Despotovich, Miletus

Born in 1822 in the village of Ratkovic of the Rekovac community (Central Serbia). In 1848, as the commander of a detachment of Serbian police, he took part in the Hungarian campaign. After the war ended, he joined the Russian Imperial Army in the Life Guards Ulan Regiment and soon drew the attention of Emperor Nicholas I.

In 1853, he was sent to the Danubian principalities , where he quickly managed to form a six-thousand-strong detachment of volunteers, which he led to General Leaders . Then Despotovich took part in various battles and in the siege of Silistria , where he showed courage, after which the army commander Gorchakov informed the chief of the guard corps about this.

In 1864, Despotovich was seconded to the command of the troops of the Odessa military district. Here he was instructed to distribute benefits to residents of the Novorossiysk Territory who were injured in the Crimean campaign . Produced as a colonel, Despotovich was appointed to the 7th Belarusian Hussar Regiment .

In 1869, due to domestic circumstances, he retired and requested that he be allocated a plot of land. But having been refused, he returned to Serbia . During the Russo-Turkish war, Miletus Despotovich was appointed head of the Serbian cavalry, took part in the capture of Babin’s Head , and then recaptured food transport from the Turks near Ak-Palanka.

Soon after, Miletus Despotovich was appointed Governor of Bosnia and Commander-in-Chief of Bosnian Insurgents. From St. Petersburg, the voivode received a significant amount of money for rearmament and uniforms. He organized an army, tightened discipline, and began making plans to conquer the cities and regions of Bosnia , where they would organize Serbian rule. According to the plan , an attack was made on Odjak on August 23 and it was captured by the rebels, but it became clear that the occupation of the city was unrealistic for such a small group of rebels.

After the failure of the Serbian war with Turkey and the ceasefire on November 1 , the uprising began to decline. Lack of unity among the leaders of the uprising, poor discipline gave Turkey an advantage. In the spring of 1877, rebels launched an attack with 5,000 people. Their progress continued with limited success. Despotovich and the rebels in May reached the center of Bosnia, in which the Turks grouped forces (20,000 soldiers) with the intention of destroying the command of the uprising near Tishkovets and the Black Streams. Babich suggested avoiding frontal hostilities, but Despotovich refused and occupied the Saddle with 3,000 rebels.

There on August 4 they were attacked by the Turks, and this battle led to the collapse of the military uprising . Despotovich fled to Austria , where he was captured and interned with a group of rebels.

He died on January 28, 1890 in Yagodin.

• Worldwide illustration : weekly. ill. Journal. - T.1-59. - St. Petersburg: G. D. Goppe : 1869-1898. Volume 16. September 4, 1876 pp. 194-195.
• Marinko Paunović Srbi: biografije znamenitih: A-Š - S. 59

• At Black Streams. The woeful glory of General Despotovich.