Skład sił polskich pod Piławcami
The composition of Polish forces at Piławce

Summary/Abstract: The article is an attempt to determine the composition of Polish forces that fought at Piławce on 21–23 September 1648 against the Cossack army of Chmielnicki supported by Tatar reinforcements. In total, the Polish army commanded by the Sandomierz voivode Prince Władysław Dominik Zasławski consisted of nearly 30 000 troops. After deducting blind portions, it only exceeded 20 000 soldiers to battle. However, together with the camp service, it can be estimated at as much as 60 000 people, although only 5000 of the servicemen had firearms. As far as the composition of full-time units is concerned, it was possible to confirm the participation of 2706 hussars, 2800 arquebusiers, 4118 Cossacks, 4570 foot soldiers, 2680 dragoons in units – banners (chorągiew) – of a known composition. This is only 16 874 out of nearly 30 000 positions. It is known that at least 7 additional hussar banners, 5 Wallachian and Tatar ones, 3 dragoon banners and more than 12 Cossack ones took part in the battle. They were accompanied by 1050 horses in banners of unknown cavalry type (mainly Cossacks and arquebusiers) and the infantry of the crown ensign (chorąży koronny) Aleksander Koniecpolski and the Russian voivode Prince Jeremi Michał Korybut Wisniowiecki. Many positive remarks can be made about the quality of the troops, but unfortunately they were commanded by a man without war experience. A deeper look into these findings shall require a lot more research.

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