Knowra Michael Kovats de Fabriczy Michael Kovats de Fabriczy Michael Kovats de Fabriczy was a Hungarian-born cavalry officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and was killed defending Charleston in 1779.
Casimir Pulaski : A Polish nobleman and cavalry commander who fought for the Continental Army and died at the siege of Savannah in 1779. Pulaski and Kovats worked together to establish and lead Continental cavalry.
Siege of Charleston : The British siege of Charleston, South Carolina, in 1780, which ended in the surrender of the American garrison. It is a later siege often confused with the 1779 battle in which Kovats died.
American Revolutionary War : The 1775–1783 conflict in which Great Britain and its American colonies fought over independence. It was the war that brought Kovats into Continental service.
Pulaski's Legion : A Continental Army cavalry and infantry unit organized by Casimir Pulaski in 1778. Kovats helped organize and command this unit alongside Pulaski.
Benjamin Franklin : An American statesman, writer, scientist, and diplomat who helped secure French support during the Revolution. Franklin recommended Kovats for service in the Continental Army.
Battle of Charleston (1779) : An unsuccessful British attack on Charleston, South Carolina, from May 11 to 13, 1779. Kovats was killed while defending the city during this British attack.
Continental Army : The army established by the Second Continental Congress to fight British forces during the American Revolution. Kovats sought a commission in this army after arriving in North America.
Cavalry in the American Revolutionary War : Mounted troops used by both sides for reconnaissance, raids, pursuit, and battlefield support during the Revolution. Kovats's service illustrates the role of foreign-trained cavalry officers in the Continental Army.
George Washington : Commander in chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and first president of the United States. Washington's army was where Kovats first sought a commission.
Siege of Savannah : The 1779 Franco-American attempt to retake Savannah from British forces, ending in defeat. Kovats's fellow cavalry commander Pulaski was mortally wounded in this campaign.
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