500 who had precipitately chosen the rebellion had induced about a
dozen of their officers to join them; but these men, suddenly
repenting, refused to break their oath of allegiance, and were at
once hanged from the neighbouring trees. Finding further persuasion
fruitless, Pugatscheff wisely refrained from any attempt to reduce the
fortress, and marched his band towards Orenburg. On the way he secured
large accessions to his force, and in a few days found himself at the
head of 1500 men. With this army he attacked the fortified town of
Iletzka, which offered no resistance--the garrison passing over to
him. The commandant consented to share in the enterprise with his
followers, but Pugatscheff wanted no commandants or men of
intelligence who might interfere with his schemes, and gave orders for
his immediate execution. The cannon captured at Iletzka were then
pointed against Casypnaja, which yielded after a brief struggle. Thus
fortress after fortress fell into the hands of the reputed emperor,
who gladly received the common soldiery, but mercilessly slew their
leaders.

By this time the news had spread abroad throughout Southern Russia
that Peter III. was not dead, but was in arms for the recovery of his
throne and for the redress of the grievances under which his people
were suffering. Crowds of Cossacks heard the intelligence with joy,
and hastened to cast in their lot with the army of Pugatscheff.
Talischova, a powerful fortress, defended by 1000 regular troops, fell
before his assault; and the false Peter soon found himself possessed
of numerous strongholds, a formidable train of artillery, and a
fighting force of 5000 men. Considering himself strong enough to
attempt the reduction of Orenburg, the capital of the southern
provinces, he marched against it. Here, however, he encountered a
stubborn resistance, and attack after attack was repulsed with heavy