(Excerpted from a statement by Senator Strom Thurmond)

Colonel-Commandant Michael de Kovats de Fabriczy, Master of Exercises and creator of the American cavalry, was born in Hungary. He died on May 11, 1779, while breaking out of a beleaguered Charleston, South Carolina, and inflicting severe damage on besieging British forces.

Born a Hungarian, he was an American by choice, and a great hero of the Revolutionary War. The English buried him in Charleston and his greatest opponent, Brigade Major Skelly, paid him the highest tribute at the requiem of his grave. He said: "The best cavalry the rebels ever had."

Unveiling Ceremony for a Statue of Colonel-Commandant Michael de Kovats de Fabriczy

A statue in memory of this brave American patriot and hussar will be dedicated in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 11, 2003. The statue was commissioned jointly by the Hungarian Artists Association and the Hungarian Embassy. It has been erected at 2950 Spring of Freedom Street, Washington, D.C. Donald Rumsfeld, U.S. Secretary of Defense, and Juhasz Ferenc, Hungarian Minister of Defense, will preside. Music will be provided by the Old Guard, 3rd Infantry Orchestra. The First California Hussar Regiment will provide an honor guard at this commemorative event, which is being held to honor those who gave their lives for their country.

More information:
http://www.budpocketguide.com/TouristInfo/famous/Famous_Hungarians07.asp