In 1804 the Serbs rebelled against the Ottomans. The Turks threw strong forces into the fight and pressed the rebels. In 1806 9,000 Serbian fighters had taken refuge in the area of Misar in northwestern Serbia. There they fortified themselves on the homonymous hill under the leadership of Djordje Petrovic, known as Karadjordje, and Jakov Nenadovic.
Against them the Turks sent a force of 40,000 men under the Bosnian origin Suleiman Pasha Skopianli, the also Bosnian Mehmet Pasha Kulenovic and Sinan Pasha. A large number of French gunner-instructor officers also served in the Turkish force.
The Serbian rebels fortified themselves on the hill and awaited the enemy who soon appeared on August 12, 1806. The Serbs also fired four cannons into the fortifications. The Serbian fortification was made of rammed earth, with a moat around it, reinforced with wooden parapets. It had dimensions of 300 x 280 m. The Serbs also had a few horsemen under Milos Obrenović and Luka Lazarević.
The battle breaks out
From August 8, the Turkish advance guard approached the Serbian positions and small clashes took place. Finally on August 12 the Turks decided to attack. With terrifying chants, invoking Allah and the "prophet", the Turks rushed forward , with infantry and infantry, led by Mehmet Pasha.
The Serbian infantry were deployed on the parapets in two lines. Another two pairs of men filled the rifles of the first two pairs so that the fire against the Turks was continuous. The Turks began to advance in an inferno of fire. Dozens were falling but the rest continued with fanaticism.
But suddenly a murderous Serbian volley mowed down the entire front line of Turkish infantry. The Turks were bewildered and stopped their movement in confusion. Then the Serbs rushed against them. The surviving Turkish horsemen panicked and, retreating, literally fell on the following infantry.
The Turks, however, regrouped and counterattacked, taking advantage of the bulk of their forces. It was the Serbs' turn to flee. But Katajorje with sword in hand rushed forward and stopped them, animated them and again led them into battle.
The Serbian counterattack fell upon the Turks with unimaginable speed and fury. Mehmet Pasha was slaughtered like a lamb by Luka Lazarević. The Turks panicked and fled in disorder. The Serbs pursued them to their artillery lines. The French gunners of the Turks managed to inflict heavy casualties on the Serbs, but were eventually crushed along with the Turkish gunners.
The Serbs made it as far as the Turkish commander's tent before finally being forced to retreat under pressure of numbers. Sinar Pasha was also killed in the battle. Clashes continued until August 15. However, the battle of the first day decided the outcome. The Turks eventually retreated in humiliation having lost at least 3,000 men, compared to 500 Serbian casualties.