Wojciech Bartosz Głowacki

Wojciech Bartos(z) Głowacki (1758–1794), known also as Bartosz Głowacki, was a Polish peasant and the most famous member of the kosynierzy (peasant volunteer infantry) during the Kościuszko Uprising in 1794. Born as Wojciech Bartosz, he became a Polish national hero during the battle of Racławice on 4 April 1794, when he captured a Russian cannon by putting out the fuse with his hat. For this, he was promoted to the rank of 'chorąży' and received the surname 'Głowacki'. He was mortally wounded during the battle of Szczekociny on 6 June that year. Since then he has become one of the symbols of the Uprising and Polish valor.

Wojciech Bartosz was born around 1765 as a serf of Antoni Szujski. He was probably born in the village of Rzędowice, although some sources give Zakrzów as his place of birth. As the church documents which would have recorded the details were destroyed in 1794, the exact place of his birth, as well as the time are uncertain.

In 1783 he married Jadwiga Czernikowa, and they had three daughters (Helena, Cecylia and Justyna). They were poor, and their house collapsed some years before the death of Jadwiga (she was then a widow). Their field was between 4 and 9 morgs, without a horse, and it was only after Bartosz became famous at Racławice that they received a cow and some other animals from Lord Szujski.

Wojciech Bartosz was conscripted after the decree of Order Commission (Komisja Porządkowa) of 25 March, which ordered the conscription of one man from every five 'chimneys'. In the supplementary decree of 28 March, the commission allowed the peasants to report with scythes instead of more specialized weapons; this led to the creation of the scythe-wielding kosynierzy infantry regiments.

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