[Sanders picture]

Portrait from the Pinkowski Institute Collecton
portrait by: Edward Lis

 ........... [monument picture]

Dmochowski's monument on his wife's grave at Laurel Hill Cemetery in Philadelphia
photo by Peter Obst


Dmochowski, Sanders Henry

Sculptor. Born in 1810 in Wilno, Poland. In 1831 took part in Polish insurrection against Russia and after that came to U.S. in 1834 as a political refugee. Returned to Poland in 1860 and was killed by the Russians in action during the January insurrection in 1863. He sculptured a bust of Pulaski for the monument in Savannah, Ga.; his busts of Thaddeus Kosciuiszko and Casimir Pulaski adorn the Capitol of the U.S. Executed scores of medals and miniature statuettes of many known men of the pre-civil war era. Resided in Philadelphia, Pa.

From: "Who's Who in Polish America" by Rev. Francis Bolek, Editor-in-Chief; Harbinger House, New York, 1943

Dmochowski, Henryk
(1810-1863)

Insurrectionist of 1863, artist-sculptor. Born on the Zablocie Manor in Braslawski county on 14 October as the son of Michal (died 1832) the former scribe for the Educational Commission, and Anna nee Deulow (died 1812). A brother of Michal, and uncle of Henryk, Justyn D., fell in the November Uprising [of 1830], another [brother of Michal], Kazimierz was the Archbishop-Metropolitan in Mohylew.

Henryk finished his studies at Wilno [Vilnus] University with a degree of Doctor of Law. In 1831, led by Professor Walerian Pietkiewicz, he joined the partisan regiment organized by Col. J. Zaliwski in a camp at Trokami. From then on he had a close personal relationship with Zaliwski. After the fall of the November Uprising he emigrated with Zaliwski traveling through Hungary, Styria, Bawaria, Wirtenberg, and Baden to France. He reached Paris on 6 January 1832. Here he worked with Zaliwski to organize the emigrants for an armed expedition to Poland. He belonged to the Free Mason Lodge "Trinosophes" in Tours and the underground "Carbonari" society. In vain did his uncle Kazimierz try to convince him to plead for amnesty and a return to the homeland. Dmochowski was totally immersed in his work with Zaliwski who named him as the commander of a future uprising in Witebsk province. On 17 February 1833, he and Zaliwski left Paris and traveled to Galicja via Switzerland, Germany, Czechy, and Silesia. He arrived using the false name of Sanders, a business agent. On 20 March he entered the Polish Kingdom where for a month he and Zaliwski unsuccessfully tried to spark an uprising. On 28 April, after failing, both returned to the Austrian zone of partition. Dmochowski traveled around Galicja distributing "Ksiegi narodu" [Books of the nation] and the brochure "Czy Polacy moga wybic sie na niepodleglosc" [Can Poles rise to Independence] and spread propaganda about giving land to the peasants and starting an uprising. In vain he tried to persuade Zaliwski to change his views; trying to shake his belief that the Austrian government favored the Polish partisan movement. A few months after Zaliwski's arrest, on 2 May 1834, he was captured by the peasants and turned over to the Austrian authorities. The investigation lasted to the end of June 1835, at the beginning of 1837 he was finally sentenced to five years in prison which he sat out at Kufstein on the Inn.

He was released on 13 June 1841 and went to France. He lived in the farming colony in Mattroy, then in Tours, and Paris where he studied carving under the finest masters. During this time he carved a likeness of his friend W. Pietkiewicz in Tours, and created a famous medallion of Szele and Metternich, the authors of the Galicja massacre. About 1851 he left for America via London. In Philadelphia, where he resided for some time, he gained fame as a superb sculptor. His finest works in America include the marble busts of Pulaski on the monument in Savannah; Kosciuszko and Jefferson done on a request of Congress, and a monument to the deceased [two] children and wife of the sculptor. He also left behind many busts of the outstanding statesmen of the United States, LaFayette, the Garibaldi group, many medals, bas-reliefs, and statuettes. He also wrote political articles for American periodicals. He signed his sculptures as Henri D. Sanders.

In 1860 he returned to Poland where he was greeted with great respect as a famous artist. He spent some time in Poznan where he sculpted a bust of Tytus Dzialynski; after that he went to Wilno where he created more sculptures; a statue of Barbara Radziwill and a bust of Syrkomil, among others.

After the beginning of the January uprising he became, (in March of 1863) the commissioner of the National Government for the Dzisnienski county. In March and April he conducted a personal recruitment campaign, visiting the homes of the nobility posing as a representative of the Cegielski factory in Poznan. At the beginning of May he stood at the head of a 100 man regiment which hurried to the Cytowizna forest which lay on the border of the Dzisnienski, Lepelski, and Borysowski counties. His regiment was composed of infantry, cavalry, and transport. It had several professional officers from the Russian army, and was well supplied in arms and food. From the Cytowizna forest the regiment moved to the great Borysowski forest with the idea of linking up with other units. On 14 May he reached Maj. Porecza, who was under Gen. Jozefowicz, and there he was ambushed by the Russian army. The regiment was scattered and destroyed, while Dmochowski was killed during the fighting. With his death and the destruction of his regiment ended the armed action by inhabitants of Dzisnienski county. Only the beautiful memory of the artist-soldier remained.

[Sources] "Wizerunki Dmochowskiego" [Portraits of Dmochowski] in the W. Enc Il. [The Great Illustrated Encyclopedia] and "Historia Powiatu Braslawskiego" [History of Braslawski County] by Hedemann p. 219. -- Balinski, M., in "Enc. Org." [Encyclopedia] vol. VII; Bialynia-Chodecki, J., "Emisariusz H.D. I listy z Paryza W. Pietkiewicza" [Emmisary H.D. and letters from Paris of W. Pietkiewicz] Lwow 1931 (especially p. 1-13); Bielinski, J., "Uniwersytet Wilenski (1579-1831)" [University of Vilnus 1579-1831], Kr. 1899-1900, III 388-9; Gerson, W., in the W. Enc Il. [The Great Illustrated Encyclopedia] vol. XVI; Gieysztor, J "Pamietniki" [Journals]; Hedemann, O., "Historia Powiatu Braslawskiego" [History of Braslawski County] Wilno [Vilnus] 1930, p. 219-20; Kraszewski, J.I., (Boleslawita) "Rachunki" [Accounts] (from 1867), P. 1868, cz. 2, s 118, 135; Krajewski, J., "Tajne zwiazki polityczne w Galicji" [Secret political unions in Galicja] Lwow 1903. -- Manuscripts: The Murawiejne Archives in Wilno; Military Staff Archives from the Wilno Region from 1863 vol. 464, records of the Field Courtfrom 1864 vol. 954 passim; Janowski, J., "Slownik bio-bibliograficzny" [Bio-bibliographic Dictonary], sub-voce; monograph J. Wolodzkowny (Master's thesis in the Humanities Dept. of U.S.B.): "Rok 1863 w powiacie dzisnienskim" [The year 1863 in Dzisnienski county], p. 20-30, 46. -- Letters of H. Dmochowski to J. Lelewel, W. Pietkiewicz and L. Chodzki from the expedition to Galicja and from America in B. Rappersw., manuscripts 1265, 473, and 428.

From: Polski Slownik Biograficzny (Polish Biographical Dictionary)
Krakow 1939-1946 Vol: V, pp. 206-207

Author: Ryszard Milenicki (English translation Peter J. Obst, Dec. 4, 1996)

[Breck picture]

From: Antiques, December 1978, p. 1277; article: "The Atheneum of Philadelphia" by Roger W. Moss, Jr.