In the end of September 1812, Admiral Pavel Chichagov assigned Chernyshyov to lead a mobile detachment into the Duchy of Warsaw (south-eastern Poland), to destroy enemy food dumps and disrupt French supply lines. Chernyshyov's force included 7 squadrons of regular cavalry, three Cossacks regiments and a regiment of Kalmyks, a total of 1800 soldiers. October 11, they intercepted their first target south from Brest-Litovsk. Austrian commander Count Schwarzenberg, launched the hunt for Chernyshyov's corps. Chernyshyov responded with separating his force: while smaller detachments set up a screen diverting Austrians, the main force was plundering French and Austrian supplies and taking prisoners north. In the end, Austrians intercepted some of their property back, but Chernyshyov managed to evade the trap and returned to Russian base in Włodawa October 18.