Franciszek Ksawery Niesiołowski

Franciszek Ksawery Niesiołowski (18 December 1771 – 15 September 1845) was a colonel in the 6th Lithuanian Foot Regiment, general in the Kościuszko Uprising, the Army of the Duchy of Warsaw, and the Army of the Kingdom of Poland, served during the November Uprising, became a member of the Sejm in 1830, and was Senator-Castellan of the Kingdom of Poland from 8 August 1831.[1][2]

Franciszek Ksawery Niesiołowski
Coat of armsKorzbok coat of arms
Born(1771-12-18)18 December 1771
Lyakhavichy, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
Died15 September 1845(1845-09-15) (aged 73)
Rybitwy, Lublin Voivodeship, Congress Poland
FatherJózef Niesiołowski
MotherKatarzyna née Massalska

Early life

Niesiołowski was born on 18 December 1771 in Lachowicze, which at that time belonged to the Massalski family, in Nowogródek Voivodeship, Grand Duchy of Lithuania, a part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.[3] He was the son of Józef Niesiołowski and Katarzyna née Massalska.[4] The main residence of the Niesiołowski family was Worończa, where they were likely to have been visited by Tadeusz Kościuszko several times during his holidays.[5]

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth

In 1788, at the age of 17, Franciszek Niesiołowski became colonel and commander of the 6th Lithuanian Infantry Regiment.[6]

War in Defence of the Constitution

In 1792, he participated in the War in Defence of the Constitution and was awarded the Order of the Virtuti Militari.[7] He distinguished himself during the Battle of Brest Litovsk.[8]

Kościuszko Uprising

Niesiołowski was involved in organizing the Kościuszko Uprising and on 16 April 1794, together with Antoni Chlewiński, Romualdas Giedraitis, Alojzy Sulistrowski, Antoni Prozor, and Piotr Zawisza, swore to uphold the Act of Uprising, at Šiauliai, in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.[9] During the uprising, he was promoted to the rank of major general by Tadeusz Kościuszko and fought in many battles, including the Vilnius uprising and Battle of Saločiai. He distinguished himself with his regiment on 7 May 1794 at the Battle of Polyany (near Ashmyany) and in June-July in a raid on Courland. When Franciszek Niesiołowski was operating in Samogitia, he captured a Russian courier to Saint Petersburg detailing all the Russian units in the Kingdom of Poland and the exact Russian casualties at the Battle of Racławice.[10]

In September 1794, he was taken prisoner by the Russian forces. In Hrodna, the Russian General Repnin, in response to a request from Niesiołowski's parents to meet with the detainee, encouraged Niesiołowski to swear allegiance to Catherine II, but he refused. After the rebellion, he retired from military service and travelled to Germany in 1796, coming back to Lithuania two years later.[8]

Napoleonic Wars

On 31 August 1812, at the beginning of Napoleon's invasion of Russia, Dirk van Hogendorp appointed Franciszek Niesiołowski as General Inspector of the Lithuanian Infantry in the Military Committee of the Provisional Government of Lithuania.[11][12] Although nominally a general, this entailed no field command responsibilities; instead he served in the 1813 Campaign as a soldier in the four-company-strong Polish Guards of Honour, commanded by Stanisław Wojczyński,[3] which consisted of surplus officers from the Duchy of Warsaw's Army (there was a disproportionate ratio of officers to men, in favour of officers, due to heavy losses incurred during the invasion).[13]

Congress Poland

After Napoleon's 1st abdication in 1814 and the Tsar's amnesty, Franciszek Niesiołowski returned to sell his ancestral estates in the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania, thereafter leaving for Congress Poland.[8] Niesiołowski formed part of the honorary guard company of fifty officers, of whom many were former comrades-in-arms of the honorand, at the funeral of Józef Poniatowski in 1817.[14]

November Uprising

On the first day of the Uprising of 1830, Niesiołowski donated 15,000 złotys in bonds to the national cause. From 18 December, he was a member of the Sejm. From January to 6 February, he was in service as the Deputy of the Military Governor of Warsaw. On 25 January 1831, Franciszek Niesiołowski signed the Act of Dethronement of Nicholas I[15] as the representative of the Kazimierz Powiat of the Lublin Voivodeship in the Sejm of the Uprising.[16] On 24 March 1831, Niesiołowski was assigned the command of an infantry brigade, comprising the 12th Infantry Regiment and 13th Infantry Regiment, which was stationed in Stężyca near the Vistula. However, he was considered to be inept by his commander Jan Skrzynecki and was already back in the Sejm on 7 May, although he was only officially dismissed nearly two months later, on 25 June. While fleeing to Prussia, he was arrested by the Russians and exiled to Vologda.[8]

Later life

After his release in 1833, he returned to his estates in Lithuania.[8] When he died on 15 September 1845, he was buried in the parish church of Rybitwy.[17]

Niesiołowski was a freemason.[18]

References
  1. Karpińska, Małgorzata (2002). Senatorowie, posłowie i deputowani Księstwa Warszawskiego i Królestwa Polskiego (in Polish). Warszawa. p. 74.
  2. Szyndler, Bartłomiej (2009). "(..szef 6 regimentu Litewskiegi pieszego operujacy w czasie Powstania Koścuszkowskiego) Chief of the 6th Lithuanian Foot Regiment, operating during the Koscuszko Uprising". Racławice 1794 (in Polish). Warsaw: Bellona. p. 27. ISBN 978-83-11-11606-1.CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  3. "Franciszek Ksawery Niesiołowski h. Korzbok" (in Polish).
  4. Minakowski, Marek Jerzy (2008). Ci wielcy Polacy to nasza rodzina (in Polish). Kraków: Dr Minakowski Publikacje Elektroniczne.
  5. Korzon, Tadeusz (1894). Kościuszko: życiorys z dokumentów wysnuty, Part 2 (in Polish). Nakł. Muzeum Narodowego w Rapperswylu. p. 183.
  6. Gembarzewski, Bronisław (1925). Rodowody pułków polskich i oddziałów równorzędnych od r. 1717 do r. 1831 (in Polish). Warszawa: Towarzystwo Wiedzy Wojskowej. p. 35.
  7. Spis Kawalerów Orderu Virtuti Militari z 1792 roku, Archiwum Główne Akt Dawnych, Archiwum Królestwa Polskiego, sygn. 178, p. 133-134.
  8. Маракоў, Л.У. (2003). Рэпрэсаваныя літаратары, навукоўцы, работнікі асветы, грамадскія і культурныя дзеячы Беларусі, 1794—1991. Энц. даведнік (in Belarusian). 3. ISBN 985-6374-04-9.
  9. Korzon, Tadeusz (1894). Kościuszko: życiorys z dokumentów wysnuty, Part 2 (in Polish). Nakł. Muzeum Narodowego w Rapperswylu. p. 315. Ale i bez tych odezw generał Chlewiński, Niesiołowski, Giedrojć, Sulistrowski, Ant. Prozor i Zawisza d. 16 kwietnia w Szawlach zaprzysięgli akt powstania zaś pułkownik korpusu inżenierów Jakób Jasiński w nocy z 22 na 23 kwietnia opanował Wilno i wziął do niewoli załogę rosyjską wraz z gen Arseniewem.
  10. Szyndler, Bartłomiej (2009). Racławice 1794. Historyczne bitwy (in Polish). Bellona. p. 26. Franciszek Ksawery Niesiołowski, szef 6. regimentu litewskiego pieszego, operujący w czasie powstania kościuszkowskiego m.in. na Żmudzi, pojmał kuriera rosyjskiego, który wiózł do Petersburga raporty i listy dowódców oddziałów carskich stacjonujących w Koronie. Wśród przechwyconych papierów znajdował się raport mjr. Borysa Tyńcowa, dowodzącego artylerią rosyjską w Polsce, sporządzony 10 kwietnia w Warszawie i adresowany do gen. lejtn. Waleriana Zubowa. Raport został oparty na meldunku kpt. Berga (W dokumentach tłumaczonych na język polski figuruje błędnie jako Berek) z pułku artylerii bombardierów wchodzących w skład korpusu Tormasowa. Znajdują się w nim dokładne wyliczenia strat artylerii rosyjskiej w sprzęcie i ludziach pod Racławicami.
  11. Gaidis, Henry L. (Spring 1984). "NAPOLEON'S LITHUANIAN FORCES". Lituanus. 30. ISSN 0024-5089. On August 31, 1812, General Van Hogendorp, Military-Governor of Lithuania, appointed (...) Colonel Count Joseph Niesiolowski Inspector-General of Infantry.
  12. hr. Tyszkiewicz, Józef (2004). Historia 17 pułku ułanów na tle wojsk litewskich 1812-1814 (in Polish). Armagedon. p. 57. ISBN 83-918106-1-5.
  13. Dempsey, Guy (2016). Napoleon's Mercenaries: Foreign Units in the French Army Under the Consulate and Empire, 1799 to 1814. Pen and Sword. p. 107. ISBN 9781848328310.
  14. Molenda, Jarosław (2008). Tajemnice polskich grobowców: pielgrzymki, ukryte skarby, sensacje i anegdoty (in Polish). Warszawa: Bellona. p. 294. Ciało umieszczono w dwóch trumnach, miedzianej i cynowej, a następnie w dębowej skrzyni opatrzonej trzema zamkami; po jej zamknięciu i opieczętowaniu jeden klucz oddano księciu Mikołajowi Wasiliewiczowi Repninowi, drugi Michałowi Sokolnickiemu, trzeci radzie miasta Lipska. W mieście zjawiła się też honorowa kompania gwardii, złożona z pięćdziesięciu oficerów, przeważnie dawnych towarzyszy broni księcia Józefa, wśród których byli między innymi generałowie: Stanisław Woyczyński, Józef Niemojewski, Franciszek Ksawery Niesiołowski i pułkownicy: Michał Czapski, Wacław Zawadzki, Michał Starzeński oraz wielu innych.
  15. Rostworowski, Michał (1907). Dyaryusz Sejmu z r. 1830-1831 (in Polish). I. Kraków. p. 244.
  16. Biernat, Andrzej; Ihnatowicz, Ireneusz (2003). Vademecum do badań nad historią XIX i XX wieku (in Polish). Warszawa. p. 480.
  17. Kosk, H. P (2001). Generalicja polska (in Polish). 2. Pruszków: Oficyna Wydawnicza "Ajaks".
  18. Małachowski-Łempicki, Stanisław (1930). Wykaz polskich lóż wolnomularskich oraz ich członków w latach 1738-1821 (in Polish). XIV. Kraków: Archiwum Komisji Historycznej. p. 269.

Bibliography
  • НЕСЯЛОЎСКІ Францішак Ксаверы // Маракоў Л.У. Рэпрэсаваныя літаратары, навукоўцы, работнікі асветы, грамадскія і культурныя дзеячы Беларусі, 1794–1991. Энц. даведнік. У 10 т. Т. 3. Кн. 2. — Мн:, 2003. ISBN 985-6374-04-9.
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