Casimir Pulaski

October 11th, 1779 Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski, Polish volunteer serving the United States of America in the Continental Army, died of wounds sustained at the Battle of Savannah in Georgia.

Pulaski, despite his wealth and status in his native country of Poland, was stirred by the American cause and volunteered to fight for the fledgling nation. Like several prominent European officers, Pulaski was recruited in France by Benjamin Franklin with the help of the Marquis de Lafayette. In a letter written to George Washington, Pulaski wrote, “I came here, where freedom is being defended, to serve it, and to live or die for it.”

Though without rank, Pulaski fought at the Battle of Brandywine in 1777, serving as an Aide to General Washington. When the tide of the battle turned against the Americans, Pulaski, an expert horseman, rallied the mounted troops in the area and led a charge that stopped the British advance and allowed the Continental Army to retreat intact, directly saving the life of George Washington. His actions on the field brought him immediate fame, and he was commissioned as a Brigadier General tasked with creating the first official American Cavalry units.

During the Winter of 1777/1778, as the Continentals camped and trained at Valley Forge, Pulaski removed to Trenton, New Jersey to recruit and train cavalry officers and enlisted men. Pulaski, a fiery leader who spoke no English, struggled to train men despite the help of American General Anthony Wayne. He returned to Valley Forge in the Spring of 1778, but soon went south to Virginia to recruit and train more cavalry.

Pulaski found more success in the south, and soon had a highly capable force of more than 300, their training and equipment financed by Pulaski’s own money. Pulaski’s forceful personality and tough training at first rubbed many the wrong way, but soon his unit was the pride of the Southern Command, earning Pulaski the title of “Father of the American Cavalry”.

Pulaski’s unit fought in several small actions around Virginia, but he was ordered to South Carolina in 1779 to serve under General Benjamin Lincoln and command the entire American Cavalry. Soon they marched into Georgia to retake the city of Savannah, which had been captured by the British the year before. Pulaski’s unit, at the vanguard of the army, took heavy casualties and was forced to retreat. The Americans, bolstered by a force of French soldiers, attempted to lay siege to the city. But days of bombardment had little effect, so a direct assault was ordered by French commander Charles Henri Hector d’Estaing. The attack was thrown back suffering heavy losses. With both American and French ground troops and cavalry in full retreat, Pulaski attempted to rally the men and was hit by cannon fire. He was taken from the battlefield, but his wounds were too great to overcome and he died two days later.

Pulaski’s bravery was legendary even while he lived, and he was highly respected among his piers. He is considered a national hero in both his native Poland, and in the United States of America, where many counties and towns are named in his honor. There are also hundreds of memorials and statues of the brave General, and many celebrations are still held in his honor, including Pulaski Day parades held in New York City and Chicago. Several US Navy ships have borne Pulaski’s name, along with many roads, bridges, and town squares. In Poland, Pulaski’s legacy is equally as great, and his bravery and sacrifice is rightfully remembered with pride by Polish-Americans to this very day, forever bonding the two nations by his courage and utmost devotion to the cause of Freedom.