Welcome to the Lehigh Valley Landmarks with Leon podcast series, celebrating 250 years of independence. I'm your host, Rachel Leon. Since being elected in 2022 and serving as Vice President of Bethlehem City Council, I'm humbled by the opportunity to serve the diverse communities that make up our great city. But to understand where we're going, we need to understand our past. Each week, I'll share a short feature with a big story about the 250 years that made the Lehigh Valley and Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, known as the Christmas City, as we explore historic landmarks.
“I came here, where freedom is being defended, to serve it and to live or die for it,” is a statement written from General Casimir Pulaski to George Washington that expressed his dedication to join the Continental Army during the American Revolution.
Born Casimir Michal Wladyslaw Wiktor Pulaski on March 6, 1745, in Warsaw, his family belonged to the minor Polish nobility. From a young age he was a staunch fighter for independence in his native Poland.
By the age of 23, Pulaski gained fame as a cavalry commander in the patriotic anti-Russian Confederation of Bar, becoming its commander in chief. When the Russians defeated the confederation, he was forced to flee Poland, never to see it again.
Casimir Pulaski arrived in Paris, France, around late 1775 to 1776. While in Paris, he met with American envoy Benjamin Franklin in December 1776, who recruited him to assist in the American Revolutionary War.
On July 23rd, 1777, Pulaski landed at Marblehead, near Boston. In August he reported at the headquarters of the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, George Washington, in Pennsylvania. During his time in Pennsylvania, he also met the Marquis de Lafayette.
On September 11, he took part in his first battle on American soil on the Brandywine Creek between Chester and Philadelphia. As British forces threatened to surround and capture Washington, Pulaski—then an unranked volunteer—gathered scattered troops to break the enemy advance and secure a safe retreat for the American army and was credited with saving Washington's life.
Pulaski, a skilled military leader and horseman, was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General in command of cavalry on September 15, 1777 on Washington’s recommendation.
Pulaski received the consent of Congress on March 28, 1778, to form a special infantry and cavalry unit capable of more independent military action. Known as the Pulaski Legion he recruited Americans, Frenchmen, Poles, Irishmen, and Germans.
In the spring of 1778, Pulaski visited Bethlehem with his cavalry unit. Legend has it that he so enchanted the Moravian Sisters with his chivalry that they embroidered him a banner.
The Pulaski flag, or Legion Banner symbolizes the unity and valor of Pulaski's foreign legion, featuring the Latin phrase "Unita Virtus Forcior" (Union Makes Valor Stronger) and the first known use of the abbreviation for the United States as "U.S." surrounded by thirteen stars.
The fact remains he carried it with him on the battlefield until his untimely death in Savannah in 1779.
Known as the “Father of the American Cavalry,“ Pulaski’s legacy remains with us today with numerous towns, counties, naval vessels, monuments, and a Civil War-era fort in Savannah, Ga., named after him. Many Polish-Americans see him as a hero and celebrate him every year in Chicago and other cities on Pulaski Day - the first Monday in March.
The Casimir Pulaski Park in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is a small community park located at the intersection of West Third Street and Broadhead Ave on the southside near the Bethlehem Greenway.
