WEBVTT - Count and Calvary Commander

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Noble Blood, a production of iHeartRadio and Grimm

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<v Speaker 1>and Mild from Aaron Manky listener discretion advised. In the

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<v Speaker 1>early hours of October ninth, seventeen seventy nine, in the

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<v Speaker 1>marshes to the south of Savannah, Georgia, the cavalry commander

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<v Speaker 1>was awaiting his call to glory. If he succeeded, the

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<v Speaker 1>plan that he had spearheaded would unite a force of

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<v Speaker 1>American and French troops in a bold, multi pronged attack

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<v Speaker 1>to reclaim the city Savannah from the British. Once the

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<v Speaker 1>infantry located a defensive weakness, the cavalry would charge, break

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<v Speaker 1>through enemy lines and overwhelm their opposition. If they won,

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<v Speaker 1>it would be a resounding victory in the American Revolutionary War,

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<v Speaker 1>and also it would be a crowning achievement for one

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<v Speaker 1>of the most unlikely heroes of the Continental Army, because

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<v Speaker 1>the general that day waiting on his horse was neither

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<v Speaker 1>American nor French. Count Casimir Pulaski was a Polish noble. Unfortunately,

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<v Speaker 1>for Pulaski, the elements that fateful morning were against him.

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<v Speaker 1>The foggy weather and swampy terrain delayed the foot soldiers

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<v Speaker 1>in reaching their starting positions. The conditions also impeded the

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<v Speaker 1>Allied military units from effectively communicating with one another, a

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<v Speaker 1>process which was already difficult given the involved egos, tenuous agreements,

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<v Speaker 1>and language barriers between many of the officers, enlisted men,

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<v Speaker 1>and members of the militia. But far worse than all

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<v Speaker 1>of that, and unbeknownst to Pulaski, a critical betrayal had

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<v Speaker 1>taken place the night before. Someone had leaked their plans,

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<v Speaker 1>and so the fortifications they were attacking actually held far

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<v Speaker 1>more heavily armed reinforcements than Pulaski had counted on. British

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<v Speaker 1>riflemen were able to start brutally picking off the majority

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<v Speaker 1>of the sodden and struggling soldiers as they approached. Pulaski

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<v Speaker 1>waited with his cavalry while all this was happening. As

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<v Speaker 1>someone who lived for the thrill of battle, Pulaski found

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<v Speaker 1>the long period of anticipation to be nearly unbearable. It

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<v Speaker 1>was all he could do to keep his anti cavalrymen

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<v Speaker 1>ready and organized while gunshots and disembodied shouts filtered through

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<v Speaker 1>the misty air.

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<v Speaker 2>Finally, word came that the leader of the French forces,

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<v Speaker 2>Charles Hector, Comte de Stang, had been gravely wounded. Knowing

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<v Speaker 2>that the death of Distang could throw France's units into

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<v Speaker 2>chaos and thereby doom the ally's chances, he made the

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<v Speaker 2>decision to spur his steed forward. After all, this was

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<v Speaker 2>what the cavalry was all about, speed, precision, daring action.

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<v Speaker 2>He detested structured, predictable warfare anyway, and he was certainly

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<v Speaker 2>used to being vastly outnumbered. And so Pulaski rode into

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<v Speaker 2>the fray, convinced that there was still hope for the

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<v Speaker 2>man who would later be called the father of the

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<v Speaker 2>American Cavalry. There was always still hope of shifting the momentum,

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<v Speaker 2>of fighting for freedom, of harnessing his unrivaled skills atop

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<v Speaker 2>a horse, of saving the day. I'm Danah Schwartz, and

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<v Speaker 2>this is noble blood. Through almost every phase of his life,

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<v Speaker 2>Casimir Pulaski seemed to spark some form of debate or conflict.

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<v Speaker 2>Case in point, his entry into the world somehow generated

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<v Speaker 2>four different birth records, which lead historians to often disagree

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<v Speaker 2>on his birthday. Nevertheless, the consensus among modern scholars seems

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<v Speaker 2>to be that the man whose name is commonly anglicized

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<v Speaker 2>as Casimir Pulaski was born on March sixth, seventeen forty

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<v Speaker 2>five in Warsaw, Poland. His family was devoutly Catholic and

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<v Speaker 2>prominent among the Polish nobility. Some sources quibble over Pulaski's

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<v Speaker 2>education and whether he was possibly a freemason, but three

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<v Speaker 2>things his biographers all appear to agree on are the

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<v Speaker 2>on Count was highly driven to fight for independence. He

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<v Speaker 2>was exceedingly passionate about horse riding, and he felt that

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<v Speaker 2>the more he could combine the two, the better. Pulaski's

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<v Speaker 2>armed ambitions pushed him to join multiple wars on multiple

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<v Speaker 2>continents and connect with some of eighty eighteenth century's most

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<v Speaker 2>influential figures, rather than cover his entire military career or life, though,

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<v Speaker 2>especially since Pulaski's own mood and movements seemed so often

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<v Speaker 2>hinged on whichever campaign was directly at hand, will zoom

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<v Speaker 2>in on two specific battles of the American Revolutionary War that,

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<v Speaker 2>in my mind serve as intriguing windows into his personality,

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<v Speaker 2>his superlative horse sense, and his lasting effect on the

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<v Speaker 2>fledgling country's fortunes. Our first battle, the Battle of Brandywine,

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<v Speaker 2>was a doozy. The fighting along Brandywine Creek on September eleventh,

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<v Speaker 2>seventeen seventy seven reportedly involved more soldiers than any skirmish

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<v Speaker 2>in the war other than the Battle of Long Island.

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<v Speaker 2>Most estimates put a total number of American and British

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<v Speaker 2>troops who flashed at a little over thirty thousand. However,

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<v Speaker 2>even with army size being so vital, Pulaski almost wasn't

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<v Speaker 2>allowed to participate at all. The Polish soldier had only

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<v Speaker 2>recently arrived from commanding a cavalry for the bar Confederation,

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<v Speaker 2>a group who had fiercely fought against Russian control of

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<v Speaker 2>the Poland Lithuania Commonwealth. Pulaski's exploits there were divisive, leading

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<v Speaker 2>many contemporaries to describe him as brave and honest, while

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<v Speaker 2>others characterized him as a loose cannon. But again there

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<v Speaker 2>was little argument about his larger aspirations. Fellow soldiers frequently

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<v Speaker 2>remarked on his disinterest in women, in drinking, and other

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<v Speaker 2>common pursuits, as he singularly obsessively sought to fight for

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<v Speaker 2>nations whose quests for independence he viewed as honorable and worthy.

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<v Speaker 2>Pulaski's reputation was so considerable that, after his side lost

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<v Speaker 2>in Poland, he arrived in America bearing a recommendation letter

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<v Speaker 2>from another than notable diplomat, Benjamin Franklin. Three weeks prior

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<v Speaker 2>to the Battle of Brandywine, Pulaski had presented himself and

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<v Speaker 2>his letter to George Washington in Pennsylvania, as the American

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<v Speaker 2>general was strategizing about how to keep British forces from

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<v Speaker 2>capturing the US capital at the time, Philadelphia. The thirty

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<v Speaker 2>one year old Polish Man, who a resident doctor described

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<v Speaker 2>as a man of hardly middling stature, sharp continents, and

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<v Speaker 2>lively hair, may not have had the most awe inspiring

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<v Speaker 2>physical presence, and he hardly spoke English, but once he

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<v Speaker 2>got on a horse, he was captivating. Pulaski reportedly performed

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<v Speaker 2>writing stunts Washington's officers to showcase his prowess and to

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<v Speaker 2>emphasize his claim that well trained cavalry corps could perform

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<v Speaker 2>feats far beyond the capacity of any infantry. It's worth

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<v Speaker 2>taking a moment here to appreciate just how dazzling Pulaski's

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<v Speaker 2>riding skills were. Multiple historians have related that one of

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<v Speaker 2>the stunts Pulaski executed at Washington's headquarters involved him urging

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<v Speaker 2>his horse to a full gallop, then shooting his pistol,

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<v Speaker 2>tossing his pistol into the air, catching it, and precisely

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<v Speaker 2>hurling it at a target. He'd then circle back and,

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<v Speaker 2>without slowing down, balance on a single stirrup, bend over

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<v Speaker 2>to retrieve his pistol, and deftly right himself ready for

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<v Speaker 2>his next charge. Many impressed American officers apparently could not

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<v Speaker 2>replicate the dangerous maneuver without falling off their horses a

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<v Speaker 2>and injuring themselves. Clearly, even in the midst of experienced horsemen,

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<v Speaker 2>Pulaski was a stallion among foles. However, Pulaski struggled to

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<v Speaker 2>secure an appointment to the Continental Army before the Battle

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<v Speaker 2>of Brandywine. Despite Pulaski's experience, Washington was reluctant to make

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<v Speaker 2>the brash count a high ranking officer for several reasons.

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<v Speaker 2>For one, many Europeans were arriving to seek fame and

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<v Speaker 2>fortune in the war, and American soldiers resented foreigners getting

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<v Speaker 2>positions above them. In addition, Washington was not the biggest

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<v Speaker 2>believer in having a large cavalry. Several historians assert that

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<v Speaker 2>this skepticism was partly due to naivete as he had

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<v Speaker 2>not witnessed a mounted division used in as effective a

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<v Speaker 2>fashion as it had been in Europe. Practicality also heavily

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<v Speaker 2>factored into Washington's decisions. Overseeing America's war operation was a

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<v Speaker 2>daunting managerial task, and Washington evidently saw infantry and artillery

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<v Speaker 2>units as more cost effective than a cavalry, given that

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<v Speaker 2>his side had relatively little infrastructure for training riders or

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<v Speaker 2>caring for war horses. But Pulaski valued a robust cavalry

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<v Speaker 2>above all and refused to take no for an answer.

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<v Speaker 2>After bouncing between Washington's camp and the United States Congress,

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<v Speaker 2>growing impatient while hearing that the British were steadily getting nearer,

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<v Speaker 2>Pulaski finally got Washington to let him act as a

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<v Speaker 2>volunteer cavalry officer and join Washington's forces at Brandywine. The

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<v Speaker 2>battle did not go well for the Continental Army. After

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<v Speaker 2>eleven hours of grueling fighting, Washington's route side was forced

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<v Speaker 2>to make a chaotic retreat. The situation looked dire for

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<v Speaker 2>the Americans, but also it offered a distinct opportunity for Pulaski.

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<v Speaker 2>Up to that point, Pulaski had not gotten involved in

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<v Speaker 2>much direct action, since Washington primarily saw fit to use

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<v Speaker 2>cavalrymen as messengers and scouts. With their forces in utter disarray, however,

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<v Speaker 2>Pulaski convinced Washington to let him lead thirty horsemen from

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<v Speaker 2>the general's own guard in a swift strike on the

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<v Speaker 2>advancing British. Quickly finding success with his decisive, unconventional style

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<v Speaker 2>of fighting, Pulaski reportedly then rounded up scattered soldiers and

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<v Speaker 2>led them in an audacious attack on the enemy's oncoming flink,

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<v Speaker 2>buying the American's precious time to retreat. The battle still

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<v Speaker 2>ended in defeat for the Continental Army, and the British

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<v Speaker 2>still eventually captured Philadelphia, but numerous historians claim that without

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<v Speaker 2>Pulaski's rear guard heroics, George Washington would have died that day,

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<v Speaker 2>So by extension, it's not really a huge exaggeration to

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<v Speaker 2>say that if it were not for Pulaski's persistence at Brandywine,

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<v Speaker 2>the United States might be a very different place today.

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<v Speaker 2>The second of our two key Casimir Pulaski influenced battles

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<v Speaker 2>is the Siege of Savannah in seventeen seventy nine. As

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<v Speaker 2>the name suggests, this conflict greatly contrasted the Brandywine in

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<v Speaker 2>terms of geography and strategy, although according to many accounts

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<v Speaker 2>it was also one of the bloodiest of the American Revolution.

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<v Speaker 2>The Siege of Savannah was also a fascinating microcosm of

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<v Speaker 2>the larger war, as it involved troops arriving by land

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<v Speaker 2>and sea, complex tactics, and awkwardly desperate diplomacy. Even Pulaski's

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<v Speaker 2>journey to Savannah was arduous in both a physical and

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<v Speaker 2>emotional sense. The trek to reach the British occupied city

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<v Speaker 2>was roughly seven hundred miles and involved numerous side missions, skirmishes,

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<v Speaker 2>and tragic losses, many of which Pulaski endured while simultaneously

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<v Speaker 2>suffering from malaria. But at least by this point he

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<v Speaker 2>had a dedicated cavalry corps. Pulaski's deeds at the Brandywine

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<v Speaker 2>had been so undeniably valiant that Congress had allowed Washington

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<v Speaker 2>to commission him as a brigadier general of the Continental

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<v Speaker 2>Army's cavalry. It was a big leap, but Pulaski had

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<v Speaker 2>been far from satisfied as his grand horse centered dreams

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<v Speaker 2>or corralled by several harsh realities. Namely, Washington still underestimated

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<v Speaker 2>the cavalry's full potential, and Pulaski's own, let's say intense

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<v Speaker 2>leadership style and limited fluency in English had reputedly caused

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<v Speaker 2>friction between him and other officers. Before Pulaski traveled South.

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<v Speaker 2>Financial issues in bureaucratic oversight had also frustrated him, so

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<v Speaker 2>much so that he supposedly often covered his soldier's pay himself,

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<v Speaker 2>and he had once even resigned. But thanks to a

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<v Speaker 2>productive meeting with General Horatio Gates in which the determined

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<v Speaker 2>cavalryman had laid out his vision for an elite lancer unit,

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<v Speaker 2>Pulaski had been reconfirmed to his rank, given the unique

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<v Speaker 2>title of Commander of the Horse, and permitted to assemble

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<v Speaker 2>a division of cavalry and light infant try men more

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<v Speaker 2>to his liking, which became known as Pulaski's Legion. Recruiting

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<v Speaker 2>for this unit was still a constant challenge, to the

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<v Speaker 2>point that, despite the reservations of Washington and others, Pulaski

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<v Speaker 2>often accepted British deserters and prisoners of war into his

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<v Speaker 2>ranks as long as he was able to personally vet

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<v Speaker 2>each recruit. By February seventeen seventy nine, through sheer force

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<v Speaker 2>of will and meticulous training, Pulaski at last led a

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<v Speaker 2>formidable cavalry unit, and in eyeing the Southern front of

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<v Speaker 2>the war, he saw a great opportunity to put his

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<v Speaker 2>new legion to use. The British were shifting many troops

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<v Speaker 2>and resources southward, and in riding down to Savannah, Pulaski

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<v Speaker 2>relished the chance to utilize his favorite battle tactics. According

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<v Speaker 2>to his correspondence, the Polish general viewed it as advantageous

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<v Speaker 2>to avoid large, straightforward battles, as so many in the

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<v Speaker 2>North were doing, and instead deploy smaller detachments to attack

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<v Speaker 2>quickly and unpredictably. On his way to meet General Benjamin

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<v Speaker 2>Lincoln in Georgia, Pulaski put his style to warfare in practice,

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<v Speaker 2>and in doing so impactfully defended several Southern sites, while

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<v Speaker 2>also making plenty of decisions that some Southern officers viewed

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<v Speaker 2>as impulsive and irresponsible. Times were desperate, though, and the

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<v Speaker 2>Continental Army's only hope of reclaiming Savannah after almost a

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<v Speaker 2>year of British occupation was to make the best of

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<v Speaker 2>its imperfect alliances. The awkward nature of one of these

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<v Speaker 2>multinational relationships became especially apparent when three forces confron merged

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<v Speaker 2>near Savannah in September seventeen seventy nine. There was Pulaski's

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<v Speaker 2>cavalry of about two hundred and sixty men coordinating with

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<v Speaker 2>General Lincoln's small army of one thousand South Carolina continentals

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<v Speaker 2>and militia. And then there was the French Admiral Charles

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<v Speaker 2>ecdor Comte de Stang's roughly four thousand reinforcements that he

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<v Speaker 2>brought by ship. Whereas Pulaski was at times a divisive

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<v Speaker 2>figure in American military circles, Distang seems to have been

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<v Speaker 2>more universally disliked. If many accounts are to be believed,

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<v Speaker 2>he was haughty and egotistical, and unlike Pulaski, who did

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<v Speaker 2>largely win the trust of his legion, Distang frequently alienated

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<v Speaker 2>his closest officers by disregarding their council. That made it

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<v Speaker 2>tricky to orchestrate a successful siege against British General Augustin

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<v Speaker 2>Prevost and his thirty two hundred British defenders. And yet,

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<v Speaker 2>after coordinating with his American and French counterparts, Pulaski's cavalry

0:18:13.960 --> 0:18:19.399
<v Speaker 2>so speedily cut off British supply lines and reinforcements that Distaying,

0:18:19.440 --> 0:18:24.520
<v Speaker 2>eager to claim the victory, started negotiating the British side's surrender.

0:18:25.720 --> 0:18:30.960
<v Speaker 2>Distang naively gave the British extra time to consider his terms,

0:18:31.480 --> 0:18:36.200
<v Speaker 2>which the British General Prevost used to fortify his side's defenses.

0:18:37.280 --> 0:18:42.679
<v Speaker 2>Even so, Pulaski devised a solid assault plan, and despite

0:18:42.800 --> 0:18:46.600
<v Speaker 2>the French general and General Lincoln's struggle in seeing eye

0:18:46.640 --> 0:18:50.719
<v Speaker 2>to eye, he got both men to sign off. The

0:18:50.840 --> 0:18:56.040
<v Speaker 2>joint forces would launch a three pronged attack. American and

0:18:56.200 --> 0:19:00.440
<v Speaker 2>French divisions would engage the right and left flanks, while

0:19:00.480 --> 0:19:05.160
<v Speaker 2>the ally's largest forces would attack the spring Hill Redoubt,

0:19:05.560 --> 0:19:11.199
<v Speaker 2>a key British fortification. Pulaski would wait with his cavalry

0:19:11.480 --> 0:19:14.640
<v Speaker 2>and then break through into Savannah and create so much

0:19:14.800 --> 0:19:18.120
<v Speaker 2>chaos by riding through the streets and attacking the defensive

0:19:18.160 --> 0:19:23.040
<v Speaker 2>lines from behind that the British side's defensive advantage would evaporate.

0:19:24.080 --> 0:19:29.080
<v Speaker 2>It was a very good plan. Unfortunately for Pulaski, his

0:19:29.200 --> 0:19:35.760
<v Speaker 2>plan was largely undone by a timely betrayal. Ironically, given

0:19:35.840 --> 0:19:39.960
<v Speaker 2>all the handwringing about the trustworthiness of the deserters and

0:19:40.040 --> 0:19:44.080
<v Speaker 2>POW's in Pulaski's legion, the double crosser in this case

0:19:44.320 --> 0:19:49.280
<v Speaker 2>was American. The night before the planned attack, a member

0:19:49.359 --> 0:19:54.159
<v Speaker 2>of the Charleston Grenadiers snuck over to General Prevost and

0:19:54.280 --> 0:19:59.000
<v Speaker 2>told him of the Continental Army's intentions. Thus it came

0:19:59.080 --> 0:20:03.000
<v Speaker 2>to be that Annakt Sober ninth, seventeen seventy nine. After

0:20:03.080 --> 0:20:07.679
<v Speaker 2>the French and American infantry divisions were substantially repelled and

0:20:08.000 --> 0:20:12.879
<v Speaker 2>decimated while moving through the swamps and rice fields, Pulaski

0:20:13.160 --> 0:20:17.199
<v Speaker 2>rode through the foggy marshes to try to save the

0:20:17.280 --> 0:20:22.920
<v Speaker 2>gravely wounded Disdain. The rescue was not unlike so many

0:20:22.960 --> 0:20:27.040
<v Speaker 2>other daring ones that Pulaski had previously pulled off, but

0:20:27.200 --> 0:20:30.359
<v Speaker 2>this time his luck ran out and he was shot

0:20:30.560 --> 0:20:34.119
<v Speaker 2>in the upper right thigh by grape shot. Even as

0:20:34.160 --> 0:20:38.240
<v Speaker 2>he was being pulled from the battlefield, Pulaski continued giving

0:20:38.359 --> 0:20:41.840
<v Speaker 2>orders to his second in command, but the loss of

0:20:41.920 --> 0:20:47.720
<v Speaker 2>their fearless general disenheartened Pulaski's legion, and ultimately the Continental

0:20:47.840 --> 0:20:51.879
<v Speaker 2>Army suffered a defeat that some British accounts claimed was

0:20:51.920 --> 0:20:55.960
<v Speaker 2>one of the largest of the war. Meanwhile, a surgeon

0:20:56.200 --> 0:21:00.320
<v Speaker 2>tended to Pulaski, removing the Peace of grape Shot, which

0:21:00.440 --> 0:21:04.520
<v Speaker 2>fun fact is now on display in a museum in Savannah.

0:21:05.520 --> 0:21:10.160
<v Speaker 2>But Pulaski was paranoid. He didn't want to remain near

0:21:10.320 --> 0:21:14.280
<v Speaker 2>the British forces, fearing that if they captured him, they

0:21:14.280 --> 0:21:17.440
<v Speaker 2>would turn him over to his old nemeses, the Russians.

0:21:18.480 --> 0:21:21.960
<v Speaker 2>So Pulaski was taken to the American ship the Wasp.

0:21:23.040 --> 0:21:27.560
<v Speaker 2>French surgeons on board tried to treat him, but gangrene

0:21:27.800 --> 0:21:32.200
<v Speaker 2>spread across the wound, and Pulaski, after a little over

0:21:32.280 --> 0:21:38.680
<v Speaker 2>two years of service, died on October fifteenth, seventeen seventy nine.

0:21:38.760 --> 0:21:43.439
<v Speaker 2>He was then given an honorable burial at sea or

0:21:43.680 --> 0:21:50.520
<v Speaker 2>was he Like so many other chapters of his life,

0:21:50.640 --> 0:21:56.480
<v Speaker 2>Pulaski's burial stirred up eventual controversy. Some rumors claimed that

0:21:56.720 --> 0:22:01.520
<v Speaker 2>he was taken ashore and buried on land, some near Savannah.

0:22:01.920 --> 0:22:05.520
<v Speaker 2>After a lengthy search, the married owners of a plantation

0:22:05.840 --> 0:22:10.760
<v Speaker 2>claimed in eighteen fifty three that they had found Pulaski's remains.

0:22:11.280 --> 0:22:15.240
<v Speaker 2>These were later interred in the Pulaski Monument in Savannah.

0:22:15.960 --> 0:22:19.880
<v Speaker 2>Then in nineteen ninety six, those remains were exhumed from

0:22:19.960 --> 0:22:25.479
<v Speaker 2>the monument for DNA analysis. The results proved inconclusive, and

0:22:25.720 --> 0:22:30.040
<v Speaker 2>despite fur their studies and claims that the bones were Pulaski's,

0:22:30.760 --> 0:22:35.400
<v Speaker 2>the evidence still seems shaky. In addition to the proposed

0:22:35.480 --> 0:22:40.880
<v Speaker 2>burial logistics being puzzling and the plantation owner's story containing holes,

0:22:41.480 --> 0:22:46.240
<v Speaker 2>scholars revealed the owners to be British loyalists, so it's

0:22:46.520 --> 0:22:50.600
<v Speaker 2>fairly implausible that Pulaski would have basically been buried on

0:22:50.760 --> 0:22:55.960
<v Speaker 2>hostile territory. The bones that were studied also showed certain

0:22:56.040 --> 0:23:01.119
<v Speaker 2>female characteristics, which led some to propose that Pulaski could

0:23:01.240 --> 0:23:05.399
<v Speaker 2>have actually been intersex, but there does not appear to

0:23:05.440 --> 0:23:09.040
<v Speaker 2>be much convincing evidence to support that theory, and the

0:23:09.080 --> 0:23:13.119
<v Speaker 2>bones do not conclusively match with a descendant of the

0:23:13.119 --> 0:23:18.000
<v Speaker 2>Pulaski family, and so it seems most likely that the

0:23:18.080 --> 0:23:21.600
<v Speaker 2>career soldier who covered so much ground in the saddle

0:23:22.440 --> 0:23:26.920
<v Speaker 2>was indeed, though it may feel less narratively fitting given

0:23:27.040 --> 0:23:32.840
<v Speaker 2>a watery grave, regardless of his body's final resting place

0:23:32.920 --> 0:23:35.280
<v Speaker 2>and the fact that he never married and had no

0:23:35.440 --> 0:23:41.119
<v Speaker 2>known heirs, Pulaski left behind a massive legacy. His most

0:23:41.200 --> 0:23:46.120
<v Speaker 2>loyal officers and companions paid him glowing tributes, and even

0:23:46.160 --> 0:23:51.159
<v Speaker 2>many detractors and enemy officers credited his courage and influence

0:23:51.200 --> 0:23:56.480
<v Speaker 2>on the war. Pulaski's military strategies were also clearly ahead

0:23:56.480 --> 0:24:00.600
<v Speaker 2>of their time, as evidenced by cavalry units of effectively

0:24:00.760 --> 0:24:05.040
<v Speaker 2>utilizing many of his tactics during the American Civil War,

0:24:05.800 --> 0:24:10.720
<v Speaker 2>and although he faced plenty of xenophobia, Pulaski's contributions to

0:24:10.720 --> 0:24:15.520
<v Speaker 2>the United States's fight for independence were eventually appreciated to

0:24:15.560 --> 0:24:18.320
<v Speaker 2>such a degree that he was referred to as the

0:24:18.400 --> 0:24:22.359
<v Speaker 2>Soldier of Liberty, and as he probably would have likely

0:24:22.440 --> 0:24:28.560
<v Speaker 2>found the most pleasing, the father of the American Cavalry. Currently,

0:24:28.640 --> 0:24:33.720
<v Speaker 2>a staggering number of structures commemorate Casmir Pulaski in the US.

0:24:34.280 --> 0:24:38.320
<v Speaker 2>In addition to his monument in Savannah, other majestic statues

0:24:38.520 --> 0:24:40.720
<v Speaker 2>stand in cities like Washington.

0:24:40.400 --> 0:24:40.639
<v Speaker 1>D c.

0:24:41.320 --> 0:24:47.560
<v Speaker 2>Buffalo, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Hertford, and Providence. Fittingly, many depict him

0:24:47.720 --> 0:24:51.800
<v Speaker 2>riding a horse in addition, the Pulaski Bridge in New

0:24:51.920 --> 0:24:55.800
<v Speaker 2>York City, the Pulaski Skyway in New Jersey, and the

0:24:55.840 --> 0:25:00.200
<v Speaker 2>Pulaski Highway in Baltimore were all named after him, as

0:25:00.400 --> 0:25:05.840
<v Speaker 2>was Fort Pulaski in Georgia. Multiple military ships also bear

0:25:05.880 --> 0:25:10.120
<v Speaker 2>Pulaski's name, as do numerous villages and schools all over

0:25:10.160 --> 0:25:16.480
<v Speaker 2>the US. As you probably noticed, besides both being memorably illiterative,

0:25:16.720 --> 0:25:20.560
<v Speaker 2>the Battle of Brandywine and the Siege of Savannah also

0:25:20.760 --> 0:25:25.760
<v Speaker 2>both ended poorly for the American side, But rather than

0:25:25.800 --> 0:25:30.560
<v Speaker 2>being mere blights on Pulaski's record, these complex military engagements

0:25:30.760 --> 0:25:36.920
<v Speaker 2>highlight his unique value. By leading a misunderstood unit, Pulaski

0:25:37.040 --> 0:25:42.119
<v Speaker 2>often wound up in harrowing, long odds situations, and while

0:25:42.280 --> 0:25:48.320
<v Speaker 2>victories certainly deserve to be celebrated, defeats often offer deeper insight.

0:25:49.280 --> 0:25:52.880
<v Speaker 2>As the famed boxer Mike Tyson is so often quoted

0:25:52.920 --> 0:25:56.160
<v Speaker 2>as saying, everybody has a plan until they get punched

0:25:56.200 --> 0:26:00.480
<v Speaker 2>in the mouth. What made Pulaski remarkable is that he

0:26:00.680 --> 0:26:05.200
<v Speaker 2>constantly kept coming up with plans even after his enemies

0:26:05.280 --> 0:26:11.159
<v Speaker 2>kept proverbially punching him. If anything, Pulaski seemingly wanted to

0:26:11.280 --> 0:26:15.600
<v Speaker 2>weather his opponent's best shots, and thus proved how his

0:26:15.760 --> 0:26:22.320
<v Speaker 2>greatest strength was also his undoing bravery. Verging on recklessness

0:26:22.560 --> 0:26:27.199
<v Speaker 2>was a great blueprint for gaining an outsized reputation, but

0:26:27.280 --> 0:26:31.280
<v Speaker 2>not so much for ensuring a long life. In a way,

0:26:31.480 --> 0:26:35.600
<v Speaker 2>it's surprising that a Polish transplant who was so focused

0:26:35.640 --> 0:26:40.800
<v Speaker 2>on a relatively underutilized type of warfare would become such

0:26:40.920 --> 0:26:44.680
<v Speaker 2>a legendary figure in the United States's fight for independence.

0:26:45.240 --> 0:26:49.480
<v Speaker 2>But in another way, it makes perfect sense. Even for

0:26:49.560 --> 0:26:53.400
<v Speaker 2>those who did not fully grasp all of Pulaski's ambitions

0:26:53.400 --> 0:27:00.119
<v Speaker 2>and European achievements, the Cavalry General's unbridled apologies passed and

0:27:00.640 --> 0:27:06.520
<v Speaker 2>continually resonated to this day. Few individuals as sacrifices and

0:27:06.760 --> 0:27:12.119
<v Speaker 2>ocean bridging fighting spirits better embody one of Poland's unofficial

0:27:12.200 --> 0:27:23.880
<v Speaker 2>mottos for our freedom and yours. That's the cavalry centric

0:27:23.960 --> 0:27:27.520
<v Speaker 2>story of Casimir Pulaski. But stick around after a brief

0:27:27.600 --> 0:27:34.600
<v Speaker 2>sponsor break to take one last trot down memory lane.

0:27:45.000 --> 0:27:47.680
<v Speaker 2>If you are from Illinois like me, or a fan

0:27:47.720 --> 0:27:50.800
<v Speaker 2>of Sufyan Stevens, you might be aware that the first

0:27:50.960 --> 0:27:55.280
<v Speaker 2>Monday in March is celebrated as Casimir Pulaski Day, and

0:27:55.480 --> 0:27:57.879
<v Speaker 2>at least back when I was young, it was a

0:27:57.960 --> 0:28:02.240
<v Speaker 2>day we got off school. My freshman year of college

0:28:02.280 --> 0:28:05.280
<v Speaker 2>out of state, I remember telling a story about something

0:28:05.320 --> 0:28:08.280
<v Speaker 2>my friends and I did on Kasmir Pulaski Day when

0:28:08.280 --> 0:28:12.560
<v Speaker 2>we didn't have school, and I was met with confused stares.

0:28:13.440 --> 0:28:17.080
<v Speaker 2>It was only then that I realized that Kasimir Pulaski

0:28:17.160 --> 0:28:22.399
<v Speaker 2>Day was not, in fact a nationally observed holiday. Because

0:28:22.400 --> 0:28:26.600
<v Speaker 2>of Chicago's large Polish population, it was introduced as a

0:28:26.600 --> 0:28:29.600
<v Speaker 2>holiday in the city in nineteen eighty six, to be

0:28:29.680 --> 0:28:35.080
<v Speaker 2>celebrated on the first Monday in March. Apparently, though fairly recently,

0:28:35.440 --> 0:28:38.560
<v Speaker 2>it seems not every school gives the day off anymore,

0:28:39.000 --> 0:28:41.080
<v Speaker 2>and so if you live in a school district that

0:28:41.200 --> 0:28:44.560
<v Speaker 2>still gets Kasimir Pulaski Day off, please do let me know.

0:28:44.720 --> 0:28:58.520
<v Speaker 2>I'm curious. Noble Blood is a production of iHeartRadio and

0:28:58.680 --> 0:29:02.560
<v Speaker 2>Grim and Mild from Air. Noble Blood is hosted by

0:29:02.600 --> 0:29:07.240
<v Speaker 2>me Dana Schwartz, with additional writing and research by Hannah Johnston,

0:29:07.520 --> 0:29:11.880
<v Speaker 2>hannah's Wick, Courtney Sender, Amy Hit and Julia Milani. The

0:29:11.960 --> 0:29:16.280
<v Speaker 2>show is edited and produced by Jesse Funk, with supervising

0:29:16.320 --> 0:29:22.080
<v Speaker 2>producer rima il KLi and executive producers Aaron Manke, Trevor Young,

0:29:22.160 --> 0:29:26.600
<v Speaker 2>and Matt Frederick. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the

0:29:26.680 --> 0:29:30.800
<v Speaker 2>iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your

0:29:30.800 --> 0:30:06.160
<v Speaker 2>favorite shows.

0:30:00.280 --> 0:30:03.920
<v Speaker 1>Assass