She is most notable for her direct participation in the 1846 Kraków uprising, the Hungarian Revolution, and for her tangential involvement in the American Civil War.

[2] When the revolution was suppressed by the Austrians, Jagiello immigrated to the United States, joining a large number of Polish, Lithuanian and Hungarian emigres who had also fled Europe.

[3] Upon arriving in the United States, Appolonia's exploits gained her notoriety, with the American press—which sometimes incorrectly identified her as Hungarian - interviewing her several times.

[5] With the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, Gaspard - a supporter of the Confederacy - left Virginia for Louisiana, where he hoped to raise troops for the Confederate army.

Appolonia was released from Federal custody several weeks later after she affirmed her loyalty to the Union - however, her residence was reportedly ransacked, her correspondence seized, and she herself was placed under surveillance.