Verhovayak Lapja, 1954 (37. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1954-04-07 / 4. szám
Commander, Colonel Bose. The English claimed 60 killed, including 6 officers. Their simultaneous statement that the English lost only 1 man makes their claim improbable'. With the approach of winter the Legion was ordered from Trenton to Sussex Court House, then on November 10 to Cole’s Fort, which was their winter quarters; here Kovats fell back on Indian warfare again and the first half of the winter passed without any important event. On February 2, 1779, the Legion went to Yorktown, Pennsylvania and received the orders of Congress to march to South Carolina to join the forces of General Lincoln. The Legion’s complement had been reduced not only at Osborne’s Island and Egg Harbor but also by the adversity of the winter weather. Congress decided on February 4 to enlarge the Legion’s complement and sent instructions to the Board of War to this effect. The Board of War tried to do this but failed, thus, Kovats started to recruit again. He succeeded in raising the number of the Legion to 336 men. After six weeks of preparation, the Legion’s Infantry left Yorktown on the 18th of March for South Carolina and on the 28th the Cavalry followed. In a month’s time we find them in Salem, North Carolina. There is a record which tells us how soldierlike and decently they behaved, paying for everything in cash. We are told also that they had forty smallpox cases and two resulting deaths. Between Salem and Charleston, a distance of a week’s march, the smallpox took a great toll. They arrived at Charleston with only 150 men. Charleston was under siege by the English. The situation was quite bad and the population urged surrender. Kovats arrived on the 11th-of May, attacked with 120 men on the same day and was killed. The English buried him at the corner of Huger Street on the lot of John Margart. His opponent, the English Brigade Major Skelly said, the requiem over his grave. “The best cavalry the Rebels ever had”. Pulaski was left alone. A month later, in June, he still believed in the future of his Legion. On August 19 he wrote — 14 — he was forced to serve as a private in the Prussian Army. In the Eighteenth Century this was not unusual. He took a very active part in the Seven Years’ War. His Commander, Colonel Michael Székely, lead the First Prussian Hussar Regiment. This regiment took part in the battles of Pirna, Lobosits, Prague, Torgau and Leitmeritz. Kováts received very serious wounds in the Battle for Gotha, In 1760 Kováts became a captain and commander of the so-called “Gersdorf” Free Hussars. In the Library of Muhlhausen there are several documents signed by Captain Kováts and two illustrated publications contain his pictures. We do not know why but certain documents prove that on March 12, 1761 he resigned'his Army commission. We can only guess that he did not like his military assignment, which in later years forced him to be the tax collector and oppressor of certain territories occupied by the armies of Frederick the Great. He went to Poland after he was honorably discharged from the Prussian Army. In Poland he spent four months, and while there was closely connected with the Royal Court. He left with a Polish passport. Count Sternberg, the then Austrian ambassador to Poland, took steps to arrest him, but the Polish authorities refused his request. The Austrian War Council looked upon Kováts as a deserter and on April 25, 1761 issued a warrant for his arrest. In the meantime he was informed about the amnesty granted by Empress Maria Theresa, so that he felt sure he would not suffer any consequences on account of his services in the Prussian Army. When he reached Késmárk in May of 1761 he was arrested and charged with high treason. The importance of our hero is signified by the fact that minutes taken at his court martial proceedings consist of several volumes and include, among other documents, seven personal letters of Frederick the Great addressed to Kováts. — 3 •—
