Colonel Michael Kováts de Fabriczy (1724–1779), a Hungarian hussar officer, trained the cavalry of the Pulaski Legion during the American Revolution and is widely recognized as a founder of the United States Cavalry. He was killed leading a charge in defense of Charleston, South Carolina in May 1779.
The statue campaign
The American Hungarian Federation fully supports the campaign to build a permanent bronze equestrian statue of Colonel Kováts in Charleston, South Carolina. The Hungary Foundation, a Washington-based educational and cultural nonprofit, is leading the effort as part of its “Michael Kováts 300” initiative.
AHF took part in the S.C. 250 commemorations in Charleston, including a public address on Colonel Kováts at the December 14, 2025 Victory Day ceremony, and visited the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, where a plaque commemorates him, and The Citadel’s Kováts memorial, which AHF dedicated in 1955.
In New Jersey, the Affair at Egg Harbor Historical Society highlights Colonel Kováts’s role alongside General Casimir Pulaski in its annual heritage commemorations at the Pulaski Monument.
Progress
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How to help
Contribute to the statue campaign on GoFundMe.