Polish Gen. Casimir Pulaski Father of the American Cavalry
General Pulaski Memorial Day Proclamation
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
I came here, where freedom is being defended,
to serve it, and to live and die for it.
General Casimir Pulaski in a letter
to General George Washington
Every year, on October 11, we honor the memory of Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski, a courageous soldier of liberty who bravely gave his life 222 years ago fighting for America's independence. The stories of General Pulaski's heroism during the Revolutionary War have been a source of inspiration for many generations of Americans, and his gallant sacrifice serves as a poignant reminder of the price patriots paid to obtain our liberty.
Pulaski, who was born in Poland in 1745, joined his first fight against tyranny and oppression at age 21, defending his beloved Poland against Prussian and Imperial Russian invaders. In numerous battles, Pulaski achieved fame as a calvary officer, earning promotion to commander of an army of Polish freedom fighters. But the aggressors ultimately overcame the Poles, and Pulaski was forced into exile. In 1777, Pulaski offered his services to America's fight for freedom and set sail from France to join the war for independence.
Far from his native land, Pulaski showed the same courageous combativeness on American soil that had gained him fame at home. Distinguishing himself in battle after battle, Pulaski earned a commission from the Continental Congress as a Brigadier General, and he was assigned by General Washington to command the Continental Army's calvary. In 1779, during the siege of Savannah, General Pulaski made the ultimate sacrifice, giving his life in battle so that our Nation might win its freedom. General Pulaski's valiant leadership earned him recognition as the "Father of the American cavalry".
Ever since his heroic death, America has honored General Pulaski's memory in many ways, including the naming of counties, towns, and streets after him. Since 1910, a statue of General Pulaski has stood in Washington, D.C., permanently memorializing his patriotic contributions and noble sacrifice. Today, as we respond to the atrocities committed against the United States on September 11, we have been deeply moved by the tremendous outpouring of sympathy, support, and solidarity from our Polish friends, from the highest levels of the government to the thousands of Poles who placed flowers and candles at our Embassy gate. Our two nations, united by the virtues and ideals that General Pulaski embodied, will always remain friends and allies.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, October 11, 2001, as General Pulaski Memorial Day. I encourage all Americans to commemorate this occasion with appropriate programs and activities paying tribute to Casimir Pulaski and honoring all those who defend the freedom of our great Nation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this tenth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-sixth.
GEORGE W. BUSH
Group blames Congressman King for blocking citizenship for Polish General
Sunday, September 30, 2007, 10:13 AM
By O.Kay Henderson
A group pushing for special recognition of the man who's considered the father of the American cavalry says there's one "obstacle" to their goal: Iowa Congressman Steve King. The Polish Legion of American Veterans has gotten the U.S. Senate to pass a resolution that would grant honorary U.S. citizenship to a Polish man who came to this continent in 1777 to help fight the Revolutionary War.
Casimir Pulaski was named a general by George Washington. He died of wounds suffered in a Revolutionary War battle in Georgia. The bid by the Polish veterans group to get Pulaski declared an American citizen has stalled in the U.S. House, though.
The group blames Congressman King for blocking a vote on the measure in the House Judiciary Committee. The Polish veterans group calls King's action "puzzling" and "political." King's spokesman says King doesn't have the power to block a vote and the resolution would pass if a majority of members on the committee wanted to vote for it.
Congress has bestowed honorary U.S. citizenship on six people. In 1963, Winston Churchill was named an honorary American citizen. In 1981, a Swedish diplomat who rescued Jews in the Holocaust earned the designation. Three years later, William Penn and his wife were similarly honored. Penn, as you may know, was the governor of the American colony of Pennsylvania.
In 1996, congress gave honorary American citizenship to Mother Teresa and then in 2002 bestowed it upon a Frenchman who served as another one of George Washington's generals in the American Revolution.
Gen. Pułaski honorowym obywatelem USA
Fot. Archiwum
Jestem pewien, że polski generał, który przyczynił się do uratowania życia George Washingtona w pełni zasługuje na przyznanie mu honorowego obywatelstwa naszego kraju, powiedział na spotkaniu z chicagowską Polonią oraz przedstawicielami lokalnych mediów senator z Illinois Dick Durbin. Gdyby Senat przychylił się do wniosku Durbina, Pułaski byłby siódmą osobą, która w historii Stanów Zjednoczonych otrzymała honorowe obywatelstwo tego kraju.
Jednocześnie wywodzący się w Partii Demokratycznej polityk zapewnił, iż już w najbliższym czasie złoży do Izby Wyższej odpowiedni wniosek o pośmiertne przyznanie Kazimierzowi Pułaskiemu honorowego obywatelstwa USA.
Durbin przypomniał, że każdego roku w pierwszy poniedziałek marca z chęcią i radością przyjeżdża do Muzeum Polskiego w Chicago, gdzie mają miejsce oficjalne obchody Dnia Pułaskiego. – Rezolucja, która trafi do Senatu, przyznająca Pułaskiemu pośmiertne honorowe obywatelstwo uhonorowałaby człowieka, który zapłacił był najwyższą cenę za wolność Stanów Zjednoczonych Ameryki Północnej – uzasadniał Durbin. – Postawa Pułaskiego jest wciąż doskonałym przykładem dla innych, również obywateli innych krajów, którzy na przestrzeni wieków walczyli i walczą do dziś w szeregach armii amerykańskiej o demokracje i prawa obywatelskie.
Pod odpowiednim wnioskiem podpisało się także 22 innych polityków i liderów lokalnych społeczności. Wśród nich Dan Lipiński, Rahm Emmanuel i Luis Gutierrez.
Pamięć po bohaterskich czynach gen Pułaskiego jest wciąż bardzo żywa w USA. We wrześniu 1929 roku kongres Stanów Zjednoczonych przyjął proklamację prezydencką ustanawiając 11 października Dniem Pułaskiego. Prawie 50 lat później – w 1973 roku władze stanu Illinois, chcąc zaznaczyć, jak wielkie znaczenie mają dla lokalnych samorządów mieszkający tu Polacy, ustanowiły pierwszy poniedziałek marca dniem pamięci Pułaskiego. Od 1986 roku Dzień Pułaskiego jest oficjalnym świętem stanowym.
Przypomnijmy, że do dziś honorowe obywatelstwo USA otrzymali: Winston Churchill - 1936 r.; Markiz de la Fayette – 2002 r. (Francuz walczący w czasach rewolucji amerykańskiej; Raoul Wallenberg – 1981 (szwedzki dyplomata i bohater holocaustu); William Callowhill Penn – 1984 r. (gubernator Pensylwanii oraz jego żona i ówczesna administratorka stanu Hannah oraz Agnes Gonxa Bojaxhiu - Matka Teresa – 1996 r.
"Rycerz Wolności - Generał Kazimierz Pułaski"
Rokrocznie dzień 11 października obchodzony jest w całych Stanach Zjednoczonych jako pamiątkowy Dzień Generała Kazimierza Pułaskiego (Pulaski Day), jednym z akcentów tego święta jest uroczysty korowód, festyny i wiele imprez kulturalno oświatowych i estradowych organizowanych przez Polonię i nie tylko. Oddanie w ten sposób czci polskiemu bohaterowi z Amerykańskiej Rewolucji jest ukoronowaniem wysiłków, przeprowadzonych w Kongresie, a w których szło o danie odpowiedniego uznania organizatorowi Legionu Pułaskiego, który oddał życie za wolność Stanów Zjednoczonych podczas oblężenia pod Savannach, Georgia.
Kazimierz Pułaski, najstarszy syn hrabiego Józefa Pułaskiego, urodził się na Podolu, w marcu 1748r. Polska wówczas była arystokratyczną republiką z królem na czele, wybieranym przez szlachtę. Rosja i Prusy wtrącały się do wewnętrznych spraw państwa polskiego, wpływając na wybór królów. Przeciwko temu protestowali zwolennicy niezależnych rządów parlamentarnych. W roku 1763 caryca rosyjska, Katarzyna Wielka, przeprowadziła wybór Stanisława Poniatowskiego, jako króla polskiego. Niedługo potem wybuchło powstanie i hrabia Józef Pułaski był jednym z jego organizatorów. Kazimierz Pułaski będąc wówczas młodym oficerem, walczył przy boku swego ojca. Powstańcy odnosili zwycięstwa początkowo, ale po paru latach siły i ich zasoby wyczerpały się na skutek czego zostali pobici i rozproszeni. Nastąpił pierwszy rozbiór Polski w roku 1772 i następnie Polska utraciła zupełnie swą niepodległość i została skazana przez zaborców na blisko półtorawiekową niewolę polityczną.
Po powstaniu, które zakończyło się klęską, młody Pułaski zmuszony był wyjechać za granicę, a majątek jego został skonfiskowany. Uciekł do Turcji, gdzie starał się bezskutecznie zainteresować rząd turecki losami Polski i nakłonić go do nowej wojny z zaborczą Rosją, która na skutek rozbiorów otrzymała ogromną część Polski.
W roku 1775 Pułaski przybył do Paryża. Dowiedział się, że amerykańscy koloniści powstali przeciwko Anglii i że rewolucjoniści z wielu krajów zaciągają się jako ochotnicy w ich szeregi i walczą razem z nimi. Niedługo potem porozumiał się z Benjaminem Franklinem, który wówczas reprezentował Amerykę na francuskim dworze królewskim. W maju 1777 roku Franklin napisał list polecający do Jerzego Washingtona, opisując Pułaskiego, jako "oficera sławnego w całej Europie ze swej odwagi i działalności jaką wykazał w obronie wolności swego kraju w walce przeciwko trzem zaborczym potęgom Rosji, Austrii i Prus". Pułaski, naznaczony losem uciskanej Polski, był uczulony na wolność narodową, sprawiedliwość, suwerenność, demokrację, był orędownikiem tych spraw. Do Bostonu przybył w lipcu 1777 roku i spotkał się z Washingtonem następnego miesiąca. Washington w liście do John Hancock'a podał sugestię, by Pułaskiemu oddać dowództwo nad całą kawalerią. Do tego jednak nie doszło i Pułaski przyłączył się jako ochotnik do armii Washingtona. Brał udział i odznaczył się w bitwie pod Brandywine i walczył także w kilku innych bitwach jako dowódca kawalerii. W dniach krytycznych, gdy armia Washingtona wycieńczona z głodu obozowała w zimie pod Valley Forge, Pułaski objeżdżał okolice w poszukiwaniu zapasów. W kilku listach do Kontynentalnego Kongresu Pułaski skarżył się na brak sprawności i na objawy zazdrości wśród niższych oficerów, co często trzymało go w bezczynności, zapewniając mu "tylko walkę z niedźwiedziami". W końcu pozwolono polskiemu rewolucjoniście zorganizować niezależny oddział kawalerii. Oddział ten miał się składać "z 68 jeźdźców i 200 piechurów. Kawalerzyści byli uzbrojeni w lance na sposób lekkiej piechoty". W niezwykle krótkim czasie Pułaski potrafił wysłać swój oddział na pole walki. Wybrał pewną liczbę Polaków i Francuzów na kierownicze stanowiska, większość jednak zwykłych kawalerzystów i szeregowców składała się z rodowitych Amerykanów. Michał de Kowatz (Kowatsch), który miał być węgierskiego pochodzenia, miał najwyższą komendę po Pułaskim, piastującym rangę generała brygadiera. Hrabia Julius de Mountfort służył w randze majora, a John de Zielinsky (Jan Zieliński), który uciekł ze Syberii, dokąd był skazany na wygnanie, był kapitanem ułanów. John Seydelin, Maurycy Bieniowski, Adam Melchair, hrabia Kolkowski, Nicholas Ryland, Joseph Baldesque, Chares Paron de Bose, Mateusz Rogowski, Charles Litomski, Paul Bentalon i Gerard de St. Elme należeli do Europejczyków, którzy zaciągnęli się na listę Legionu Pułaskiego. W jesieni 1779 roku Pułaski połączył się z generałem Lincolnem, który wspomagany przez francuską flotę przygotował atak na Savannah. Dnia 9 października Pułaski zaatakował brytyjski front, jadąc na czele swej konnicy. W boju padł raniony postrzałem. Przeniesiono go rannego na okręt wojenny "Wasp", gdzie lekarze nadaremnie starali się wyjąć kulę i uratować jego życie. Zmarł na pokładzie okrętu. Nie sprawdzono jeszcze, czy pochowany był na morzu, czy pod dębami na wyspie Św. Heleny, czy też w Greenwich, w stanie Georgia. Był najznamienitszym dowódcą, strategiem, człowiekiem miłującym wolność i demokrację, był wielkim Polakiem!, bohaterem Polski i Stanów Zjednoczonych. Poeta Longfellow w poetycznej dedykacji otoczył nimbem romantyzmu i piękna sztandar, pod którym walczył Legion Pułaskiego. Według tradycji sztandar uszyły Morawskie siostry w Bethlehem, Pa., Sztandar ten jest obecnie drogocenną pamiątką w posiadaniu Historycznego Towarzystwa Maryland. Razem z Tadeuszem Kościuszko, Marquis de Lafayette, Baronem von Steuben i z wielu innymi europejskimi ochotnikami, którzy przekroczyli ocean, aby pomóc kolonistom w ich walce o wolność i niepodległość oraz demokrację tego kraju. Pułaski czczony jest w Stanach Zjednoczonych jako prawdziwy rycerz wolności. Jego imieniem nazwane są liczne instytucje, fundacje, place, ma wiele pomników, tablic i swoje piękne miejsce w amerykańskiej historii po wieczne czasy.
Edward Poskier
P.S. Mam żal, że polskie media i polscy nauczyciele historii tak mało miejsca w swoich programach poświęcają Kazimierzowi Pułaskiemu. Czyżby miał się stać bohaterem wyłącznie Stanów Zjednoczonych?. Zapytałem ostatnio kilku młodych ludzi z czym im się kojarzy postać Kazimierza Pułaskiego - kilku odpowiedziało... z piwem browaru Warka !, (przyp. red. - browar ten ma w logo podobiznę Kazimierza Pułaskiego)
autor
Casimir Pulaski belongs to that select group of heroes, including the Marquis de Lafayefte, Thomas Paine, Giuseppe Garibaldi, and Pulaski's fellow countryman, Thaddeus Kosciuszko, who opposed tyranny not only in their homelands, but wherever they found it. We especially honor Pulaski because he paid the ultimate price, having sustained a mortal wound while fighting for American independence at the battle of Savannah in 1779. Today he remains a symbol of the ideal of valiant resistance to oppression everywhere in the world.
The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
Pulaski was born on March 4,1747, in Winiary, some 40 miles outside of Warsaw. His family belonged to the minor Polish nobility, and his ancestors fought with King Jan Sobieski against the Turks at the siege of Vienna in 1683. His father Jozef successfully built up the family fortune and deeply involved himself in politics. But the vast Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth had fallen on hard times. No longer the military power of Sobieski's day, it came increasingly under the domination of its aggressive neighbors, particularly Tsarist Russia. Russia demonstrated its influence over the Commonwealth's affairs when in 1764 Empress Catherine the Great imposed her candidate Stanislaus Poniatowski, as the Commonwealth's next elected monarch. Poniatowski sought to carry out much needed reforms, but aroused the suspicion of the nobility who feared the establishment of a royal despotism. Moreover, the Russian ambassador regularly interfered in the Cornmonwealth's domestic affairs, in 1767, even using Russian troops to coerce its parliament into passing legislation that ended the privileged position of the Catholic Church. In these circumstances, in 1768, Jozef Pulaski joined with others in initiating an insurrection known as the Confederation of Bar, a town in the Ukraine, where it was formed. Under the motto, "For Faith and Freedom," the elder Pulaski assumed the military leadership of the confederation, and Casimir on his 21st birthday took command of a detachment of partisans. For the next 3 1/2 years, in military campaigns against Russian forces that sought to put down the rebellion, the young commander proved his valor and genuine military talent in more than a dozen major action and numerous skirmishes.
Exile
In October 1771, Pulaski undertook one last major expedition as part of a plot to abduct the king. The plot misfired, but it led to the young Casimir being unjustly accused of attempted regicide and later, after he left the country, to a death sentence. When in 1772, Russia, Prussia, and Austria began negotiations to partition the Commonwealth, he and the other confederates saw the futility of continuing the struggle. In the face of the charges against him, he was forced to flee his homeland, never to see it again. Within months of his departure, the Commonwealth's aggressive neighbors agreed to divide over a quarter of its territory among themselves. The effort to defend the Commonwealth had failed, but the heroism of Pulaski and other confederates would inspire future generations of their countrymen. Meanwhile, Pulaski faced a difficult exile. After two years in western Europe, he again joined battle against Russia, this time, on the side of the Turks. Their defeat forced him to return to France where, in the summer of 1776, he learned of America's war for independence and sought permission from the Americans to join their forces. Most American colonists were not yet enthusiastic in the support of the war, and George Washington, a commander-in-chief, needed battle-tested officers like Pulaski. Finally, in May 1777, Pulaski received a letter of recommendation from Benjamin Franklin, the American commissioner in Paris, and left for America, landing near Boston in July. In August, he reported to Washington's headquarters near Philadelphia.
The American Revolutionary War
On Washington's recommendation, the Continental Congress appointed Pulaski general of the cavalry on September 15, 1777. But even before his formal appointment, he demonstrated his value. At the battle of Brandywine Creek, where Washington's forces suffered a defeat, Pulaski led a counterattack that covered the retreat of the Americans and helped prevent a military disaster. Pulaski spent the winter of 1777 training his soldiers at Trenton, not far from Washington's headquarters at Valley Forge. He introduced new battle drills in an effort to transform them into a highly mobile force. But, realizing that the Americans did not share his conception of the cavalry as a separate combat force, Pulaski asked to be relieved of his position and allowed to form a special infantry and cavalry unit capable of more independent action. With Washington's support, Pulaski gained the consent of Congress on March 28, 1778. It took Pulaski, regarded as "the father of the American cavalry," another five months to form his legion at his headquarters in Baltimore, where he recruited Americans, Frenchmen, Poles, Irishmen, and especially Germans; mainly deserters from the Hessian mercenaries employed by the British. But for some time the American command could not find a suitable role for Pulaski's legion, leading him again to request reassignment. Finally, on February 2,1779, he received orders to proceed to South Carolina to reinforce the southern American forces under British attack. Now Pulaski began his most active period of service in the war with the front line combat he sought. At the head of a troop of some 600, Pulaski arrived in Charleston in May 1779, just in time to contribute to its successful defense against a much larger British force, which after occupying Georgia was steadily advancing northward. This victory proved pivotal in the war in the South as it broke the British momentum and boosted American morale. What remained was to win back the territory that the British had occupied. Savannah became the fateful goal. Newly arrived French forces under Admiral Charles Henri d'Estaing together with the Americans planned a risky all out assault on the heavily fortified town. The siege began on October 9. The mission of the Pulaski Legion was to follow in behind the French infantry and break down the enemy's line of defense. But the French got caught in a cross fire, and d'Estaing himself was wounded. Awaiting the proper moment for his cavalry to enter the battle, Pulaski could see the infantry breaking ranks under heavy fire. To try to save the situation, he charged forward into the battle only to be grievously wounded himself. Carried from the battlefield, he was put on a ship to be taken back to Charleston, but never regained consciousness. On October 11, 1779, the 32 year old Polish commander died at sea, where he was buried.
In Honor of Pulaski
Americans have always recognized Pulaski's heroism and the price he paid for their freedom. Shortly after his death a solemn memorial service was held in Charleston, and, before the end of 1779, the Continental Congress resolved that a monument should be erected in his honor, though a statue was not put into place in Washington, D.C., until 1910. Over the years Americans have kept alive his memory naming many countries, towns, streets, parks, and squares after him. Among those of Polish descent, his fame rivals that of Kosciuszko, who, after his service in the American Revolutionary War, returned to his homeland, where, in 1794, he led an insurrection against the same Russian domination that Pulaski had fought before coming to America. In his first letter to Washington, after arriving in America, Pulaski wrote, "I came here, where freedom is being defended, to serve it, and to live or die for it." He proved true to his word. For this, we honor him as a soldier of Liberty for all.
Source: Casimir Pulaski 1747-1779: A Short Biography
Written by and reprinted with permission of: John J. Kulczycki, Professor of History, University of Illinois at Chicago; Published by the Polish Museum of America, 984 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago, IL 60622;
Sunday, October 7, 2007
By JENNIFER H. CUNNINGHAM
HERALD NEWS
WALLINGTON -- Local officials, members of the clergy and other supporters converged at a statue of Gen. Casimir Pulaski for a ceremony honoring his achievements during the Revolutionary War.
About 50 people gathered at Main Avenue near the Eighth Street Bridge Saturday afternoon to commemorate the Pole known as the "Father of the American Cavalry."
"He came from Poland to fight for freedom," said Mark Zawisny, grand marshal of today's Pulaski parade in New York City. "To me, he's like my parents when they left communist Poland for a better life. He died for our country."
Pulaski -- whose name is immortalized in the Pulaski Skyway that runs from Newark to Jersey City -- is considered a hero in the Polish-American community for his bravery and sacrifice, said Dariusz Pawluczuk, president of the Wallington Pulaski Memorial Association. Wallington -- where more than half of its residents claim Polish ancestry, according to the 2000 Census -- is home to one of two known statues of Pulaski in the country.
"He is a very important person to our history," Pawluczuk said. "It's the same as Columbus Day for Italians."
Saturday's ceremony began with the laying of a wreath of flowers at the statue's base, and was marked by songs, prayers and appearances by Miss Polonia 2007, Sylwia Solpys, and Wallington's Pulaski parade marshal, Theresa Wygonik.
The ceremony is a prelude to today's 70th Annual Pulaski Day Parade, which marches along Fifth Avenue between 29th Street and 53rd Street in Manhattan.
Casamir Pulaski was born into the Polish nobility in 1747. A military man before coming to the United States, Pulaski led Polish troops to battle the Russians, who occupied Poland during the 1700s.
However, he was forced to flee the country after being falsely accused of plotting to assassinate the king. In Paris, Benjamin Franklin recruited him to fight for the United States' independence, and he arrived in Boston in summer 1777.
In a letter to Washington, Franklin wrote of Pulaski as "an officer famous throughout Europe for his bravery and conduct in defense of the liberties of his country against ... great invading powers," according to the Polish American Cultural Center in Philadelphia.
He became a brigadier general and raised his own cavalry of 600 men, which fought in several battles in New York and New Jersey. But Pulaski is also known for protecting Charleston, S.C., from advancing British forces. He was fatally wounded while trying to reclaim Savannah, Ga., from British troops in 1779.
Pawluczuk said he hadn't heard of Pulaski until he arrived in the U.S. from Poland in 1981. At the time, Poland's communist government suppressed Pulaski's accomplishments, he said.
"My grandmother and my mother told me about him," he said. "When I came to the U.S., for the first time in my life I saw the Pulaski Parade (in New York City.) I was like, 'Oh, my god!' It's not something you'd see in Poland."
Two years ago, President Bush proclaimed Oct. 11 as Gen. Pulaski Memorial Day, and said Pulaski exemplified "the spirit and determination of Polish immigrants to America," and "embodied our nation's highest ideals."
Reach Jennifer H. Cunningham at 973-569-7162 or Cunningham@northjersey.com
A Chronology of Casimir Pulaski's Life 1745-1779
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1745
6 March Kazimierz is born in Warsaw at the Pulaski residence on the corner of Nowy Swiat and Warecka Streets. He is the second son (of three) born to the starosta of Warka, Józef Pulaski and Marianna Zielinska his wife . A priest, Father Krzysztof Faltz was called to the house to administer baptism because of the child's debility.
14 March a grand completion of the baptismal ceremonies at the Holy Cross Church in Warsaw
1762 leaves the Theatine School in Warsaw which he had attended (most likely after getting an elementary education at the parish school in Warka) and becomes a page at the courts of Prince Charles of Courland [Kurlandia]; and Semigallia, son of King Augustus III.
1763 gains his first military experience during a six month long stay at Prince Charles' military camp, where he lived through the siege by the Russian army of the capital of the Kingdom of Courland - Mitava (now Jelgava in the Latvian Republic).
1764
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September Józef Pulaski and his three sons take part in the election of Stanislaus Augustus Poniatowski as King of Poland in Warsaw
1767
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December Józef Pulaski and his three sons leave Warsaw for Winiary, and start organizing an armed uprising in south-eastern Poland
1768 the eldest sons of Józef Pulaski, Franciszek and Casimir, travel along the Dniestr River recruiting for the confederation whose political side was being prepared at that time in Lvov by Józef Pulaski
29 February the establishment of the Bar Confederation in Podole with the Chamberlain from Rozan, Michal Krasinski, at its head
4 March the establishment of the military arm of the confederation with Józef Pulaski at its head with the title of Marshal of the Union; among the commanders of the regiments were his three sons, Franciszek, starosta of Augustów; Casimir, starosta of Zezuliniec; and Antoni, starosta of Czeresz
around 20 April Casimir Pulaski leads his first skirmish with the vanguard of the Russian troops which had been sent to Podole to put down the uprising
23 April defends Starokonstantynów
May fights defensive actions near Chmielnik and Winnica and then fortifies Berdyczów
13 June after a two week long siege he capitulates along with his troops and is taken prisoner by the Russians
20 June the Russian army takes the town of Bar, the second important insurgent stronghold; Józef Pulaski crosses the Dniestr River with the rest of his troops and takes refuge on Turkish soil
17 July Casimir Pulaski is freed by the Russians and goes to the Bar Confederation camp at Chocim
September - October he and his brothers carry out raids along the northern bank of the Dniestr River
December Józef Pulaski is arrested by the Turks as a result of intrigues in the confederate camp
1769
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Winter the Pulaski brothers at the head of their troops occupy and fortify Zwaniec and the Holy Trinity Trenches on the Dniestr River
February Casimir Pulaski carries out a reconnaissance raid toward Zaleszczyki and fights a skirmish near Tluste; at the same time receives a declaration from the confederates of western Little Poland (Malopolska) to join them
early March the youngest of the sons, Antoni, falls into Russian captivity
8 March the Russian army takes Zwaniec and the Holy Trinity Trenches; Franciszek and Casimir take refuge along with the survivors on the southern shore of the Dniestr River, on Turkish soil
end of March Casimir Pulaski crosses the frontier in Kuty and marches through Czarnohora and Gorgany towards the Kraków region
3 April in a letter written from Radoszyce (near the Lupków Mountain Pass) he reports to Prince Marcin Lubomirski, a leader of the confederates in Little Poland
mid April the main organizer of the Bar rising, Józef Pulaski, dies in a Turkish prison as a result of a raging epidemic
late April Franciszek Pulaski returns with his units to Poland and appears in eastern Little Poland
around 13 May the Pulaski brothers meet in Sambor and decide to operate in unison
22 May Franciszek Pulaski is named marshal of the confederated Przemysl region
end of May the Pulaski brothers take part in an unsuccessful attempt to occupy Lvov
late June arriving in the Lublin area and reaching Polesie, the brothers organize a rising in Lithuania;
6 July Casimir Pulaski commands in victorious battle at Kukielki
12 July he commands in victorious battle at Slonim
3 August Casimir Pulaski is named marshal of the confederation forces in the Lomza region
13 September the detachments led by the Pulaski brothers are defeated at Orzechów and Franciszek is killed in battle
in September Casimir Pulaski takes part in the war council at Zborov in Slovakia which precedes the establishment of the General High Board of the Confederation called the Generality which becomes the chief insurgent authority
October-December he stays with his troops in the Dukla region near Grab at the source of the Wisloka River.
1770
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13 January his hand is wounded during a skirmish near Grab
February - March is stationed in the Nowy Targ region
in April is stationed in the Nowy Sacz district
15 May loses a battle near Pilzno during a raid in the direction of Kraków
mid June while at Presov in Slovakia where the Austrian authorities had granted asylum to the Generality, Pulaski met with the Austrian Emperor Joseph II who visited the confederates
3 August he loses a battle at Wysowa with Drewitz's army, and later takes shelter on Austrian soil
7 August meets in Zborov with Charles Dumouriez, the new French government emissary and military adviser to the Generality
25 August is in Nowy Targ with his army
1 September organizes a night raid on Kraków after which he retreats toward Czestochowa
9 September he occupies the monastery at Jasna Góra (Czestochowa)
29 September organizes a raid from Zarnowiec through Jedrzejów to Koniecpol
19 October organizes a raid from Czestochowa towards Poznan
in November prepares Jasna Góra for a siege; the Russian army approaches Czestochowa twice in this period
31 December the beginning of the siege of Czestochowa by the army of General Drewitz, supported by Prussian artillery
1771
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4 January Casimir Pulaski organizes a raid from the monastery and destroys an enemy battery
9 January all-out attack is repulsed
15 January Drevitz's army leaves Czestochowa
around 1 March Pulaski stages a raid from Czestochowa toward Krasnik
in April Casimir Pulaski takes part in a council in Biala concerning the attack on Little Poland (Malopolska)
21 May he starts a raid through Tymbark, Limanowa, Nowy Sacz, Debica, Zamosc (skirmishing along the way in Kolbuszowa, Debica, Mielec);
2 June Pulaski's units fight battle with a Russian army corps at Zamosc after which they retreat towards Tarnów and Lanckorona
18 June Casimir Pulaski is back at Jasna Góra which is again threatened with a siege by Drewitz and the Polish Royal Army under the command of Branicki
in September he proposes a plan to reorganize the high command (five general commanders) at a council in Presov in Slovakia, the idea is not accepted
20 October he leaves Czestochowa for a diversionary raid in the direction of Warsaw; meanwhile a group commanded by Strawinski was to make an attempt to abduct King Stanislaus August Poniatowski
31 October he loses a battle at Skaryszew near Radom; is wounded in the arm and his scattered units retreat towards Czestochowa
3 November the abduction of King Stanislaus August Poniatowski proves unsuccessful, Pulaski is implicated as an instigator of the scheme
30 November the Austrian authorities forbid Pulaski entry into Austria as one of the organizers of the attempted abduction of the king
1 December he returns to Jasna Góra.
1772
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around 20 February stages a raid from Czestochowa towards Kraków
31 May Pulaski leaves the Jasna Góra fortress and takes refuge in Prussian Silesia
end of June he arrives in Dresden
in August he visits AItwasser in Silesia under the assumed name of Rudzinski to see Franciszka Krasinska and then surreptitiously watches the maneuvers of the Prussian troops near Nysa
in September he leaves Germany and stops in Nancy, France.
1773
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in March he moves to Paris
beginning of May he goes to Dresden to be nearer Poland while the trial of the participants in the abduction attempt is being held
7 June the beginning of the trial (which lasts until 28 August) with Casimir Pulaski sentenced in absentia to beheading for attempted regicide
25 September under the assumed name of Korwin he meets with the leaders of the Generality in Strassburg and announces that he will take part in the war between Turkey and Russia, after which he travels to Paris
1774
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in March he leaves Paris and with a group of companions goes to Turkey
12 April he sails from Venice to Ragusa (Dubrovnik) in order to reach the Turkish army which is fighting the Russians at the mouth of the Danube River
around 20 June he reaches the Vizier's camp near Shumen west of Varna where he takes part in the defeat suffered by the Turkish forces
around 15 October after the unsuccessful Turkish expedition and a three month long journey (Adrianople, Constantinople, Izmir) he returns to France and stops in Marseilles
20 December this is the date of the memorial written to the French authorities by Józef Zajaczek in order to obtain financial aid for Pulaski
1775
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in Marseilles living from an allowance and loans
October spends a short time in debtors' prison
1776
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15 August he appeals to the Sejm (Polish Parliament) in Warsaw to be allowed to return to Poland but there is no reply; at this time that he makes efforts to be accepted into the American Revolutionary Army
1777
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March - April he arrives in Paris after obtaining permission to go to America
29 May he receives a letter of recommendation from Benjamin Franklin addressed to George Washington
6 June he writes a letter of farewell to his sister Anne in Warsaw and sails on the ship Massachusetts from Nantes to America
23 July he lands in America at Marblehead near Boston
in August after a short stay in Boston he reports at the headquarters of the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army George Washington located in Moland House in Warwick Township, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
24 August he offers his military services to Congress
11 September he takes part in his first battle on American soil, on the Brandywine Creek between Chester and Philadelphia
15 September he is named a general of cavalry
3 October he fights at Germantown and covers Washington's retreat after the battle is lost
in the winter Pulaski patrols the area around Valley Forge where Washington's army takes up winter quarters; his own quarters are in Devault Beaver's house
1778
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8 January moves with his unit to Trenton where he organizes and trains the troops
end of February
- start of March he joins General Wayne in the fighting against the British in New Jersey; a skirmish at Haddonfield
mid March while in Valley Forge Pulaski asks Washington to release him from his post as the commander of cavalry and puts forward a plan for an independent detachment which he would command
19 March while in Yorktown he presents his plan of forming a Legion to Congress
28 March he receives Congressional permission for the scheme
late April he establishes the headquarters of the Legion in Baltimore
18 May Pulaski's Legion receives its banner; embroidered by the Moravian Order of Nuns of Bethlehem
15 September Pulaski reports to Washington that the Legion is ready for action
8 October Pulaski's Legion arrives at Egg Harbor where a week later it was surprised by a British night attack and suffered serious losses
24 October the Legion arrives at Trenton, then relocates to Sussex Court House and finally to Minisink where it is ordered to defend the colonists against the Indians
15 November Pulaski asks Washington to be released from his post and writes of his intention to return to Europe
1779
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in January while in Philadelphia he withdraws the resignation he sent to Congress
8 February Washington orders the Legion to march south from Yorktown in the direction of Savannah
8 May the Legion arrives in Charleston where it takes part in the fighting for the town
19 August Pulaski's last letter to Congress
14 September Pulaski's Legion arrives at Savannah, to take part in taking the town
9 October Pulaski is mortally wounded in the attack on Savannah
15 October he dies on board the brigantine Wasp while it is still anchored near Savannah; his body is taken to nearby Greenwich Plantation and buried there in a torchlight ceremony
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21 October a symbolic funeral of the hero in Charleston
1793 through the efforts of Antoni Pulaski the Sejm (Polish Parliament) revokes the sentence from the trial held in 1773 (in absentia) which found Pulaski guilty of attempted regicide and condemned him to death
1825 A corner stone is laid for Casimir Pulaski's monument by Lafayette in Savannah's Chippewa Square.
1855 A monument to Pulaski designed by Robert Launitz is finally erected in Monterey Square in Savannah. The corner stone from Chippewa Square and Pulaski's remains from Greenwich Plantation are placed in its underground brick lined crypt.
1910 Casimir Pulaski's monument in Washington is unveiled
1929 A monument to Pulaski is unveiled in Krynica, Poland; it is the first monument to Pulaski built on Polish soil
1967 the Casimir Pulaski museum in Warka-Winiary, Poland opens
1979 the 200th anniversary of Pulaski's death, a statue by Kazimerz Danilewicz, a gift of the Polish nation to the United States, is dedicated in Buffalo, and a copy placed in the park near the Pulaski museum in Warka.
1996 the Pulaski Monument in Savannah is taken down for renovation, the underground crypt is uncovered and found to contain two cornerstones and an iron box. The box bears a plate "Brigadier General Casimer Pulaski" and contains the bones of a man matching Pulaski in stature and physical characteristics.
1997 a conference is convened on Pulaski at the Museum in Warka, Poland; among those delivering papers is Edward Pinkowski
Kazimierz (Casimir) Pulaski, military man, Confederate of Bar, hero of American Revolution
Born: March 6, 1745, Warsaw, Russian partition of Poland (presently Poland)
Died: October 15, 1779, at sea, (buried in Savannah, USA)
Early days. Father – Jozef Pulaski, mother - Marianna Zielinska. His family belonged to the minor Polish nobility, and his ancestors fought with King Jan Sobieski against the Turks at the siege of Vienna in 1683. His father Jozef successfully built up the family fortune and deeply involved himself in politics. But the vast Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth had fallen on hard times. No longer the military power of Sobieski's day, it came increasingly under the domination of its aggressive neighbors, particularly Tsarist Russia. Russia demonstrated its influence over the Commonwealth's affairs when in 1764 Empress Catherine the Great imposed her candidate Stanislaus Poniatowski, as the Commonwealth's next elected monarch.
First military experience.In 1762 Kazimierz leaves the Theatine School in Warsaw which he had attended (most likely after getting an elementary education at the parish school in Warka) and becomes a page at the court of Prince Charles of Courland (Kurlandia) and Semigallia. In 1764 he gains his first military experience during a six month long stay at Prince Charles' military camp, where he lived through the siege by the Russian army of the capital of the Kingdom of Courland - Mitava (now Jelgava in the Latvian Republic). Poniatowski sought to carry out much needed reforms, but aroused the suspicion of the nobility who feared the establishment of a royal despotism. Moreover, the Russian ambassador regularly interfered in the Commonwealth's domestic affairs, in 1767, even using Russian troops to coerce its parliament into passing legislation that ended the privileged position of the Catholic Church.
Joining the Confederation of Bar. In these circumstances, in 1768, Jozef Pulaski joined with others in initiating an insurrection known as the Confederation of Bar, a town in the Ukraine, where it was formed. Under the motto, "For Faith and Freedom," the elder Pulaski assumed the military leadership of the confederation, and Casimir on his 21st birthday took command of a detachment of partisans. For the next 3 1/2 years, in military campaigns against Russian forces that sought to put down the rebellion, the young commander proved his valor and genuine military talent in more than a dozen major actions and numerous skirmishes. In October 1771, Pulaski undertook one last major expedition as part of a plot to abduct the king. The plot misfired, but it led to the young Casimir being unjustly accused of attempted regicide and later, after he left the country, to a death sentence.
Fleeing Poland. When in 1772, Russia, Prussia, and Austria began negotiations to partition the Commonwealth, he and the other confederates saw the futility of continuing the struggle. In the face of the charges against him, he was forced to flee his homeland, never to see it again. Within months of his departure, the Commonwealth's aggressive neighbors agreed to divide over a quarter of its territory among them. The effort to defend the Commonwealth had failed, but the heroism of Pulaski and other confederates would inspire future generations of their countrymen. Meanwhile, Pulaski faced a difficult exile. After two years in Western Europe, he again joined battle against Russia, this time, on the side of the Turks.
Leaves for America.Their defeat forced him to return to France where, in the summer of 1776, he learned of America's war for independence and sought permission from the Americans to join their forces. Most American colonists were not yet enthusiastic in the support of the war, and George Washington, a commander-in-chief, needed battle-tested officers like Pulaski. Finally, in May 1777, Pulaski received a letter of recommendation from Benjamin Franklin, the American commissioner in Paris, and left for America, landing near Boston in July. In August, he reported to Washington's headquarters near Philadelphia.
Appointed general.On Washington's recommendation, the Continental Congress appointed Pulaski general of the cavalry on September 15, 1777. But even before his formal appointment, he demonstrated his value. At the battle of Brandywine Creek, where Washington's forces suffered a defeat, Pulaski led a counterattack that covered the retreat of the Americans and helped prevent a military disaster. Pulaski spent the winter of 1777 training his soldiers at Trenton, not far from Washington's headquarters at Valley Forge. He introduced new battle drills in an effort to transform them into a highly mobile force. But, realizing that the Americans did not share his conception of the cavalry as a separate combat force, Pulaski asked to be relieved of his position and allowed to form a special infantry and cavalry unit capable of more independent action.
Forming his own unit.With Washington's support, Pulaski gained the consent of Congress on March 28, 1778. It took Pulaski, regarded as "the father of the American cavalry," another five months to form his legion at his headquarters in Baltimore, where he recruited Americans, Frenchmen, Poles, Irishmen, and especially Germans; mainly deserters from the Hessian mercenaries employed by the British. But for some time the American command could not find a suitable role for Pulaski's legion, leading him again to request reassignment. Finally, on February 2,1779, he received orders to proceed to South Carolina to reinforce the southern American forces under British attack. Now Pulaski began his most active period of service in the war with the front line combat he sought. At the head of a troop of some 600, Pulaski arrived in Charleston in May 1779, just in time to contribute to its successful defense against a much larger British force, which after occupying Georgia was steadily advancing northward. This victory proved pivotal in the war in the South as it broke the British momentum and boosted American morale. What remained was to win back the territory that the British had occupied.
Battle of Savannah.Savannah became the fateful goal. Newly arrived French forces under Admiral Charles Henri d'Estaing together with the Americans planned a risky all out assault on the heavily fortified town. The siege began on October 9. The mission of the Pulaski Legion was to follow in behind the French infantry and break down the enemy's line of defense. But the French got caught in a cross fire, and d'Estaing himself was wounded. Awaiting the proper moment for his cavalry to enter the battle, Pulaski could see the infantry breaking ranks under heavy fire. To try to save the situation, he charged forward into the battle only to be grievously wounded himself. Carried from the battlefield, he was put on a ship to be taken back to Charleston, but never regained consciousness. On October 11, 1779, the 32 year old Polish commander died at sea, and was buried in Savannah.
America's recognition.Americans have always recognized Pulaski's heroism and the price he paid for their freedom. Shortly after his death a solemn memorial service was held in Charleston, and, before the end of 1779, the Continental Congress resolved that a monument should be erected in his honor, though a statue was not put into place in Washington, D.C., until 1910. Over the years Americans have kept alive his memory naming many countries, towns, streets, parks, and squares after him. Among those of Polish descent, his fame rivals that of Kosciuszko, who, after his service in the American Revolutionary War, returned to his homeland, where, in 1794, he led an insurrection against the same Russian domination that Pulaski had fought before coming to America. In his first letter to Washington, after arriving in America, Pulaski wrote, "I came here, where freedom is being defended, to serve it, and to live or die for it." He proved true to his word. For this, we honor him as a soldier of Liberty for all. In 1855 a monument to Pulaski designed by Robert Launitz is erected in Monterey Square in Savannah. In 1929 a monument to Pulaski is unveiled in Krynica, Poland; it is the first monument to Pulaski built on Polish soil. In 1967 the Casimir Pulaski museum in Warka-Winiary, Poland opens.
Source:
Casimir Pulaski 1747-1779: A Short Biography Written by, copied and modified with permission of: John J. Kulczycki, Professor Emeritus of History, University of Illinois at Chicago; see
