Emilia Plater. Heroine of the November Uprising

Written by Rory Thornfield

Emilia Plater went down in history as one of the few women who fought in uniform during the November Uprising. The countess from a noble family organized her own unit, commanded it in several battles, and received an official rank of captain in the insurgent army, which was unprecedented in those times.

Aristocratic Childhood in Lithuania

Emilia’s parents Franciszek Ksawery Plater and Anna von der Mohl separated in 1815 due to the father’s extravagant lifestyle. The girl was born in 1806 in Vilnius as a member of an aristocratic family with a long tradition. Her mother took her to the Plater-Zyberk family estate in Līksna in Polish Livonia, where Latvia is currently located.

She received a thorough and patriotically oriented education, which was typical for nobility engaged in national affairs. She studied Polish history and was interested in the fate of heroes fighting for freedom. In addition to traditional learning, she also took lessons in horseback riding, shooting, and fencing as part of aristocratic upbringing.

She was inspired by the figures of Tadeusz Kościuszko and female warriors from various eras. Joan of Arc and Greek revolutionary Laskarina Bouboulina were role models for her to follow. These fascinations would later translate into her own actions in armed struggle.

Preparations for Insurgent Combat

Involvement in conspiracy began even before the outbreak of the November Uprising in 1830. Plater served as a courier in local conspiratorial structures in Lithuania. News of the outbreak of fighting reached her when she was staying in Dusetos, where she was planning further conspiratorial activities.

Fighting in Samogitia began in March 1831, which became for her a signal to action. The twenty-four-year-old woman decided to participate directly in the armed uprising, which was extremely rare. She cut her hair and ordered the sewing of a men’s military uniform to be able to fight without obstacles.

The strategic plan assumed capturing the Daugavpils fortress garrisoned by about two thousand Russian soldiers. Plater counted on support from Poles serving in the tsarist army who were to switch to the insurgent side. The fortress had strong artillery, but Plater believed in the success of a bold attack.

Unit Recruitment and First Attack

She delivered a speech in the church in Dusetos on March 29, 1831, calling the local population to take up arms. The gathered people responded enthusiastically to her appeal and began signing up to fight. The unit consisted of about two hundred eighty riflemen, sixty cavalrymen, and several hundred scythe-bearers.

Emilia’s cousin Cezary Plater joined the unit and was to accompany her throughout the campaign. The attack on Daugavpils carried out on March 30 ended in failure due to loss of the element of surprise. The Russian garrison proved too strong to be captured with available forces.

The defeat did not break the young commander’s determination, who quickly proceeded to further actions. Her unit joined forces with Juliusz Grużewski’s unit on April 2 and together they captured the town of Zarasai. A victorious skirmish at Pristaviani on April 4 showed that Plater could command in battle.

Campaign in Samogitia and Promotion

Military operations concentrated in Samogitia, where the unit headed toward Panevėžys. On April 30, Plater’s unit joined forces commanded by Karol Załuski. Fighting in the Ukmergė region in May showed the young commander’s growing experience in conducting military operations.

The arrival of a regular Polish corps under the command of General Dezydery Chłapowski changed the situation. Plater’s unit was incorporated into the regular insurgent army, which raised its status. General Chłapowski noted in his memoirs his impression of a woman fighting in the ranks of soldiers.

Official promotion to honorary captain was the highest military rank awarded to a woman during the November Uprising. Plater received command of a company in the Lithuanian infantry regiment, which was later renamed a line regiment. This moment represented the peak of her military career and recognition for achievements in the field.

Battles with the Regular Insurgent Army

Fighting with General Chłapowski’s corps took place in June near Kaunas against overwhelming Russian forces. Another battle near Rogów on June 27 showed the insurgents’ determination despite a difficult strategic situation. Plater, commanding her company, participated in all major clashes.

The lost battle at Šiauliai on July 8, 1831, decided the fate of the Lithuanian campaign. The decimated Polish corps had to decide on further actions in the face of enemy superiority. General Chłapowski chose to withdraw to East Prussian territory to protect soldiers from Russian captivity.

Crossing the border at Klaipėda occurred on July 13, where the army was interned by Prussian authorities. For most soldiers, this meant the end of participation in the uprising and waiting for developments. Internment was worse than captivity only because it theoretically offered hope of returning to combat.

Refusal to Capitulate and Tragic Finale

Plater firmly refused to lay down arms and submit to the decision about internment. According to witness accounts, she was said to have stated she preferred death to ending combat with such shame. Along with a small group of loyal companions, she made a desperate decision to reach fighting Warsaw.

The group included cousin Cezary Plater and Maria Prószyńska, ready to share their commander’s fate. Disguised as peasants, they hid in forests, moving toward the capital. The exhausting journey through hostile territories required enormous physical and psychological effort.

Severe illness struck Plater during this journey, probably as a result of exhaustion and poor conditions. She found shelter at the Abłamowicz family manor in Justinavas, where she was surrounded by care. She died there on December 23, 1831, not living to see the realization of her plan to reach Warsaw and continue fighting for independence.

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Rory Thornfield

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Rory's grandfather left behind a wartime diary filled with accounts of a minor Burma skirmish that history books never mentioned. Reading it, Rory realized: behind every famous battle are dozens of forgotten struggles, each with its own human drama.

His preferred topics: The overlooked corners of military history – secondary campaigns, shadow battalions, local conflicts that never made headlines. From medieval sieges to twentieth-century expeditions, he focuses on the soldiers, not the generals. The people who faced impossible choices and carried those experiences forever.

Rory strips away the romanticism without losing respect for those who served. He combines tactical analysis with personal stories, examining human endurance and moral complexity rather than celebrating warfare. His writing is balanced, thoughtful, and deeply researched.

Outside work, Rory visits forgotten battlefields (now quiet farmland), photographs war memorials nobody tends anymore, and interviews veterans' families.