Memorial to the Founding Father of the U.S. Cavalry Unveiled in Washington

On October 25, a memorial was unveiled at the Kossuth House in Washington, D.C., in honor of Michael Kovats de Fabriczy, one of the most famous figures of Hungarian Hussar tradition and the American Revolutionary War.

The memorial, initiated by the Michael Kovats Memorial Committee, a group of American and Hungarian civic organizations, was part of the “Kovats 300” series of events, writes a Kossuth Foundation press release.

The organizers’ goal is to make the Hungarian founding father of the American light cavalry, Michael Kovats de Fabriczy, known to as many people as possible on the 300th anniversary of his birth.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of American and Hungarian heritage organizations and national leaders who paid tribute to the memory of Michael Kovats. At the event, Hungarian Finance Minister Mihály Varga stressed that the Karcag-born soldier made it known in the American public that one of the main characteristics of Hungarian people is the desire for freedom.

Szabolcs Takács, Ambassador of Hungary, pointed out in his welcome speech that

Michael Kovats de Fabriczy was one of the foundations of the identity and self-definition of the Hungarian American diaspora, and his person was a testimony to the Hungarian-American relations.

“Faithful Unto Death”

Inaugurating a commemoration plaque in the heart of Washington DC at the @KossuthHouse, of Michael Kovats de Fabriczy, a Hungarian nobleman and cavalry officer, a hussar colonel who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, in… pic.twitter.com/EaLzEOpDh0

— Szabolcs Takács (@_SzabolcsTakacs) October 26, 2024

According to Dr. Sándor Végh, President of the Kossuth Foundation, the new commemoration plaque is symbolic, as it commemorates the undeniable historical fact that Hungarians played a prominent role in the birth of America.

If Kossuth was the common denominator of the American and Hungarian desire for freedom, then Michael Kovats de Fabriczy was the originator of Hungarian-American relations, the first and only Hungarian to meet George Washington,”

he underlined.

The plaque depicting Michael Kovats de Fabriczy on horseback on the wall of the Kossuth House in downtown Washington, next to the Lajos Kossuth commemoration plaque, is the work of sculptor Sándor Györfi.

Photo: Kossuth Foundation

The richly detailed work faithfully reflects the Hussar tradition. The inscription “Faithful Unto Death” carved into the limestone and the oath he took in a letter to Benjamin Franklin give the composition a strong emotional and moral charge, the press release details. The heroic and self-sacrificing figure of Michael Kovats is a reference to his role in the American Revolution and his stand and sacrifice for freedom.

As part of the event, the Kossuth Foundation renamed the Kossuth House’s conference room, which also houses a library, the Kovats Room.

The ceremony was followed by the launch of the recently published book by historian Dr. Zoltán Pintér, who outlined the adventurous life of the Hussar colonel and the challenges of organizing the American light cavalry.

Anna Smith-Lacey, co-organizer of the commemoration and director of the Hungary Foundation, said at the book launch that the upcoming 250th anniversary of the independence of the United States provides an opportunity to strengthen the memory of Michael Kovats de Fabriczy in the American public consciousness and his contribution to the freedom of the United States.

The professional discussion was concluded by a presentation by Dr. László Örlős, President of the Michael Kováts Friendship Society, who highlighted the fact that “the first American Foreign Legion, the so-called ‘Kováts Society,’ was founded in 1896. Pulaski’s Legion is also due to the Hungarian-born Michael Kovats.” As part of the event, the Michael Kováts Friendship Society presented the Kossuth Foundation with a replica of the flag known to the American public as the Pulaski Flag, which is in fact the first American flag of Hungarian origin.

October 23: Relations with the US at the Center of Washington Celebrations