and men. Kováts trained these men in the tradition of Hungarian hussars: in basic form, training and organization, they were similar to their European counterparts. In October, the legion was transferred to New Jersey and sent into battle with the British at Osborne Island on the 10th and Egg Harbor on the 14th. With winter's approach, the legion was ordered to Cole's Fort, where they spent the first part of the winter in training. On February 2, 1779, the army marched to South Carolina to join the forces of General Benjamin Lincoln. During the long march, smallpox took its toll: only 150 soldiers arrived in Charleston—more than half of the legion had died of disease along the way. The Siege of Charleston was underway. The situation was critical, the population urged for surrender. Pulaski's legion arrived on May 8, 1779, and unsuccessfully attacked the British troops led by General Prevost on May 11. In the battle on May 11, 1779, in Charleston, South Carolina, Colonel Michael Kováts lost his life in the war for American independence. He was buried where he fell. His British opponent in the battle, Brigade Major Skelly, paid Pulaski’s Legion the highest of compliments during the requiem, describing it as, "the best cavalry the rebels ever had." Legacy A phrase from his letter to Franklin, "Most Faithful unto Death" (Fidelissimus ad Mortem) has since been taken as the motto of the American Hungarian Federation. On May 11, 1779, Colonel Kovats gave his life in the American War for Independence while leading the Continental Army cavalry he had trained in Hungarian hussar tactics against a British Siege of Charleston. To this date, Michael de Kovats is celebrated by cadets at The Citadel Military College in Charleston, South Carolina, where part of the campus is named in his honor. The Hungarian Embassy in Washington, D.C., has a statue sculpted by Paul Takacs and executed by Attila Dienes. The World War II Liberty Ship was named in his honor. See also Casimir Pulaski, along with Kovats, "the father of American cavalry" Tadeusz Kościuszko, Polish military engineer who played a key role in improving Continental Army defenses during the American Revolution Hungarian-Polish Friendship Day István Kováts References External links Hungarian US military heroes Col. Michael Kovats by the American Hungarian Federation The Citadel Archives: Kovats, Col. Michael De 1724 births 1779 deaths People from Karcag Continental Army officers from Hungary