Article from Military Illustrated  Issue 116

This article was transcribed using voice recognition software and there may be errors in the text.

Count Casimir Pulaski was a fierce fighter for national freedom, whether it be in his native Poland or for the newly emerging United States of America, but his ambitions were frequently let down by the realities of war, as Robin Smith explains.

Of the many foreign adventurers who fought in the American Revolution, none had such a colorful career or so tragic an end as Count Casimir Pulaski. But although the Polish born aristocrat, dubbed the father of the American cavalry, has been commemorated at several locations across the United States--- including a handsome statue on the Western Plaza, Washington D.C.--- in the pantheon of American cavalry heroes, Pulaski is overshadowed by names like Light Horse Harry Lee, Custer, Stuart and Sheridan.

Casimir Pulaski skills as a cavalry leader and his ideals of fighting for liberty, were shape by the to political situation in his native Poland. Dominated by Russia, Austria and Prussia, 18th-century Poland was a country in turmoil. Foreign Saxon Kings sat on the throne and the glory days when Polish might had delivered the coup de grace to Turkish forces besieging Vienna, were long gone. The Polish army had become small and under equipped.

When King Augustus III died in 1763, Catherine the Great of Russia installed her former lover, Stanislas August Poniatowski as Poland's new monarch. The Polish nobility were further enraged when members of the Russian Orthodox church were given the same rights as Roman Catholic Poles.

Casimir Pulaski's father, Joseph Pulaski said about organizing insurrection with Casimir and his two older brothers. The Pulaski's were lawyers, not professional soldiers; but they gathered up a band of followers and for the Confederation with a military wing, noticed the Knights of the Holy Cross, for the fight against the Russians. The Knight's list of rules gave specific instructions as to how the latter day Crusaders should behave, equipped themselves and dress.

"The members will have no correspondence with enemies of the fate with Catholics were not played should the order. Each sworn Knight need have not more than one or two horses, pistols, sword and standard. He will be properly outfitted and will wear on his left-sided and on his cap the sign of the Holy Cross, according to the old model, in Crimson colour. He is also to have with him a high Tarter cap and a green or gray uniform and is to bring no carriage or cart unless he is a commander."

Casimir Pulaski's baptism of fire came in a clash with Russian cavalry in the spring of 1768 near the Polish village of Podhorele, where after a three-hour fight the Knights of the holy Cross saw the Russians off.

Claiming his force numbered 400 men, while the Russians numbered 2000, Pulaski signed his report of the battle as guerrilla colonel.

Despite the setback, a short time later, of his force being ambushed by Russian troops, Pulaski grew ambitious. With a force of more than 1000 men, he occupied the ancient Polish monastery at Berdyczow against the Russians. But ammunition began to run so low, that his men were forced to shoot lumps of stone and shards of glass out of their cannon. The garrison surrendered and Pulaski was captured but later paroled.

The Pulaski family’s continuing fight against the Russians cost them dearly. Joseph Pulaski and one of Casimir's brothers were imprisoned, while Casimir's other brother, Franiszek was mortally wounded by a pistol ball during a battle near the Polish town of Orzechow, where Pulaski’s forces were surprised by the Russians. Pulaski lost 500 men in the battle and most of his guns and supplies. As he further act of humiliation, Russian Cossacks auctioned off his dead brother’s uniform.

There was worse to come. The Pulaski fairly states were confiscated and Casimir's mother had to flee in disguise to avoid Russian recrimination. But all this appears not to have dimmed Pulaski's fighting spirit and in 1771 Pulaski achieved legendary status when he defeated a Russian force surrounding the monastery at Czestochowa.

The monastery was a great place of pilgrimage and also doubled as a fortress. Apart from its religious significance, the monastery's other attractions were its impressive selection of cannon, large supplies of gunpowder and a valuable collection of precious stones and gold stored in its vaults. Pulaski moved his forces into the monastery and refused to parlay when a flag of truce was sent by the Russians. He threatened to hang any future Russian negotiators, even if they were carrying a white flag.

Before the siege began, Pulaski led a mounted sortie out of the monastery to attack a Russian gun position, but the raid almost cost him his life. The mission proved a success, but on his way back, Pulaski tumbled from his horse catching his spurs in his cloak. A Russian soldier was about to strike Pulaski dead as he struggled to get up, but Pulaski managed to fumble for his pistol and shot the Russian down, before making good his escape.

When the siege began, the Russians forced Polish peasants to carry their scaling ladders and bunches of branches to fill the monastery's moat, but the monastery's ancient walls could not be breached. Pulaski's man hurled fireballs and rocks and stones down on the attackers, who became dispirited after their first assault failed.

The Russians abandoned their positions around Czestochowa and Pulaski’s staunch defense of the monastery became Poland's greatest military victory since Jan Sobieski and his forces had defeated the Turks besieging Vienna in 1683.

Pulaski was congratulated on his victory by the royal courts of Sweden, Prussia, France and England, but his success also meant that many people were jealous of him, among them a French officer and Polish sympathizer called Dumouriez. In one letter he described Pulaski in less than flattering terms;" He is an impulsive and haughty young man. More haughty than ambitious."

Feuds continued to breakout in the Polish leadership and despite their reverse at Czestochowa, the Russians were able to regain their power base in Poland. Pulaski had another lucky escape from the Russians, during an action near the River Ilza. Wounded in the arm by a lance thrust Pulaski fell in some quicksand, the but he was dragged out by one of his man.

One of the more ambitious plans to regain Polish sovereignty was to kidnap Poland ‘imposter king’ who had been installed by Catherine the Great. The plot failed and even though Pulaski was said to have played no part, his enemies saw that they could make great political capital out of blaming him for it, especially when it was alleged that their had been plans to murder Poniatowski, to remove him from the Polish throne permanently.

Honorable war was one thing, kidnap and regicide quite another. Pulaski's reputation was unfairly and irreparably damaged in a wave of revulsion that swept across Europe, breaking Pulaski and his long cherished dreams of a free Poland. Pulaski and what remained of his followers took refuge at Czestochowa, the site of their great victory against the Russians.

But Pulaski increasingly came to feel that the fight was over for the time being and there was nothing to be gained by staying in Poland. His followers might be treated more harshly when the and inevitably came and he was still with them. Pulaski must have also hope that he might be able to enlist foreign aid for his beleaguered country by going abroad.

In the dead night, accompanied by a handful of his staff, Pulaski rode away from the fortress and headed for the Silesian border. He was destined never to see Poland again. During his travels, Pulaski applied for a commission in the French army but he was rejected and he went to Turkey to try and raise support against the Russians. But Pulaski's visit unfortunately coincided with a Russian victory over the Turks and he beat a hasty retreat back to France.

By now, Pulaski was heavily in debt and his situation was made worse because he had taken up gambling, Pulaski with the lowest ebb of his career and he was arrested by police in Marseilles and thrown into a debtor's prison. Fortunately, many of Pulaski's former acquaintances found thought of the former military hero rotting in jail to difficult to bear, and pay off most of his debts. Pulaski was a freeman again in able to live modestly.

The news of the outbreak of the American Revolution and that the fledgling Continental Army was anxious to recruit experienced officers, greatly excited Pulaski was so parallels between the Polish and American struggled for freedom. Pulaski wrote to Silas Deane, the 13 colonies’ representative in Paris, but it was another American representatives, Benjamin Franklin, arranged Pulaski's passage to the colonies and wrote a glowing letter of introduction for Pulaski to present to General Washington.

Pulaski asked Washington for towel re-command, but responsibility for issuing commissions had to be approved by Congress and Pulaski was left clicking his heels with impatience. Impressed with Pulaski's credentials, Washington wrote to John Hancock the president of the Continental Congress recommending the Pulaski be put in charge of the for newly raised regiments of light dragoons, but Congress would not be hurried.

Pulaski volunteered to serve as an aide to General Washington and won his American spurs at the battle of Brandywine in September 1777. The day was going badly for Washington, the right wing of his Army was about to break and the center was in great danger of crumbling.

Pulaski rode up to Washington, asking if he could lead a charge of the General's headquarters cavalry against the British, to stem the tide of advancing red coats. Washington grated request and Pulaski led a tiny force of about 30 men, who pitched into the surprised British, hitting them with such forced that their attack was delayed and the American withdrawal covered.

Hearing the news of Pulaski's brave charge, Congress was now quick to offer Pulaski commission. He was made a brigade general and commander of the horse. Pulaski at last had a proper position in the Continental Army, but trying to organize and equipped four regiments of light dragoons to effectively, would be no easy task. The weakness of the dollar meant it was difficult to purchase mounts. Arms and equipment were also difficult to come by, particularly the specialized equipment that cavalry requires.

As so often happened in Pulaski's career, the glory he achieved would soon be dampened. At the Battle of Germantown in October 1777, Pulaski's understrength cavalry force virtually sat the battle out and this inactivity gave rise to bizarre story. In 1822, 39 years after the revolution had ended, Judge William Johnson claimed in his book about revolutionary war hero Nathaniel Greene, that Washington had found Pulaski asleep in a farmhouse during the Battle of Germantown. The accusation was strenuously denied by Pulaski former aide, Captain Bentalou and Marquis de Lafayette-the most famous foreign volunteer to have fought in the Revolution.

Following Germantown, Pulaski made the best use of the small numbers of cavalry he had his disposal scouting and skirmishing with the enemy. Pulaski won a small victory at Chestnut Hill in November 1777, but overall these were bleak times for the Americans. The bulk of Washington's forces spent the winter in miserable conditions at Valley Forge, while the cavalry was sent to Trenton and Pulaski set about training his men properly.

The four regiments of cavalry drilled together and it should have been a time when the American dragoons united with their leader, but there was resentment against the Polish aristocrat and his Polish aides. Pulaski's superior attitude upset a lot of his American born personnel who also found his lack of English annoying.

Some officers, such as Thomas Bland and who commanded the 1st Continental Light Dragoons, undoubtedly got along well with Pulaski; and indeed prejudices against him may have been ironed out if it had not been for the attitude of Stephen Moylan who commanded the 4^th Continental Light Dragoons. The gruff ambitious Irishman felt he had been passed over and was deeply upset the Pulaski had been made Brigade General of the American cavalry. Moylan was charged with disobeying Pulaski and striking Pulaski's aide John Zielinski.

A court martial decided that Moylan was not guilty, but the animosity between Moylan, Zielinski and Pulaski's other Polish officers continued.

During a drilled session Zielinski accidentally unseated Moylan with a lance and was later reprimanded by General Washington himself. Trouble flared again when a Polish officer tried to arrest two of Moylan's men, who he claimed had been disrespectful to him.

Because of the increasing friction and his continued frustrated efforts to mount, arm and equip his men properly, Pulaski found that he could no longer effectively fill his role as commander of America’s first regular cavalry units. The time for compromises had run out and in March 1778 Pulaski resigned from his post. His last action as Brigadier General, had been writing to General Mad Anthony Wayne’s assistance, taking part in a spirited action at Haddonsfield, New Jersey, during Wayne’s expedition to collect cattle.

Washington excepted Pulaski's resignation and was generous with his complements when he wrote to him. "Your intention to resign is founded on reasons which I presume make you think the measure necessary. I can only say that it will always give me pleasure to bear testimony to the zeal and bravery which you have displayed on every occasion."

Pulaski was still ambitious and put for the idea of creating an independent corps. Washington in Congress look favorably on the idea. They appreciated Pulaski's loyal service in the face of a difficult situation and felt that with Pulaski's creation of his own force, he would continue to render valuable service without the prejudice that had so deeply wounded him.

On April 4th 1778, Congress authorized Pulaski to create Legion comprising 68 lancers and 200 infantrymen. Washington gave Pulaski permission appoint his own officers and Pulaski gathered a strong cadre of fellow Europeans around him. Paul Bentalou, Pulaski's most trusted officer, was appointed as a captain, while John Zielinski the man who had unhorsed Moylan was made lieutenant. Col. Michael Kovats who had served in the armies of Austria, France and Prussia was put in charge of Pulaski's lancers.

Washington stipulated that the rank-and-file of the cavalry Pulaski's Legion, should all be native born Americans with "ties of property and family connections". As a nucleus for his cavalry, Pulaski was authorized to take two mounted, armed and equipped troopers of his choosing, from each of the four Continental Light Dragoon regiments. This move must have greatly angered Pulaski's old nemesis, Stephen Moylan, who had finally achieved his ambition of commanding the Continental Light Dragoons, following Pulaski's resignation from the post.

Making his headquarters in Baltimore, Pulaski was able to draw men from the German speaking communities of Maryland and Pennsylvania for his Legion infantry and soldiers who had deserted from Hessian forces were also recruited. Congress had approved that Pulaski could recruit one-third of his legion infantry from deserters; and he took this a step further by also recruiting prisoners of war. General Washington ordered that all such recruits should immediately be returned to confinement.

For a time, Pulaski had ambitions for his Legion at sea as well as on land. An unused ship at anchor in Baltimore Harbor, gave Pulaski the idea that the braid could be turned into a privateer, raiding British shipping with his men serving aboard as Marines. But Pulaski nautical plans were turned down by the ship's owner and the Maryland authorities.

Pulaski’s seaboard aspirations may have been rejected, but ironically his Legion’s baptism of fire had a nautical flavor. The southern coast of New Jersey was a haven for American privateers who landed supplies of arms and goods vital for the American cause. Annoyed at this thorn in their side, the British sent a force, largely Loyalist, commanded by Captain Patrick Ferguson, the inventor of the Ferguson breached loading rifle.

As part of an American force to stop the advance on any British landings, Pulaski's Legion occupied the shoreline around the area of Little Egg Harbor. The British came ashore at the Little Egg Harbor River destroying ships and property. But they were wary of advancing further, until they had scouting out American positions, especially the threat posed by American artillery which they heard was in the area.

Place he's Legion should have swept down and smashed the British in one glorious blow, but the reality of the situation was very different. Lt. Gustav Juliet, one of the Legion’s Hessian deserters, had had a furious row with the commander of the Legion infantry and with five companions deserted. Juliet led Ferguson and his British troops to the position occupied by the Legion infantry and in a surprise attack more than 40 of Pulaski's foot soldiers were killed. Pulaski and his cavalry were quickly on the scene and the British retired. But with so many of the Legion dead, it was hardly a glorious victory and reinforced General Washington's misgivings about Pulaski's recruitment of Hessian turncoats.

Pulaski rebuilt his battered forces and for a time the Legion served on the New York frontier, guarding against raids by Iroquois Indians and Loyalists. But the dense with land was not really suitable for the deployment of cavalry and there was little chance for glory.

When the tide of war shifted southward, Pulaski and his Legion were ordered to Charleston. The city was threatened by a large advancing British force and perhaps the situation reminded Pulaski of the Russian siege at Czestochowa, during his glory days in Poland. Pulaski planned to ambush the British. His cavalry would sting the enemy and then retire, luring the British into fire from the Legion infantry.

At first his team worked well; but instead of staying put, the Legion infantry rushed forward and in the confusion a third were slaughtered. Among the dead were Col. Michael Kovats and John's Zielinski who was mortally wounded. Carried from the battlefield, Zielinski languished in a Charleston hospital for two months before he died.

Despite the costly battle, Pulaski was praised for his adventurous attack which had delayed the British assault on Charleston and shortly afterward the city was saved by the timely arrival of American reinforcements. Pulaski served as chief negotiator between American and French forces during plans to relieve the city of Savannah which had become a strong British foothold in the South. The situation offered a chance for fresh glory and again he must have seen parallels with his early days in Poland -- but the end of Pulaski's career was drawing near.

During the American and French attack on Savannah, Pulaski was mortally wounded. It has passed into legend and also been commemorated in several pictures, the Pulaski was shot off his horse leading a cavalry charge, but it seems that Pulaski died in less spectacular circumstances when he was on his way to take control of French forces after their commander, d’Estaing, had been wounded.

Riding across the French lines, Pulaski was shot in the groin. Gallantly the British held their fire, while the stricken count was carried from the field. Medical officers from the French army examined Pulaski, but they could do nothing and it was decided to put Pulaski on an American ship the Wasp, and take him to Charleston. On October 11th, 1779, shortly after the voyage had begun, Pulaski died. He was 32 years old. Because the weather was very humid and there were no means of preserving his body, it was decided to bury Pulaski at sea. He was laid to rest somewhere off the Georgia coast. A fitting end for the cavalry commander who had aspirations to be a marine.

References

Soldier of Liberty, Casimir Pulaski, Clarence A. Manning, Philosophical Library, New York, 1943

Washington's Eyes the Continental Light Dragoons, Burt Garfield Loescher, The Old Army Press, 1977

Standards and Colors of the American Revolution, Edward W.Richardson, University of Pennsylvania Press, 1982

Dress and Equipment of Pulaski's Independent Legion, Donald W. Holst and Marko Zlatich, Military Collector and Historian, Vol. XVI No. 4 Winter 1964

America's First Cavalry, Continental Light Dragoons, 1776-1783, Robin Smith, military illustrated, August 1995, No. 87.

Pulaski and the Birth of American Cavalry, David T. Zabecki, Military History, March 1997.

The United States Cavalry, Gregory J W Urwin, Blandford Books, 1983

The Horse Soldiers 1776-1943, Volume 1, Randy Steffen, University of Oklahoma Press, 1977

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