PONIATOWSKI. pe,'ncit-teiv'skt.. The name of a Polish family of Italian origin. descended from the family of the Torelli. A member of this family settled in Poland, and assumed the name of Poniatowski from his wife's estate of Ponia tow. The most notable members of the family were: PRINCE STANISLAS PONIATOWSKI (11;77 17621. who joined Charles XII. of Sweden in sup porting Stanislas Leszczynski. He fought at Poltava (1709). and as the representative of Charles XII. at Constantinople induced the Porte to declare war against He -111)-ecriently held high places at the Court of Augustus III. of Poland. His son Stanislas ascended the tin-, ne of Poland. (See STANISLAS II.) Another son, Andreas, became the father of the most distin guished mender of the family. .JOSEPH ANTONY. PRINCE PONIAToWSKI, the celebrated Polish com mander in the army of Napoleon. The latter was born at Warsaw. Slay 7, 1762. and at the age of sixteen entered the Austrian army. with which he made the Turkish campaign of In 1792 he returned to Poland, and was named.
C011111141iller-in•Ch lel of the army of the south. In 1792 he defeated superior Russian forces, but I'0uiatows :i's uncle. King fstanislas. by joining the confederation of Targovitza, put an end to the contest in 1793. The Prince then resigned his command and WPM 110.0 voluntary exile, but returned in the following year to aid Kosciuszko, now dictator, in his fruitless opposition to the third !partition of Poland. On the proposal of Napoleon to reconstitute the Kingdom of Poland, Poniatowski joined the French (1800) at the head of a Polish force and did good service against the Russians. After the erection of the of Warsaw (1807) Poniatowski was ap.
pointed Minister of War, and in 1809, when the war het wel-11 France and _\ustria was resumed, he drove the Austrians out of Polish territory and dwerran a considerable part of Galicia. In 1812 he joined the French army destined to invade Russia, with a Polish force of 100,01)0 men. The greater part of his army was broken up into detachments, whiell were incorporated with the various French legions, and Poniatowski was left with not more than 30,000 men under his direct command. At the bead of this division he distinguished himself in the campaign, but was so severely injured at Smolensk during the retreat that he was obliged to return to War saw in December, 1812. Ile rejoined the French army in the antunm of 1513 and fought with such remarkable valor during the first day of the battle of Leipzig (see LEIPZIG, BATTLES or) as to gain the title of Marshal of France. When the French abandoned Leipzig, on October 19th, Poniatowski was left with the remnant of his Polish division to protect the retreat. The only bridge across the Elster being wrecked through a mistaken order, be attempted to swim his horse across the river, and had reached the farther bank when he fell back exhausted into the flood. his body was recovered six days after, and was embalmed and carried to Warsaw, whezice it was aft (1131111 removed to Craeow. and placed beshle the ashes of Sobieski and Kosciuszko.—PluNcE JosErfr PONIATOWsKi, second cousin of the preceding, musical com poser, author of Don Desiderio and other operas. and several masses, was horn in Rome, Febru ary 21, 1816, and died in London. July 4, 1873.