My research leads me to believe that it was Prince Sanguszko who was the first to be decorated on June 23rd 1792.
There is a free book on google : Ksiecia Eustachego Sanguszki pamietnik 1786-1815. " Prince Eustachy Sanguszko Memoirs 1786-1815 ".
Page from said Book.
First underlined thing says :
" Prince Sanguszko does not speak of His deeds in the Battle of Zielence (after which Virtuti was established) , but when Russian infantry was entrenched in the Village and Poles started to take heavy casualties , Prince Sanguszko rode up to General Mokronowski and yelled : General, this is my Village, burn it.... in effort to dislodge Russian infantry." And the Russian infantry fled after the fire...
Second thing :
" After the Battle of Zielence Prince Sanguszko was sent to see King with a report of the Battle and captured standard , that was taken by a major of Dunikowski Ukrainian Brigade.
Day of 23rd June 1792 the King decorated Prince Sanguszko with Virtuti Militari."
So it looks like Prince Sanguszko with decoration of 23rd June would be the first recipient.
Maxima mea culpa. Indeed the first VM decoration ceremony was held at Ostrog in Wołyń on the 23rd of June 1792, and not on the 25th of June as I wrote a post before. Sanguszko was one of the 15th soldiers decorated with VM for the battle at Zieleńce. Prince Józef Poniatowski was the first one.
Yes, but look at the date : 25th of June is the assumed and published decoration date. The Sanguszko Memoir says that Prince Sanguszko was sent to see the King and the King decorated Him on 23rd June, not the 25th. Sounds like everyone else was decorated on the 25th....
I think we confuse to award an order with to decorate with an order. All of them were awarded VM on the 23rd of June, or like some sources say on the 22nd of June, and prince Józef Poniatowski opens the list of soldiers who were awarded the order.
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