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The FReeper Foxhole Profiles Casimir Pulaski - Mar. 15th, 2003
http://www.paulbrozek.com/pulaskipark_2002/pulaski.htm ^

Posted on 03/15/2003 12:00:19 AM PST by SAMWolf

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Count Casimir Pulaski
1747 - 1779

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Introduction


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 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.

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.



TOPICS: VetsCoR
KEYWORDS: biography; casimirpulaski; cavalry; freeperfoxhole; polish; revolutionarywar; veterans
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To: AntiJen
Good post, Jen. Thanks.
61 posted on 03/15/2003 6:34:47 PM PST by Victoria Delsoul
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To: WaterDragon
Thanks WaterDragon. Good to hear you learn something, so do I during the research of from other posters.
62 posted on 03/15/2003 7:05:09 PM PST by SAMWolf (The French are cordially invited to come to Wisconsin and smell our dairy air)
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To: SAMWolf
Big bump for a great American hero, The Father of The American Cavalry, Casimir Pulaski!
63 posted on 03/15/2003 7:18:27 PM PST by Keyes For President
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To: Keyes For President
Thanks for the bump, Keyes For President
64 posted on 03/15/2003 7:35:06 PM PST by SAMWolf (The French are cordially invited to come to Wisconsin and smell our dairy air)
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To: aomagrat; SAMWolf; AntiJen; E.G.C.






65 posted on 03/15/2003 9:19:07 PM PST by PhilDragoo (Hitlery: das Butch von Buchenvald)
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To: SAMWolf; AntiJen; E.G.C.





66 posted on 03/15/2003 9:25:36 PM PST by PhilDragoo (Hitlery: das Butch von Buchenvald)
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To: SAMWolf

An accounting of the men and horses in Count Casimir Pulaski's regiment of light horse,
printed by John Dunlap in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 10, 1779. This
accounting, in the collection at the Chicago Historical Society, was made the day after
Pulaski was fatally wounded in the charge to retake Savannah, Georgia, from the British.

67 posted on 03/15/2003 9:28:37 PM PST by PhilDragoo (Hitlery: das Butch von Buchenvald)
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To: PhilDragoo
I didn't realize there where that many things named after Pulaski. I thought he was just a local Chicago hero.
68 posted on 03/15/2003 9:30:14 PM PST by SAMWolf (I have a dog I trained to kill on command. The command I used is, "Is he friendly?")
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To: SAMWolf
Major* Patrick Ferguson
The Sharp Shooter Who Almost Won the War for the British

by Donald Norman Moran

There has long been a story about a British Major of Sharp Shooters, Patrick Ferguson, and his having had a chance to shoot George Washington. A lot of circumstantial evidence has been gathered making the whole seem plausible, but one missing piece, the identification of a "French Hussar" with him in September of 1777 - before the French were involved. But one eminent scholar has recently noted that in late August of 1777 that Count Casimir Pulaski was temporarily assigned to General Washington as an Aide-de-Camp. Congresses purpose was to famarilize him with the American Army system, before granting him a cavalry command as the first Brigadier General of Cavalry. Here is his story:

One of the most fascinating aspects of historical research is how one obscure statement can open up into a major, although little known incident, with vast implications. While reading John Andrew's 1786 multi-volume work, "The History of the Late War" he alludes to Major Patrick Ferguson taking aim at an American General Officer and his escort, an officer of Hussars. The senior officer is thought to have been none other then General George Washington.

Colonel Mark Boatner in his "Encyclopedia of the American Revolution" also makes brief mention of the incident. Both authors in their brevity leave many questions unanswered. Was it really George Washington in Major Fergusons' sights? Who was Patrick Ferguson? The reference to an officer of Hussars doesn't ring true - there were no Hussars in the American Army, and certainly a professional soldier such as Ferguson could distinguish between a Dragoon and a resplendently attired cavalry type known as a Hussar. Was this another myth? I believe the findings in this article will make interesting reading and prove it really happened.

First, Patrick Ferguson would have been a "hero" of the Revolutionary War, had the British won! He was born in 1744, the son of James Ferguson, an illustrious Scottish jurist. He was educated in the London Military Academy and was given a commission in the famed Scottish cavalry regiment, the Scots Greys. He became interested in musketry and invented a superior weapon to the standard "Brown Bess" musket. His was breech loading and weighed a mere 7.5 pounds (compared with the Brown Bess's 14 pounds). He demonstrated his rifle's capabilities to the British Senior Generals by firing at a rate of 4 rounds per minute at a target 300 yards away. He increased the rate of fire to six rounds a minute at a target 100 yards off.

He so impressed his Majesty, King George III, that he was sent to North America with orders for Sir William Howe, Commander-in-Chief of the British Expeditionary Force, to establish a "Sharp Shooters Corps" to be commanded by Major Ferguson. Unfortunately for we Americans, Ferguson was good. On several occasions his small force was the deciding factor in an engagement.

In the immense collections of the Public Record Office in London is correspondence from Colonel Ferguson. In one of these letters he describes, in some detail, the encounter with General Washington, yet in another he admits he did not know it was Washington at the time.

Ferguson wrote that he and three of his Sharp Shooters were scouting the American lines near Chadd's Ford, along Brandywine Creek (hence the name of the ensuing battle). He and his men heard the approach of two horsemen. The first was a brilliantly clad Hussar and the second rider, a few paces behind, was wearing the traditional blue and buff uniform of an American Senior Officer, mounted on a bay horse and wearing "a remarkably large cocked hat". He also noted that the Officer was of "exceptional distinction". It is obvious that if Ferguson had indeed recognized General Washington he would have said so, and not take the time to describe him as he did. It is important to note that in the 18th century, there were few likenesses published, so Ferguson would have had to have met or at least seen Washington to have recognized him.

Ferguson continued: His first thought was to cut the two riders down where they sat, so he ordered his men "to steal near to them and fire at them". He then changed his mind and signaled his men to hold their fire. He thought his first impulse was "disgusting". He then stepped from his place of concealment and ordered the Hussar, the closest of the two, to step down from his mount. The hussar shouted an alarm. Wahington whirled his horse, Nelson, around and galloped off. Ferguson wrote "As I was with the distance, at which in the quickest firing, I could have lodged a half dozen balls in or about him before he was out of my reach, I had only to determine, but it was not pleasant to fire at the back of an unoffending individual who was acquitting himself coolly of his duty, and so I let him alone."

Four days later, the Battle of Brandywine took place. Major Patrick Ferguson fell when a musket ball struck his right elbow. He would never regain full use of the arm, but continued on active duty and actually learned to load his rifle with one hand!

While in the field hospital recovering from his wound he wrote (obviously with his left hand and with great difficulty) "One of the surgeons who had been dressing the wounded rebel officers came in and told me that they had been informed that General Washington was all that day, (7 September 1777) with the light troops and only attended by a French Officer in Hussar Dress, he himself, dressed and mounted in every point as described."

This letter reaffirms the theory that Ferguson did not know it was Washington he challenged. But, if he had known it was Washington himself, would he have cut him down? This writer thinks not. Shooting down enemy officers in cold blood was looked upon as dishonorable in the 18th century. Major Ferguson was a professional soldier, and an honorable one. He proved that when he and his Sharp Shooters were assigned to support the occupation of the South. In 1779 at Charlestown, South Carolina, Ferguson heard screaming from a "rebel" house. He rushed in immediately and found several of Colonel Banastre Tarleton's Dragoons molesting the women who lived there. He ordered the Dragoons arrested and hung! Tarleton intervened on their behalf and informed Ferguson that the men were entitled to a trial. No record has been found as to who prevailed.

We now turn our attention to confirming the letters of Major Ferguson. None of George Washington's biographers mention the Brandywine incident. Washington did not record the event, which is not surprising, as General Washington had no way of knowing how close to death he had been. However, in the Bicentennial Edition of "The Writings of George Washington" (1933) Volume. IX, Page 195, a letter from Washington's Aide-de-Camp, Robert Harrison, to the President of Congress, John Hancock, states: "Sir; His Excellency being out reconnoitring and busily engaged in the affairs of the Army, I have the honor of acknowledging his receipt of your letter of the 6th", dated on September 7th, 1777. This confirms that Washington was indeed out on a scouting mission.

The Count de Pulaski, a refugee from the Polish Army, was in Paris, France when it was suggested that he serve in the American Army against Britain, which he accepted. Armed with a letter from Benjamin Franklin and a cash advance from Silas Deane he sailed for America. In July of 1777, the 29 year old was accepted by the Congress and was assigned to General Washington as an Aide-de-Camp. We know Pulaski wore the uniform of a Hussar, but no detailed description has survived, we also know he was with Washington in late August and early September. It may well have been Pulaski that Ferguson saw with Washington that eventful day.

Casimir Pulaski went on to command a cavalry unit with great distinction. He was mortally wounded while leading a gallant, but foolhardy, cavalry charge at Savannah, Georgia on October 9th, 1779.

This article would not be complete without offering a word of praise about a gallant fallen enemy, Major Patrick Ferguson, whose code of honor spared the life of the Father of our Country. Patrick Ferguson was killed in action at the Battle of Kings Mountain on October 7th, 1780.

*At the time of the Battle of Brandywine, Ferguson held the rank of Captain. At the time of his death at Kings Mountain he was a Major, and his brevet to Lieutenant Colonel was in transit when he died. Since his name appears on the official rolls with the higher rank, most historians make reference to him as Colonel Ferguson, hence the seeming confusion between various commentators.

The foregoing article drew the following addendum from a historian in Scotland, Dr. Marianne Gilchrist

Dear friends,

I am a Scottish historian, writer and researcher. I have read Pat Ferguson's letter in which he describes the incident with Washington at Brandywine. It is archived in Edinburgh University Library, thanks to whom I quote from it. It was dictated, but signed and dated by himself (left-handedly), and concludes:

"I am not Sorry that I did not know all the time who it was

further this deponent saith not, as his bones were broke a few minutes after

I am yr most truely
P.F.
Philadelphia
Jan: 31 1778"

The identification of the "Huzzar" with Pulaski would make sense of the version of the story which was passed on at second or third hand in 19C which claimed that it was Pulaski, not Washington, whom Pat did not shoot. Pat's own comments make it perfectly clear that Mr. Moran is right in stating that he would not have shot him even if he had known his identity. He was, above all, a professional soldier and an honourable young gentleman.

Pat is not well-known here in his own country, save to a few weaponry-experts, but to those of us who have discovered him, he is a genuine hero. There are two other letters by him in Edinburgh University Library, written in his own handwriting after Brandywine, and detailing his four-month struggle to keep his right arm. The writing is heartbreakingly variable in quality and legibility, but the content shows his indomitable courage and wit, while facing suffering and the threat of amputation. He overcame his disability, only to fall gallantly at King's Mountain aged only 36.

I am deeply touched by the fine tribute paid to his memory by the descendants of former enemies. I hope to write an article or two to make him better known at home.

Sincerely,

Marianne McLeod Gilchrist, M.A. Hons, Ph.D.
St. Andrews,
Fife,
Scotland

69 posted on 03/15/2003 9:37:03 PM PST by PhilDragoo (Hitlery: das Butch von Buchenvald)
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To: PhilDragoo
Imagine how history would have changed, if he took the shot.
70 posted on 03/15/2003 9:56:45 PM PST by SAMWolf (I have a dog I trained to kill on command. The command I used is, "Is he friendly?")
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To: AntiJen
Thank you for the thread. It is especially interesting to me.
71 posted on 03/15/2003 10:12:39 PM PST by Spirited
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To: PhilDragoo
Very interesting. Thanks Phil!
72 posted on 03/15/2003 10:13:25 PM PST by Jen (Support our Troops * Stand up to Terrorists * Liberate Iraq)
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To: Spirited; SAMWolf
Thank you for your post. I'm going to ping SAMWolf who does all the hard work. I just get to ping the list each day and have fun on the thread! hahahaha

WELCOME!! Stick around and post with us. We love hearing personal stories.
73 posted on 03/15/2003 10:23:36 PM PST by Jen (Support our Troops * Stand up to Terrorists * Liberate Iraq)
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To: AntiJen; Spirited
Thanks Jen.

Glad you like the thread Spirited
74 posted on 03/15/2003 10:27:18 PM PST by SAMWolf (I have a dog I trained to kill on command. The command I used is, "Is he friendly?")
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To: SAMWolf; AntiJen
BUMPSKI!

75 posted on 03/16/2003 1:49:59 AM PST by ppaul
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To: PhilDragoo
BTTT!!!!!
76 posted on 03/16/2003 3:10:59 AM PST by E.G.C.
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To: PhilDragoo
BTTT!!!!!
77 posted on 03/16/2003 3:11:18 AM PST by E.G.C.
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To: AntiJen
BTTT!!!!!
78 posted on 03/16/2003 3:12:36 AM PST by E.G.C.
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To: SAMWolf
I thought he was just a local Chicago hero

Lots of schools and at least one county in Wisconsin and one in Indiana. I, myself, am a proud graduate of Casimir Pulaski Senior High School in Milwaukee.

79 posted on 03/17/2003 5:57:43 AM PST by John O (God Save America (Please))
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Comment #80 Removed by Moderator


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