Colonel Hypolite Oladowski

Civil War Confederate Officer. A native of Poland, Oladowski's service to the Confederacy includes a tenure on the staff of General Albert Sidney Johnston. At the rank of Captain, he served this general officer as an Ordnance Officer (OO) while assigned to the Army of Tennessee. Furthermore, he served Braxton Bragg in the same position, however at the elevated rank of lieutenant colonel.

He was born in Poland about the year 1800, consequently was seventy-eight years of age, he received his military training in Poland. When sixteen years of age. He ran away from home, and joined the army of his country in the war with Russia. As Lieutenant of artillery he entered the service, but was subsequently made aide to King Stanislaus, then King of Poland. After the war, he among others were exiled. Several years later he came to the United States, joined the U. S. Army, and was placed on the engineer corps.

At the commencement of the late revolution he joined the Confederates (always being a rebel), and was made chief of artillery under Gen. Bragg. The first year of the war he was stationed at Pensacola, in the ordinance department; from there he came to this city, and remained for some time in the same branch of service. Heart and soul were with the Confederacy, and after its fall he did one of the queerest things imaginable.

He crossed the continent to the Pacific coast, and on an uninhabited island he lived a hermit's life for one year.

During the reign of Maximillian, the ill-stared Emperor of Mexico, he went to that country and remained there two years, after which he returned to Louisiana. At Baton rouge he was engaged in the U. S. engineer department, where he remained for some years. Congress made an appropriation for our river, and he was appointed by Capt. Dantrell to take charge of the work, which has been faithfully performed for some three years. Very recently he resigned the position on account of ill health.

During his long illness he has received the kindest of attention. He was the guest of Dr. F. A. Stanford and all that could be done to render his last days quiet and happy were effected. Having no family of his own, friends saw that he had loving care.

Before dying he received the last offices of the church from Father Schlenke, confessed and received absolution. He was what is known as a Liberal Catholic in his religious belief.

Col. Oladowski was a man of strong likes and dislikes. When in the humor he was a most interesting conversationalist. As an engineer he was master of his profession. In every act of his life he was true to duty. His English was very imperfect. He never married or had a home. A bachelor he has roamed the wide world over and found few resting places, none for any length of time. His existence has been a busy stirring one, full of adventure.

The remains will be carried on this evening's train to Mobile for interment.

Hipolit came to America in 1834 arriving in New York. He became naturalized in 1852.

In 1850 he lived in Baton Rouge, Louisiana where he worked as a gun expert in the U.S. Arsenal.

He was a Confederate officer during the Civil War. Chief of Armament of the Mississippi Army under General Lee. Joined the army on March 14, 1861 in Pensacola, Florida; took part in the battle at Shiloh; after the battle appointed lieutenant-colonel and moved with the army to Mississippi; took part in the battle at Murfreesboro; transferred to Tennessee Army, served in the same rank under General Joseph E. Johnston in 1864. After the Civil War was a plantator of cotton in Louisiana.

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Civil War Confederate Officer. A native of Poland, Oladowski's service to the Confederacy includes a tenure on the staff of General Albert Sidney Johnston. At the rank of Captain, he served this general officer as an Ordnance Officer (OO) while assigned to the Army of Tennessee. Furthermore, he served Braxton Bragg in the same position, however at the elevated rank of lieutenant colonel.

Received via an e-mail:

"Served Polish National Uprising 1830, Mexican War. Prior to Civil War he was a Sergeant of Ordnance at the US Arsenal Baton Rouge, LA... He later served Gen.Braxton Bragg as Chief of Ordnance."

An Honest, Finely Cultured Gentleman---One of Nature's Oddities

At half past seven o'clock last evening Col. Hipolite Oladowski breathed his last at the residence of Dr. F. A. Stanford. He has been in our midst about four or five years, and was considered by all an honest, finely cultured gentleman. He has spent quite an eventful life, and from the portions of his history we gather, he was certainly one of nature's oddities. In everything he took hold of he felt a deep interest, and with untiring energy, he fought all obstacles.

He was born in Poland about the year 1800, consequently was seventy-eight years of age, he received his military training in Poland. When sixteen years of age. He ran away from home, and joined the army of his country in the war with Russia. As Lieutenant of artillery he entered the service, but was subsequently made aide to King Stanislaus, then King of Poland. After the war, he among others were exiled. Several years later he came to the United States, joined the U. S. Army, and was placed on the engineer corps.

At the commencement of the late revolution he joined the Confederates (always being a rebel), and was made chief of artillery under Gen. Bragg. The first year of the war he was stationed at Pensacola, in the ordinance department; from there he came to this city, and remained for some time in the same branch of service. Heart and soul were with the Confederacy, and after its fall he did one of the queerest things imaginable.

He crossed the continent to the Pacific coast, and on an uninhabited island he lived a hermit's life for one year.

During the reign of Maximillian, the ill-stared Emperor of Mexico, he went to that country and remained there two years, after which he returned to Louisiana. At Baton rouge he was engaged in the U. S. engineer department, where he remained for some years. Congress made an appropriation for our river, and he was appointed by Capt.
Dantrell to take charge of the work, which has been faithfully performed for some three years. Very recently he resigned the position on account of ill health.

During his long illness he has received the kindest of attention. He was the guest of Dr. F. A. Stanford and all that could be done to render his last days quiet and happy were effected. Having no family of his own, friends saw that he had loving care.

Before dying he received the last offices of the church from Father Schlenke, confessed and received absolution. He was what is known as a Liberal Catholic in his religious belief.

Col. Oladowski was a man of strong likes and dislikes. When in the humor he was a most interesting conversationalist. As an engineer he was master of his profession. In every act of his life he was true to duty. His English was very imperfect. He never married or had a home. A bachelor he has roamed the wide world over and found few resting places, none for any length of time. His existence has been a busy stirring one, full of adventure.

The remains will be carried on this evening's train to Mobile for interment.

Hipolit Oladowski (ur. 1798, zm. 16 sierpnia 1878 w Columbus, stan Georgia) – powstaniec listopadowy, weteran wojny amerykańsko-meksykańskiej, pułkownik wojsk Konfederacji, inżynier.

Oladowski urodził się w zaborze rosyjskim. Służył w armii rosyjskiej, w której osiągnął stopnia kapitana. Dołączywszy do powstańców listopadowych w 1831 roku został schwytany i skazany na dożywotnią katorgę na Syberii. Udało mu się jednak uciec przy pomocy polskiej szlachcianki, która użyczyła mu swojego ubrania.

Odzyskawszy wolność, wyemigrował do Stanów Zjednoczonych, gdzie prawie natychmiast uzyskał patent oficerski. Przez prawie trzy następne dziesięciolecia był zatrudniony w Federalnym Departamencie Uzbrojenia. W latach 1846-1848 walczył w armii Stanów Zjednoczonych w wojnie z Meksykiem. Po zakończeniu działań wojennych został kwatermistrzem arsenału Baton Rouge w Luizjanie, w stopniu sierżanta służby uzbrojenia (ang. ordnance seargent.)

Sprawność zarządzania arsenałem oraz doświadczenie zadecydowały o tym, iż generał brygady Braxton Bragg, który objął dowództwo nad organizującymi się oddziałami konfederatów na Florydzie, przekonał Oladowskiego do przyjęcia służby Konfederacji. Kongres Konfederacji zaakceptował awans na kapitana 16 marca 1861 roku[3]. Oladowski wszedł do dziewięcioosobowego sztabu gen. Bragga, w którym pełnił funkcję szefa służby uzbrojenia. Jego postawa spotkała się z wielkim uznaniem i pochwałami Bragga, który pisał, że „rezultaty jego cennej służby były wszędzie widoczne”, a „godny podziwu sposób, w jaki zaopatrywał on baterie i kierował sprawami w swoim departamencie odzwierciedlają jego zdolności pracowitość”.

W marcu 1862 roku gen. Beauregard sformował armię Mississippi, złożoną z oddziałów z Tennessee oraz posiłków przesłanych przez rząd Konfederacji, wśród których znajdowały się oddziały Bragga. 30 marca Oladowski został mianowany szefem służby uzbrojenia całej Armii Mississippi[4] W raporcie z przegranej przez konfederatów bitwie pod Shiloh, Oladowski został wyróżniony przez Bragga.

7 maja Beauregard został zastąpiony na stanowisku głównodowodzącego armią Mississippi przez Bragga, a Oladowskiego mianowano podpułkownikiem. Bragg, chcąc odmienić losy wojny na zachodzie, przedsięwziął szeroko zakrojone plany inwazyjne, z którymi łączyło się usprawnienie pracy arsenałów w Columbus. Dzięki pracy Oladowskiego, Konfederaci mieli komplet pocisków do 97 dział.

W lipcu Oladowski organizował magazyny zaopatrzenia w Dalton, celem wyposażenia 60 tysięcy żołnierzy Konfederacji. Z tego okresu pochodzi korespondencja z szefem służby uzbrojenia płk. Josiahem Gorgasem i dowódcą arsenału w Columbus, mjr. Huntem, dowodząca zaangażowania Oladowskiego w sprawę Konfederacji.

Wyprawa Bragga na Kentucky nie udała się, zakończona porażką Perryville – konfederaci pociągnęli do Vicksburga, a następnie pod Chattanoogę, gdzie ponieśli porażkę. Uchodząc z miasta, odnieśli zwycięstwo nad Chickamaugą. Mimo zmiennego szczęścia, służba zaopatrzeniowa dyrygowana przez trzeźwo myślącego Polaka zapewniała Południowcom ciągły napływ amunicji, produkowanej w atlanckiej zbrojowni.

Ostatecznie armia Mississippi poniosła porażkę pod Chattanoogą w obliczu wojsk generała Granta, co doprowadziło do odwołania Bragga ze stanowiska głównodowodzącego. Oladowskiemu jednakże udało się utrzymać stanowisko generalnego kwatermistrza, co spowodowane było jego doskonałymi umiejętnościami zarządzania – w marcu i kwietniu roku 1864 oddziały konfederatów posiadały nadwyżki broni i mundurów.

Pomimo starań, obrona konfederatów przed nacierającymi oddziałami Granta okazała się niewystarczająca.

Po wojnie

Po zakończeniu wojny Bragg, który otrzymał stanowisko szefa inżynierów w stanie Alabama i kierował rozbudową portu w Mobile, nie zapomniał o Polaku i zatrudnił go w swoim dystrykcie. Oladowski przez kolejne kilkanaście lat całkowicie poświęcił się nowej pracy. Pod koniec życia, gdy zmogła go ciężka choroba, odmówił przyjęcia pensji ze względu na niemożność wykonywania swoich obowiązków.

Hipolit Oladowski zmarł 16 sierpnia 1878 r. w Columbus (Georgia). 18 sierpnia został pochowany na Magnolia Cemetery w Mobile, gdzie niespełna dwa lata wcześniej pogrzebano jego długoletniego przyjaciela Braxtona Bragga.

Oladowski utrzymywał kontakty z nowoorleańską Polonią. Jego przyjaciółmi byli: Kasper Tochman, Ignacy Szymański, Walerian Sułakowski.

https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hipolit_Oladowski