To George Washington from Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski, 26 July 1777
From Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski
a Boston 26 Juill. 1777
Sir
Par Les letres que je joins Vous connoitrais Mon General combieins je desire meriter l’honeur d’Etre util à L’Etats de L’Amerique. Ma Patrie me conoit pour un libr et jalou des ses droits Citoiein, Je spere que par tout alieur ou il s agira de remplir mon devoire je ne me serais point ignorer.
Je m adresse a Votre Excellence avec toute la Confience que Vos merits m inspirent Vous est le defenzeur de la liberté J’eus eté aussi sacriffié pour la meme Cause cela me done un Titre de pretendre a Votre Soutiein. Je n aspire a dautre chause qu au premieur Combat je puisse Vous convaincre Mon Generale du zele a remplir mon devoire et meriter Votre Estime. Je me presenterais bieinto a lArme pour recevoir Vos ordrs. Jais lhoneur detre de Votre Excellence le tres humbl et tres obeissent Serviteur
C. de Pulaski
ALS, CSmH.
Casimir (Kazimierz) Pulaski (1745–1779), a Polish nobleman who had earned a military reputation in his homeland in the late 1760s by fighting the Russians in his father’s Bar Confederacy, had been forced to flee Poland when the Russians annexed his estates in 1772. Pulaski was living among the Polish exiles in Paris by 1775, and in the fall of 1776 he began to make inquiries about volunteering for service in the American army. Assisted by Benjamin Franklin and Silas Deane, Pulaski sailed from Paris on 13 June 1777, arriving at Boston on 23 July 1777. In August 1777 GW urged the Continental Congress to place Pulaski in command of the Continental light dragoons, which Congress resolved to do on 15 Sept., giving him the rank of brigadier general (see GW to Hancock, 21, 28 Aug., , 8:745, and General Orders, 21 Sept. 1777). Pulaski was wounded at the Battle of Savannah, Ga., on 9 Oct. 1779, and died two days later.