Casimir Pulaski
Chadds Ford Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Polish volunteer, commanded cavalry detachment helping to cover Washington's retreat from Brandywine, Sept. 11, 1777. As brigadier general, served Sept. 1777-March 1778 as first overall commander of the Continental Army's cavalry. He was mortally wounded at the siege of Savannah, Oct. 9, 1779.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Casimir Pulaski, a Polish nobleman exiled for resisting foreign rule, threw himself into the American cause and helped cover Washington's retreat from the Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777. Made a brigadier general, he became the first overall commander of the Continental Army's cavalry, earning fame as the "Father of the American Cavalry." He was mortally wounded leading a charge at the Siege of Savannah in 1779.
Why it matters
Pulaski personifies the foreign volunteers whose skill and sacrifice strengthened the Revolution, and his cavalry legacy shaped the American army.
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Related people
- · Casimir Pulaski
- · George Washington
Related events
- · Battle of Brandywine
- · Siege of Savannah
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Battle of Brandywine
Chadds Ford Township, PA · est. 1952
On September 11, 1777, the fields around Chadds Ford became the setting for the largest land battle of the American Revolution. George Washington positioned roughly 11,000 Continental troops to block General William Howe's drive toward Philadelphia, but Howe's larger British and Hessian force outflanked the American line. The defeat opened the road to the rebel capital, which fell to the British later that month.
John Chad's House - PLAQUE
Chadds Ford Township, PA · est. 1915
During the Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777, Colonel Thomas Proctor's American artillery took up positions in redoubts near this house, the home of ferryman John Chad. The guns helped anchor Washington's defense along the Brandywine before the army was forced to give ground. The dwelling still marks where Continental cannon stood against the advancing British.
Dilworthtown - PLAQUE
Birmingham Township, PA · est. 1915
Near the village of Dilworthtown, the Battle of Brandywine drew to its close on the evening of September 11, 1777. After Washington's line was flanked and driven back through the surrounding hills, the last fighting flared here as darkness ended the day. The marker fixes the point where one of the Revolution's largest engagements finally spent itself.
Battle of Brandywine
Chadds Ford Township, PA · est. 1952
As darkness fell on September 11, 1777, the Battle of Brandywine wound to its close with the British holding the ground and Washington's defeated army pulling back toward Chester. Amid the confusion of the retreat, the young French volunteer Marquis de Lafayette — wounded in the leg — worked to rally the withdrawing Continentals, while Casimir Pulaski's cavalry screened them from pursuit. Both foreign officers were early proof that the American cause had drawn allies from across Europe.