In 1848, Stanojlo Petrović volunteered in the Šajkaš Battalion commanded by Vojvoda Đorđe Stratimirović and participated in many battles, including the battles of Mošorin and Vilova. The Šajkaši was a specific kind of Austrian army which moved in a narrow, longboat known as a chaika. These military units operated on the Danube, Tisa, Sava and Moriš rivers. Petrović also participated in other battles near Pančevo and Vršac which were commanded by his friend Stevan Knićanin.
