At the start of the war, he was commander of the 2nd and 1st Infantry Divisions of the Danube defense, which protected the rear of the armed forces fighting on the front, in Bulgaria.

Later, as head of the Reserve Division, he was instrumental in surrounding the Ottomans at the Siege of Plevna and the battles of Smârdan and Vidin.

On November 28, 1877, when Osman Pasha tried to break the siege, the Romanian troops under his command thwarted the attempt.

[3] The 85th Logistics Support Battalion for the 8th Mixed Artillery Brigade was named General Mihail Cerchez.

As a gratitude for his efforts toward the independence of Bulgaria, the Bulgarian people built a bust of him in the Romanian Soldier Mausoleum at Grivitsa.