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Brig. Gen. Casimir Pulaski, "Father of the American Calvalry"
b.6 Mar 1745 Warsaw, Poland
d.11 Oct 1779 Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia
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m. Bef 1745
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[edit] About Casimir PulaskiKazimierz Michał Władysław Wiktor Pułaski of Ślepowron coat of arms (Polish pronunciation: [kaʑiˈmʲɛʂ puˈwaski] English: Casimir Pulaski; March 6, 1745[1] – October 11, 1779) was a Polish nobleman, soldier and military commander who has been called "the father of the American cavalry". Born in Warsaw and following in his father's footsteps he became interested in politics at an early age and soon became involved in the military and the revolutionary affairs in Poland (the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth). Pulaski was one of the leading military commanders for the Bar Confederation and fought against Russian domination of the Commonwealth. When this uprising failed, he was driven into exile. Following a recommendation by Benjamin Franklin, Pulaski emigrated to North America to help in the cause of the American Revolutionary War. He distinguished himself throughout the revolution, most notably when he saved the life of George Washington. Pulaski became a general in the Continental Army, created the Pulaski Cavalry Legion and reformed the American cavalry as a whole. At the Battle of Savannah, while leading a daring charge against British forces, he was gravely wounded, and died shortly thereafter. He has been remembered as a hero who fought for independence and freedom both in Poland and in the United States. Numerous places and events are named in his honor, and he is commemorated by many works of art. Pulaski is one of only seven people to be awarded honorary United States citizenship. He never married, and had no descendants. Despite his fame, there have been uncertainties and controversies surrounding both his place and date of birth and burial. [edit] Personal LifePulaski was born on March 6, 1745, in the manor house of the Pułaski family in Warsaw, Poland.[1][2]a Casimir was the eldest son of Marianna Zielińska and Józef Pułaski, who was an advocatus at the Crown Tribunal, the Starost of Warka, and one of the town's most notable inhabitants. He was a brother of Franciszek Ksawery Pułaski and Antoni Pułaski. His family bore the Ślepowron coat of arms.[3] The Pułaski family was Roman Catholic[4] and early in his youth, Casimir Pulaski attended an elite college run by Theatines, a male religious order of the Catholic Church in Warsaw, but did not finish his education.[3] There is some circumstantial evidence that Pulaski was a Freemason. When Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette laid the cornerstone of the monument erected in Pulaski's honor in Savannah in 1824, a full Masonic ceremony took place with Richard T. Turner, High Priest of the Georgia chapter, conducting the ceremony. Other sources claim Pulaski was a member of the Masonic Army Lodge in Maryland. A Masonic Lodge in Chicago is named Casimir Pulaski Lodge, No.1167 and a brochure issued by them claims he obtained the degree of Master Mason on June 19, 1779, and was buried with full Masonic honors. To date no surviving documents of Pulaski's actual membership have been found.[5] [edit] Military CareerIn 1762, Pulaski started his military career as a page of Carl Christian Joseph of Saxony, Duke of Courland and vassal of the Polish king. He spent six months at the ducal court in Mitau, during which the court was interned in the palaces by the Russian forces occupying the area. He then returned to Warsaw, and his father gave him the village of Zezulińce in Podole; from that time Pulaski used the title of Starost of Zezulińce.
Kazimierz Michał Władysław Wiktor Pułaski of Ślepowron (; 'Casimir Pulaski' ; March 4 or March 6, 1745 October 11, 1779) was a Polish nobleman, soldier, and military commander who has been called, together with his counterpart Michael Kovats de Fabriczy, "the father of the American cavalry." Born in Warsaw and following in his father's footsteps, he became interested in politics at an early age. He soon became involved in the military and in revolutionary affairs in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Pulaski was one of the leading military commanders for the Bar Confederation and fought against the Commonwealth's foreign domination. When this uprising failed, he was driven into exile. Following a recommendation by Benjamin Franklin, Pulaski traveled to North America to help in the American Revolutionary War. He distinguished himself throughout the revolution, most notably when he saved the life of George Washington. Pulaski became a general in the Continental Army, and he and his friend, Michael Kovats, created the Pulaski Cavalry Legion and reformed the American cavalry as a whole. At the Battle of Savannah, while leading a cavalry charge against British forces, he was fatally wounded by grapeshot and died shortly after. Pulaski is remembered as a hero who fought for independence and freedom in Poland and the United States. Numerous places and events are named in his honor, and he is commemorated by many works of art. Pulaski is one of only eight people to be awarded honorary United States citizenship. Analyses since the 1990s of Pulaski's presumed remains have raised the possibility that Pulaski was intersex.
[edit] BiographyYouTube Video: The History Guy; Who was Casimir Pulaski? References
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