Draft:Miloš Stojićević Pocerac

Miloš Stojićević Pocerac (Serbian Cyrillic: Милош Стојићевић Поцерац; Velika Vranjska, near Šabac, 1776 - Potcerski Metković, near Šabac, August 1811) was a Serbian revolutionary hero, and duke of the First Serbian Uprising.

Biography
He was born in 1776 in in what is today Gornja Vranjska near Šabac. His ancestors originate from Herzegovina, from where, under pressure from the Turks, they first moved to Sremska Mitrovica, and then moved to (then) Serbia, to Vranjska Pocerina. Miloš's mother was Ilinka and father Filip.

He acquired literacy in the monastery of Radovašnica, which is located under Cer. Learning to read and write, he spent three years in Radovašnica, because there were no regular schools in the district at that time when Turks were closing all the schools.

Scribe
He was the clerk of the pen-knez of Potcera, Ilija Marković from Grušić (near Šabac). Then he became a scribe with the great prince of Potcera, Mihailo Ružičić from Potcerski Metković (near Šabac), whose scribe died in the meantime. He welcomed the First Serbian Uprising as the prince's scribe.

First Serbian Uprising
He immediately joined the fight, toured the villages of Pocera and took up arms. In the first days of the uprising, Miloš cruised Bećina hill with several insurgents and prevented the Turks from leaving Šabac. Before the attack on Sabac, in 1804, Mihailo Ružičić and Miloš Stojićević gathered 500 people from Pocera, of which 200 were horsemen. Then Jakov Nenadović appointed him a boluk-bashi.

Battle of Mišar
As the Duke of Pocera, Karađorđe placed him before the Battle of Mišar, which took place in the summer of 1806. It was at that time when Karadjordj from the main insurgent camp on Beljina went to the villages of Pocera on several occasions: Grušić, Desić, Miloševac. He proclaimed Miloš duke in the village of Dvorište, where he found Karađorđe at Miloš's suggestion. Although young, he was highly esteemed among the dukes. He participated with the most prominent dukes in determining the policy of defence before the Battle of Mišar at Karađorđe's War Council. In the battle, he led his people from Pocerca and executed Mehmed-Captain from Zvornik. He was especially prominent in the persecution of the Turks after the Battle of Mišar. Together with Stojan Čupić and Proto Nikola Smiljanić, he cut off the Turks's routes of retreat through Kito. On that occasion, he captured the entire equipment of Kulin-captain with a horse and the famous sabre, on which the Beratlı of Kulin's family were written. For the sword, Kulin's relatives gave as much gold as it was heavy, but Miloš refused.

Later battles
In the following years, he took part in many fights against the Turks in western Serbia and Semberija. His megdan with Meho Orugdžić, the commander of Bijeljina and parts of Bosnia, is especially famous. In the collision on the open field, Miloš was faster, more agile, and he killed the Turk.

He also distinguished himself in the Battle of Loznica, in 1810.

He died, somewhat naively and suddenly, in early August 1811. At that time, the hajduk Petar Prelić, called Prelo, was raiding Serbian households in Pocerina. Miloš Stojićević Pocerac surrounded him with his men in the forest of Lipovica (Potcerski Metković). Wanting to catch him alive, Miloš ran towards him, but Petar Prelić did not want to surrender, and shot Miloš from his horse. Prelić was killed by Miloš's companions.

Miloš was buried near the church in Dobrić near Šabac.

Literature

 * Bogdan Sekendek, 'First Serbian Uprising in Podrinje, Šabac Cultural Center|House of Culture "Vera Blagojević", Šabac, 1999.
 * Vuk Stefanović Karadžić, ""Governing the Serbian Soviet during the time of Karađorđe, or the usurpation of power by the great men of that time", Vienna, 1860.