Tomasz Kuszłejko Explained

Tomasz Egidiusz Kuszłejko
Birth Date:1821
Death Date:1894
Noble Family:Kuszłejko family

Tomasz Egidiusz Kuszłejko (; 1821 – 1894) – participant of the Uprising of 1863.

Early life

Kuszłejko came from the Lithuanian noble, he was born in in Samogitia. He was an officer of the Imperial Russian Army. He went into reserve and lived in the Bartkūniškiai manor near Kėdainiai. Tomasz Kuszłejko was the owner of the Bartkūniškis manor.

Uprising of 1863

In March 1863, he was mobilised by Bolesław Dłuski to form a unit in the Krakės forests, near his manor. His unit of about 800 rebels, mostly peasants, concentrated in the Krakiai forest near Kuszłejko's manor, chose him as commander. This unit was called the Nevėžis Regiment (Polish: pułk nadniewiażski). In addition to organising the unit, Kuszłejko enfranchised the peasants of his manor. The regiment fought between Krakės and Lenčiai close to Ažytėnai, then in near, and finally near and near Viekšniai (9 June 1863). Kuszłejko recruited new rebels through the regiment's fighters, inciting the public against Russian occupation. Among the recruiters was Adomas Bitė, who was very trusted by the local peasants. The regiment was later divided into smaller independent groups.

In emigration

In autumn 1863, he emigrated and lived in France. He took an active part in the political life of emigration. He was a member of the, as head of the Montparnasse commune, and a member of the Lithuanian Delegation, set up to settle the so-called "Lithuanian sums". In 1867, he was one of the initiators of the split and the formation of the right-wing so-called "Ogół" Organisation.

Last years

Probably after 1868 he returned from emigration and settled in Galicia, mostly Lviv, from 1868. For several years he was involved in a court dispute over part of his estate, which the Kaniewski brothers were trying to seize. He died from a heart attack in Zamarstyniv in 1894.

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