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 Kosciuszko,
TADEUSZ (THADDEUS), patriot; born in Lithuania, Poland,
February 12, 1746; was of noble descent, and was educated at the
military academy at War-aw; also in France, at the expense of the
Polish government. He entered the Polish army as captain, but a
passion for the daughter of the marshal of Lithuania caused him to
leave his country and offer his services to the Americans. He
arrived in 1776, with a note of introduction and recommendation to
George Washington by
Dr. Franklin. " What do you seek
here?" inquired the chief. "I come to fight as a volunteer for
American independence," answered Kosciuszko. "What can you do?"
asked Washington. "Try me," was the quick reply. He entered
Washington's military family, October 18, 1776, as colonel of
engineers. He planned the fortified camp of
General Gates at
Bemis's Heights,
in 1777, and was the principal engineer in constructing the works at
West Point, on the Hudson. Attached to
Greene's army
in the South, he was the engineer in the
siege of NINETY-SIX, in
June, 1781. For his services in the
Continental army he
received the thanks of Congress, the Order of the Cincinnati, and
the brevet of brigadier-general. Returning to Poland, he fought
against the Russians, under Poniatowski, in 1792; but the Polish
patriots were defeated, and Kosciuszko retired to Leipsic. Another
rising of the Poles occurred in 1794, when Kosciuszko was placed at
the head of the insurgents as dictator; and, with 5,000 peasants,
armed mostly with scythes, he routed nearly twice that number of
Russians at Raclawice, April 4. Committing the conduct of a
provisional government to a national council, he marched against his
enemies. In Warsaw he was besieged by a combined army of Russians
and Prussians. These, after several bloody conflicts, were compelled
by the Polish chief to raise the siege. Austria had joined the
assailants of the Poles, and, with an army of 150,000 men, fell upon
and crushed them (October 10) at Macieowice. Kosciuszko fought
gallantly, and fell covered with wounds, uttering the sadly
prophetic words, afterwards fulfilled, "Finis Poloniae!" He was made
captive, and was imprisoned at St. Peters-burg until the accession
of the Emperor Paul, who set him at liberty, and offered Kosciuszko
his own sword. It was refused, the Polish patriot saying, "I have no
need of a sword, since I have no country to defend." In 1797 he
visited the United States, where he was warmly welcomed, and
received, in addition to a pension, a grant of land by Congress. He
resided near Fontainebleau, in France; and when Bonaparte became
Emperor, in 1806, he tried to enlist Kosciuszko in his schemes in
relation to Poland. Kosciuszko refused to lend his services, except
on condition of a guarantee of Polish freedom. He went to live in
Solothurn, Switzerland, in 1816, where he was killed by a fall from
his horse over a precipice, October 15, 1817. The remains of this
true nobleman of Poland lie beside those of Sobieski and Poniatowski
in the cathedral church at Cracow. An elegant monument of white
marble was erected to his memory at \Vest Point by the cadet corps
of 1828, at a cost of $5,000. |
