Wojciech Bartosz Głowacki
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Wojciech Bartos(z) Głowacki (1758–1794), known also as Bartosz Głowacki, was a
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Polish people, people from Poland or of Polish descent * Polish chicken * Polish brothers (Mark Polish and Michael Polish, born 1970), American twin ...
peasant A peasant is a pre-industrial agricultural laborer or a farmer with limited land-ownership, especially one living in the Middle Ages under feudalism and paying rent, tax, fees, or services to a landlord. In Europe, three classes of peasan ...
and the most famous member of the ''
kosynierzy Scythemen, also known as scythe-bearers is the term for soldiers (often peasants and townspeople) armed with war scythes. First appearing in the Kościuszko Uprising of 1794, scythemen quickly became one of the symbols of the struggle for Poli ...
'' (peasant volunteer
infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...
) during the
Kościuszko Uprising The Kościuszko Uprising, also known as the Polish Uprising of 1794, Second Polish War, Polish Campaign of 1794, and the Polish Revolution of 1794, was an uprising against the Russian and Prussian influence on the Polish–Lithuanian Common ...
in 1794. Born as Wojciech Bartosz, he became a Polish national hero during the
battle of Racławice The Battle of Racławice was one of the first battles of the Kościuszko Uprising against Russia. It was fought on 4 April 1794 near the village of Racławice in Lesser Poland.Storozynski, A., 2009, The Peasant Prince, New York: St. Martin's P ...
on 4 April 1794, when he captured a Russian
cannon A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical propellant. Gunpowder ("black powder") was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder during th ...
by putting out the
fuse Fuse or FUSE may refer to: Devices * Fuse (electrical), a device used in electrical systems to protect against excessive current ** Fuse (automotive), a class of fuses for vehicles * Fuse (hydraulic), a device used in hydraulic systems to protec ...
with his hat. For this, he was promoted to the
rank A rank is a position in a hierarchy. It can be formally recognized—for example, cardinal, chief executive officer, general, professor—or unofficial. People Formal ranks * Academic rank * Corporate title * Diplomatic rank * Hierarchy ...
of ''
chorąży A standard-bearer ( Polish: ''Chorąży'' ; Russian and ; , chorunžis; ) is a military rank in Poland, Ukraine and some neighboring countries. A ''chorąży'' was once a knight who bore an ensign, the emblem of an armed troops, a voivodship, a l ...
'' and received the
surname In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...
'Głowacki'. He was mortally wounded during the
battle of Szczekociny The Battle of Szczekociny was fought on the 6 June 1794 near the town of Szczekociny, Lesser Poland, between Poland and the combined forces of the Russian Empire and Kingdom of Prussia. Polish forces were led by Tadeusz Kościuszko, and the Rus ...
on 6 June that year. Since then he has become one of the symbols of the Uprising and Polish valor.


Biography

Bartosz was born around 1765 as a
serf Serfdom was the status of many peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to manorialism and similar systems. It was a condition of debt bondage and indentured servitude with similarities to and differences from slavery. It developed du ...
of Antoni Szujski. He was probably born in the village of Rzędowice, although some sources give Zakrzów as his place of birth. As the
church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...
documents which would have recorded the details were destroyed in 1794, the exact place of his birth, as well as the date are uncertain. In 1783 he married Jadwiga Czernikowa, and they had three daughters (Helena, Cecylia and Justyna). They were poor, and their house collapsed some years before the death of Jadwiga (she was then a widow). Their field was between 4 and 9
morg Morg is a fictional supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as a herald of Galactus. He was created by Ron Lim and Ron Marz and first appeared in ''Silver Surfer'' (vol. 3) #69 ...
s, without a horse, and it was only after Bartosz became famous at Racławice that they received a cow and some other animals from Lord Szujski. Bartosz was
conscripted Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it contin ...
after the decree of Order Commission () of 25 March, which ordered the conscription of one man from every five 'chimneys'. In the supplementary decree of 28 March, the commission allowed the peasants to report with
scythe A scythe (, rhyming with ''writhe'') is an agriculture, agricultural hand-tool for mowing grass or Harvest, harvesting Crop, crops. It was historically used to cut down or reaping, reap edible grain, grains before they underwent the process of ...
s instead of more specialized weapons; this led to the creation of the scythe-wielding infantry regiments. Bartosz was chosen as a conscript, ironically, because his lord's administrative staff viewed him as a troublemaker and decided that sending him off to war was a good way to get rid of him. He arrived in the military camp at the beginning of April, and on 4 April he took part in the famous
battle of Racławice The Battle of Racławice was one of the first battles of the Kościuszko Uprising against Russia. It was fought on 4 April 1794 near the village of Racławice in Lesser Poland.Storozynski, A., 2009, The Peasant Prince, New York: St. Martin's P ...
, where
Tadeusz Kościuszko Andrzej Tadeusz Bonawentura Kościuszko (; 4 or 12 February 174615 October 1817) was a Polish Military engineering, military engineer, statesman, and military leader who then became a national hero in Poland, the United States, Lithuania, and ...
, leader of the Polish uprising, defeated the Russian army. The were vital to the Polish victory, as they swarmed the Russian artillery positions, overrunning them after only a single salvo. It was at that battle that Bartosz gained fame: he was the first to reach the enemy lines and stopped one of the cannons from shooting by extinguishing its fuse with his cap. For that deed, as well as his pro-uprising rhetoric, Kościuszko promoted him to the rank of in the newly created regiment of Cracow's Grenadiers (). He was released from serfdom, and received the right to his land, but was probably not
ennobled Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. Th ...
. His surname was changed from the peasant Bartosz to Głowacki (his mother's maiden name), although it is not certain whether it was his own choice, or whether the name was bestowed upon him by Kościuszko himself. On 6 June 1794 Głowacki took part in the
Battle of Szczekociny The Battle of Szczekociny was fought on the 6 June 1794 near the town of Szczekociny, Lesser Poland, between Poland and the combined forces of the Russian Empire and Kingdom of Prussia. Polish forces were led by Tadeusz Kościuszko, and the Rus ...
. Polish forces, 15,000 strong, were defeated by a combined
Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...
n and
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
n army, some 27,000 strong. Głowacki was among the 346 Polish wounded evacuated from battle, but his wounds were too serious, and he died soon afterwards (sometime between 6 and 9 June). He was probably buried in the
Kielce Cathedral The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary ( ) simplified to Kielce Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic church that has the status of cathedral and basilica located in the city of Kielce in Poland. It is located in the "Castle H ...
on 9 June.


Fame

Bartosz Głowacki became one of the most famous Polish soldiers of the uprising and joined the ranks of the Polish national heroes. The knowledge of his deeds was spread by those who wanted to show that the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...
was defended not only by its most privileged
class Class, Classes, or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects * Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used d ...
— the nobility (''
szlachta The ''szlachta'' (; ; ) were the nobility, noble estate of the realm in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Depending on the definition, they were either a warrior "caste" or a social ...
''), but also by the least privileged, the peasants. His story was useful to Polish
patriot A patriot is a person with the quality of patriotism. Patriot(s) or The Patriot(s) may also refer to: Political and military groups United States * Patriot (American Revolution), those who supported the cause of independence in the American R ...
s during the times of
partitions of Poland The Partitions of Poland were three partition (politics), partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that took place between 1772 and 1795, toward the end of the 18th century. They ended the existence of the state, resulting in the eli ...
, and was also picked up and further used as
propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded l ...
by the
communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
People's Republic of Poland The Polish People's Republic (1952–1989), formerly the Republic of Poland (1947–1952), and also often simply known as Poland, was a country in Central Europe that existed as the predecessor of the modern-day democratic Republic of Poland. ...
, for whom a peasant hero was a valuable tool.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Glowacki, Bartosz 1758 births 1794 deaths Polish soldiers Kościuszko insurgents Military personnel of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Serfs 18th-century Polish farmers