Hungarian Heritage Review, 1987 (16. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1987-08-01 / 8. szám
Hungarian-JVmmoma “Most Illustrious Sir: ‘ ‘Golden freedom cannot be purchased with yellow gold.' ’ ‘ 7, who have the honor to present this letter to your Excellency, am also following the call of the Fathers of the Land, as the pioneers of freedom always did. Iam a free man and a Hungarian. As to my military status 1 was trained in the Royal Prussian Army and raised from the lowest rank to the dignity of a Captain of the Hussars, not so much by luck and the mercy of chance than by most diligent self-discipline and the virtue of my arms. The dangers and the bloodshed of a great many campaigns taught me how to mold a soldier, and, when made, how to arm him and let him defend the dearest of the lands with his best ability under any conditions and developments of the war. “1 now am here of my own free will, having taken all the horrible hardships and bothers of this journey, and I am wilting to sacrifice myself wholly and faithfully as it is expected of an honest soldier facing the hazards and great dangers of the war, to the detriment of Joseph and as well for the freedom of your great Congress. Through the cooperation and loyal assistance of Mr. Faedevill, a merchant of this city and a kind sympathizer of the Colonies and their just cause, 1 have obtained passage on a ship called "Catharina Froam Darmouth”, whose master is a Captain Whippy. I beg your Excellency, to grant me a passport and a letter of recommendation to the most benevolent Congress. I am expecting companions who have not yet reached here. Your Excellency would be promoting the common cause by giving Mr. Faedevill authorization to expedite their passage to the Colonies once they have arrived here. ' ‘At last, awaiting your gracious answer, / have no wish greater than to leave forthwith, to be where I am needed most, to serve and die in everlasting obedience to Your Excellency and the Congress. “Most Faithful unto death, Michael Kovats de Fabricy Bordeaux, January 13th, 1777. COLONEL MICHAEL KOVATS DE FABRICY From a painting by Sándor Bodo of Nashville, Tennessee (Courtesy of the American Philosophical Society) ‘ ‘P. S. As yet 1 am unable to write fluently in French or English and had only the choice of writing either in German or Latin; for this I apologize to your Excellency.' ’ THE SOLUTION OF AN AGE-OLD MYSTERY: The Family Background As The Key To The Character And The European Heritage Values of Colonel Michael Kovats de Fabricy (1724-1779), Commandant Of The Pulaski Legion In The American War Of Independence.- by -DR. ELEMER BAKO Hungarians in North America have an impressive history of their presence on this continent. It begins with Stephen Parmenius of Buda (in Hungarian: Budai Parmenius István), a fine, young scholar and poet who lived at Oxford, England. He joined the second America expedition of Sir Humphrey Gilbert in 1583 as its official chronicler, and made, together with others, some short, exploratory visits to the coastal area of Nova Scotia but has lost his life there in a sea storm. However, a very fine, scholarly biography prepared by two Canadian authors preserved his memory by offering proofs of the outstanding qualities of his personality, his poetry and scholarship, and secured for him a position among the writers of the age of discoveries also. Leaving here unmentioned several other important individuals of Hungarian origin who enriched American civilization in the course of the following hundred years, we move to the period of Hungarian history in the early 18th century which is marked by the Hungarian war of independence led by the legendary Francis Rákóczi II (1676-1735), elected ruling prince of Hungary and Transylvania, against the House of Habsburg in the years of 1704 to 1711. Its events, leading personalities, political, constitutional and ethical principles have been reported about, often in much detail, in the excellently edited weekly issues of the first American newspaper, The Boston News-Letter, which began publication in April, 1704. Thus, it was no wonder that the Founding Fathers of the American democracy including General Washington were fully aware of the nature and values of the specifically Hungarian type of light cavalry service named Hussars but also of the demands facing the commander of an army when trying to establish a Hussar unit for his —continued next page 12 HUNGARIAN HERITAGE REVIEW AUGUST 1987
