Draft:Marko Katić (revolutionary)

Marko Katić (Serbian Cyrillic: Марко Катић; Rogač, Kosmaj, c. 1775 - Belgrade, Karađorđe's Serbia, 1810) was a popular voivode in the First Serbian Uprising. , the youngest who was killed in 1813.

Biography

Marko Katić came from Rogača, then part of the Ottoman Empire. He took over the command of his older brother Janko Katić after he was killed in battle in 1806. As voivode and oberknez of the Belgrade nahija, Marko, like his brother, won many battles before he, too, was eventually killed, though in a bizarre incident.

When Janko Katić was killed in battle that year (1807), the men under his command were in shock and decided that they will not continue to fight the Turks any longer unless their deceased leader is replaced by a family member. Upon hearing the tragic news, Karađorđe came to the same conclusion, and sent four of his bodyguards to Rogača to offer Marko Katić his condolences and grant Marko his brother Janko's title and regiment.

Marko Katić held the title of voivode of the Turiske Knezine who fought for five, non-stop days in a fierce had-to-hand Battle of Mišar (from 31 July to 4 August 1806) and continued to participate in many more bloody conflicts, always outnumbered by Turks and their French allies.

In June 1807 when Jakov Nenadović crossed the Drina headed towards Sarajevo, Marko Katić accompanied him with his regiment. Soon Jakov found out that French soldiers were part of the army of Osman-Pasha Jakov decided to return back and cross the Drina with the Turks and French in pursuit. After crossing the river, Jakov divided his Army and sent Katić to challenge the Turks while they were crossing Drina. Jakov's strategy and tactic worked after the day of fighting was over, 5,000 dead Turks and seven fallen Frenchmen was their victorious trophy. Meanwhile, Osman-Pasha left for Sarajevo with a pittance of an army that he had the day before.

In 1810 Marko Katić went to the Belgrade nahija at a weeding, where a bullet fired from a rifle by an unknown individual felled him instantly and mortally. The man who shot him identified himself as Miloje and before going to a hearing he suddenly disappeared and reappeared in Germany but the authorities there returned him home. As soon Miloje arrived in Šabac he came face to face with voivoda Luka Lazarević who was ordered by Karađorđe to have two pistols in each hand, and sealed the fate of the man there and then in retribution. It is still unclear whether the individual wielding a rifle by the name Miloje killed Marko intentionally or not? Karađorđe ordered an investigation almost immediately upon hearing of the tragic killing. .

Stevan Katić and his sister put up a tombstone that read:

1810

Here rests the servant of God, Marko Katić, voivode, the month of January (day date missing)

Then, Stevan Katić quietly took command of Marko's regiment in 1810, the same mournful way that Marko replaced Janko Katić in 1806.