The Battle of Biržai was a series of skirmishes during the

January Uprising The January Uprising ( pl, powstanie styczniowe; lt, 1863 metų sukilimas; ua, Січневе повстання; russian: Польское восстание; ) was an insurrection principally in Russia's Kingdom of Poland that was aimed at ...

. They took place on May 7–9, 1863, in the area of

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...

n town of

Biržai Biržai (, known also by several #Names, alternative names) is a town in northern Lithuania. Biržai is famous for its reconstructed Biržai Castle Manor house, manor, and the whole region is renowned for its many traditional-recipe beer brewerie ...

, at the time part of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

Kaunas Governorate Kovno Governorate ( rus, Ковенская губеpния, r=Kovenskaya guberniya; lt, Kauno gubernija) or Governorate of Kaunas was a governorate ('' guberniya'') of the Russian Empire. Its capital was Kaunas (Kovno in Russian). It was forme ...

. Lithuanian rebels commanded by

Zygmunt Sierakowski Zygmunt Sierakowski ( be, Зігмунт Ігнатавіч Серакоўскі, lt, Zigmantas Sierakauskas) (19 May 1826, Lisów – 27 June 1863, Vilnius) was a Polish leader of the January Uprising in lands of the former Grand Duchy of Lithu ...

, clashed here with the

Imperial Russian Army The Imperial Russian Army (russian: Ру́сская импера́торская а́рмия, tr. ) was the armed land force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian Ar ...

. In early May 1863, Sierakowski and his men tried to break through Russian cordon to

Courland Courland (; lv, Kurzeme; liv, Kurāmō; German and Scandinavian languages: ''Kurland''; la, Curonia/; russian: Курляндия; Estonian: ''Kuramaa''; lt, Kuršas; pl, Kurlandia) is one of the Historical Latvian Lands in western Latvia. ...

, where a maritime transport with weapons was announced. Rebel forces concentrated in Biržai and , were attacked by the Russians. After several clashes, Sierakowski's unit was destroyed, which ended the insurrection in Lithuania.

Battle of Medeikai

On May 7, first clash took place near Medeikai, 10 kilometers north of Biržai. Sierakowski divided his party into three columns, and ordered to march to Biržai. They were faced by troops of the Imperial Russian Army, which included Cossacks, uhlans, infantry and Finnish riflemen. Left rebel column of Bolesław Kołyszko was attacked by the Russians. After a heavy fight, the rebels, reinforced with additional forces sent by Sierakowski, managed to kill 65 and wound 75 Russians.

Battle of Gudiškis

On May 8, Russian command sent reinforcements to the unit which had been defeated in Medeikai the day before. Near the Gudiškis village (3 kilometers southeast from Medeikai), they clashed with Sierakowski. A

scythemen Scythemen, also known as scythe-bearers is the term for soldiers (often peasants and townspeople) armed with straightened war scythes. First appearing in the Kościuszko Uprising of 1794, scythemen quickly became one of the symbols of the strugg ...

attack was fought off by the Russians, and the battle ended in rebel defeat. Sierakowski, himself wounded, lost 200 men (killed and wounded), and ordered a withdrawal, nominating Ignacy Laskowski new commandant of the party.

Battle of Šniurkiškiai

On May 9, 1863, new rebel commandant, Ignacy Laskowski, ordered his forces to camp in a forest near . The rebels were completely taken by surprise, when the Russians attacked them. For one hour, priest

Antanas Mackevičius Antanas Mackevičius ( pl, Antoni Mackiewicz; 26 June 1828 – 28 December 1863) was a Lithuanian Roman Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the Holy orders o ...

defended rebel positions, but was defeated and rebel survivors fled from battlefield.

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Battle of Birze Conflicts in 1863 1863 in Lithuania Birze Kovno Governorate May 1863 events Military history of Lithuania