[1] During the 14th century, several families from Tatar tribes in Crimea followed Grand Duke Vytautas to Lithuania, where they served as his personal guard at Trakai Island Castle.

[3] Unlike the Christian Lithuanian people, the Tatars were Muslims; they were granted religious freedom and were exempt from taxes, but still had to provide military service.

By this time, the Lithuanian Tatars were led by Captain Samuel Murza Ulan[15][16] with lieutenants Ibrahim and Aslan Aley as seconds-in-command, with a total strength of only 53 men.

[13] From April to June 1813, on the recommendations of Colonel-Major Dautancourt, the Captain Ulan tried to recruit new cavalrymen and left for France with maréchal des logis-chef Samuel Januszerwski.

[7] Reduced to just 47 men, he was refused foreign soldier reinforcements at Metz and went to Paris to seek support from Minister of War Henri Jacques Guillaume Clarke.

[13] The Lithuanian Tatars continued to serve under Captain Ulan as part of the Polish Lancers during the 1813 German Campaign, participating in battles at Dresden, Peterswalde, Leipzig and Hanau.