The article presents an episode from the Prussian-Austrian War, in which Polish soldiers fought on the side of Austria as members of the 5th Squadron under the command of Captain Maurycy von Lehman. On the 26th of June 1866 Colonel Friedrich von Ziegler received information that Prussian troops were moving from Mikołów in the direction of Oświęcim. At that time the Austrian outposts observed the enemy’s troops build-up in the area of Mysłowice. In the night between the 26th and 27th of June the commander of the Austrian forces received more reports informing that the enemy’s troops had appeared in Jedlin. On the 27th of June, at 6:00 a.m., the Prussian infantry and cavalry crossed the Wisła
River and started moving towards Brzezinka and the railway station in Oświęcim. Colonel Ziegler ordered the infantry to secure the railway station in Oświęcim. The Austrian artillery was located near the railway station and customs chamber. Stationed in Rajsk, the 5th Squadron of Cavalry under the command of Captain Maurycy von Lehmann started marching in the direction of Oświęcim at 5:00 a.m., after receiving the first report about the enemy’s army marching in. In Oświęcim the 5th Squadron joined two platoons of the 4th Squadron led by Captain August Bertoletti which were coming back from the reconnaissance. Despite the severe shelling, the Austrian forces chased the enemy footmen away and marched towards Soła, where soon they started fighting with the Prussian troops. During the fight Maurycy Lehman was pierced with a lance and died whereas the commander of the Prussian cavalry, Major von Busse, was wounded. The Austrian cavalry, shielded by half of the 4th Squadron and a squad led by Lieutenant Lobkovitz, withdrew along the Soła River to Oświęcim. The Prussian infantry marched out of Brzezinka towards the railway station but was repelled by a heavy gunfire from the side of the infantry and artillery. Two Prussian machine guns shelling the railway station were eliminated from the fight right at the beginning of the skirmish. Not being able to keep his position, Lieutenant Antoni Maucher moved his machine guns near the customs chamber, and then to the position on the road in the direction of Babice from where he was firing at the enemy infantry. Thanks to a great sacrifice of the Austrian defense of the railway station and the decision to move two machine guns to the Castle Hill, from where they could effectively shell the Prussian forces, the Austrian troops wan.