# 734 - 1933 5c General Tadeusz Kosciuszko

Shortly after arriving in Pennsylvania, Kosciuszko read Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence.  He was so moved by it, because it stood for everything he believed, he wanted to meet the author.  A few months later, the two men met in Virginia and spent the day discussing philosophy and other shared beliefs.  They soon became close friends, with Kosciuszko enjoying several prolonged visits to Jefferson’s home at Monticello.  Jefferson once called Kosciuszko “as pure a son of liberty as I have ever known.”

In August 1776, Kosciuszko was officially assigned to the Continental Army.  Having gained significant engineering knowledge during his studies, Kosciuszko was tasked with building fortifications at Fort Billingsport in New Jersey, to protect the Delaware River from a British attack.  The following year, he joined the Northern Army and reviewed the defenses of Fort Ticonderoga.  His suggestions for improvements went unanswered, and the British ended up attacking just as he’d predicted.  Kosciuszko was then tasked with delaying the enemy, which he did by felling trees, damming streams, and destroying bridges to slow the British and give the Americans time to withdraw.

After that success, Horatio Gates tasked Kosciuszko with finding the most defensible position for the Battle of Saratoga, which he found at Bemis Heights.  Kosciuszko’s strong defenses there helped Gates win victory and force the British surrender at Saratoga.  In March 1778, Kosciuszko traveled to West Point, where he would spend two years improving the fortifications and defenses, and the results were seen as innovative.

After that, Kosciuszko asked for a combat position and was granted it, though he would continue to provide engineering expertise.  He fought at the Second Battle of Camden, participated in the Siege of the Star Fort, and commanded troops at the last armed action of the war at James Island.