The General Pulaski Association, Inc.
The General Pulaski Association Inc. was founded to preserve the memory and the legacy of one of America’s greatest Revolutionary heroes, General Casimir Pulaski.
Based in Buffalo, New York, The General Pulaski Association, Inc. hosts programs and events to honor General Casimir Pulaski who was a true American Hero and the “Father of the American Cavalry”.
Pulaski, a Revolutionary War Hero famously wrote to George Washington in a letter in which he offered his services to America “I came here, where freedom is being defended, to serve it, and to live or die for it.”
Pulaski would later be credited with saving Washington’s live and ultimately living true to his words and paying the ultimate sacrifice for America. Pulaski is the seventh (of eight) Honorary Citizen of the United States.
The General Pulaski Association, Inc. is a New York State qualified not-for-profit corporation and is qualified as a public charity pursuant to I.R.C. 501(c)3.
Who Was General Casimir Pulaski?
Timeline of General Casimir Pulaski’s Life
This timeline highlights the key events in the life of Kazimierz (Casimir) Pułaski, a Polish nobleman, military leader, and hero of the American Revolutionary War. It draws from historical accounts, focusing on major milestones from his birth to death.
March 6, 1745: Born in Warsaw, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, as the second son of Józef Pułaski (a lawyer and noble) and Marianna Zielińska. He is baptized shortly after due to health concerns, with full ceremonies on March 14.
1762: Leaves the Theatine School in Warsaw and serves as a page at the court of Carl Christian Joseph of Saxony, Duke of Courland, in Mitau (now Jelgava, Latvia). Gains early military experience during a Russian siege.
1764: Participates with his family in the election of Stanisław II Augustus as King of Poland in Warsaw.
December 1767: Joins his father in organizing armed resistance against Russian influence in Poland, marking the start of his involvement in the Bar Confederation.
February 29, 1768: The Bar Confederation is formally established; Pułaski signs on and receives the rank of colonel, commanding a cavalry unit.
April–June 1768: Fights several early battles against Russian forces, including victories at Pohorełe and Starokostiantyniv, but is captured after defending Berdyczów monastery and released on parole.
1769: Continues guerrilla warfare with his brothers; his father dies in Turkish prison; brother Franciszek is killed in battle; Pułaski is defeated at Orekhowa and Włodawa, retreating to Slovakia.
January 13, 1770: Wounded in the hand during a skirmish near Grab; continues operations in southern Poland, including a raid on Kraków and fortifying Jasna Góra monastery.
September 10, 1770 – January 15, 1771: Successfully defends Jasna Góra against Russian sieges, repelling attacks and organizing raids.
February–May 1771: Operates around Lublin, wins at Tarłów, but suffers defeats at Lanckorona; joins the Confederates’ War Council.
October–November 1771: Involved in a failed plot to kidnap King Stanisław II Augustus, leading to his expulsion from Austrian territories.
May 31, 1772: Abandons Jasna Góra as the Bar Confederation collapses amid the First Partition of Poland; flees to Prussia and then France.
June 7–August 28, 1773: Tried in absentia in Poland for attempted regicide; sentenced to death and stripped of honors.
1773–1775: In exile in France and the Ottoman Empire; attempts to join the Russo-Turkish War but fails; faces financial troubles, including brief imprisonment for debt in Marseille.
1776: Unsuccessfully petitions the Polish Sejm for return; begins efforts to join the American Revolutionary cause.
Spring 1777: Recruited by Benjamin Franklin and Marquis de Lafayette; sails from Nantes, France, to America.
July 23, 1777: Arrives in Marblehead, Massachusetts; offers services to George Washington.
September 11, 1777: Fights in the Battle of Brandywine, saving Washington’s life by covering the retreat; promoted to brigadier general of cavalry on September 15.
October 4, 1777: Participates in the Battle of Germantown.
Winter 1777–1778: Winters at Valley Forge; reorganizes American cavalry and trains troops in Trenton.
March 28, 1778: Receives Congressional approval to form Pulaski’s Legion, an independent cavalry unit; recruits in Baltimore.
October 15, 1778: Pulaski’s Legion suffers heavy losses in a surprise British attack at Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey.
February 1779: Ordered south to defend Charleston, South Carolina; arrives May 8 and engages British forces on May 11, suffering losses but aiding defenses.
September–October 1779: Joins the Siege of Savannah; leads a cavalry charge on October 9, mortally wounded by grapeshot; dies on October 11 aboard the ship Wasp, likely buried at sea.