With lands seized, money gone and families exiled, scattered or estranged, 235 imprisoned patriots were put aboard the United States frigates Guerriere and Hebe on November 22, 1833 after both France and America had offered them a haven. The Chlopicki group, choosing America, thus found themselves destitute and bound for a new land, a new language and banished forever from home, friends and families. The exiles were delayed in the Mediterranean for weeks and some attempted to jump ship, but all finally arrived in New York on March 31, 1834, "with nothing but sad recollections of the past, and hopes for the future, the still unconquered sons of adversity (who) wish to become of service to the people of these United States."¹⁸

Ludwik Chlopicki was not a member of the Committee of Nine petitioning Congress for aid, but he and John Prehal became the sole agents for the whole group in the selection of lands granted them by Congress in an act approved by President Andrew Jackson on June 30, 1834. Only Chlopicki seems to have arrived in Illinois on September 7, the Chicago Historical Society having a brief mention of his residence in Chicago during the balance of 1834.

Major Chlopicki selected lands in Townships 44 and 46 in the Rock River valley near Rockton, Illinois. The act said he might select lands in any three adjacent townships, but he selected land in only Rockford and Rockton townships, omitting Owen in between them,¹⁹ since the Poles wouldn't need all three townships and settlers were already in Owen. Unused to American terms at that date, by the simple exclusion of Owens Township land, the Major unwittingly violated the land grant act of Congress. It is possible he believed he was doing the government a favor by not accepting all that was offered, but his act caused legal difficulties and delay which was fatal to the settlement.

The thirty American settlers already on the land by squatters rights or regular title used every reason they could think of to keep out the Poles. In addition, certain Indian camps were still in that vicinity and this was frightening and discouraging to the exiled strangers. Only a few Poles ever attempted to settle their lands in the face of the legal and physical difficulties.

Major Ludwik Baron Chlopicki was a brilliant man, but he was at his wits end; he was having trouble with Congress, with the land office, the squatters and Indians, and finally to his great grief, with his compatriot Poles who had scant means of self-support in the early days of their arrival. He felt he had failed them in their most trying hour. On April 15, 1838, he resigned as their agent and John Rychlicki succeeded him. The troubles continued and the Poles never received the land Congress had granted them. Another act cancelled their grant and authorized the public sale of their lands which was held on November 3, 1843.

By that time the exiled Poles had scattered to the four winds and had gone to work in dozens of American occupations. Many were found

Page 66

Go to previous page

Go to next page

Go to El Paso Story gateway page