n any case, however
successful the expedition might prove, it meant breaking at least
twice through lines which the enemy had spent months in strengthening
or fortifying. Undeterred by the almost certain possibility of
failure, the expedition of the "forlorn hope" set out across the plain
of the San--and speedily came to grief. They had to pass by the
strongest Russian artillery position, which was stationed in the low
hollow through which the railway runs to Lemberg. Here a terrific hail
of shells burst over their heads; rattle of machine guns and rifle
fire tore great holes in their ranks; the stoutest courage and
bravest hearts were unavailing against an enemy who could not be
reached nor even seen. The number of killed and wounded in that fatal
sortie has not been made public; that it was an enormous figure is
certain. The Russians took 4,000 prisoners of those who survived the
ordeal, and captured the forts on the western side directly after the
struggling remnants had regained their starting place. General von
Kusmanek issued his manifesto in the morning, and by the same night
the sortie ended in disaster. Like the misdirected charge of the Light
Brigade at Balaclava in 1854, it was "brilliant, but it wasn't war."

One more attempt was made on Saturday, March 20, 1915, toward
Oikovice, but it was easily frustrated by the vigilant Russians. On
Sunday and Monday, the 21st and 22d of March, a number of explosions
were heard in and around Przemysl. The Austrians were destroying
everything possible previous to surrendering. Large quantities of
explosives were thrown in the river; all kinds of arms were destroyed
or rendered useless; three bridges were crippled; the few remaining
horses were shot, and a railway bridge over the Wiar, which possessed
no strategic value, was also destroyed. These tactics of destroying
approaches naturally isolated the town more than ever, and made it
exceedingly difficult afterward to convey food supplies to the
starving population.

On Monday morning, March 22, 1915, the Austrian chief of staff
appeared outside the lines of Przemysl under a flag of truce. He was
blindfolded, driven by automobile to Russian headquarters, and ushered
into the presence of General Selivanoff. When the bandage had been
removed from his eyes, the Austrian officer handed over a letter of
capitulation from General von Kusmanek, which ran as follows:

"In consequence of the exhaustion of provisions and stores,