Kosciuszko's pupils suddenly shrank: "What did you say? This is impossible!"
He had been traveling from the north, keeping the Russian army far behind them. Why would enemies suddenly appear on the south side?
It's crucial to know that he hadn't arranged any troops on the left flank.
The adjutant beside him said, "Could it be the Russian army coming from Astrakhan?"
The Astrakhan Plain is located in the North Caucasus, where the Russian Caucasus Corps's base, Mozdok, is situated.
Kosciuszko's expression froze.
He had expected it would take the Russian army in the Caucasus at least three months to reach the western front, but now it had only been just over two months since the Russian army had withdrawn from Georgia.
He had no idea Alexander I had ordered Gudovich to reach Smolensk before March.
Thus, the Caucasus Corps had to rush ceaselessly, losing nearly a quarter of its soldiers on the way, only to hear halfway that the Polish army was retreating to Novgorod-Seversky.
