General Tadeusz Kosciuszko - Boston, MA
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 42° 21.148 W 071° 04.145
19T E 329589 N 4690985
A monument to General Tadeusz Kosciuszko is located on the near Boylston Street in the Boston Public Garden in Boston, MA
Waymark Code: WMM101
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 06/29/2014
Views: 8
Tadeusz Kosciuszko was born on February 4, 1746 in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, in a village located in present-day Belarus. He graduated from the Corps of Cadets School in Warsaw. He traveled to the United States in 1776 to participated in the American Revolution against the British as a Colonel of Engineers in the Continental Army.
Kosciuszko was a brilliant military engineer and was most famous for his design successful fortifications during the American Revolution. His first mission was to fortify the Philadelphia waterfront at Fort Mercer. In 1777 Kosciuszko designed the defenses at Saratoga, NY that led to the defeat of the British and the surrender of General Gates. In 1778 Kosciuszko was the chief engineer in charge of designing and supervising the construction of the defenses at West Point, NY. In 1783, he was promoted to the rank of Brevet Brigadier General.
Following the American defeat of the British he returned to Poland to join the fight for Polish independence as a Major General in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's Army. Kosciuszko spent the last years of his life in Switzerland, where he died on October 15, 1817 at the age of 72. He is buried in Wawel Castle, in Krakow, Poland, where Polish kings are buried.
A 10' by 32" by 27" bronze statue of Tadeusz Kosciuszko is standing on a 6' by 6' by 5.6' granite base. Kosciuszko is depicted in dress military uniform with a sword on his left side. He is holding his hat behind his back with his left hand and holds publication in his right hand.
The sculpture was created by Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson and cast at the Gorham Manufacturing Company foundry. It was commissioned on September 28, 1922, cast in 1927, and dedicated on September 28, 1927.
The front of the base is inscribed:
KOSCIUSZKO
A bronze plaque on the back of the base is inscribed:
GENERAL TADEUSZ KOSCIUSZKO
CHAMPION OF LIBERTY AND THE RIGHTS
OF MAN, ERECTED BY THE POLISH PEOPLE
OF NEW ENGLAND TO COMMEMORATE
THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS ARRIVAL
IN AMERICA TO ENLIST IN THE CAUSE
OF LIBERTY