Kosciuszko, Hero of Poland and the USA
Following the second partition of Poland there ensues a short period of national history which centres around the personality of one man—Andrew Thaddeus Bonaventura Kosciuszko (pronounced Ko-schus-ko). This man, who…
Location: Sienniewicza, Lithuania; United States of America; London, England
Note: This article has been excerpted from a larger work in the public domain and shared here due to its historical value. It may contain outdated ideas and language that do not reflect TOTA’s opinions and beliefs.
From Poland of To-Day and Yesterday by Nevin O. Winter, 1913.
Following the second partition of Poland there ensues a short period of national history which centres around the personality of one man—Andrew Thaddeus Bonaventura Kosciuszko (pronounced Ko-schus-ko). This man, who is honoured wherever liberty is cherished, was born in the chateau of Sienniewicza, in Lithuania, on the 12th of February, 1746. His father was one of the szlackta, or landed gentry, but not of a prominent family.
The youthful Tadeusz, as it is written in Polish, was taken under the wing of the Czartoryski family, and given a good military training. He was first sent to the military academy in Warsaw, and from 1769 to 1774 he completed his military education in Germany, Italy and France—and especially in the military school of Versailles, near Paris. Here this Polish youth, at the impressionable age of early manhood, imbibed the liberal republican ideas so prevalent in the France of that day, and which later developed into the French Revolution. He is said to have been a hard and apt student in school, and made a most favourable impression upon his instructors.
When Kosciuszko returned to his own country in 1774, he found his fatherland in despair, and shorn of all her elements of greatness. The Diet had been compelled to submit to a humiliating surrender of a large part of the national domains. The country was governed by a weak king; it was tyrannized over by a corrupt and effeminate aristocracy, which had more pride than good sense.
Kosciuszko volunteered his services to his country, and was made a captain of artillery. Here, as in many other instances, a Polish woman helped to make history. Kosciuszko fell in love with the daughter of a noble, the Panna Ludwika Sosnowska, a clever and beautiful young woman, if reports are to be believed.
He did this, too, while he was tutoring her in some studies. This was a terrible thing in old Poland, for a penniless soldier to aspire to the hand of a daughter of one of the oldest families. Such an alliance could not be considered for a moment. The father packed the young lady off to parts unknown, thus nipping the romance in the bud. She afterwards married a Polish nobleman, and we have no further interest in her history. Kosciuszko remained true to his first love, and never married.
This incident, bitter as it was to the young lover, meant much to the New World. It was disappointment in love that brought Kosciuszko to the shores of America. Distance alone seemed to promise forgetfulness. He fled to Paris, hoping to enlist in the army there, but there seemed no hope of military glory in France just then. It was in Paris that he met Benjamin Franklin, envoy to France from the colonies, and heard of their struggle with England for liberty. He sailed for America in 1776, carrying with him a letter of introduction from Franklin to Washington.
As soon as Kosciuszko reached the colonies he proceeded to the headquarters of Washington. The interview between the two men is reported as follows:
“What do you seek here?” Washington asked of the young Pole. “I come to fight as a volunteer for American independence," Kosciuszko answered. "What can you do? " said Washington, “Try me," was the laconic reply.
Washington did try Kosciuszko, and he found him worthy of his confidence. It was on the 18th of October, 1776, that he entered the official family of the revolutionary commander as colonel of engineers. For eight years his name is a part of our national history. His fame ranks along with that of Lafayette and DeKalb.
Kosciuszko really taught the Colonials the science of fortifications. He planned the fortified camp of General Bates at Semis's Heights in 1777. He was the principal engineer in the construction of West Point, where a monument of white marble was erected in his honour in 1828. When the Society of the Cincinnati was organized, Kosciuszko was made a member. Congress bestowed upon him the rank of brigadier-general.
After the close of the Revolutionary War Kosciuszko returned to his fatherland. Great as his reputation was in this country, communication was so poor with the outside world that only fragmentary accounts of it had reached Poland, although little by little it began to infiltrate. One reported incident is the remark of Stanislaus when he saw the inscription “omnia relinquit servare rempublicam” on the insignia of the Cincinnati order.
"Methinks," said the king, “this inscription savours somewhat of fanaticism.” He hinted that there might be equally important duties nearer home as fighting for an alien people in an unknown land.
For a few years after his return Kosciuszko lived in comparative retirement on his estate. In 1789, however, he was appointed general of a brigade. Experienced officers were very much needed in the Polish army at this time, which the government was endeavouring to rehabilitate. A little later he resigned, being thoroughly dissatisfied with the conditions, and left the country along with many other Polish officers. But he came back and served with distinction under Prince Joseph Poniatowski, as mentioned in the preceding chapter. It was after the second partition that the most dramatic event in the life of Kosciuszko, and one of the most spectacular in the history of Poland, occurred.
It is not surprising that the Poles were dissatisfied and the loyal patriots almost desperate after the second partition. The old wound had not yet healed, and it was opened afresh. Russia immediately ordered the reduction of the Polish army, which still numbered twenty-five thousand men. This order precipitated the explosion. Arrests of patriots were made almost daily.
A conspiracy at once arose in Warsaw, although many of the leaders of the patriots had already fled to Dresden and Leipzig. Among these was Kosciuszko. One leader refused to disband his troops, and set out for Cracow with his force of about seven hundred cavalry. At his approach the inhabitants of this ancient capital rose and expelled the Russian garrison. Five thousand scythes were made and distributed among the peasants for weapons. In the meantime the patriots had sent two emissaries to Kosciuszko at Leipzig, where he was living, and offered the command to him. With the cautiousness characteristic of him he sent friends to Warsaw to find out the real state of public feeling. He advanced to the borders of Oalida, where he awaited their reports.
On the 23rd of March, 1794, Koscinszko entered Cracow, and on the following day he was proclaimed generalissimo. He was given absolute power in command of the armies, and in the regulation of all affairs, political and civil. A deed of insurrection was drawn up, and Kosciuszko was appointed dictator. Seldom indeed has such unqualified confidence been placed in a single individual. His first act was to summon all the nobles and citizens, to impose a property tax, and make all the requisite arrangements which prudence dictated with regard to his army. A provisional government had already installed itself at Warsaw, composed of the men who favoured the constitution of 1791. King Stanislaus remained in his palace, respected but watched, and was not allowed to take any active part in the government.
On the old square in Cracow, and at a place which is now marked by a commemorative tablet, Kosciuszko took a solemn oath of fealty in the presence of a large concourse of people. He was dressed as he chanced to be, in the simplest of garb, for simplicity of tastes, and especially in the matter of dress, was always one of his characteristics. The oath was as follows:
“I, Thaddeus Kosciuszko, swear to the Polish nation, in presence of the God, that I will never employ the power which has been entrusted to me against any citizen; but I will exert it only to defend the integrity of my country, to recover the national independence, and to strengthen the general liberty of the nation. So help me, God!”
On the 1st of April Kosciuszko left Cracow at the head of an army of about four thousand. Most of his troops were simply peasants armed with scythes. He headed straight for the village of Raclawice, where a Russian force three times his own was quartered. Kosciuszko forced the battle, and drew up his little army in three divisions. The few guns he had, and a small force of armed regulars, did terrible execution. Then, with a shout, two thousand peasants armed with their terrible scythes charged the Russians. The shooting and the glitter of the scythes seemed to unnerve the Muscovites. The battle lasted nearly five hours, but victory fell to the Poles and over three thousand Russians were killed. Twelve cannon and many small arms were taken in this one great success of the revolution. This first victory was only a few miles northeast from Cracow.
The success at Raclawice accelerated the development of the armed resistance of the patriots, and the insurrection in Poland became general. It extended all the way from Cracow to Vilna. In vain did the king issue a proclamation denouncing the patriots as enemies. The victory of Raclawice had electrified all Poland. Cries of “Long live Kosciuszko” spread all over Poland. Even far-away Vilna expelled the Russian commander.
The tocsin of war was sounded in all the churches. The Polish troops and citizens in Warsaw turned against the Russians, and for two days a bloody battle waged in the streets of that city. Notwithstanding the superiority in numbers, the Russians were defeated with a loss of twenty-two hundred killed and almost as many taken prisoners. General Igelstrom had great difficulty in escaping with his life.
Nothing seemed able to withstand the impetuosity of these patriots, who were fighting for home and liberty. A council of administration was established in Warsaw, and allegiance given to the movement headed by Kosciuszko. Word was sent to the king that they would obey no orders except those of the dictator. Kosciuszko issued a proclamation freeing every serf who enlisted for the national defence. He wanted to free all the peasants from servitude, but did not dare to risk the loss of support by the aristocracy. He attempted to win the Dissidents by proclaiming liberty of conscience and the equality of religions in the eye of the law. The vacillating king wrote a flattering letter to the dictator full of promises. But Prussia declared war, and forty thousand troops were poured into the country and effected a junction with the Russians. They were headed by the Prussian king in person, and managed to take Cracow. Austria took a hand, and her soldiers marched into Galicia. Kosciuszko returned toward Cracow to defend that city, and an engagement followed at Czczekociny with an army greatly outnumbering his own, which resulted in a slight defeat. But victory generally fell to the Polish arms until Catherine sent her great General Suvarov to head the Russian troops.
At Warsaw the patriots themselves, inflamed by a fiery harangue, executed eight persons whom they considered traitors. The men undoubtedly deserved their fate, as they were members of the traitorous Confederation of Targowice. Nevertheless, Kosciuszko condemned this bloody justice, and insisted on the punishment of the rioters. “This," said Kosciuszko, “will be an indelible stain on the history of our revolution. The loss of two battles would have done us less harm than that unfortunate day." As a result of his investigation he had seven of the ringleaders hung.
The real troubles of the Polish patriots were just beginning. The Russians and Prussians were now pressing in upon Warsaw, and they finally reached the Vola, the field of tragic elections. The Prussian king was obliged to withdraw, however, because of insurrections nearer home. Kosciuszko advanced to meet Suvarov, and a bloody battle followed at Maceiowice. Victory at first wavered between the two forces, when Kosciuszko, at the head of his principal officers, made a heroic charge against the enemy. He fell covered with wounds, and all his companions were killed. For some time he lay senseless, but, as soon as the enemy recognized him in his plain uniform, they gave him surgical attention and treated him with the greatest respect. Twenty-one guns and almost three thousand men were captured by the Russians.
This unfortunate event seemed to paralyze the Poles. The news of Kosciuszko's capture spread like wildfire. “Kosciuszko is no more; the country is lost,'' the people exclaimed. Warsaw was horror-stricken by the unexpected calamity. Only one great battle at Praga, separated only by the width of the Vistula from Warsaw, in which General Suvarov was victorious, followed. This place had been strongly fortified, but the defenders were mostly inexperienced. After its capture a horrible butchery followed, in which twelve thousand Poles are said to have perished by the sword.
Thousands of townspeople were murdered in cold blood. The soldiers were so exasperated against the Poles that they refused to give any quarter. “The streets are covered with corpses; blood flows in torrents,” was the first dispatch of Suvarov to his government. Warsaw capitulated on the 6th of November, and the Russian troops entered the city. Thousands of the insurgents were sent to the wilds of Siberia.
The third partition of Poland was agreed upon by treaty of the three powers on the 24th of October, 1795, although all of the details were not completed until the following year. By this third and last partition Russia acquired the remaining portion of Lithuania, together with some other territory; Austria received the greater part of the palatinates of Cracow, Sandomir, Chelin and Lublin; Prussia obtained Eastern Poland, including Warsaw. Such was the result of the glorious but unfortunate revolution of 1794. However inglorious its results may seem to us, Kosciuszko had lived up to the lofty oath which he took.
Stanislaus was now left without a kingdom. He was obliged to go to Grodno, at which place he signed a formal act of abdication on the 23rd of November, 1795. An annual pension of two hundred thousand ducats was ensured to him by the three powers, with the further promises that his many debts also should be paid. The abdication was equivalent to a confirmation of the third partition, which immediately followed. Upon the death of Catherine, in 1796, Stanislaus went to St. Petersburg at the request of the Emperor Paul, who gave him a palace for his use.
In that city his unhappy life ended on the 12th of February, 1798, by an attack of apoplexy. He is buried in the Roman Catholic Cathedral on the Nevski Prospect in the Russian capital. His funeral was held with all the honours due a crowned head, and was attended by Paul himself. ”I have always wished for the happiness of my country," Stanislaus said, “and I have caused it only misfortune.” He spoke the truth.
Kosciuszko was taken to St. Petersburg, and was kept there as a prisoner of war for two years. His imprisonment, however, was not harsh, as he was allowed many privileges. The noble conduct and honest patriotism of the Polish hero had won for him the sincere admiration of his conquerors. His wounds, which were numerous, were carefully nursed. When Paul came to the throne he paid a personal visit to Kosciuszko in his prison and liberated him. He also made him many presents, including a generous gift of money. He likewise liberated several thousand Polish prisoners who had been sent to Siberia by his mother. Nothing seemed to please Paul so much during his short reign as to reverse the acts of his mother.
After recovering his health sufficiently to make the journey, Kosciuszko decided to make a second visit to the United States. The wife of Paul presented him with seven thousand dollars as a gift, and Paul thirty thousand dollars. Kosciuszko divided the greater part of this money among needy compatriots. His journey hither was a continual ovation. Even London received him with open arms, although he had fought with the colonies against England, and many British statesmen paid him marked attention. At Bristol a procession of the gentry accompanied by a regiment of dragoons met the modest hero, whose name was on everyone's tongue. It was from this city that he embarked on his journey to the new republic which he had helped to free. It was in 1797 that Kosciuszko was in England, and the following is a pen picture of the man as he appeared at that time, written by an English writer:
“I never contemplated a more interesting human figure than Kosciuszko stretched upon his couch. His wounds were still unhealed, and he was unable to sit upright. He appeared to be a small man, spare and delicate. A black silk bandage crossed his fair and high, but somewhat wrinkled, forehead. Beneath it his dark eagle eye sent forth a stream of light, that indicated the steady flame of patriotism which still burned within his soul; unquenched by disaster and wounds, weakness, poverty, and exile. Contrasted with its brightness was the paleness of his countenance, and the wan cast of every feature. He spoke very tolerable English, though in a low and feeble tone; but his conversation, replete with fine sense, lively remark, and sagacious answers, evinced a noble understanding and a cultivated mind. On rising to depart, I offered him my hand; he took it. My eyes filled with tears; and he gave it a warm grasp. I muttered something about ‘brighter prospects and happier days.’ He faintly smiled, and said (they were his last words to me), “Ah! sir, he who devotes himself for his country must not look for his reward on this side of the grave.”
A strong friendship existed between Kosciuszko and many of the American leaders, and particularly so with Jefferson. In a will executed on the 5th of May, 1798, he named Jefferson as his executor. I quote this instrument, because it reveals the noble character of the testator:
“I, Tadeusz Kosciuszko, being just in my departure from America, do hereby declare and direct that, should I make no other testamentary disposition of my property in the United States, hereby authorize my friend, Thomas Jefferson, to employ the whole thereof in purchasing negroes from among his own, or those of any other gentleman, and give them liberty in my name, in giving them an education in trades or otherwise, and in having them instructed for their new condition in the duties of morality which may make them good neighbours, good fathers or mothers, good husbands or wives, and in their duties as citizens, teaching them to be defenders of their liberty and country, and of the good order of society, and in whatsoever may make them happy and useful, and I make the said Thomas Jefferson my executor of this. T. Kosciuszko, 5th Day of May, 1798.”
Kosciuszko remained in the United States eighteen months, and then returned to France. Congress gave him a public vote of thanks and bestowed upon him a pension. Many were the attentions shown him by persons in every walk of life from President to the humblest individual. Kosciuszko, however, still had hopes of interesting France to restore liberty to his unfortunate country. The government would do nothing, but a banquet was given in his honour which was attended by five hundred persons. His health was proposed and drunk with the usual French exaggeration, and he was enrolled as a citizen of the French Republic. Napoleon himself called upon the hero, and asked him to enlist under his own banner. But Kosciuszko refused all the blandishments of the wily Corsican.
Winter, Nevin Otto. Poland of To-Day and Yesterday. L. C. Page and Company, 1913.
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