[1] At the end of August 1648, Cossack insurgents led by the self-proclaimed Hetman Jan Sokolowski (aka Sokowski) began the siege of Slutsk, a fortress belonging to Prince Janusz Radziwill, located in Novgorod province.

[1] After three unsuccessful assaults, in which the Cossacks suffered significant losses (about 600 killed, mostly from the blacks), the insurgents began to retreat.

[2] On 4 September, after a three-mile chase, the Lithuanians caught up with the fleeing Cossacks near the town of Pohost, located about 36 km from Slutsk, at the crossing of the Sluch River.

During the battle, thanks to the advice of a local peasant, several Lithuanian banners crossed the nearby ford to the other side of the river and attacked the insurgents' rear.

[3] Losses on the Cossack side amounted to around 2,000 dead, including the military scribe Turchinovich.