Wincenty Korwin Gosiewski - Biography

Biography

After his father Aleksander, he became District-Governor of Puńsk and Marków, after his brother Krzysztof he became also District-Governor of Velizh. Speaker of the Parliament in Warsaw December 21 to 24, 1650. Polish military commander and diplomat. He came from the noble family Gosiewski entitled to use the coat of arms Ślepowron. He was Aleksander Gosiewski’son, Palatine-Governor of Smolensk. He married to Magdalena Konopacka, Elbląg Castle-Commander’s daughter. He graduated from the Vilnius University and studied in Vienna, Padua and Rome. After returning home he was appointing by King Władysław IV Vasa Grand Master of the Pantry of Lithuania, fulfilling this office he signed the document electing John II Casimir Vasa.

He began his military service as commander of the regiment that fought in 1648 running under the leadership of the Lithuanian Great-Commander Janusz Radziwiłł. In July 1649 as Janusz Radziwiłł’s deputy commander in chief, he had a major part broken the troops of the Zaporozhian Cossacks in the Battle of Loyew. As Artillery General in Lithuania in 1651, at the Battle of Chernobyl he broke Cossack troops commanded by colonels Antonov and Adamowicz. He participated as a Commissioner in the peace talks that led to the agreement of Bila Tserkva.

In 1654 received the Commander's baton/mace from Janusz Radziwiłł, who was appointing the Lithuanian Great-Commander. During the Swedish invasion he played an important role politically and militarily. In 1655, he accepted the Kiejdany act of recognition signed between usurper King Charles X Gustav of Sweden and Prince Janusz Radziwiłł, but soon came against this act taking action which aim was to help the Russian side. Despite being under surveillance, he managed to make contact with the Russian diplomat Vasily Likharov. Trapped by Janusz Radziwiłł he was catch in Kiejdany, where, as state prisoner was then transfer to Królewiec/Königsberg. While he was in captivity Karl Gustav urged to attack Russia and managed to obtain from him a written confirmation of that intention that after his release, gave to Tsar Alexis of Muscovy. In the spring of 1656 he escaped from Prussian slavery to Lithuania where in a short time, at their own expense he organized several Banners.

Battling against Swedish forces, he reached up near Warsaw, where he was one of the royal commissioners that oversaw the takeover of the capital. He participated in the siege of Tykocin and the Battle of Warsaw (1656) after which the Swedish army again occupied the city. Then, on the King´s orders, he moved with its banners into the Duchy of Prussia and Lithuania. In October 8, 1656, at the battle of Prostki he completely smashed the Brandenburgian and Swedish armies, capturing Prince Bogusław Radziwiłł. The battle has been describe by Henryk Sienkiewicz's novel The Deluge. Another battle fought under his command on October 22, 1656 was the Battle of Filipów however; it ended with a victory for the forces commanded by Field Marshal Gustaf Otto Stenbock, in the confusion of the battle the Prince Bogusław Radziwiłł managed to escape. In November 1656 at Wierzbowo he signed a truce with Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg, then as royal commissioner in 1657, he led a ceasefire and conclude the Treaty of Bromberg. In 1658, he fought against the Swedes in the areas of Livonia and Samogitia. In 1658, he participated in the delegation sent by the King to negotiate with Russia. Beaten at the Battle of Werki he was capture during nearly four years. He was released from captivity his in Moscow in 1662. As compensation for the harm that he had suffered, he received the formerly Radziwiłł’s estate in Kiejdany.

He was a supporter of a strong and centralized royal power (limiting Liberum Veto), and supported the concept of a successor of the Throne with the current King being still alive (Vivente Rege – a kind of Royal election). At the command of the King wanted to solve the issue of the Fraternal Association, an insurrection created by some long unpaid members of the army claiming the termination of obedience to the King (at the beginning for economic reasons, but later, considering any limitation to Liberum Veto and Vivente Rege proposal as “treason” to Commonwealth constitutional laws). In July 1662, he went to Vilnius for talks with the rebel troops in Lithuanian. There he was treacherously capture by Konstanty Kotowski, Deputy Speaker of the Fraternal Association, which is thus intended to prevent any agreement that may in effect result in the termination of insurrection. Wincenty Korwin Gosiewski was shooting to death on November 29, 1662 near Ostrynia. Later, the perpetrators of the murder were sentence to death.