Polish Pulaski Day Parade, one of the oldest parades in New York is Today
May the Pulaski Parade inspire within us a renewed commitment to remember and honor our shared history, while instilling in us a sense of optimism for a future filled with even greater unity and understanding.
Whitout Pulaski course of history might have been very different
On September 11, 1777, during the American Revolutionary War, a pivotal event unfolded at the Battle of Brandywine. The American forces, led by General George Washington, were trying to halt the advance of General William Howe’s British forces, who were marching towards Philadelphia.
The battle ended in a defeat for Washington’s forces, but what prevented it from becoming an even greater disaster was the quick thinking and valor of Casimir Pulaski. General Washington was unaware that a strong contingent of British forces known as the “Redcoats” was heading towards his headquarters. It was Pulaski who spotted this imminent threat and alerted the future American president.
Pulaski then assembled a group of about 30 cavalrymen from Washington’s side and charged towards the enemy, rallying more riders along the way. One of the participants in this charge recounted the scene, saying:
“Pulaski, with a voice that penetrated to our very marrow, spurred his horse and dashed forward with such dreadful and wild impetuosity that we barely caught up with him in half a minute. We raced straight towards the ranks of the English bayonets.
Pulaski was the first! We followed him with such a hurricane of fire and steel that we pierced through the English lines. Pulaski’s fearless courage saved the American army at the Battle of Brandywine from certain doom.”
Another witness, Paul Bentalou, decades later, had no doubt that Pulaski’s “slashing blow to the front and right wing of the English” thwarted the enemy’s intentions and shielded their supply wagons and the American army’s retreat.
Such a remarkable feat could not go unnoticed. Just four days after the battle, Kazimierz Pulaski was recognized with the highest nomination in the American cavalry – in September 1777, he was appointed as the commander of the Light Dragoons with the rank of Brigadier General. Kazimierz became an American hero almost overnight.
Casimir Pulaski’s courage and heroism during the Battle of Brandywine and throughout the American Revolutionary War played a significant role in the fight for American independence. He earned his place in history as a national hero and a symbol of the enduring bond between Poland and the United States, and without his actions, the course of history might have been very different.
George Washington and Casimir Pulaski after the battle near the Brandywine river.
Arthur Szyk (Polish, American 1894-1951)
Equestrian statue of Casimir Pulaski, Washington, D.C.
Photo: Robert Lyle Bolton
The Statue Was Designed by the sculptor Kazimierz Chodzinski and architect Albert R. Ross. It was erected in 1910.
