A Short Biography of Casimir Pulaski

Count Casimir Pulaski (1748-1779) was born in Poland. He was the eldest son of Joseph Pulaski, a partisan military leader. He received a military education while in the service of Duke Charles of Courland. In 1767, Casimir returned to Poland to join his father as a founders of the Confederation of Barr in 1768. Upon his father’s death in 1769, he carried on as military commander. His greatest success was in taking from the Russians and holding Jasna Gora at Czestochowa, the holiest place in Poland, home of the portrait of the Black Madonna. News of his outstanding defense spread throughout Europe, however soon afterwards Casimir was implicated in a plot to kill King Stanislaus Poniatowski of Poland. As a result, Pulaski's estates were confiscated and he was forced into exile.

Pulaski went to Paris in 1775, where he met with Benjamin Franklin, who was seeking French support for the American War of Independence. Pulaski joined the American cause and came to this country in March, 1777. He went to Philadelphia where he joined George Washington’s Army just before the Battle of Brandywine. Under Washington’s orders, he led a scouting party who discovered that the British were about to cut off the line of retreat. Gathering cavalry and troops in the area, he led a daring surprise charge against the British which enabled the American troops to escape. Four days later, Washington recommended that Pulaski be commissioned as a brigadier-general and placed in charge of the cavalry. He saved the army from a surprise at Warren tavern, near Philadelphia, took part in the battle of Germantown, and in the winter of 1777-8 contributed to the defeat of a British division at Haddonfield, New Jersey.

The cavalry officers would not take orders from a foreigner who could barely speak English and whose ideas of discipline and tactics differed from theirs. These circumstances induced Pulaski to resign his command in March, 1778, and return to Valley Forge, where he was assigned to special duty. At his suggestion, which was adopted by Washington, Congress authorized the formation of a corps of lancers and light infantry, in which even deserters and prisoners of war might enlist. This corps became famous as the Pulaski's Legion and numbered about 350 men. In the autumn he was ordered to Little Egg Harbor with his legion. A German deserter who held a subordinate command in the legion and had a grudge against Colonel de Bosen, betrayed their whereabouts to the British, who attacked De Bosen's camp at night. Pulaski assembling his cavalry and repelled the enemy, but the legion lost 40 men. During the winter he was stationed at Ninisink, New Jersey. In the Spring, he was ordered to South Carolina and entered Charleston on May 8, 1779. The city was invaided by 900 British soldiers. Pulaski made a furious assault upon them, but was repelled. The governor and the city council were inclined to surrender, but Pulaski held the city till the arrival of support on 13 May. The British retreated in the night and Pulaski, hovering upon the enemy's flanks, harassed them till they evacuated South Carolina.

In September Pulaski was ordered to move toward Savannah. Before the enemy was aware of his presence, he captured an outpost, and, after several skirmishes, established permanent communications with the French fleet at Beaufort. He rendered great services during the siege of Savannah, and in the assault of October 9th, he commanded the whole cavalry, both French and American. Toward the close of the action he was shot in the upper right thigh, and was taken to the U.S. brig" Wasp." He died there and he was buried at a nearby plantation . A monument to his memory was erected by the citizens of Savannah. Gen. Lafayette laid the cornerstone during his visit to the U.S. in 1824. A box containing what is believed to be the bones of Gen. Pulaski was found under the monument during recent renovation. Thus this hero of two countries is remembered each year, on the first day of March.