Battle of Martynów (1699)

In December 1698, a Polish-Turkish peace treaty was signed in Karlowitz with provisions related to the end of the Polish-Turkish war (1683-1699), the Tatars were forbidden to invade the lands of the Republic^[4].

During the winter, approximately 12,800 troops were stationed in military groupings (Moldavian, Pokuttya, Podestan and Lviv) in the border areas. Their task was to repel Tatar raids aimed at capturing slaves (jasyr) and seizing plunder. Tatar tactic included avoiding losses of their own, which resulted in avoidance of pitched battles with enemy troops^[5].

The Tatar troops set out from Kamianets-Podilskyi in mid-January. Polish Historian Andrzej Gliwa estimated that the expeditionary force consisted of 4,000 to 5,000 horsemen, including approximately 3,000 Budjak Tatars supported by Wallachians and Moldovans. The units reached Medenychi via Sniatyn and established a camp there. Operating from that base between February 17 and 19, they plundered the southeastern part of the Przemyśl region. Around 7,000 people were taken captive. In the Przemyśl region, 92 villages were devastated (~10% of all)^[2]. During the Tatar retreat from the Przemyśl region, Polish forces routed a Tatar detachment laden with plunder and captives; in the ensuing clash, several dozen Tatars were captured and many others were killed^[6].

On 21 February 1699, at the Dniester crossing near Martynov, there was a clash between Polish forces and part of the Tatar forces. The attack was made by about 600 soldiers including the Wallachians of Adam Sieniawski and the hussars of Michał Warszycki. The Tatars successfully repulsed the Poles and took prisoners^[1].

The Tatars left with the captured jasyr, after crossing the Dniester they continued their plundering on the territory of the Halich lands (area of Podkamień, Rohatyn, Bursztyn and Mariampol) and partially of the Lviv lands. The Tatars left the lands of the Commonwealth around 22–23 February, just before the Treaty of Karlowitz entered into force on February 25. The Ottoman side used this fact to argue that the terms of the treaty had not been violated. Negotiations resulted in the release of only about 10% of those taken prisoner^[7].