Chapter 6
"Dear Jeremi and Jurij [and please pass my love to Juryk as well and my regards to Michał]
Crook-Nose and Timosz have been sounding out the Don Cossacks with regards to their loyalty to Russia. They do not, on the whole, wish to be part of the Rzeczpospolita, but are cautiously ready to refuse a Russian call to arms if we back them in winning their independence. We have contact with a young hot-head named Stenka Razin, who has been on diplomatic missions for the Don Cossacks to the Caucasus, the Khanate of Kalmyks, for, as I understand it, support against Russia. He is a sullen, violent, incautious young man, perhaps more a brigand than a fighter for freedom, but we shall see if he improves with more contact with civilised folk who support his cause. If not, well, he is a useful idiot, though he needs to be kept on a short rein. His older brother, Timofey, is more the kind to enact disobedience than outright revolt, and his younger brother, Frol, is definitely trainable. Crook-nose sent Frol to me with messages, and to train up as a potential adjutant to whoever ends up in charge. I have emulated the Don Cossacks and sent envoys to the Caucasus, which Russia may nominally hold, but cannot readily control. Again, I'm exceeding my orders, and plan to guarantee their neutrality and independence whilst inviting any who wish to join us as individuals to do so. Jeremi, I think I know how your mind works, and I did not want to waste time asking, even though Jurij's canals have significantly cut the time of communication.
Speaking of canals, Timofey writes to me of a significant bend in the River Don, which elbow to the river brings it relatively close to the River Volga. I am glad Jurij trained him, he is making surveys, with the intention of driving a canal between both. He spoke of enlarging a tributary, which makes sense, and then the channel to be driven would be around seventeen or eighteen staje, to just below Tsaritsyn1[Caricyn? In Polish?]. If we own the Volga, Jeremi, we own Russia. Especially if we can put a canal to the Sea of Azov, cutting off the Crimean peninsula rather than having to go round the Crimea. It would help to bottle up the Tatars too. Moreover, we can join the Dniepr to the Donets and thence to the Don. Strategic and tactical movement won Europe for the Romans, and if we have the upper hand on Moskwa, we don't need to take it, to contain it.
Also, I want a force at the point of the Crimean peninsula, building a canal, but also available against incursions of the Turk through the Crimea. They will not stand still while we neutralise the Moskale. Jurij might like to send a couple of warships to the Sea of Azov, however, to be there as support on that end. There is another useful river leading north and west out of the Sea of Azov, the Kalmius, and the Tatars do go along it when raiding. You are laughing at me, now, are you not, since I doubted the efficacy of canals. Well, laugh your fill. I am a convert
I will keep you updated as I hear anything useful.
Your friend and not very humble hetman,
Bohdan Chmielnicki."
"He does know my mind," said Jeremi. "And he is well aware of the realities of life. He knows full well that the Ottomans would not like a Sarmatian win over Moskwa, and that is when you sail on Constantinople. We have it well mapped from all the traders we have sent."
"I'll need my reserves though," said Jurko. "And you'll need to hold back an Ottoman invasion whilst we are also dealing with the Moskale."
"Yes, it will be tough," said Jeremi. "I'm going to increase our agents inside Constantinople, or Istanpolin as some of them call it these days."
"It only means 'The City,' and I think that's pretentious," said Jurko. "It would be as if we insisted on renaming Warszawa 'Miasto' as though it were the only city in the world that counted."
"Ottomans," shrugged Jeremi. "How's that new tactic you were practising coming along?"
"Well," said Jurko. "It requires totally disciplined troops, of course. We are trying to reduce the amount of kit an infantry unit has to carry. We based it on Caesar's testudo, which protected from all angles, but to carry it to the level of being offensive. We're calling it 'Jeż', the hedgehog, which is a nice, short word to shout, and Kuryło is messing about seeing if we can't fit bayonets onto muskets at one side on a collar that slides on so they can be fired, which with conventional bayonets plugged into the barrel, of course they can't. The second rank, standing has to just balance them, but it's volume of fire as much as any accuracy. The third rank fire their muskets over the shoulders of the second rank. And the fourth rank reloads for the third. The first two ranks can only get one shot off, but it all helps. We went against Michał's winged hussars and used cartridges full of red berries to fire at them and a lot were marked. And the hussars broke."
"Michał's hussars broke?" Jeremi was startled.
"The horses won't run into a square bristling with spikes on all sides," said Jurko. "We don't need unfeasibly long pikes and specialised pikemen who learn how to balance the wretched things. So long as they stick together you can put a hundred peasants with muskets and very little more training than how to fire and clean their weapons and you can break a thousand hussars. And talking of cleaning weapons! Those berries made a helluva mess of our muskets, but it was good to see how many we would have likely taken out."
"So how do you rank the short flintlock muskets over arquebuses?" asked Jeremi. "I took a gamble on the cost of having them made."
"No comparison," said Jurko with a shrug. "Arquebuses need a rest, and are a flaming nuisance. A flintlock musket may not have the length, but powder is much better these days, which is how we can have shorter field guns as well, and they are more reliable, and are quicker to fire. They are well worth the extra cost. And it evens out in not needing as much equipment. A company of men with a musket and bayonet can do the job of two companies of mixed pikemen and arquebusiers. You don't need to carry slowmatch, and that can't then get wet; and the mechanism is also better protected from damp. They'll be invaluable at sea as well."
"I'll order ten thousand then," said Jeremi. "Well, a pikeman's equipment costs around seven silver złote, and an arquebus costs less than a silver złoty. So as the musket costs twice as much as the arquebus, but replaces the pikeman, it may look like a lot of outlay, but it's actually a saving."
"And every shot more accurate for not having to balance a barrel which is too long," said Jurko. "You won't regret it, Papa, we will have the best army in the world."
"And you who have devised it, the best son," said Jeremi.
oOoOo
Christmas was a happy time, and Jeremi looked forward to feasting with the randomly chosen peasants at his table, helping him to keep in touch with the views of the populace. Now it was an established custom, and no punishments were meted out for honest views, more were being forthright and making serious points.
"You know," said Jeremi, "I do wonder if there should be representatives of peasantry in the Sejm."
"Most of the golden showers... golden rights... will seize up to cause apoplexy if you suggest it," said Jurko, cynically. "Why not introduce study groups of peasants invited to present their findings to the Sejm? And start with the merchants and the rich merchants at that, who can bring good news."
"What a good idea," said Jeremi. "Are you and your reprobates heading east now Christmas is over?"
"Yes, taking advantage of a good freeze," said Jurko. "If I make good time I might wander up a selection of rivers to see where some good canals might be."
Kuryło snorted.
"Let Cossacks who know the land mess about there. The Dniepr wanders drunkenly from Orsza to Smolensk before it turns northish. That's why the canal goes from Smolensk north. If we cut off the worst of the meanders, that would be a second route. And then... well, we might drive a canal between the Dniepr and the Moskwa river."
"And drain some of that damned swampy forest while we are at it," said Jurko. "As I recall, the upper reaches of the Dniepr and the Moskwa wander about like a Cossack who has looted a barrel of wódka set loose in the middle of the steppe."
"And the Volga too," said Kuryło, helpfully. "I tried to bet Wołodyjowski once that if you got three snails drunk and set them on a page of parchment, they'd not leave trails more convoluted than the Dniepr, the Volga, and the Don, and he wouldn't bet."
"Well, we can straighten some rivers into navigations, and join them. No job so large it can't be done with a sufficiency of gunpowder," said Jurko. "And how Kmicic will curse me if he makes a pretty road and then we drive a canal which makes it superfluous."
"It doesn't, though," said Jeremi. "Unless you carry cranes with you to unlimber artillery, it still goes best by road."
"Good point," said Jurko. "Canals are best deployed for supplies."
"Are we coming with you, Jurij?" asked Michał, indicating Juryk. "Róża is packing and she's only a year or so older than we are."
"Papa?" asked Jurko.
"Yes, they may go," said Jeremi, with a sigh. "I'll be following on, myself. Gryzelda will stay as my regent, with the youngest children."
"Oh, she can set Jaromka and Raina on the Sejm if they get silly, and have them out-talked until they agree for a quiet life," said Jurko. "Jaromka has it down to a fine art over leading Leo, Basia, Janek, Remuś, Janko, Ruryk, Cyryl and Krystyna into being messy and then soiling anyone irritating judiciously until they go away. Marysieńka and Beata might roll their eyes, but if it's important they join in. And as Jan has finally managed to get Zuzanna with child, she'll be staying to help chivvy them. Is Zagłoba coming with us?"
"Yes; I welcome his shrewdness," said Jeremi.
oOoOo
Michał Wołodyjowski leaped into Jurko's arms, and then into Jan's when they rode into his camp, and he was unceremoniously swung round by both.
"And my namesake is as tall as I am!" said Wołodyjowski to Michał.
"Oh, no, my lord, your fame is such that you are a giant amongst men," said Michał. "We're old enough to be useful, Juryk and me."
"Useful, yes, for sure, and you can be useful in setting up your brother's tent for him," said Wołodyjowski, not displeased at Michał's words. "And as you are the younger, you shall be Miszko, so there is no confusion with me. Unless you prefer another diminutive?"
"Was it yours when you were young?" asked young Michał.
"It was," said Wołodyjowski.
"Oh, then it is the best of names," said Miszko.
"Well, I am sure you two can find your way about the camp; I'm going to take your brother and introduce him to Andrzej Kmicic. Is your man with you?"
"No, we left him in Warszawa seeing to my little brother; he's still a bit delicate, and I don't risk my underlings unnecessarily," said Miszko, proudly.
"No, you are a good lad," agreed Wołodyjowski.
"So," said Miszko to Juryk, "Here we are, where nobody knows us. Jurij and Uncle Michał are going off on a trip for a day or two, so we have no bodyguards and the freedom to be boys like everyone else."
"Uncle Jeremi lets us have a fair amount of freedom," said Juryk.
"Yes, but now we can have anonymous freedom," said Miszko. "Let's take off our kontusze and żupani, and put on plain Cossack coats, and explore."
This seemed like a good idea to Juryk, and proved good fun, until they ran into a hussar officer.
"You boys! What do you think you're doing?" he demanded.
"Finding our way around until Colonel Wołodyjowski assigns us tasks," said Miszko.
"Oh, a smart-arse are you? What makes you think the colonel would even know that rats like you exist?" sneered the officer. "You bloody Cossacks! Long-haired layabouts, the lot of you, no discipline and no respect for authority!"
"The shovel-masters have more discipline than any bunch of winged wonders who don't know how to dig to cover their own shit," said Miszko, stung.
He fell from the heavy back-hander, and was heaved up, painfully by the ear.
"You two can make yourselves useful, cleaning pots," said the officer, hauling them off to a field kitchen.
"Dick," muttered Miszko, when he left them. "Right, first opportunity we have, we're going to pee in his boots, because I don't know how to make brawn and colour it with nettle tops to make unnameable slime."
They were kept hard at work at the field kitchen, and discovered that the officer was an adjutant named Piekarski, whom everyone hated.
They also found that a pair of Cossack boys, assumed to be servants, were looked down on by a lot of the hussars. Miszko stored this up to pass on to Jurij, who would be irritated to say the least.
oOoOo
The camp of the road builders was not far outside Smoleńsk; about ten miles.
"What, is this as far as they've got? I can see road going ahead," said Jurko.
"Oh, they are almost at Durogobuż," said Michał.
"That's almost fifty miles. Why is the camp still only a few miles from Smoleńsk?" asked Jurko.
"Well, setting up camp every night would take as long as riding back," said Michał.
"Not done shovel-master style," said Jurko, grimly. "I see you have timed it for them riding back through the dark," he added as tired horses trotted out of the woods on the good road. "Hola! Symeon!"
"Jurko!"
Helena's cousin swung off his horse to embrace Jurko.
"And me, Symeon," said Helena.
"Helena! What are you doing here? We may have danger," said Symeon.
"Oh, I'm a warrior now," said Helena. "And Oleńka has found her Andrzej, I assume."
Andrzej Kmicic had drawn the slender girl he adored into his arms, and with some encouragement, proceeded to kiss her thoroughly.
"Oh, I see you found your page, Kmicic," said Jurko. "I'm Korybut; and I've come to point and giggle at your way of camping, whilst praising your excellent roads."
"What's wrong with my way of camping?" asked Kmicic.
"It's conventional. Almost has wings on it," said Jurko. "When building roads or canals, each man carries half a two-man tent, or a piece of canvas or oiled cloth, whatever you have. At the end of the day, you wrap up in your cloak, after making a makeshift tent. Draped over a branch or over a rope between two trees, which is one piece, and the ends of that turned back and sewn as pockets to fill with rocks or earth, to hold the edges out The other half of the tent is the ground sheet, stuffed with bracken or whatever, and you can be moderately cosy. A pit fire in the middle of where the tents are slung gives heat, and you can heat rocks or earth to shovel into a bag to take to bed to add heat."
"I am an amateur," said Kmicic.
"Well, I'll bring my lads out tomorrow, and we'll give you a hand," said Jurko.
He, Michał, and Helena rode out very early in the morning, leaving Oleńka with her Andrzej, to return to the main base.
And Jurij was horrified to see his brother and the boy he thought of as a little cousin lashed to posts and a man about to flog them.
1 Volgograd
