Lisowczyks

Marcjan Aleksander Oginski

, made in c.1655. It has little to do with the Lisowczycy, though much of the clothing and war gear would have been similar that worn by the real Lisowczyks of 30 years earlier.

National Museum in Warsaw

.

Lisowczyks or Lisowczycy (Polish pronunciation: [lisɔfˈt͡ʂɨt͡sɨ]; also known as Straceńcy ('lost men' or 'forlorn hope') or chorągiew elearska (company of elears [pl]); or in singular form: Lisowczyk or elear) was the name of an early 17th-century irregular unit of the Polish–Lithuanian light cavalry. The Lisowczycy took part in many battles across Europe and the historical accounts of the period characterized them as extremely agile, warlike, and bloodthirsty. Their numbers varied with time, from a few hundred to several thousand.

The origin of the group can be traced to

Polish brethren. Such actions were among the reasons the Commonwealth ruler Sigismund III Vasa

tried to keep them away from the Commonwealth for as long as possible.

The Lisowczycy took part in many conflicts, including the

Tatars, and Poles), at the Battle of Humenné (where they prevented a Transylvanian army from laying siege to Vienna) and in the Battle of White Mountain (where they participated in Bohemia

's defeat). They were eventually disbanded in 1635.

An account of Lisowczycy's exploits was written by their

Wojciech Dembołęcki (or Wojciech Debolecki), in Przewagi Elearów polskich co ich niegdy Lisowczykami zwano (1619–1623) (Deeds of Polish Elears

once known as Lisowczycy (1619–1623)).

Prologue: the konfederacja

In 1604, during the early stages of the

rokosz of Zebrzydowski, a revolt against the absolutist tendencies of the King Sigismund III Vasa

.

Trial of Blood: the Dymitriad

Eventually, after the rebel forces were defeated at the

False Dmitriy II

.

In 1608, together with

Peremyshl, turned north, defeated a Muscovite army at Rzhev, turned towards the Kara Sea coast, then to Kashin, burned Torzhok

, returned to Commonwealth without any further contact with Muscovy forces. Until the autumn of 1616, Lisowski and his forces remained on the Commonwealth-Muscovy border, when Lisowski suddenly fell ill and died on October 11.

Lisowski's soldiers in Northern Russia (1612–13)

In 1612, when the Polish occupation of the

Polish–Muscovite War (1605–18)), loose Polish forces, which had fought under Lisowski, scattered over vast territory of the Tsardom of Russia, taking advantage of the so-called Time of Troubles

. Exact whereabouts of Aleksander Jozef Lisowski at that time are unknown: the legendary leader most likely roamed across northern Russia, together with his men.

After Russian recapture of Moscow, most of the Polish brigands headed to the area of

Spaso-Prilutsky Monastery

, located near Vologda.

On July 10, 1612, Poles captured Belozersk without fight. The town was looted, and its governor fled to Kirillov, hiding in the fortified Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery. Lisowski's men reached the monastery on August 20, but its siege did not begin until December 1612. Since Polish brigands, numbered at some 3000 men, did not have any artillery, they failed to capture the abbey with its stone walls.

On December 12–15, 1612, a unit of Bobowski three times tried to capture the town of

Onega River. On January 25, 1613, Poles led by Jakub Jacki attacked the town of Veliky Ustyug

, but without success.

In search of food and booty, Lisowski's soldiers moved further northwards, reaching as far as

Yemtsa River, Solvychegodsk, Kholmogory, and Arkhangelsk. Solvychegodsk was captured and looted on January 22, 1613. The brigands stayed in the town for three days, and then headed towards Yemetsk, which is located 150 kilometers from Arkhangelsk. Its residents, aware of the danger, managed to fortify the town and arm themselves. The "Lithuanians", as they were commonly called, tried to attack the town from the Northern Dvina

, but were repelled. A battle ensued, in which two Russian traitors were captured, and sent to Kholmogory, where they warned residents of a planned attack.

The brigands, numbering some 1200 and commanded by Stanislaw Jasinski, appeared at Kholmogory on December 6, 1613. Again, they failed to capture the town, and decided to head to Arkhangelsk, which they unsuccessfully besieged between December 14–19, 1613. Jasinski and his soldiers then marched towards the Northern Dvina estuary and the White Sea shore. There, they captured Severodvinsk and burned Nikolo-Korelsky Monastery, after which they ransacked local villages, reaching as far as Karelia.

Death of Lisowski, birth of the Lisowczycy

The name of Lisowczycy was carried by the troops ever since Lisowski's passing. Despite his death, they remained a most significant threat: in 1616 they captured

Zlota Baba myth). ^{[citation needed}

]

Devils in the Holy Empire

Lisowczyk. Another modern impression, after Rembrandt's famous picture. Painting by Dariusz T. Wielec.

From 1619, the Lisowczycy, then stationed near

Protestants in the Thirty Years' War. Under the command of Walenty Rogowski, they defeated Transylvanian forces under George I Rákóczi at the Battle of Zavada and/or Battle of Humenné in November of that year. After the victory, they engaged in their traditional pastime (as they were not paid and they were obliged to gain everything by their own), plundering nearby lands, 'killing even children and dogs', as contemporary chroniclers recorded. It was around that time that they gained their new nickname: Riders of the Apocalypse

.

Then Lisowczycy split: part of them, with Rogowski, decided to return to Poland, pillaging Slovakia on their way. Others, under Jarosz Kleczkowski, remained in the service of the Emperor for the next few years. After the death of Kleczkowski (March 4, 1620) at the Battle of Krems, Stanisław Rusinowski became the new commander of the Lisowczycy. Under Rusinowski, the Lisowczycy took part in the Battle of White Mountain (November 8) where they captured twenty standards. On May 7, 1621, the Emperor paid them their outstanding wages and released them from service, due to numerous complaints about their behaviour. Some of them returned to Poland, others served under Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria.

Cecora and Chocim (Khotyn)

The Lisowczycy fought in the wars between Commonwealth and the

Polish magnates' wars in Moldavia

.

Epilogue

After the conflict with the Ottomans was settled, many Lisowczycy, then under the command of

Tatar hordes or non-European barbarians

. Eventually, after the French declined to employ Lisowczycy mercenaries, and other sides of the conflict turned them down as well, in 1622 Stroynowski decided to officially disband the unit and return to the Commonwealth.

However, the Lisowczycy proved to be a pestilence wherever they went, and soon most of its members formed

bandit groups, pillaging the Commonwealth and German countryside and burning down the town of Radomsko. Condemned by the szlachta and by many sejmiks

, they were increasingly hunted down by local government forces and militias. Stroynowski's group was destroyed in 1624, and he himself was executed two years later.

The last time that companies using the Lisowczycy name took part in a major war was during the late 1620s, when they were temporarily reformed to fight in Poland's continuing conflict against the Swedes in Polish

Polish–Swedish War – the same conflict that set Aleksander Lisowski on the path to forming the unit that was to bear his name. These Lisowczycy were finally disbanded by an act of the Sejm

, in 1636.

Even after the formation was disbanded, its members were respected (or at least, feared) even beyond the Commonwealth. Soon, their atrocities were forgotten and their exploits as the defenders of the Commonwealth and faith against the

Muslims

turned them into a legend which lives on to this day.

Sources

(in Polish) Lisowczycy nad oceanem Lodowatym.Opowieść o św. Hiobie Mazowskim, by Zbigniew Wierzbicki. 22.12.2012