Salve,
The anniversary of battle of Parkany (9th of October 1683AD) caused me to bring up the person of one of the most talented Crown army officers of the king Jan III's reign.
Atanazy Walenty Miączyński, Suchekomnaty coat of arms (1639-1723), voivode of Wołyń (Volhynia), venator Regni,; starost and court treasurer,;
pułkownik (commander of the pułk which was a larger than banner/company tactical unit of the pre-1764 Commonwealth armies) lived a long life that was spent in war camps war, in the diplomatic journeys and courtly life (and thus obviously he had to be part of many courtly intrigues).
He must have been a fine cavalryman as a young warrior, and pan Antanazy rather quickly and early become a commander of cavalry, eg we know that in 1673 he was a rotameister(captain) of a Vallachian light cavalry banner that took part in many a battle: eg at Bracław (AD1671) the cavalry banners he commanded blocked the Tatar's retreat thus allowing the complete rout of the Tatars during that engagement; then he commanded cavalry units at the Podhajce fight; fought under Jan Sobieski at the war camp of Żurawno, and while pursuing the fleeing Ottoman soldiers during the final stage at the battle of Chocim (Khotin) AD 1673 he was seriously wounded - it is good to remember that the Ottoman cavalry and warriors were terribly skilled in hand-to-hand cavalry combat, and their swords were most deadly in those close combat encounters.
Battle of Vienna 1683 campaign - the turning point of his courtly career - pan Atanazy entered the campaign commanding 3 pancerni cavalry companies (his own and his brothers). He also served personally on the king, along with Andrzej Modrzejowski, who got killed in the preliminary royal winged hussar banner charge against the Ottoman camp. During the general advance on the Turks he captured the Grand Vizier's tent where he took into custody of the famous, with sword Zulfikar (Zulfiqar), banner.
Then, after the battle and capture of the enemy camp, our king Jan III sent him to pursue the Ottoman forces feeling away across the river, giving him the 'pulkownik' command of the Polish army's light cavalry banners.
During the first battle (6th of October) of Parkany he helped to save our good king's life. As we can see he was rather busy, active and very resilient, surviving mayhem and hand to hand combats, camp sickness, hunger, and successfully commanding larger tactical cavalry units.
The war against the Ottoman Empire and their Tatar allies continued and then came the Polish campaigns to recover Polish Crown Podolia and the fortress of Kamieniec Podolski, fought hard and with much of great war effort, i.e, money and human and equine participants (and animals for consumption only, including oxen and sheep, and fresh pork where available). The continuous war against the Ottomans saw pan Atanazy grow up in significance within the court, eg during the 1686 Moldavian campaign he was part of the king's war council, as he had become one of the most experienced mid-level commanders of the ''Respublica'' army.
He was significantly involved in the defeat of the Tatars during the winter battle of Lwow(1695), one of the astonishing feats of audacity, bravery, strength and fury on the part of the nomadic Crimean Tatars.
During the reign of the next Commonwealth ruler, our king Augustus the Strong, when the Great Northern War already had erupted in our part of the woods and plains, he also took to the field, eg commanded units during the Kliszow campaign, later remained faithfully in the much defeated and troubled king Augustus' camp and that in spite of the Swedish depredation pinpointed against his own estates and his 'people'.
During his long life he built a castle at Maciejów (now in Ukraine) while at his estate at Zawieprzyce founded a hospital for the soldiers wounded during the wars with the Ottomans and their allies, the Tatars.
Valete
