Battle of Nowa Woda

The Battle of Nowa Woda was an armed struggle between the forces of Hetman Janusz Radziwill and the Russian Army which took place on 25 June 1654, and ended with a Polish-Lithuanian victory.

After the Russian army invaded the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, King John Casimir convened the Sejm in March under the chairmanship of Franciszek Dubrawski, Chamberlain of Przemyśl, and in July, were broken up by the deputies with a Liberum veto. In addition, no effective methods were devised to defend the Polish-Lithuanian state. Both the grand bullahs (position of hetman), of the Crown and Lithuania, were vacant after the death of Janusz Kiszka, but the King, despite the fact that Prince Radziwiłł was in opposition to him, conferred the mullah on him. However, fearing similar consequences as those which arose during the reign of King Sigismund through the humiliation of Duke Krzysztof Radziwiłł, the king granted him the position, and Wincenty Korwin Gosiewski became the field hetman. There were disputes between Radziwiłł and Gosiewski. The situation was aggravated by the King's attempts to deprive Radziwiłł of his post, it was also made worse by the fact that Gosiewski was a treasurer and had no intention of donating money to pay the Lithuanian army. In this atmosphere actions were initiated.^[1]

Although with a small number of soldiers, Radziwiłł was eager for a clash, like any strategist in those days. There was a need for reconnaissance, so Radziwiłł sent Ganzhoff with a detachment consisting of several light banners and dragoujes, in general 2500 men, to Dochorobuzh. Ganzhoff, passing Smolensk, on June 25 met the Moscow forces at Nowa Woda numbering 8,000. The Tsar's army was celebrating St John's Day. After the Russian soldiers got drunk and fell asleep, Gallzhoff took advantage of this and attacked in the night. The battle lasted until morning. When he saw fresh troops coming, Ganzhoff retreated to Orsha where there was a Lithuanian camp. In honour of victory in a battle Ganzhoff carried 13 banners to Radziwill, also 7 Bojars were taken prisoner.^[2]

After breaking up the Russian forces, at the same time Rotmistrz Lipnitsky achieved victory by dispersing the Moscow forces at the river Dzvina and near Polon, and captured several major Bojars, including Boris Marchalov, the Tsar's Podchai. The Tsar laid siege to Smolensk, which capitulated. Not waiting, Radziwill moved with his army in August, where he smashed a 40-thousand-strong Russian detachment in the great battle of Skhlow.^[3][4]

• Edward, Katłubaj (1859). Życie Janusza Radziwiłła (in Polish). Wilno: Mindelshon księgarnia.