Michael Kováts de Fabriczy, or simply Michael Kovats, was a Hungarian nobleman and cavalry officer who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, in which he was killed in action.
General Casimir Pulaski and Kovats are together known as the "Founding Fathers of the U.S. Cavalry."
Kovats became an officer in the Hungarian Cavalry under Maria Theresa. He later became a captain in the Prussian Cavalry, serving under Frederick the Great and earning the highest distinction in the Prussian Army, the Pour le Mérite. After learning about the American Revolution in 1777, he offered his sword to the American ambassador in France, Benjamin Franklin.
Kovats joined Casimir Pulaski, who was then brigadier general and commander-in-chief of Washington's cavalry. Kovats was tapped as colonel commandant of Pulaski’s legion on April 18, 1778, and soon began training the hussar regiments.
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. Following initial success, the legion marched on to Charleston, South Carolina, where Kováts lost his life May 11, 1779 - He was buried where he fell.
To this date, Michael Kovats is celebrated by cadets at The Citadel Military College in Charleston, South Carolina, where part of the campus is named in his honor.