Pulaski Monument
The
Pulaski Monument, erected in 1853-1854, 75 years after the
death of Pulaski, stood here in
Monterey Square for 142 years before being disassembled for
repairs in September, 1996. The
granite steps and base blocks remain here under cover. The
marble relief panels and rectangular
column are being repaired at the Historic Railroad Shops, 601
West Harris St. under the direction
of Conservation Technology Group, Newport, RI and will be
returned to service. The ornate
capital and statue of Liberty will be replicated as they are too
fragile to withstand continued
exposure to the elements. The originals are on display at the Savannah
History Museum, 303
MLK Jr. Blvd. along with the original cornerstone dedicated in
1825 by Lafayette, and the time
capsule from 1853.
Pulaski
General Count Kazimierz Pulaski, renowned for his brilliant cavalry improvisations during the
battles of the Bar Confederacy was recruited in Paris by Benjamin Franklin for the American
cause. He was commissioned Brigadier General, was the Father of the American Cavalry, and
fought bravely with Washington at Brandywine and Germantown. He was mortally wounded on
October 9, 1779 by grapeshot while leading a cavalry charge at the Siege of Savannah. He was
transported to Greenwich Plantation for evacuation to Charleston, but died of his wound on
October 15, 1779 before the Wasp sailed. There is a popular belief that he was buried at sea but
there is growing evidence to support the theory that he was buried on the plantation. His alleged
remains were exhumed by Col. William P. Bowen and three physicians in 1853 and interred in
the Pulaski Monument during its construction along with the original cornerstone of the
monument dedicated in 1825 by General Lafayette and a time capsule.
Pulaski's Remains
General
Pulaski's alleged remains were again exhumed during the disassembly of the Pulaski
Monument in 1996. The effort to positively identify the remains is led by Chatham County
Coroner Dr. James C. Metts and privately funded by Edward Pinkowski, author, newspaper editor, and authority
on Pulaski. To date all the physical evidence and newly discovered
documentary evidence is consisteant with the remains being those of Pulaski. DNA has been
extracted from the savannah remains, and an attempt will be made to match the DNA of a known grandniece in Poland.
Monument Conservation
The Pulaski Monument is one of Savannah's principal monuments in an
eclectic collection of 42
monuments and other outdoor public art. No city has before
undertaken the unprecedented task
of comprehensive conservation of its entire collection. The
Pulaski Monument is a part of that
undertaking. The Pulaski Monument and the Confederate Monument,
located directly south in Forsyth Park, will be the most difficult to save. While the City of Savannah has contributed
most of the funds raised for the project, grassroots support is critical to the success
of the
Monuments Project. Private contributions help us compete for grants, such as the Georgia
Heritage 2000 Program grant received for the Pulaski Monument from the Georgia
Department
of Natural Resources, Historic Preservation Division.
The Savannah Foundation, a community foundation, facing this Square at 428 Bull Street, is
collecting donations for both the direct conservation of the monuments and the Endowment
of
the monuments for their future maintenance. All donations are tax deductible. Your support
will
speed the return of the Pulaki Monument.