Number and Organization of the Smolensk Garrison in 1613–1618

The aim of the article is to present the number and organisation the Smolensk garrison in the years 1613–1618. It was headed by Smolensk captains: Jerzy Szczucki (January 1613 – October 1615), the starost of Pärnu Janusz Kiszka (nominally from November 1615 to February 1616), Jan Tokarski (September 1616 – January 1618) and Wojciech Baranowski (from January 1618) and the voivode of Smolensk Mikołaj Hlebowicz (January – September 1616). The garrison commanded by them was repeatedly supplemented and reorganized. Theoretically, in this time the number of Smolensk garrison was about 1,500 payrolls, although due to large losses it was usually lower. Noteworthy is the high percentage of cavalry – about 1/3 of the garrison. Initially, they were mainly cossack banners, but with time they were replaced by heavy cavalry units: hussars and reiters. The Smolensk garrison defended fortress against the Moscow troops from October 1613 to May 1617. During the expedition of Prince Władysław, it only supported the activities of the main forces of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth army. After the end of war, in 1619 the soldiers of Smolensk garrison were dismissed from service.