Draft:Jovan Tomić Belov

Jovan Tomić Belov (Serbian Cyrillic: Јован Томић Белов; Donje Crniljevo, 1780 - Golo Brdo above Lešnica in 1810) distinguished himself in many battles as a true hero in October 1807 at Mišar, where in a skirmish he received a pair of Kulin's pistols, which are still part of his family's heirloom. "Once, in Jelenča", wrote former veteran Petar Jokić, "the Turks surrounded Karađorđe and all of us (his army), and they wanted to cut him down. The night before, Jovan Tomić Belov, with 50 men, killed a Turkish commander called Ćurtoglić (also known as Ćurtog-pasha) took his sword, entered the trench, and saved us".

In Lešnica in one battle outside the trench, Belov collided with a Turk who wanted to cut him down, and when he leaned to the side, the Turk struck his horse with a sword on the neck. Belov quickly tightened the reins of the horse, with his sword, cut off the Turk's head, drove his horse to the trench, then jumped off the saddle and let go of the reins, then the neck of the horse fell, because it was cut in half, and the horse fell dead to the ground.

Jovan Belov never wanted to accept any ranks, except during battle when he got command over some department of the army, and he fought bravely to earn the rank. Also, his wit and heroism were so appreciated that he was chosen second in command to Luka Lazarević.

Jovan died in a trench on Golo Brdo above Lešnica. He was killed by a Turkish sniper who fired his musket while perched up in a cherry tree. Before Jovan fell, he said to the soldiers: "Brothers, I helped as much as I could; don't give up!". Then Jovan gathered some hay, as Sima Milutinović Sarajlija wrote,"put it under his head, and exhaled with a smile and died." Milutinović dedicated a beautiful poem to him in "Srbijanci" (Book III, pp. 78-87). Historian Milan Milićević also wrote about him in Pomenik.