Pulaski was born on March 6, 1747, in the manor house of the Pułaski family in Warsaw, Poland. Casimir was the second eldest son of Marianna Zielińska and Józef Pułaski, who was an advocatus at the Crown Tribunal, the Starost of Warka, and one of the town's most notable inhabitants. He was a brother of Franciszek Ksawery Pułaski and Antoni Pułaski. His family bore the Ślepowron coat of arms.
Early in his youth, Casimir Pulaski attended an elite college run by Theatines, a male religious order of the Catholic Church in Warsaw, but did not finish his education.
He took a leading part in forming the anti-Russian Confederation of Bar (1768) and became commander-in-chief of the Polish forces during the ensuing uprising against Russia. Driven into exile in Turkey about 1772, he offered his services in 1777 to Benjamin Franklin in Paris as a volunteer in Washington's army. He distinguished himself in the Battle of Brandywine on Sept. 11, 1777, and was made brigadier general by the Continental Congress. Early in 1778 Congress approved his plan to raise an independent corps. Pulaski's legion consisted of some 300 dragoons and light infantry; the officers were principally French, German, and Polish, and most of the enlisted men were Pennsylvania Germans. After several minor actions in New Jersey, Pulaski and his men were ordered by Congress to South Carolina. They reached Charleston in May 1779, just in time to strengthen inadequate American forces defending the city from an attack by Gen. Alexander Prevost's British army. Bold counterattacks by Pulaski's dragoons bolstered the morale of Charleston citizens, who had urged a compromise with the enemy; overnight, such a resolute defense was organized that Prevost gave up the attack. Pulaski fought his last battle on October 9 in the attack on Savannah, which was held by Prevost's army. The strongly entrenched British inflicted a costly repulse on the American forces. Pulaski was wounded while leading a charge of his legion; he died on board the American warship Wasp, which was lying offshore, on Oct. 11, 1779. As a crusader for political liberties, Pulaski also gave large amounts of money to the American cause. As a soldier, his greatest military contribution was the awakening of American generals to the necessity of a better cavalry.
Pulaski is one of only eight people to be awarded honorary United States citizenship.
In the Season 3 episode of The West Wing entitled "Stirred", Pulaski is mentioned, and US President Jed Bartlett describes him as "a Polish Brigadier General who vanquished the Russian and Prussian military, then came to the colonies and commanded our cavalry during the American Revolution".
There is a statue of Pulaski in the fictional town of Stars Hollow from the TV series Gilmore Girls.
Singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens wrote a song entitled "Casimir Pulaski Day" on his Illinois album.
Furthermore, Illinois based punk rock band Big Black released the track "Kasimir S. Pulaski Day" on its 1987 album.
The Pułaski family was Roman Catholic.
There is some circumstantial evidence that Pulaski was a Freemason. When Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette laid the cornerstone of the monument erected in Pulaski's honor in Savannah in 1824, a full Masonic ceremony took place with Richard T. Turner, High Priest of the Georgia chapter, conducting the ceremony. Other sources claim Pulaski was a member of the Masonic Army Lodge in Maryland. A Masonic Lodge in Chicago is named Casimir Pulaski Lodge, No. 1167 and a brochure issued by them claims he obtained the degree of Master Mason on June 19, 1779, and was buried with full Masonic honors. To date no surviving documents of Pulaski's actual membership have been found.
He never married and had no descendants.
