ISKA, JOHN, a famous general of the forces of the Hussites, was born in Bohemia about the year 1380. His proper name was Trocznow; but he entered very young in the army, and after distinguishing himself on several occasions, lost an eye in a battle, whence he was called Ziska, or One-eyed. At length the reformation, begun by Jan Huss, spreading throughout almost all Bohemia, Ziska placed himself at the head of the Hussites, and had soon under his command a body of 40,000 men. With this army he gained several victories over those of the Romish region, who carried on a kind of crusade against them; and but a town in an advantageous situation, to which he gave the name of Tabor, whence the Hussites were afterwards called Taborites. Ziska lost his other eye by an arrow at the siege of the city of Rubi; but this did not prevent his continuing the war, his fighting battles, and gaining several great victories, among which was that of Ausig on the Elbe, in which 9000 of the enemy were left dead on the field. The emperor Sigismund, alarmed at his progress, caused very advantageous proposals to be made to him, which he readily accepted, and set out to meet Sigismund, but died on the road, on the 11th of October 1424. He ordered that his body should be left a prey to the birds and wild beasts, and that a drum should be made of his skin, being persuaded that the enemy would fly as soon as they heard the sound. It is added that the Hussites executed his will; and that the news of this order made such an impression on the disturbed imaginations of the German papists, that in many battles they actually fled at the beat of the drum with the utmost precipitation, leaving their baggage and artillery behind them.