Many years later Kosciuszko recounted his first steps in the new world to his personal secretary. He explained that after getting off the boat he went to visit the shop of the most famous American—Benjamin Franklin. When Kosciuszko walked through the door, the old sage of Philadelphia peered through the top half of his bifocals at the unannounced visitor.3 In broken English before switching to French, Kosciuszko introduced himself, explaining that he wanted to offer his services to the new nation. Thinking that America’s armed forces were as structured as those in Europe, Kosciuszko asked to
...more
This highlight has been truncated due to consecutive passage length restrictions.
