditch, and, in some parts, a natural elevation of the ground. There were also here many magnificent mosques and tall buildings, built according to the custom of the Turks, that is, of wood, except for the foundations and ground floors, which are of brick and stone. Farther from the center were beautiful gardens and fountains, situated in different quarters of Scopia, which were a delight to the eye of the beholder.
Its position is also pleasant to look at, as it is situated in a wide plain, fertile for all things, and well cultivated. Up to 60 people lived in Scopia, of whom 000 were Jews. Thus, when the population heard of the approach of the imperial troops, they left on October 3.
Piccolomini looked at this vast city and decided to burn it, considering that it would be impossible to hold it. Therefore, taking out everything of value from it, he set it on fire that day, the 27th. Others have written that this happened on the 26th. But I am the only one who writes about it from first-hand experience. When the General had finished his work there, many judges from the surrounding villages and towns came to take the oath of allegiance to His Imperial Majesty. Received with great courtesy by the Count, they returned to their homes extremely satisfied.
[35r] The time was approaching and Piccolomini decided to return to Cazianeck [Kaçanik]. When he arrived there, having fortified [the place] with troops, he divided his army and ordered the Duke of Holstein[5] to set out on November 1st for Mount Hemas with his regiment and that of Prince Augustus of Hanover, to explore the said region and collect tribute. He arrived with his forces at Lipari [Lipjan], where many chiefs and leaders of the native population had gathered to meet the General and to beg him to have the kindness to receive them as vassals and subjects of His Majesty, the Emperor of the West.
I can only imagine how great must have been Piccolomini's delight to see the palm of victory growing before his eyes, without his having to draw his sword from its sheath. When the commander of an army has no justice, humility, mercy, understanding, and fairness, he can never be called great. It is the duty of an honest soldier to fight, but whether we are to be victorious depends not so much on ourselves as on whether, after the clash of arms, truth can win and triumph.
From Pristina, the General immediately ordered Strasser to march with his infantry and artillery towards the fortresses of Panza and Revery [Zvecan?], the former of which, consisting of thirty settlements and 300 men, [36v] was surrendered on 2 November to Lieutenant Colonel von Soyrum, Herr Maussberg. The latter, however, had to be taken by force. When Strasser set out for Bosnia, Piccolomini gave orders, before 3 November, to march towards Albania with his own and Soyrum's regiments, as well as some artillery pieces, to learn what his lieutenant colonel, Herr von Hossberg, had achieved in Bosnia, the capital of Epirus [Epirus].
Fate looked favorably upon this far-sighted and courageous nature, determined by the Count's illness, which many believed to be the plague. With ever-increasing force, more and more laurels of victory were plucked for the Emperor. Still ill, he arrived at Capuznitz and remained there one day, on the 5th, but then continued on to Pani, where he learned that the commander of Pirot, with 600 Germans, both infantry and cavalry, and twice as many Rashkjans [Serbs], had attacked and defeated Nahn [?] bey Dragoman with over 3 Turkish infantry. Unwary, he tried to penetrate still further into that country until, finally, on the 000th, he was severely defeated by two Turkish units totaling 4 men.
It is surprising how shocked Piccolomini, who never lost his optimism, was by this. He ordered Strasser to go to Nissa so that the enemy would not take advantage of the incident and do worse. For his part, he continued the march and on the 6th, as previously reported, arrived at Prisiran [Prizren], the capital of Albania, where he was received by the Archbishop[6] [36r] of that place and by the Patriarch of Clementa [Kelmend] with their various religious ceremonies.
Outside Priserin [Prizren] there were at least 6 Albanians [Albanians], as well as others who had previously been in the service of the Turks and who are known as Arnauts. When the German troops passed by, they fired three volleys of fire as a sign of joy and then swore allegiance to the Emperor, according to their custom. Piccolomini thus had under his command over 000 Rashkians and Albanians, all men of a warlike temperament, ready to undertake any undertaking, however great, in accordance with the will of the General.
The Count did not forget to take advice from the Archbishop and other German leaders as to whether it was a good idea to entrust such a force of defectors, which was three times his own strength. The Archbishop, however, not only assured him, but even encouraged him to continue his victorious course with these ethnic troops, and, as such, he gave various orders and instructions to provide enough money and food to maintain such a militia, without unduly burdening the population from which he hoped to later draw help.
In fact, Piccolomini's fate did not come naturally, although it was, by the grace of God, for the greater glory of His Imperial Majesty. His manner of action, [37v] his courage, and his care in every matter, caused him to be held in high esteem by the people. His subjects would do well to imitate so great a man, who was ready to sacrifice his own interests for the general good. It was he who laid the true foundations for the universal monarchy of the Emperor Leopold.
If all the Emperor's other military commanders had done the same, there would be no more Turks in Europe, and I'm not sure how things would have turned out with the French, however brave they are.
We must close this chapter because the time has not yet come for Roman weapons to return to their ancient glory and for the eagle to shadow the earth in its majestic flight. However, I hope to experience this before my death.
Meanwhile, the general's difficulties increased. He tried to give his broken soul divine and sacramental strength, as the Archbishop offered him. Stripped of all strength, he prepared for an imminent departure into eternity, which the imperial troops viewed with great fear. At this point, I wish to praise the piety and Catholic character of Piccolomini. I will only say this: that, having been at all times a Catholic and Christian gentleman, as a general of the Emperor, he gave up his soul to God on the 9th, at seven o'clock in the morning [37r], leaving behind memories to those who knew him and even more to those who will be acquainted with his praiseworthy deeds.
Shortly before his death, Piccolomini handed over the command to the Duke of Holstein, informing him in detail of all matters. Otherwise, things would have taken a different course, because, when the helmsman is lost, a ship on the high seas will be buffeted by the winds and sink.
Because the Albanians had been mistreated in such an arrogant manner, they began to lose their contempt for the Turks. Since they were not being held in proper esteem, many of them later turned to the Turks.
Since the people were now under a greater burden than Piccolomini had promised them, they began to protest and proved difficult to calm down, especially because of the lack of discipline among the soldiers. What angered them most was the fact that, when they went to the officers to complain and ask for redress for the injustices they had suffered at the hands of the militia, they received nothing but contempt, ridicule, and insults. In this situation, the three regiments called up from Baden arrived and were stationed by order of the Duke in the Priserin area, the direction of their encampment extending as far as Nissa. [38v] After this, on 13 November, the Arnauts and many Rashkian infantry, 1 in all, and 000 German cavalry under the command of Herr Sanoski, a captain from Piccolomini's regiment, were attacked two miles from Prisserin [Prizren] by a force of 100 Turks coming from the direction of Scopia, who, having succeeded in their attack, retreated and left behind on the battlefield 1 killed on both sides and a similar number of prisoners, of whom only 500 were taken by our imperial forces.
While this enemy unit was returning, the Pasha of Scopia, named Ahmet, who had come from Adrianople [Edirne] with his men, wanted to try his luck and on November 16, as far as I know, to our misfortune, he encountered another group of Raskjans, led by the commissar Kessler, almost 900 people, including some German soldiers and their servants. Since the sun does not always shine and the commissar was not able to respond like a real commander, he was defeated and taken prisoner. This made the barbarians even more courageous. The said Pasha then gathered 3 Turks and Tartars and many refugees from Stipo [Shtip] and led them back to that place.
Stipo is a fairly large settlement with a defensive barricade or palisade. When the militia arrived there, the inhabitants stood still to watch the movements of our imperial troops. [38r] When the Duke of Holstein learned of their presence, he gathered his regiment, that of Prince Charles of Hanover,[7] Serani, Piccolomini and the hussars of Csaky and many Rashkians and Arnauts, since they had been supplied with ammunition and food for several days, and set out on 24 November for Orisovia [Orizari?]. Marching rapidly, he arrived near Stipo on the 27th in the early hours of the morning, where he encountered not only 3 infidels of Mamut Pasha, the former commander of Scopia, but also 000 other Muslims. Thus, there were 3 of them in all, mainly on horseback, as well as 000 Janissaries and many Arnauts. The vanguard of the imperial troops was led by His Majesty, Prince Charles of Hanover, who attacked the barbarian guards like a lion with his 6 horsemen. They defended themselves bravely, but were finally forced to give way to the onslaught of the Christians and retreated in chaos towards their own army. The main body, hearing the alarm, came out of the city where they were staying and wanted to prepare for battle properly, but they were unable to do so, because they were overrun by the various squads that were sent to assist the vanguard. Accordingly, the Prince and the four standards of his regiment took some houses and barns to strengthen the right wing of the army, to the detriment of the Turks, and forced [000v] the enemy forces, who had not yet lined up for battle, to return to the field, causing disorder in their camp.
When His Majesty, the Duke of Hanover, understood what had happened to the corps and the right wing, he rushed with the main body [Corps de Bataille] and the left wing, which he managed to form in time before the Muslims, and was able to scatter them and force them to flee. More than 1 of them were slaughtered by the German musketeers and by the swords of the hussars, and many others were taken prisoner.
What remained for our men, to be able to say that they had achieved a complete victory, was to crush the reserve force (which had been joined by many brave Ottomans). The Duke, therefore, ordered the knights to attack. This attack proved much more difficult than planned, for the defenders, in their desperate situation, did everything they could to oppose this enterprise, which failed. The imperial forces lost 150 soldiers, and if they had not decided to burn the palisade, the Christians and their troops would never have managed to destroy Stipo.
While the flames were burning the dry wood, they took advantage of the opportunity to make a new attack, which proved more successful than the previous one. Surrounded and attacked on all sides, that is, by the fire, the Germans, the screams and cries of their women and children, [39r] the barbarians finally fell victim to the swords of the Christians. The booty was so great that it would seem like a fairy tale if it were described. I have been told by reliable sources that the soldiers filled their hats to the brim with silver reales and lyventalers [coins].
This remarkable success of the imperial arms would have brought great benefits, if the principles of the late Piccolomini had been followed. However, since they were completely ignored, events on the ground quickly became complicated.
When His Majesty von Holstein left Stipo, they reinforced the defense of Priseren with five companies of the Hanoverian Regiment and by Prince Carl himself, who ensured the defense of the city and the region together with five other companies of Piccolomini. New threats came from Mamut Pasha, who made noises that he would reduce the city to ashes. There were also various disagreements with the leaders of the Arnauts whom the Duke ordered to surrender their arms and disband their militia and pay tribute to the Germans, as the peasants did. This was an intolerable insult to this free and warlike nation.
Meanwhile, the Duke was of the opinion that if the enemy could be defeated in all the cities, these conquered lands could be brought under permanent control and the inhabitants [40v] could be forced to submit to the rules of the Emperor's patrimonial possessions, as the Hungarians, Bohemians, Slavs and Germans had done. He therefore decided to pursue Mamut Pasha with 1 cavalry from all the regiments and an equal number of German infantry, some cannon and many hussars and raschians, in all about 000 men.
He thus set out from Priseren on December 2nd and, marching rapidly, reached the Luma mountains where he knew that Mamut Pasha had retreated with five to six thousand men. The arrival of the Christians greatly alarmed Mamut's troops, so much so that their officers went to him and protested that they would not fight our troops under any circumstances and that he should give the order to withdraw the day before the Duke arrived, on December 3rd. With him, the inhabitants of the surrounding area immediately left, taking their possessions with them. They had always refused to pay tribute to the imperial forces, because they had sworn allegiance.
When His Majesty arrived there, he was unable to obtain any information on the location of the enemy. To punish the inhabitants, he burned several villages. Then they returned to Pristina, with the intention of visiting Peechia [Peja], where the other five companies of Piccolomini were [40r] stationed. There, they intended to draw a line from their position to Petropopol in the direction of Arcecovina [Herzegovina], a fortified settlement under the control of Topat [Topal] Pasha,[8] former governor of Bosnia.
To thwart our actions, heaven decreed that the Archbishop of Albania should die, he who had held all his people and the majority of the Arnauts under the citizenship of His Imperial Majesty. Thus, when on the 8th of December he abandoned this valley of darkness for the joys of Heaven, our fate on earth temporarily left us with him.
Meanwhile, the Duke was also not in good health. However, he decided to explore different areas and lands, sending Piccolomini's captain, Herr von Sanoski, with 100 German infantry and 400 Russians.
Having set out from Pristina on December 20, he arrived within two days at the city of Vellez [Veles], five miles from Skopje, which he found open. They attacked the city from all sides and took it, forcing the inhabitants to flee. Thirty of the enemy were killed and many taken prisoner, and an innumerable number of Turks and Christians residing there were scattered.
After this success, the Christians took many heads of cattle. So Sanoski, satisfied, was returning when he encountered a large body of Janissaries. He took ten horsemen with him [41v] and went to a place near the rear guard to investigate, but was mortally wounded and four hours later died at Caczenek [Kaçanik], where he had been transported in a miserable condition by his men.
When the Duke realized that he could gain nothing from the stubborn or our maxims, he began to talk to them and to the Turks in a polite and loving manner. Ah, if only he had done this from the beginning! Then things would have been much better. But it was too late because the Albanians were now enraged by the stinginess and arrogance of the German officers who despised them and thus brought about their downfall.
However, he managed to make some peace, and, had Strasser not met with such misfortune, Holstein would certainly have been able to hold the conquered territory and borders until the arrival of the Veteran. An example of this was Rosajo [Rozhaya?], a fairly large and fortified city that had rebelled against the Porte and had come under the protection of the imperial forces on December 12. To give a clearer proof of their loyalty, they decided to destroy the defenses of the inhabitants of Pilippopoli [Plovdiv?].
When the bey of the aforementioned city of Philippopolis learned of Rosajo's daring behavior, he arrived on the 23rd in person with 50 janissaries, three cannons, 1 Arnauts, and 000 cavalry. He placed the Arnauts on a hill and began firing on [500r] the fortress of Rosajo. The people inside the fortress found themselves under great pressure and begged for forgiveness. When this was granted by the bey, they surrendered and returned to allegiance to the Porte.
After this success, the Duke was informed by Lieutenant Colonel von Apremont that a large enemy force of 2 men and even more cavalry had come from the direction of Soffia [Sofia] and had forced the inhabitants of Palancka [Kriva Palanka] to flee on the 000th. The inhabitants of the town consisted of various Rashtrians, soldiers and Germans. The same thing happened to the German occupiers of Orsova on the 20nd. He also noted that this force boasted that it would soon grow to 22 Turks and Tatars and, with such strength, would try to drive the imperial forces from the region of Nyssa. Everything he wrote [in his message] he had learned from two sources.
When such information was received from other sources, His Imperial Majesty called a council of war on December 27, where it was decided to resist the enemy at all costs and to gather the militia. At the same time, unexpected news was received that three thousand Tatars under the orders of Sultan Naradin [Nureddin] had crossed into the newly conquered territories through the mountain passes and had burned many villages in the region.
[42v] For this reason, the Duke ordered Colonel Strasser, the commander of Nissa, who had arrived to deal with various necessary matters, to go and crush the Tatars with the militia from Pristina and push them away from the borders.
When Strasser took command that day, with a militia of 600 German infantry, 500 cavalry and 1 Rashkians, Sultan Naradin wanted to attack him with 000 selected cavalry and, at the same time, he himself retreated with his men, along with the loot and captives, including some captured Germans, Salvagards, Hungarians and locals.
Having achieved this, he arrived at the edge of a forest and encountered the front of our imperial forces. According to military custom, they lined up, giving Naradin enough time to observe the fighting capacity of our men and to attack them. His only thought was to capture prisoners and interrogate them to discover what the Catholic forces were planning. He succeeded in doing all this. It is true that he lost five or six men and left many prisoners in the hands of the imperial forces. For his part, he captured two Hungarians and two Germans.
When Strasser realized that the enemy had left the region and that it would be a waste of time to pursue him, he returned [42r] to Pristina, where His Imperial Majesty, after holding a council on the penultimate day of December, learned that Caccianech [Kaçanik], which was being defended by no more than 100 musketeers, was being surrounded and that it would soon fall into the hands of the Turks with 18 of their men. For this reason, the Duke, without waiting any longer, ordered the said Colonel Strasser to prepare the army for battle, without collecting any further supplies for it. The cavalry consisted of 000 Styrian horsemen, 300 Hanoverian, 300 Holsteinian - a total of 300 horsemen, who were to be joined there by Piccolomini's regiment of 900 soldiers. All the above-mentioned troops would be under the command of His Majesty Prince Charles of Hanover. As for the infantry, there were only 500 or less musketeers commanded by Colonel Count Solari. The Germans were joined by almost 400 fighters, both Rashkians and Albanians, so that the entire army assembled in Pristina on 1 January 500 numbered 1 men in total.
I do not know why the Duke did not join this expedition himself. One might answer, as has been said, that he was ill at the time. When he heard of the defeat of our forces, he hastened, ill, to Nyssa.
I have heard that he did not want to suffer the reputation of one who had lost these border lands to the Emperor, especially when he saw that the first steps had gone badly. For this reason, he handed over the command to Strasser. He hoped, as he had been ordered, that he would not have to face a much larger force, but that he would have time to gather more men and try his luck himself in a properly prepared battle and would be able to restore order with victory.
His Imperial Majesty discovered that out of the 20 Arnauts who, under the influence of Piccolomini, had sworn allegiance to the Emperor, only 000 of them remained trustworthy, because they had been so badly treated by His Majesty and the other officers. If the Duke had not changed his mind when he realized his mistake, there would not have been a single one of them under his command. Although those few who remained marched among our imperial forces, in their hearts they were not ready.
Anyone who thinks they can subdue large countries with severity, discipline, and modest forces is mistaken. Much can be achieved with an average army, but only by following the rules and taking advice when mistakes are made.
Holstein initially dismissed these populations as unnecessary and considered them competition and an obstacle to the interests of His Imperial Majesty. After being convinced by some leaders that all these subject peoples and those who had taken an oath of allegiance [43r] had to pay tribute and not bear arms, he believed that a small force would be enough to keep an entire kingdom under control.
Only then did he realize the necessary means to keep these conquered lands quiet and to constantly incite them against the Turks. When they had reorganized their former militia, they decided to attack the Austrian garrisons and, incited by the Arnauts who had been ill-treated by our people, returned to their former loyalty to the Muslims.
Turning to Strasser, he believed that he could work wonders with his arrogant corps and drive the enemy back to Sophia. By nature he was a violent and not particularly polite man. He had a habit of exchanging insults with officers, both German and Russian, which disgusted our men. Even Prince Carl had more than once regretted having him under his command.
Since Strasser was essentially a soldier, albeit somewhat too strict, he wanted to provoke the barbarians into coming out to battle with him. Therefore, he took the first step, believing that his people, who in fact did not love him, would not abandon him.
[44v] When the troops had marched for four hours, they reached a gorge, less than a mile from Caccianek [Kaçanik], which they found the Turks had taken. The colonel pitched camp there, and when he set out at two o'clock in the morning, he was warned by an Arnaut lieutenant colonel not to advance any further, as the Turkish forces were too large. However, he mocked him and called him potron [cat?]. After this, the Albanian exchanged a few more words. Angered, Strasser drew his pistol and shot him in the arm, seriously wounding him. He even went further and executed another soldier, one of the Albanians, for a minor offense. Ignoring all warnings, he continued through the Cacianeck [Kaçanik] gorge and stopped to rest with his troops in a swamp, where the Turks could not easily attack them.
Then, without thinking, he left his well-chosen camp and stopped in an open area, which was exposed to attack from all sides. The Prince of Hanover and the other officers opposed this, explaining that as soon as Piccolomini's regiment and the other troops arrived, victory would be certain and that they should not risk His Majesty's crown in vain.
[44r] If bad luck is destined, good advice is ignored and preparations for the coming disaster are not made. Such was Strasser who, convinced of the courage of his men and regardless of their small numbers, put himself in open danger and provoked the enemy with cannon fire and the noise of military equipment, so that he would come out and fight.
The Turkish army, commanded by the aforementioned pashalars Ahmet and Mamut, consisted of 3 Tartars under Sultan Naradin, an equal number of spahins, 000 Arnauts with their aghas, and over 4 Janissaries also with their aghas. The traitorous Arnauts were in league with our men. They had deserted our side because of the ill-treatment they had received from the Colonel and because Strasser had sentenced one of their comrades to death. They made it clear that, if the Germans really attacked, they would go over to the Ottoman side and assist in the complete destruction of the imperial forces. After an agreement had been reached with this barbaric and inhuman nation, or rather because Strasser so desired, Naradin advanced with his Tartars to the right of the imperial troops where the Rashkjans were stationed. At first they stood strong, but then they broke and retreated, leaving the area [000v] open. The cavalry and infantry suffered heavy losses as the Tartars poured in.
While this was happening on the right wing, the spahis on the left wing were suffering a similar fate. After making a feeble resistance, they were abandoned by the Arnauts, and our whole formation was thrown into disarray. Strasser then tried to repair the damage, as did the brave Prince Carl, but it was in vain. In this extreme situation, seeing that there was nothing he could do, the courage of a great man came to the fore. He threw himself into the midst of the enemy, arms in hand, opening the way to come to the aid of his various troops. After performing several extraordinary deeds with this enemy and that, whom he overthrew and killed, he finally fell himself, a victim of the fierce attack of the enemy.
Although the noble Germans had lost their beloved Prince Carl, who was loved and honored more than many others, and found themselves faced with so fatal a day, they nevertheless turned the tide, determined not to sell their lives for nothing. The commanders took counsel and drove the Turks [45r] and Tartars back to their own lines, and, amidst the fire, joining partly in swords, arrows, slaughter, and death, they continued the battle for some time, performing wonderful deeds.
In the absence of the wounded Strasser, who had been left in disarray during the first [enemy] attack, Count Solari, with the help of the cavalry, managed to restore the line of musketeers and make them do their duty. The battle flared up even more and became bloodier. The Turks would never have been able to achieve victory if our men had been able to maintain the defense in the rear and flanks. But, being in an open field and surrounded by the enemy, they began to lose hope, especially because their ammunition was running low.
When the Ottomans noticed that the imperial forces had ceased firing, they realized that they had run out of bullets and gunpowder. Without wasting time, the main body of the army advanced, attacking the invincible Catholics from the front, from the rear, and from the flanks. The weight of the attack was such that it could not be otherwise than that they were defeated. Their spirits, however, were not defeated by the burden of their short and difficult lives, but they emerged victorious, carrying with them the palm of victory to strengthen the ranks of Heaven. [46v] Few of our many men were taken prisoner or remained alive. Some, under the darkness of night, into the nearby forests, fled back to Pristina, where they arrived the next day. Many of the officers, including Count Solari, were taken prisoner. As for Strasser, some say that he was seen killed. Others are certain that he was wounded and captured and gave up his soul to God. It is said that the field was filled with the troops of the imperial army, and yet a double number of the infidels were exterminated.
When the Duke received the news of this bitter event, he retreated to Nyssa, showing great caution. Endless destruction was caused and the German reputation among the inhabitants of the region was damaged. The remaining Austrian militia was terrified. At the same time, they recklessly abandoned the city of Pristina and its warehouse which was large enough to feed three to four thousand people for four months and which contained enough food to last the winter for 1 horses. There was nothing more to be done, and if the Veteran had not returned to this border area, it would have been lost all the way to Belgrade. Strasser's misfortune [200r] was one of the reasons for this catastrophe. His Majesty's armies in Transylvania and Serbia were devastated and were unable to recover and resist any advance that the enemy would make in earnest, as later happened.
Meanwhile, Piccolomini's regiment was marching under the command of the colonel, Count Monticelli, to meet Holstein. He arrived near the place where the defeat had occurred, the day after the battle, that is, on the 3rd, without knowing at all what had happened.
Encountering various units of Tatars here and there, he attacked them and forced them to retreat. In the process, he captured three men captive. Interrogating them, he realized with tears in his eyes the tragedy that had befallen the imperial soldiers. For this reason, without further hesitation, he marched to Pristina.
He had only been marching for half an hour when he saw the whole Tartar horde following him at full speed. There were a thousand of them, with Sultan Naradin himself, who had remained behind with the greater part of his men, while the triumphant Turks were retreating to Pilipoppoli [Plovdiv], taking with them [47v] the spoils, the captives, and the cannons.
From the interrogation of the three captives mentioned above, Monticelli was convinced that he would most likely have to fight. He therefore addressed his officers and men, inspiring them to live and die with him. When he saw the enemy's pack approaching rapidly, he asked only to cross a bridge and place his men in a small marsh. There, preparing himself, he awaited the enemy. He also assigned a brave lieutenant and 40 horsemen to guard the bridge which the entire regiment had just crossed.
The battle lasted over two hours. The Christians fired volley after volley at the barbarians with their maces, and the barbarians shot arrows at the Catholics. But the bridge and the swamp stood between them. Consequently, the Tartars were unable, or did not have the courage, to attack our men from the rear. When evening approached, the colonel, fully equipped for battle, led his men through the swamp, accompanied for a time by the shouts and shouts of the Muslims, but not harassed too closely. In this state, he arrived at Pristina after [47r] midnight and found that he had lost only twenty soldiers and that only one captain and a few privates had been wounded.
Monticelli made preparations in Pristina and simply replenished the troops. Then he set off again for Scopia. The virtue, courage and conduct of that Count must be praised.
All officers should be like him. One should enter battle only when absolutely necessary or when one sees an advantage for one's superiors and the country in general. To avoid battle with a great force is a true sign of courage, not of fear. But when one is forced to fight, one must do so and one will emerge victorious, for true virtue and true courage are inseparable companions of fate.
The veteran had been wounded in Wallachia. He received orders from His Grace von Baden to join the command at Nyssa. In this situation he set out for Belgrade, simply because he and his men had no food or hay for the horses. For this reason, the march in the middle of winter was particularly arduous.
[48v] When he finally arrived in Belgrade, he learned of the fate of Strasser and many other prominent officers and soldiers, and so he set off in that direction with great haste.
As the Count was trying to reach Nyssa as quickly as possible, he encountered two couriers, five hours apart, whom the Duke had sent to the Court to inform him of the large gathering of Turkish forces. From them he received a letter from the Colonel, Count von Herberstein, informing him of Strasser's defeat. As the Count continued his journey, he increasingly noticed signs of German fear.
In such a chaotic situation, confusion and fear were increasingly overwhelming the Duke. All the garrisons were on the move, and each was either abandoning the militia, or retreating in disarray, or acting like a bird on a branch, ready to fly. The Duke was ready to abandon Nissa to the enemy, because it seemed impossible to defend it. However, thanks to the strict and unbroken order of the Veteran, which the scattered soldiers respected and which reduced the level of confusion, this did not happen.
[48r] He himself soon arrived at Nyssa, bringing order with him, and, gathering there, from the conquered city and the surrounding area a corps of men and three cannons, set out towards the barbarians on 9 January.
He encouraged the frightened imperial troops with these deeds of a General and with courageous words for all. At the same time, he sent strict orders to all garrisons and units that all officers and soldiers were to remain where they were, under penalty of death, even if they had no more food and hay for the animals. Although the Turks and Tartars were burning and destroying the lands that paid tribute, they were to make necessity a virtue, for a while, and eat horse meat and, if necessary, advance their positions.
Only the Veteran was capable of overcoming such a terrible situation. What was needed was a fearless and determined militia, one who would show love and respect for him, a man who politely enforced justice and kept his word.
As he advanced, more to impress than to find and confront the enemy, he did not forget to write to all the authorities of the country to urge them to continue to show loyalty to the Emperor [49v] and promised them that they would soon be liberated and saved from the Turks.
Indeed, I do not know for sure whether the name of the Veteran frightened them or it was simply a matter of fate. He was, however, quite well known and respected even by the Muslims. I can only say that the great preparations and display of strength that the latter had made only a few days before disappeared, just as birth and growth lead to death. This gave the General time to put his affairs in order and to put everything in order at his headquarters, as follows: He ordered the regiments of Strasser and Herberstein and half of Seran's regiment to be stationed at Nissa. The rest of Seran's men were to be stationed at Procopia under the command of the lieutenant colonel of the thieves who had his entire regiment stationed there. At Pristina he ordered the Duke of Holstein with the regiments of Apremont, Auesperg and the Hanoverian mailed cavalry. These regiments were joined by the Styrian, Hanoverian and Holstein cavalry regiments. To Prisren [Prizren] he sent Colonel Antonio with his Raskjans, many Arnauts and 200 musketeers. Having made these decisions, he restored the foundations of the people's congress [?] and immediately returned to the field, especially when he heard that the infidels [49r] had deserted him.
It is truly incredible how the Turks were put back in their place when, at a certain moment, they noticed that the retreating Germans had turned their fearless foreheads towards them and had resumed their former positions. They even advanced as far as the borders of Macedonia and Caczianeck [Kaçanik], a large city that had been abandoned by the imperial forces even before the death of the Archbishop of Albania. These regions were again occupied, and the Veteran tried to take and reunite not only the lands in front of him, but also those behind and to the sides. For this reason, he showed particular kindness to the leaders of the Raskjans, Colonels Pranisova and Studeniza, and placed them in the area of Jagodina to hold the roads in that region. After everything was done and ordered according to his proud will, he sent a courier back to the Court and a little later sent a colonel, Count Seran, to inform them of these events.
Now it seems that the time has come for me to leave Serbia for a while and return to the works of Count Corbell during the siege of Grosva5rdajn [Oradea] ... /Telegraph/
____________________
