Antoni Chlewiński (1750-1800) was a prominent member of the
Polish-Lithuanian landed gentry
The landed gentry, or the gentry (sometimes collectively known as the squirearchy), is a largely historical Irish and British social class of landowners who could live entirely from rental income, or at least had a country estate. It is t ...
of the
Radwan coat of arms. A
lieutenant general
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the battlefield, who was norma ...
of the Lithuanian Army, he fought in both the
War of 1792 and
Kościuszko Uprising of 1794.
He was the son of Ludwik,
Rečyca's
wojski.
He was for some time an officer of the
Prussian army.
Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
War of 1792
From 1791 onwards, he was in the Lithuanian Army, becoming the
Colonel
Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations.
In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...
and commander of the
3rd Lithuanian Vanguard Regiment. During the War of 1792, he commanded the 3rd Lithuanian Vanguard Regiment, whose nominal chief was
Michał Zabiełło. Chlewiński stood out as a good tactician and was hence decorated with the
Order of Virtuti Militari.
After the war, he remained in service of the
Targowica Confederation
The Targowica Confederation (, , ) was a confederation established by Polish and Lithuanian magnates on 27 April 1792, in Saint Petersburg, with the backing of the Russian Empress Catherine II. The confederation opposed the Constitution of 3 May ...
. In 1793, he was appointed
major-general and commander of the and was awarded the
Order of St. Stanislaus. He was opposed to the Kościuszko Uprising.
Kościuszko Uprising
On 16 April 1794, in
Šiauliai
Šiauliai ( ; ) is a city in northern Lithuania, the List of cities in Lithuania, country's fourth largest city and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, sixth largest city in the Baltic States, with a population of 112 581 in 202 ...
, he swore the Act of Uprising (together with
Franciszek Ksawery Niesiołowski,
Romuald Giedroyć, ,
Antoni Prozor, and ) and was proclaimed head of the Armed Forces of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the Kościuszko Uprising. He approached
Vilnius
Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...
with his troops, which led to the
Vilnius Uprising breaking out earlier. Not accepted by the Supreme National Council, Chlewiński was appointed by Tadeusz Kościuszko as commandant of Vilnius and promoted to lieutenant general. He was an opponent of Gen.
Jakub Jasinski.
He failed or did not want to defend Vilnius on August 11–12, 1794 against the advancing Russian troops. After the fall of the city, he was accused of treason. Later, he handed over his leadership to the Lithuanian Supreme Government Council established on April 24 and was arrested. In view of the imminent collapse of the uprising, the investigation did not reveal anything.
His fate after the uprising is unknown.
References
{{reflist
Bibliography
* H. P. Kosk, ''Generalicja polska'' t. 1, wyd. Oficyna wydawnicza "Ajaks" Pruszków 1998.
1750 births
1800 deaths
Clan of Radwan
People of the Polish–Russian War of 1792
Generals of the Kościuszko Uprising
Targowica confederates
Recipients of the Virtuti Militari