f the agreement withdrew its consent to
the fortresses going into the hands of Christian Rayahs; on which Kara
Georg resolved to seize Belgrade by stratagem.

Before daybreak on the 12th of December, 1806, a Greek Albanian named
Konda, who had been in the Turkish service, and knew Belgrade well,
but now fought in the Christian ranks, accompanied by six Servians,
passed the ditch and palisades that surrounded the city of Belgrade,
at a point between two posts so as not to be seen, and proceeding to
one of the gates, fell upon the guard, which defended itself well.
Four of the Servians were killed; but the Turks being at length
overpowered, Konda and the two remaining Servians broke open the gate
with an axe, on which a corps of Servians rushed in. The Turks being
attracted to this point, Kara Georg passed the ditch at another place
with a large force.

After a sanguinary engagement in the streets, and the conflagration of
many houses, the windows of which served as embrasures to the Turks,
victory declared for the Christians, and the Turks took refuge in the
citadel.

The Servians, now in possession of the town, resolved to starve the
Turks out of the fortress; and having occupied a flat island at the
confluence of the Save and the Danube, were enabled to intercept their
provisions; on which the Pasha capitulated and embarked for Widdin.

The succeeding years were passed in the vicissitudes of a guerilla
warfare, neither party obtaining any marked success; and an auxiliary
corps of Russians assisted in preventing the Turks from making the
re-conquest of Servia.

Baron, subsequently Marshal Diebitch, on a confidential mission from
the Russian government in Servia during the years 1810, 1811, writes
as follows:[23]

"George Petrovitch, to whom the Turks have given the surname of Kara
or Black, is an important character. His countenance shows a greatness
of mind, which is not to be mistaken; and when we take into
consideration the times, circumstances, and the impossibility of his
having received an education, we must admit that he has a mind of a
masculine and commanding order. The imputation of cruelty and
bloodthirstiness appears to be unjust. When the country was without
the shadow of a constitution, and when he commanded an unorganized and
uncultivated nation, he was compelled to be severe; he dared not
vacillate or relax his discipline: but now that there are courts of
law, and legal forms, he hands every case