Romualdas Giedraitis

Giedraitis began his military career in 1765 as a cadet in the 2nd Foot Regiment of the Grand Ducal Lithuanian Army, part of the Polish-Lithuanian Army.[5] The regiment in which he served followed Casimir Pulaski.[4] In it, Giedraitis reached the rank of major.[4] In 1771, he served in the unit led by Michał Kazimierz Ogiński.[4] At the battle of Stalavičiai in 1771, Giedraitis was distinguished by his valour and was wounded eight times.[4][5]

In 1784, we has a member of the Sejm of Gardinas.[3][4] After a long recovery, Romualdas Giedraitis was made the vice-commander of the 1st Lithuanian National Cavalry Brigade.[5]

Giedraitis fought in the War of 1792.[2][5] During this war, he was elevated to the rank of Major general.[3][4][5] When Stanisław August Poniatowski signed the Targowica Confederation, Giedraitis wrote a report to him, demanding that he would be released from military service.[5]

In 1794, he was one of the organizers of the Kościuszko Uprising in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.[2] On April 16, in Šiauliai, he, together with Niesiolovskis, A. Prozoras and P. Zaviša, announced the first act of uprising in Lithuania.[2][3] On April 18, Giedraitis and 200 cavalrymen advanced to Šatės, where he fought with Kossakowski's regiment which supported the Russians.[3] From April 24, he was a member of the Lithuanian National Supreme Council.[2] From northeastern Lithuania, he went to Vilnius, which he reached on April 30.[3]

From June to August, he commanded the Samogitian Division's right wing.[2] Together with Tomasz Wawrzecki, they took over Liepoja.[3] In July, Giedraitis took over Salistrovski's command of a corps, and on July 3, fought with the Imperial Russian Army near Pušalotas.[3] A week later, on July 10, the Russians attacked him once more.[3] After a fortnight and a few more days, on July 28, Giedraitis won a battle near Vaiškai.[3][5] On July 29, he won the Battle of Saločiai (Sałaty).[2][4] In the battle, he dealt a heavy defeat to the stronger Russian unit of Lieutenant General Sergei Fedorovich Golitsyn.[6] Thanks to this victory, southern Courland came under the control of the insurrectionary forces.[6] Tadeusz Kościuszko promoted him to the rank of Lieutenant general.[4] Moreover, Kościuszko gave Giedraitis the permission to raise a regiment named Sałaty.[4] Following the victorious fight on July 29, he went towards Joniškėlis.[3]

On 8 September 1794, he took over the command of the Armed Forces of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the Kościuszko Uprising from Antoni Chlewiński.[3] At the time, he marched to Varėna.[3] From there, he retreated towards the Kingdom of Poland.[3] On November 3, near Stara Wieś, he joined Jan Henryk Dąbrowski.[3] At the time, Romualdas Giedraitis had 2,000 infantrymen, 700 cavalrymen and 17 cannons under his command.[3] On November 4, already after the Battle of Praga, he was recalled to Warsaw.[3] However, on November 5, he stopped near Tarczyn, and received Wawrzecki on November 10, who was retreating from Warsaw.[3] After his soldiers began dispersing, Giedraitis and others surrendered to the Russians at Radoszyce, being the last of the rebels to surrender.[3]

During French invasion of Russia in 1812, the day after Napoleon entered Vilnius, on 29 June 1812, an act of renewal of the Polish-Lithuanian Union was proclaimed at Vilnius Cathedral on the initiative of university students. In the following days, this act was signed by several thousand people, and the signatures were collected at the home of Romualdas Giedraitis.[8] Later he was made Chairman of the Military Committee of the Lithuanian Provisional Governing Commission.[2] He was also the Inspector General of the Lithuanian regiments and Pospolite ruszenie formed for Napoleon's army.[2][3][7][9]

On 31 August 1812, General Van Hogendorp appointed him commander of the emerging Lithuanian military units.

During Napoleon's retreat, Giedraitis crossed the Nemunas and the Vistula.[3] On 12–13 February 1813, the Lithuanian cavalry division, which included the 17th Lithuanian Uhlan Regiment, led by him was surprised and defeated by Russian vanguard of Cossacks under general Chernyshev near Sieraków.[2][10] He was wounded during his capture.[10] He was captured by the Russians and imprisoned in Arkhangelsk until 1815.[2][3][4] He was amnestied by Alexander I of Russia.[3]