GENERAL KLAPKA DEAD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8882, 19 May 1892, Page 5

GENERAL KLAPKA DEAD.

Press Association.—Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. Vienna, May 17. The death is announced of General Klapka, Hungarian patriot and soldier. General George Klapka, born at Temeawar, in Hungary, April 7, 1820, entered the array at tho age of eighteen, was at first attached to the artillery, and completed his military education at Vienna. Being pent in 1847 into a frontier regiment, he was disgusted with the profession and resigned. He wan about to travel abroad when the revolution of 1848 broke out, and he resumed the profession of arms. Fight ing against Austria, he took command of a company of Honveds, and distinguished himself in the war against the Servians. Towards the close of 1848 he was the chief of the staff of General Kis, and after the defeat of Kaschau, January 4, 1839, euoceeded Messaros at the head of his corps d'armee. Under Kossuth he was Minister of War, and entered completely into the views of the Government of the Revolution. Quitting the Ministry he took command of Comorn, and vainly endeavoured to reconcile Kossuth and Georgei. After the unfortunate capitulation of Vilagos, August 13, 1849, Klapka maintained himself heroically in Comorn. and menaced Austria and Styria, until he heard of the alleged defection of Ueorgei In September, 1849, a convention was signed between the defenders of the place and General Haynau, and Klapka went into exile, first into London, and afterwards in Switzerland and Italy. His " Memoirs," published at Leipzig in ISSO, were followed by ''The National War in Hungary and Transylvania" in 1851. In the unfortunate arrangements set on foot by Garibaldi for the attempt on Rome, in 1862, when he sought to excite the Hungarians to take the field, a judicious counter-proclamation from Klapka, pointing out the headlong temerity and rashness of the undertaking, kept them quietly in their home. In 1886. however, after the defeat of Austria at Koniggratz, he formed a company of Honveds, and ondoavoured to bring about a revolution in Hungary, but tho attempt failed, and Klapka fled to Oderburg. In 1873 ho was engaged upon the reorganisation of tho Turkish army and in the war of 1877-78 his advice was freely offered to the Turkish generals.