Thomas Jefferson Papers

Enclosure: Jozéf Zajączek to Pierre de Polética, 17 November 1818

Enclosure

Jozéf Zajączek to Pierre de Polética

[17 Nov. 1818]

Le Sieur Estko ci’devant Major à l’armée Polonaise neveu du feu le Général Kosciuszko, se trouvant dans le cas d’avoir besoin d’une information éxacte sur l’état de la fortune que le dit Général a’pu delaisser, a reclamé l’intervention de son Gouvernement à l’effet de lui procurer des éclaircisements nécessaires à cet égard par l’entremise de la mission de S. M. I. et R. Notre Auguste Maitre pres la Cour de France.—

La correspondance dont Mr le Gl Pozzo di Borgo a bien voulu se charger à cet effet avec des personnes qui lui Sembloient être le plus à même de connoître les moyens pécuniaires du feu Kosciuszko a donné pour resultat deux lettres ci jointes en copies, portant quelques renseignements sur l’objet ci-dessus mentionné.

Il conste de ces deux piecès et votre excellence voudra bien s’en convaincre, que le Gl Kosciuszko outre les fonds déposés entre les mains de différentes banquiers en France et en Suisse, en possédoit de plus considérables encore chez Mrs Thomson & Bonar à Londres et chez Jefferson et Barnes à Washington.

Le sieur Estko met d’autant plus d’intérêt à obtenir des notions précises relativement aux fonds de son oncle places en Amérique, qu’il a tout lieu de supposer qu’ils ne sont point compris parmi les Sommes dont le defunt a disposé par son testament.

Faisant par conséquent droit aux plus vives instances du Pétitionaire, j’ose vous supplier, Monsieur de daigner faire les démarches nécessaires pour cet effet auprès les Sieurs Jefferson et Barnes citoyens des Etats-unis et de vouloir bien m’en communiquer le resultat des qu’il aura été porté à votre connoissance.

Je Saises avec empressement cette occasion pour offrir à V. ex. l’expression de ma trés haute Consideration.

(Signé) Zajonceck.

Editors’ Translation

[17 Nov. 1818]

Mr. Estko, formerly a major in the Polish army and nephew of the late General Kosciuszko, needing accurate information on the state of the fortune left by the said general, has requested that his government intervene to obtain clarification on this point through the diplomatic mission to the French court of our noble master, His Imperial and Royal Majesty.—

General Pozzo di Borgo having kindly agreed to correspond on this subject with the people who to him seemed most likely to know about the pecuniary resources of the late Kosciuszko, two letters containing some information about this matter resulted, copies of which are attached here.

As your excellency will wish to verify, these two exhibits indicate that, besides the funds General Kosciuszko deposited with different bankers in France and Switzerland, he left other, even more considerable sums in the hands of Thomson, Bonar, & Company in London and Jefferson and Barnes in Washington.

Mr. Estko is all the more concerned to obtain precise information with regard to his uncle’s American funds because he has reason to suppose that they are not among the sums the deceased disposed of in his will.

In order to satisfy the petitioner’s insistent requests, therefore, I dare implore you, Sir, to consent to make the necessary inquiries to this effect to Messrs. Jefferson and Barnes, citizens of the United States, and kindly communicate the results to me as soon as they are brought to your attention.

I eagerly seize this opportunity to offer to Your Excellency the expression of my highest consideration.

(Signed) Zajonceck.

Tr (DNA: RG 21, CCDCCR); at head of text: “Copie d’une dépeche du vice Roi du Royaume de Pologne à Mr de Poletica, dateé de Varsovie du 17 Nov. 1818” (“Copy of a dispatch from the viceroy of the kingdom of Poland to Mr. Poletika, dated Warsaw, 17 Nov. 1818”); beneath signature: “Conformé à l’original: Polética” (“True to the original: Polética”); used in Washington County, D.C., chancery case 105, Armstrong v. Lear. Tr (DNA: RG 267, SCACF, box 141, case 1303, Armstrong v. Lear). Enclosures not found. Probably enclosed in TJ to William Wirt, 5 Feb. 1820.

Jozéf Zajączek (1752–1826), soldier and public official, entered the military of his native Poland at an early age. He served as a major general in the war against Russia in 1792 and joined Tadeusz Kosciuszko in fighting against that nation again two years later. When the Polish revolution failed, Zajączek was imprisoned, and after his release in 1795 he published an Histoire de la Révolution de Pologne en 1794 (Paris, 1797). He afterwards served in Napoleon’s army and lost a leg while commanding a division during the invasion of Russia in 1812. Zajączek was again captured during that campaign. He soon shifted his allegiance to Russia and went on to serve from 1815 as viceroy of Poland and lieutenant general of the newly reorganized, Russian-sponsored Polish army. Three years later Alexander I made Zajączek a prince. To the disappointment of many French and Polish republicans, he remained loyal to Russia until his death in Warsaw (Dictionnaire Biographique des Généraux & Amiraux Français de la Révolution et de l’Empire [1934], 2:577–8; Biographie universelle description begins Biographie universelle, ancienne et moderne, new ed., 1843–65, 45 vols. description ends , 45:342–5; Owen Connelly and others, eds., Historical Dictionary of Napoleonic France, 1799–1815 [1985], 519).

Index Entries

  • Alexander I, emperor of Russia; mentioned search
  • Barnes, John; and T. Kosciuszko’s estate search
  • Estko, Stanislaw; and T. Kosciuszko search
  • French language; letters in, from; Jozéf Zajączek to P. de Polética search
  • Jefferson, Thomas; Business and Financial Affairs; and T. Kosciuszko’s estate search
  • Kosciuszko, Tadeusz (Thaddeus) Andrzej Bonawentura; estate of search
  • Kosciuszko, Tadeusz (Thaddeus) Andrzej Bonawentura; wills of search
  • Polética, Pierre de; letter to, from J. Zajączek search
  • Pozzo di Borgo, Carlo Andrea; Russian minister at Paris search
  • Thomson, Bonar, & Company (London firm) search
  • Zajączek, Jozéf; and T. Kosciuszko’s estate search
  • Zajączek, Jozéf; identified search
  • Zajączek, Jozéf; letter from, to P. de Polética search