Пътят на Ботевата чета

From various Danube ports on the Romanian coast, disguised as gardeners, the guerrillas boarded the Austrian steamer Radecki. The last group of rebels is joined by Beckett. On May 17, 1876, old style, between Beckett and Kozludui, the operation to capture the ship took place. Precisely conceived and perfectly executed, it allows the rebels to descend unhindered to the „Narrow Funnel“ on the Kozloduy coast. After the fiery speech of the leader, the rebels knelt and kissed the sacred land of their Fatherland, took an oath of allegiance and headed to Vratsa. The detachment numbers 205 rebels and is the largest Bulgarian insurgent formation during the Ottoman rule.
For the first time, the local Turkish population, Circassians and Bashibozouks saw such a well-organized and numerous detachment and for a long time avoided engaging in open combat with it. After a long trek across the Danube plain on May 18/30, approaching the village of Banitsa, the detachment was met by a numerous and well-armed enemy. The detachment occupies a position on the highest part – the top „Milin Kamak“, thus securing a strategic advantage over the enemy. A fierce battle broke out, lasting 18 hours. This is the bloodiest battle in the history of Botev’s detachment, which managed to hold positions, but at the cost of nearly 30 dear victims, including the flag bearer Nikola Simov-Kuruto, Vratsa resident Sava Petrov and many others. etc. The member of the staff – priest Sava Katrafilov was also seriously injured.
Under cover of night, the rebels broke the blockade of the Turks and withdrew to Veselets. On the Vratsa-Oryahovo road, the group, led by Hristo Botev and guided by David Todorov, was ambushed and the latter was killed in the ensuing skirmish.
On May 19/31, after a tiring transition, the rebels reached the Sub-Balkans and settled in a bivouac in the Kolova area (now Boteva Polyana). From here the headquarters tried to contact the revolutionary committee in Vratsa, but to no avail. It is clear that the city is blocked by regular Turkish troops and the local rebels are scattered. In these circumstances, the headquarters decided to take the detachment to the Mountains.
Early in the morning of May 20 / June 1, old-style the rebels reached the foot of the Vratsa Mountain. In the Leskovo Lake area, the detachment stayed for a short break, but did not even manage to have breakfast, and a signal was received that a regular Turkish army was approaching. The military leader again overtook the enemy and the rebels took the top of the hills. Against the positions of the detachment, the Turkish army has two mountain cannons. Botev personally led the battle from the top of the hill, and Nikola Voynovski twice thwarted the plan of the Turks to surround the positions of the detachment and attack it from behind. The fighting lasted all day, but there were no casualties from the rebels.
In the evening, a Turkish trumpet blows. The thirsty rebels descended into the lowlands to quench the thirst of the Krushev spring when Botev and part of the staff withdrew to a meeting on the southeastern slope of the Kamarata hill, above the Yolkovitsa depression. In the midst of the conversation, he stood up to see if there was any danger to the scattered rebels, when from the north (where the attack of the Turks was the fiercest) echoed a shot that fatally wounded the leader of the rebellion in the heart.