The year of Pulaski’s birth is disputed, but all agree Pulaski was born in Winiary, Poland, between 1745 and 1748. He was one of eight children born to Count Jozef Pulaski and Marianna Zielinska. The Pulaski’s were a part of the minor nobility in Poland.

Casimir Pulaski spent only a handful of his years as a civilian. He gained the position of an officer in the Polish military at the tender age of 15 after attending formal schooling for a military career. Jozef, his father joined the Confederation of Bar in 1768 and his son Casimir followed the suit. The confederation was a group assembled to fight off the oppressive Polish king, Stanislaus Poniatowski, a monarch supported by the Russian government.

Pulaski quickly made a name for himself in the Polish resistance military, winning a major victory in 1771 against Russian forces. Due to this triumph, he became a hero throughout all of Poland and was elevated to the rank of commander-in-chief of the Polish forces.

1771 also marked a major defeat to Pulaski. In an attempt to abduct King Stanislaus, his father and brother were killed while he was arrested. The arrest resulted in a sentence of death because of the role Casimir played in the resistance. With the chances of success continually dwindling and a death sentence hanging over his head, Pulaski left his home country in 1772, a place he would never return. He first found shelter in Turkey, later moving to France.

It was in France that Casimir Pulaski met Benjamin Franklin, one of the iconic figures of American history, who was overseas looking for volunteers to help the Americans in their fight for independence. Pulaski chose to join the American colonists in their war because of his support of basic freedom and liberty, a cause he had pursued in his home country.

Upon his arrival, Casimir Pulaski made an immediate impact on the war. Only a few months after landing on the American coast, Pulaski was at the forefront of the war, participating in the Battle of Brandywine Creek, where he prevented a retreating American force from being completely destroyed. Following this heroic work, Pulaski became a general of the American cavalry on the recommendation of George Washington. Pulaski fought for two more years in the colonies, participating in several key encounters, such as the victory in Charleston, South Carolina.

At the Battle of Savannah, Pulaski sustained a mortal wound while leading his troops into the fight. Although it is disputed exactly how long after the battle Pulaski passed away, his contributions and heroism to the cause of liberty and freedom are never in question. The memory of General Casimir Pulaski can be seen throughout the United States, where monuments all the way to streets have taken on his name.

Read more about Pulascki at:

http://www.chipublib.org/003cpl/pulaskibiog.html