Show fri t h E of 0 too 0 R mom MM bd kim NUM ar i a 4 A j 11 Z OV Y A 7 V y ceiaa a y s M ara T by elf ELMO 0 O SCOTT WATSON F ALL the events in 1927 which have marked the one hundred fiftieth anniversary niver sary sory of the critical year of the revolution few have commemorated more appropriately tb the e worldwide world wide significance of the amerlean american struggle for freedom than those in which the name of gluszko has figured his name and tame fame were revived last summer when pr press s dispatches carried the news that the bronze urn containing the heart of this polish patriot and friend of american freedom had bad been reclaimed by his native land they were revived vedat at the saratoga celebration in new york last month when honors were paid among others to this youth whose organizing work avon won for him the title of father of american artillery and m who ho selected and planned the fortification of pernis bemis heij heights its which had such an important part in Bur goynes defeat it was at the saratoga celebration too that there was launched a nationwide campaign among teachers and children of america to raise funds for the endowment of a scholarship to be known as the george washington scholarship of the kosel foundation which will provide for the education alternately of i a student from poland at an amerlean american university and of an american student at a poll polish li university thus will be perpetuated not only the oft off repeated wish of kosciuszko Kosc luszko let us give our children a good education with the virtues of justice and honor but also the memory of the splendid friendship between him and the leader of the continental army who mho once declared to his care and sedulous appreciation the american people are indebted for the defenses of west point for it was Kosc kosciuszko luszko who planned the fortifications on the hudson and who when it was later decided to found a training school for future american officers effi cers urged that west point be chosen as the site but most impressive of oil all the events which iichi II cli have served to recall the th name of Kosc kosciuszko luszko was the celebration on october IG 10 when a new statue of him was unveiled in the public garden in boston the statue was the gift to boston of the polish people I 1 of new england who aho raised a fund I 1 of 2 ioco for that purpose and on that day more than americans of polish ancestry marched in the parade at the head of which were carried both the stars and stripes and the national colors of poland to the site of the statue where the unveiling and dedication took place in I 1 the he presence of many distinguished guests this memorial Is the work of mrs theo A ruggles kitson of froming framing ingham ham mass noted for her own sculptured pieces including the volunteer at newburyport mass mas another at vicksburg miss the spanish war students at Minnea minneapolis polLe minn and schenectady N Y and the Dicker bickerdyke dyke statue nt at galesburg Gales galesburg bur 9 ill as well as for the fact that she la Is the wife of henry H kitson creator of the lexington minute men ile imil and the robert burns statue lu in the fenway the date sunday october 16 of the unveiling of this statue was especially significant it was on october 17 1817 that the polish champion then at the age of seventy one years met liis ills death by a fall from his hl horse an event which the poet campbell has made historic with his hope tor for a season bade the world farewell farawell and freedom as kosciuszko Kosc luszko tell fell the date however was selected more particularly because it was on october 38 18 1776 1776 that kosciuszko Kosc luszko landed in new york with the french expedition to aid the colonies col onles so the one hundred fifty first anniversary of his bis beginning a new fight for freedom and the one hundred tenth anniversary of the end of his long struggle in the cause of liberty sam sawa a great patriotic gathering to honor him the whole career of kosciuszko Kosc luszko was dedicated to the single purpose of human liberty like kossuth the hungarian lafayette the frenchman and others he be was far in advance of his time ue he was born february 12 the birthday of another great exponent of freedom in the year 1740 in a remote part of lithuania it was at a time when poland was exhausted by wars not wars for the betterment of the peoples of europe but conflicts between ambitious sovereigns nis ills father was a man of noble birth and large estates the young kosciuszko Kosc Kose luszko attended the jesuit college in hla his home town and in 1704 entered the corps of cadets cabets in the royal koyal school of warsaw during his vacations at home he talked with the peasants on his fathers fat liers estate learned of their N an V 4 I 1 acma cc mA 0 discontent find and in his mind the seed of protest against tyranny began to grow later he went to france where he be studied military engineering especially fortifications a study which was to bring him fame at the age of awen ty tv eight he returned to poland to find the family fortunes in the hands bands of 0 a spendthrift older brother and rapidly disappearing in the meantime the first partition of poland had taken place and polish estate were being confiscated by the russians who were mere overrunning the country having heard beard of the rebellion of the american col colonies onles against the british king kos gluszko resolved to cost cast his lot with them ile he arrived in philadelphia soon after the signing of the declaration of independence having mortgaged his patrimony and borrowed ducats dubats to get there ile he seems to have made the acquaintance of franklin either in france or after his arrival la in philadelphia for we next hear bear of him presenting himself and a letter of introduction tro from franklin to his excellency cel lency george washington in october 1770 1776 what can you do asked washington according to the familiar story try me and we shall see was wa response so washington made him a colonel of engineers and from october 1776 to april 1 1777 ma be was busy fortifying philadelphia continuing the work there that he had undertaken before his hia services had been accepted then he be joined gates cates army in the north and performed the services at saratoga and west point already referred to later he was of invaluable assistance to general greene as chief engineer in the southern campaign and it is said that greenes escape from cornwallis Cornwall ls during his memorable retreat was due largely to the work of the polish officer in constructing pontoon bridges which allowed greenes army to cross cros rivers before the british could overtake it at the close of the revolution kos gluszko returned to his native land and had a prominent part to in the stormy times which preceded the second partition of that unhappy country in his fight for the liberty of his country he was finally wounded in eattle eattie battle battie and captured by the russians russian who held him prisoner for two years then he was released upon his request to visit america once more after his bis second visit here he settled down in ia paris and then removed to switzerland where he was living at the time of the fatal fall fail from his horse As he be lay ayin dying at solothurn Solo thurn switzerland he requested that ills his heart should not dot be taken back to his country until the day when poland was free so it was removed from his body which was taken to cracow chacow and burled in 40 the cathedral there embalm ed ltd jd placed in a bronze urn which kept at it remained there until some thirty years ago then it was removed to the little chapel of chateau Rappers rapperswil wll wil near zurich during all these years poland had bad been a political football for the powers of europe rut but the end of the world war found it an independent state at last so the heart of kos eos gluszko has gone back to his native land to be placed in the cathedral at cracow chacow there to be honored by his countrymen for fir his struggles in their behalf and in america where he also fought tor for freedom monuments in washington D C at west point in humboldt park la in chicago and this latest one in boston stand as constant reminders of the debt we owe to this great cham champeon champlon plon of human liberty |