Włodzimierz Krzyżanowski | |
|---|---|
 Włodzimierz Krzyżanowski | |
| Birth name | Włodzimierz Bonawentura Krzyżanowski |
| Nickname | Kriz |
| Born | (1824-07-08)July 8, 1824 |
| Died | January 31, 1887(1887-01-31) (aged 62) New York City, United States |
| Place of burial | |
| Allegiance |  United States (Union) |
| Branch | United States Army Union Army |
| Service years | 1861–1865 |
| Rank |  Colonel BrevetBrigadier General Brigadier General (temporary) |
| Unit | Army of the Potomac Army of the Cumberland |
| Commands | Polish Legion Krzyżanowski's Brigade,XI Corps |
| Conflicts | |
| Relations | cousin ofFrédéric Chopin |
| Other work | Civil Engineer, Military Territorial Administrator, Treasury Department Clerk, Customs Agent |
Włodzimierz Bonawentura Krzyżanowski ([vwɔˈd͡ʑimjɛʂ kʂɨʐaˈnɔfski]; in some sources, misspelledWladimir Krzyzanowski; 8 July 1824 – 31 January 1887) was aPolish-American engineer, politician, andbrigadier general in theUnion Army.
APolish noble, he took part in the1846 uprising against Prussia and left Poland after the uprising's suppression. During theAmerican Civil War he enlisted in the United States' Union Army, recruited a company of Polish immigrants, and becamecolonel of the58th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, listed in the official Army Register as the "Polish Legion".
In the July 1863Battle of Gettysburg, Krzyżanowski helped repel an evening assault by the famedLouisiana Tigers on the Union defenses atopEast Cemetery Hill.
After the war he held several government posts, though it is disputed whether he was, as has often been stated, the first American administrator ofAlaska Territory.
Krzyżanowski was born inRożnowo,Grand Duchy of Poznań, into an oldPolish noble family that bore theŚwinka coat of arms, and whose roots reached back to the 14th century and ownership of the village of Krzyżanowo nearKościan. Krzyżanowski's father and both uncles had fought for Polish independence underNapoleon's banners, and his brother fought in theNovember 1830 Uprising.[1]
Krzyżanowski was first cousin toFrédéric Chopin, whose mother Justyna Krzyżanowska's brother was Włodzimierz Krzyżanowski's father.[1]
After the death of Krzyżanowski's father, the family fell into debt and had to leave their estate. The mother sent Włodzimierz to relatives inPoznań, while the rest of the family moved toWarsaw. Young Krzyżanowski attended St. Mary MagdalenGymnasium in Poznań, a principal center of the Polish nationalist underground inPrussian Poland.[1]
Krzyżanowski took part in the1846 uprising against Prussia and, after its suppression, fled Poland to avoid arrest. He went to theFree City of Hamburg, from which he sailed toNew York, eventually arriving on January 25, 1847. In the United States he learned the English language and continued his education.[1]
After completing his education, Krzyżanowski worked as acivil engineer and surveyor inVirginia and was instrumental in pushing America's railroads west. There he made the acquaintance of General Burnett and married his daughter Caroline, with whom he moved toWashington, D.C., to set up his own company, which brought him substantial wealth. He also became active inRepublican Party politics. In 1860 he supportedAbraham Lincoln's candidacy for president of the United States.[1]
In Washington, D.C., in early 1861, Krzyżanowski enlisted as aprivate two days afterPresidentAbraham Lincoln called for volunteers. Krzyżanowski recruited a company of Polish immigrants, one of the first companies of Union soldiers. He moved the company toNew York City, enlisted more immigrants, and soon becamecolonel of the58th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, listed in the official Army Register as the "Polish Legion".[2][3]
Krzyżanowski participated in the battles ofCross Keys in theShenandoah Valley, andSecond Bull Run (Second Manassas), where he was injured when his horse fell,[3]Chancellorsville, where his brigade and the corps they were part of were routed by a Confederate flank attack, and Gettysburg in theEastern Theater.[4]
President Lincoln appointed Krzyżanowskibrigadier general on November 26, 1862.[3] The appointment expired by law on March 4, 1863, because theU.S. Senate failed to confirm the promotion.[3] The Senate belatedly approved the appointment on March 9, 1863, but recalled it March 11, 1863, returned it to President Lincoln on March 12, 1863, and tabled it on March 13, 1863, keeping the expiration of the appointment in effect.[3]
At Gettysburg on 1 July 1863 his men were pushed back through the town as the UnionXI Corps retreated. During this action, Krzyżanowski was injured when his horse stumbled.[3] However, next day he led acounterattack on Cemetery Hill that helped stabilize the faltering Union line.[2]
Later in the year, the XI Corps was sent to theWestern Theater to help raise theConfederate siege of Chattanooga. Krzyżanowski played a role in theBattle of Wauhatchie, where he followed Maj. Gen.Joseph Hooker's orders very literally, and was present at theBattle of Missionary Ridge.[2]
When the XI Corps was dissolved, much of it being added toXX Corps, Krzyżanowski was assigned to command atBridgeport, Alabama, to guard theNashville and Chattanooga Railroad, and later toStevenson, Alabama, both commands within theDepartment of the Cumberland.[2] He also commanded the 3rd Brigade of the Defenses of the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad, reporting to Maj. Gen.Robert H. Milroy.[3]
On 2 March 1865 President Lincoln nominated Krzyżanowski for appointment to the grade ofbrevetbrigadier general of volunteers, to rank from 2 March 1865.[5] The U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment on 9 March 1865.[5] Krzyżanowski was mustered out of the volunteers on 1 October 1865.[3]
After the war, Krzyżanowski was given governing duties inAlabama.[6] He later served as the appointed governor of Georgia.[6] Supposedly he also served as the first American administrator ofAlaska Territory. However, theAnchorage Daily News was unable to find conclusive information to support or disprove this claim.[7] It is said that the supposed posting was a reward for his services as personal representative of SecretaryWilliam H. Seward during the negotiations for thepurchase of Alaska.[8]
He served in theU.S. Treasury Department and later in thecustoms service inPanama and New York.[9]
Krzyżanowski died inNew York City.[9] On 13 October 1937, the 50th anniversary of his death, his remains were transferred withmilitary honors fromGreen-Wood Cemetery inBrooklyn, New York, toArlington National Cemetery.[10] PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt broadcast a nationwide tribute via radio, and Poland's president,Ignacy Mościcki, transmitted his fromWarsaw.[10]
Krzyżanowski's legacy was honored by the American Polish Civil War Centennial Committee during the 1960s, which lobbied politicians for a greater appreciation of his remembrance.Thomas J. Lane pushed for House Joint Resolution 707, which would have made 9 July 1962 "Gen. Kryzanowski Memorial Day". The resolution did not, however, receive sufficient support from Congress.[11]
Media related toWłodzimierz Krzyżanowski at Wikimedia Commons
Accompanying Document No. 19 to “Report of Carl Schurz on the States of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana,” 1865.| International | |
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