Ignacy Szymański facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ignacy Szymański
Nickname(s)	Colonel Ski or Old Ski
Born	February 1806
Died	September 14 1874 (aged 67–68) Summer Hill Farm
Allegiance	November Insurgents  Confederate States of America
Service/branch	Confederate States Army
Years of service	1830–1831, 1861–1865
Rank	Colonel
Commands held	Chalmette Regiment

Ignacy Szymański (1806–1874) was a brave Polish war hero and an American soldier. People often called him Colonel Ski or Old Ski. He fought in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. Ignacy was the son of Simon Szymanski and Francisca Vandernoot.

Early Life and Polish Fight for Freedom

Ignacy Szymański was born in Poland in 1806. His family had a history of fighting for Poland's freedom. His father fought in the Kościuszko Uprising in 1794. This was a rebellion against foreign powers trying to control Poland.

Ignacy followed in his father's footsteps. He became a soldier and fought in the November Uprising (1830–1831). This was a big rebellion by Poles against Russian rule. Ignacy served in the Ulan Division alongside Prince Adam Woronecki.

After the Polish army was defeated, many soldiers had to leave their homeland. Some went to France hoping for help from Napoleon. However, Ignacy was not sure Napoleon would truly help Poland.

So, Ignacy decided to seek help elsewhere. He traveled to England and then to the United States. He worked hard to help other Polish soldiers and immigrants who came to America. One of his officers, Victor Labeski, described Ignacy's efforts to help new arrivals.

Life in America

In 1835, Ignacy Szymański moved to New Orleans, Louisiana. There, he married Charlotte Hortense Lacoste. He became a well-known person in the city. His name appeared often in New Orleans newspapers for many years.

Ignacy also made friends with other Poles living in the Deep South. These friends included Gaspar Tochman, Valery Sulakowski, and Hypolite Oladowski.

Serving in the American Civil War

When the American Civil War started in 1861, Ignacy Szymański joined the fight. He was made a Colonel. He led the Chalmette Regiment, which was a group mainly made up of Scandinavian immigrants from Louisiana.

Later in the war, he worked as an agent for prisoner exchanges. This meant he helped arrange for captured soldiers to be traded between the two sides. He served in the Trans-Mississippi Department.

After the war ended in 1865, Ignacy returned to his home. He lived at his plantation called Summer Hill Farm. He also owned cotton and sugar cane fields named Sebastopol. He became a very wealthy man, owning many goods and properties. He even had racing horses and a yacht.

Szymański's Family Life

Ignacy Szymański did not have children with his wife, Charlotte Hortense Lacoste. However, he had three children with Mrs. Eliza Romain, a free woman of color. Their children were Jean Guillaume (born 1846), Constance Françoise (born 1847), and Ignace François (born 1850).

Constance later became known as Mrs. Constance Cavelier after she married a French immigrant, Mr. Jules Bernard Cavelier.

Jean Guillaume, Ignacy's son, worked on his father's Sebastopol Plantation. When he was in his late 20s, Jean moved to Mexico. He settled in the port city of Tampico. There, he worked as a tailor with his uncle, Aristide Romain. Jean was also known as "John" in Louisiana and "Juan" in Tampico.

Jean married Mrs. Carmen Castelló Caimares. She was a cousin of Carmen Romero Rubio Castelló, who was the wife of Mexican President Porfirio Díaz. Jean's youngest brother, Ignace François, sadly passed away when he was only one year old. Because of this, Jean decided to name his first son Ignacio Francisco (1877–1933) to continue the family name.

Today, the Ignacy Szymański family story is still remembered. A play about the Szymanski family is performed at the Sebastopol Residence in Chalmette, Louisiana. Local actors play the main roles of Ignacy S. Szymanski and his son Jean.

See also

• In Spanish: Ignacy Szymański para niños