Kazimierz Pułaski :: Casimir Pulaski (1747 – 1779)

("Kah-ZHEE-myesh Pooh-WAHSS-kee"; in the USA, often written "Casimir Pulaski"; Warka, Poland, March 4/6, 1745 – October 11/15, 1779, Savannah, Georgia) was a Polish nobleman (szlachcic) of the Ślepowron coat-of-arms.


Biography

As a soldier and military commander, Kazimierz Pułaski fought in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth against the Russian Tsarist Empire. From 1768 to 1772, he participated in the Bar Confederation, which aimed to curtail Russian hegemony over the Commonwealth.

From 1777 to his death, Pułaski fought in the American Revolutionary War for the independence of the United States. He was a noted cavalryman and, as the "Father of the American Cavalry," created Pulaski's Legion, one of the few cavalry regiments in the American Continental Army. He took part in the Siege of Charleston, South Carolina, and the siege of Savannah, Georgia.

On October 9, 1779, Pułaski — during a cavalry charge, while probing for a weak point in the British lines at the Battle of Savannah — was wounded in the groin by grapeshot. He was carried from the field by several comrades, including Colonel John C. Cooper, and taken aboard the privateer merchant brigantine Wasp. Two days later, on October 11, 1779, without having regained consciousness, he died of his wounds.

According to several contemporary witnesses, including Pułaski's aide-de-camp, he was buried at sea. A long-standing rumor, however, has it that the wounded Pułaski was actually taken to Greenwich plantation near Savannah, where he died and was buried. In 2004, an eight-year examination of remains buried at the plantation ended inconclusively.


Tributes

Statue of Kazimierz Pułaski at Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC.One of the first tributes to Pułaski was paid when George Washington on 17 November 1779 issued a challege-and-password set for identifying friend and foe when crossing military lines: "Query: Pulaski, Response: Poland." The American Civil War Fort Pulaski National Monument is named in honor of Kazimierz Pułaski. A US Navy submarine, USS Casimir Pulaski, has been named for him, as was a 19th-century Coast Guard cutter [1].

The United States has long commemmorated Pułaski's contributions to the American War of Independence, but Polish immigration in the 20th century accelerated the interest. By Presidential Proclamation, every October 11 is "General Pulaski Memorial Day," dedicated to Pułaski's memory and to the heritage of Polish-Americans. Grand Rapids, Michigan, each October celebrates "Pulaski Days." The state of Kentucky has by law, since before 1942, recognized General Pulaski's Day. The state of Illinois has since 1977 celebrated Casimir Pulaski Day on the first Monday of March, doubtless due to the large Polish population of Chicago; Pulaski Road, one of Chicago's major arteries, is named for him. Wisconsin and Indiana extend similar recognition, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, also holds an annual parade and school holiday.

Named after Pulaski are counties in several states, including Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri and Virginia, as well as a village in Wisconsin. A bridge on Interstate 65 over the Kankakee River in Indiana is named after him. The Pulaski Skyway in northern New Jersey and the Pulaski Bridge in New York City are dedicated to him.

In the movie, Year of the Dragon, a drug-smuggling ship crucial to the finale is called the Kazimierz Pułaski.

American singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens titled a song "Casimir Pulaski Day" on his album, Illinois, in which the singer's love dies of cancer on Casimir Pulaski Day.