Before Kościuszko had even entered Kraków, he saw a staff officer hurrying over with several men dressed in thick hemp clothes, saying excitedly:
"Marshal, they are from the Tarnowskie Góry Silver Mine. They said the miners rose in revolt yesterday."
Kościuszko looked at them and bowed slightly. "Thank you for your brave actions. You have bought us precious time."
The leading silver mine official had finally met the great hero he had admired, and hurriedly returned the salute with a hand to his chest. "All for the motherland!"
Then he continued, as though claiming credit, "Marshal, we have completely taken control of the silver mine. Moreover, nearly all the equipment, including the Steam Engines, is intact. Mining can resume immediately."
Kościuszko smiled as well. "General Niezawiska will certainly be glad to hear this."
Another mine manager stepped forward and saluted. "Marshal, there are also more than eight hundred miners at the mine who are skilled with Flintlock Guns. They hope to go with you and beat up the invaders!"
Kościuszko hesitated for a moment. "Will it affect production?"
"If everyone works an extra two or three hours a day, sending more than five hundred men should not have any impact."
The Polish Commander-in-Chief waved a hand. "Then come. I truly need more warriors."
Since yesterday, local resistance groups had been arriving one after another to join his army. There were already more than a thousand of them, and every one had brought his own weapon.
As almost no fighting had taken place, the Polish Army did not stop in Kraków. Instead, it maintained a Forced March toward Olomouc in the southwest.
By the time they left what had once been Poland's border, Kościuszko's army had gained more than 3,400 soldiers, along with over ten thousand mules and horses sent by