Battle of Salicha

The Battle of Salicha was a clash between Polish rebel forces and units of the Imperial Russian Army during the January Uprising. It took place on May 26, 1863 near the village of Salicha (Salikha), Russian Empire (the village now lies in Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Ukraine). Rebel forces were commanded by Edmund Rozycki, and the battle ended in Polish victory.

Edmund Rozycki, a talented Polish military officer, was tasked with carrying the rebellion into Volhynia, Podolia and Ukraine, former provinces of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Rozycki agreed, on the condition that Jozef Wysocki of Warsaw’s National Government provides military support from eastern Galicia.

On May 8, 1863, Rozycki together with his party marched from Zytomierz, and headed westwards, to Galicia, hoping to meet reinforcements along the way. After a few days, the rebels reached Starokostiantyniv, and their situation became desperate. No reinforcements arrived, other rebel units in the Ukraine had been destroyed by the Russians, and Poles were chased by three Russian units. Finally, on May 26 near the village of Salicha, the rebels faced a much stronger and better equipped detachement of the Imperial Russian Army.

Altogether, Polish forces had some 260 men, while Russians had 720 soldiers, including 120 Cossacks. Rozycki decided to use the element of surprise, attacking Russian infantry before it managed to get off their wagons. The rebels carried out a ferocious attack, with scythes and bayonets. Russian forces were dispersed, and additional units of the Russian Army, which arrived to the battlefield, did not attack the Poles, fearing another defeat.

After the battle, Rozycki and his men waited for two more days, hoping that the promised Galician reinforcements would join them. Since they did not arrive, the rebels decided to enter Austrian territory, where their unit was dissolved.