Hungarian Heritage Review, 1990 (19. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1990-01-01 / 1. szám
A SUCCESSFUL RUSE Through a spy, Washington fed misinformation to the British, leading them to believe that he still intended to attack New York City. To further this ruse, French bakers hastily constructed four new ovens, making it appear that the army would remain. On August 20, two-thirds of the entire force - 2,500 Americans and 4,000 French - evacuated their positions. This risky movement was executed without a flaw. The Hussars remained close to New York to screen the evacuation. Rochambeau noted in a report: “To the Lauzun hussars fell the greatest burden: I was obliged to put them in charge from the first day to the last. They had been the (vanguard) and rearguard of the American army.” The hussars carried out their task superbly; now it was time to join their comrades for the campaign in Virginia. Lauzun was already with Rochambeau, hurrying to rendezvous with Washington on the Delaware River; Poloreczky led the hussars at a fast gallop to come up from the rear. “BLOODY”TARLETON As the Franco-American forces tightened their ring around Cornwallis at Yorktown, Lauzun’s hussars reached Gloucester Point, where they engaged in their most celebrated action on the war. Gloucester lay across the river York from the main siege area. On October 3 this narrow spit of land was visited by British dragoons under the command of Colonel Bannistre Tarleton. Years later, while attempting to seduce a lady, Tarleton boasted that he had killed more men and ravished more women than any other British officer in America. He had certainly earned the nickname “Bloody” Tarleton, which now made him a target for the hussars. Initially, Lauzun and Tarleton were to fight, man-to-man on horseback before the assembled troops. But the Lauzun Legionnaires could not restrain themselves. A Polish lancer jabbed the rump of a British horse, causing the latter to collide with Tarleton’s mount. Tarleton was sent crashing to the ground and barely escaped capture. The British dragoons attempted a counterattack, but the Hungarian Hussars beat them back and forced them to retire behind entrenchments. This action kept the dragoons bottled up and prevented them from aiding Cornwallis. One party of hussars, commanded by Major Poloreczky, crossed the York River to aid Washington. And it was Major J.L. Poloreczky who commanded the honor guard of hussars at the surrender ceremony. A SURPRISE MEETING Soon after Yorktown, Janos László met his brother unexpectedly in Williamsburg. Ferenc András was no stranger to America; prior to the revolution he had visited the land as part of a secret mission headed by the Duc de Broglie, the French King’s unofficial “Minister of Espionage.”- continued next page JANUARY 1990 HUNGARIAN HERITAGE REVIEW 23
