Eugene A. Kozlay Papers, 1860-1878

Summary

Creator:

Kozlay, Eugene A.

Abstract:

Papers of the Union Army officer (ca. 1828-1883). Kozlay was a colonel in the 54th New York Volunteers. Scrapbook of incoming letters, documents, military telegrams, and orders, relating to Kozlay's military service. Letters from Hiram Barney, F.W. Seward, R.A. Witthaus, and others.

Extent:

0.5 linear ft.

Language:

English , German , Hungarian .

Preferred citation:

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Eugene A. Kozlay Papers

Background

Scope and content:

The Eugene A. Kozlay Papers consists of a letterbook, 1860-1878, of incoming letters arranged in a rough chronological order. Included are letters which relate to requests for appointment of officers' posts in Kozlay's regiment, the incident of Kozlay's refusal to serve under General Blenker, legal problems involving what seems to be fraud in recruiting or in payment of regimental debts, administrative and personal problems in the regiment, requests from wives for information about their soldier husbands, Kozlay's attempts to be commissioned brigadier general, administrative matters in the post-war Freedmen's Bureau, and requests from soldiers who served in Kozlay's regiment for documents certifying their service so as to enable them to collect their pensions. Also included are a series of orders which reflect Kozlay's activities during the siege of Charleston, South Carolina, when he was in command of Folly's Island. Some of the orders contain detailed instructions for battle and one gives instructions regarding the transfer of prisoners.

Of particular interest are the letters from the grandfather of a young lieutenant to whom Adm. Kozlay had granted a commission and who had been court-martialed for some unidentifiable misconduct, 1864; letters which contain comments on the Democratic presidential candidates George B. McClellan and Pendleton and the Democratic platform, 1864; a letter dated September 23, 1863 in which a soldier describes his forced enlistment; and two letters from an officer in Kozlay's regiment describing the fighting quality of the black troops and relating an incident in which Kozlay was almost drowned, 1864. A number of the letters in this letterbook are written in German or Hungarian and have not been translated. Among the important and/or frequent correspondents are General C. H. Howard, Governor E. D. Morgan, F. W. Seward, General Daniel E. Sickles, Hiram Barney, Thomas H. Hay, Charles H. Meeker, A. D. Munson, F. A. Witthaus, and J. Pistas.

Since the letters are bound in chronological order, the inventory below also provides an alphabetical index of correspondents, with dates.

Biographical / historical:

Eugene Arthur Kozlay (1828?-1883) was an officer in the Union Army during the Civil War. A Hungarian by birth, he served as a captain in the Hungarian army, emigrated to the United States, and eventually reached the rank of brigadier-general.

Evidence suggests that Kozlay lived briefly in New Orleans and that prior to the Civil War he was employed at the Customs House in New York City. At the outbreak of the war he helped to recruit the 54th New York Volunteers regiment, was commissioned as colonel in the Union Army and placed in command. The regiment was assigned to General Louis Blenker's division, but for some reason Kozlay refused the order and offered his resignation. However, his friends helped to reconcile with him Blenker and he finally joined his regiment. It appears that Blenker's division, including Kozlay's regiment, made up primarily of German and Austrian immigrants. They were sent with General John C. Fremont into West Virginia in 1862.

In 1862 Kozlay returned to New York in order to deal with some legal problems relating to fraud in recruiting or supply (it is not clear which), and remained there for about a year while the matters were being prosecuted. He then returned to his regiment, which had been assigned to participate in the siege of Charleston, South Carolina. During 1863 and 1864 he had command of Folly's Island and engaged in a number of skirmishes with the Confederate forces.

After the war, he served with the occupation forces in South Carolina and was assigned to supervise an office of the Freedmen's Bureau. At this time he was commissioned a brigadier general.

Kozlay was married and had at least two children. He died in 1883.

Arrangement:

Chronological order.

Indexed terms

Subjects:

Military history
Civil War (U.S.)
Soldiers, United States.
Soldiers.
Correspondence.

Names:

United States. Army -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Sources.
United States. Army -- Officers.
United States. Army. New York Volunteers, 54th.
Barney, Hiram.
Kozlay, Eugene A. -- Archives.
Seward, Frederick William, 1830-1915.
Witthaus, R. A. (Rudolph August), 1846-1915.

Places:

United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Sources.
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Campaigns -- Sources.
United States -- History -- Military, To 1900 -- Sources.

Indexes:

Index to correspondence

Achuysurburg, A.	1863 Apr 19
Adler, Morris	1861 Dec 1, Brooklyn, NY
Ashby, Chas	1861 Dec 4, Hunter's Chapel, VA1863 Mar 11, near Brook's Station, VA
Auguston, Bernard	1862 Sep 10, Washington, DC
Baird, Bessie D.	1862 Jun 27, Philadelphia, PA
Barney, Hiram	1861 Sep 19, NY1861 Oct 8, NY1861 Nov 5, NY1861 Nov 18, NY1861 Nov 22, Washington, DC1861 Dec 12, Washington, DC1861 Dec 26, NY1862 Jan 20, NY1862 Apr 21, NY1862 Jun 2, NY1862 Aug 14, NY1862 Sep 2, NY1863 Jan 14, NY1863 May 1, NY1864 Sep 29, NYC1866 Mar 30, NYC
Bennett, W.T.	1865 Oct 29, Charleston, SC1865 Nov 24, Charleston, SC
Berwelt (?), W.T.	1865 Aug 31, Charleston, SC
Billinge, Benjamin L.	1863 Dec 9, NYC1864 Sep 30, NYC
Billings, F.W.	1861 Dec, Brooklyn, NY1862 Mar 18, Washington, DC1862 Jun 9, Brooklyn, NY1862 Jun 10, NY1863 Aug 7, London1864 Jun 24, NYC1866 Jan 26, NYC
Blain, Henry	1870 Nov 4, Brooklyn, NY
Blair, G.	1865 Jul 7, Orangeburg, SC
Bull, W. A.	1865 Oct 29, Receipt
Burger, W.L.	1865 Jul 10, Headquarters1864 Aug 13, Hilton Head, SC1864 Sep 13, Hilton Head, SC1865 Aug 27, Hilton Head, SC1865 Sep 12, Hilton Head, SC1865 Sep 26, Hilton Head, SC1865 Oct 10, Hilton Head, SC1865 Oct 25, Hilton Head, SC1865 Dec 1, Charleston, SC1865 Dec 17, Charleston, SC
Burnes, Wm. M.	1865 Oct 31, Hilton Head, SC
Chanler, J.W.	1864 Jan 11, Washington, DC1866 Feb 19, Washington, DC1866 Mar 27, Washington, DC1866 Jun 2, Washington, DC1866 Jun 7, Washington, DC1866 Jun 7, Washington, DC
Cohnheim, Max	1862 Sep 8, Halls House, VA
Cloyer, John H.	1866 Apr 16, Brooklyn, NY
Cook, Peter	1862 Sep 2, NY
Craig, Jame B.	1870 Nov 2, Brooklyn, NY
Cveruschjig (?)	1860 Nov 12, NYC
Dater, Abram E.	1864 Oct 28, NYC
Davis, George F.	1864 Nov 19, Folly Island, SC
Deuhurst, George V.	1864 Nov 30, Folly Island, SC1864 Dec 6, Folly Island, SC1866 Jan 6, Folly Island, SC
Dewey, Edward F.	1865 May 13, Summerville, SC
Dickinson, J.W.	1864 Dec, Morris Island, SC1864 Dec 24, Morris Island, SC1864 Dec 29, Morris Island, SC1864 Dec 30, Morris Island, SC1864 Dec 31, Morris Island, SC1865 Jan, Morris Island, SC1865 Feb 6, Morris Island, SC1865 Feb 7, Morris Island, SC
Drescher, Aldolph (Dr.)	1863 Oct 28, NYC
DuMoulin, Charles A.	1863 Oct 19, NYC
E-?, Peter	1864 Jun 21, NYC
Enifesser, —	1860 Jun 7, NYC
Ernenwein, P.	1866 Dec 12, NYC
Evans, Charles	1864 Jan 22, Albany, NY1864 Feb 26, Albany, NY1864 Sep 13, Albany, NY
Ferry, Leonard	1864 Nov 13, Folly Island, SC
Figgelmessy, — (Col)	1863 Jun 15, Fairfax Courthouse, VA1863 Jun 16, Fairfax Courthouse, VA1863 Jun 16, Fairfax Courthouse, VA1863 Jun 17, Fairfax Courthouse, VA1863 Jun 18, Fairfax Courthouse, VA
Foster, Mary S.	1865 Nov 29, Hilton Head, SC
Fugerhausfer(?), W.	1866 Nov 11, NYC
Galway, Richard	1867 Apr 8, Albany, NY
Gilbert, B.C.	1863 Apr 25 , Albany, NY1863 Mar 11, Albany, NY1863 May 21, Albany, NY1863 Nov 9, Albany, NY1863 Nov 14, Albany, NY
Grace, James W.	1864 Aug 1, Morris Island, SC[undated], Morris Island, SC1864 Dec 26, Morris Island, SC1864 Dec 31, Morris Island, SC
Graef, Albert E.	1866 Mar 20, NYC
Grau, Hermann	1864 May 26, NYC
Gresch, W.	1863 Nov 26, Washington, DC
Gustav, Hereshy	[undated],
Hagen (?), C.W.	1863 Dec 28, Kiawah Island, SC
Halliday, S.B.	1861 Nov 20, Washington, DC
Hanning, W.C.	1864 Nov 17, Morris Island, SC
Harkwell(?),A.S.	1864 Sep 28, Folly Island, SC1864 Nov 13, MA1865 Aug 14, MA1865 Sep 6, Charleston, SC
Hausmann, E.	1862 Jul 16, near Sperryville1863 Mar 9, near Brook's Station, VA
Hay, Thomas H.	[undated], Dobbs Ferry, NY1863 Dec 14, Dobbs Ferry, NY1863 Nov 20, Dobbs Ferry, NY[undated], NY1864 Feb 7, Dobbs Ferry, NY1864 Feb 27, Dobbs Ferry, NY1864 Mar 17, Dobbs Ferry, NY1864 Mar 23, Dobbs Ferry, NY1864 May 6, NYC
Herrilry(?), Lang	1860 Sep 2, Brooklyn, NY
Hogan, John	1865 Dec 4, NYC
Housalvo, W.W.	1864 Nov 5, Folly Island, SC
Howard, C.H.	1865 Oct 22, Charleston, SC1865 Nov 24, Charleston, SC
Hyde, G.S.	1863 Feb 7, NY
Jansco, Johann	1863 Apr 2, NYC
Jeverneck, Francis	1866 Sep 27, NYC
Jewitt, E.	1864 Jan 25, Albany, NY1864 Aug 2, Albany, NY1864 Sep 6, Albany, NY1864 Sep 10, Albany, NY1864 Sep 29, Albany, NY
Jonston, Elizabeth	1863 Sep 14?, Buffalo, NY
Kaufman, Frank & Wilcoxen	1862 Mar 11, NY
Kay, James P.	1866 Mar 11, Charleston, SC
Kneuder, Louis	1863 Apr 5, Washington, DC
Koch, N.E.	1864 Dec 21, NYC
Kohnstanun, Solomon	1862 Jul 11, NY
Kovacs, Stephen	1862 Jul 22, NY1862 Sep 7, near Arlington Hts, VA1862 Oct 30, Centerville, VA1863 Feb 28, Stafford Courthouse, VA
Kreuder, Charles	1864 Dec 2, Long Island, SC
Lamert, F.P.	1862 Jul 11,
Lathrop, Wm. H.	1866 Apr 12, Hilton Head, SC
Lawrence, A.G.	1863 Dec 27, Stafford Courthouse, VA
Leighton, W.E.	1865 Dec 19, Charleston, SC
Lem?, Julia	1866 Feb 2, Charleston, SC
Lobsiger, Rudolf	1873 Jan 24, Washington, DC
Lounfend, E.D.	1863 Feb 14, Washington, DC
Louy(?), T(?)	[undated],
Luettwitz, Adolph	1864 Nov 14, Folly Island, SC1864 Nov 14 , Morris Island, SC1864 Nov 17, Morris Island, SC1864 Nov 18, Morris Island, SC1864 Nov 23, Morris Island, SC1865 Jan 12, Morris Island, SC1865 Jan 14, Morris Island, SC1865 Jan 15, Morris Island, SC1865 Jan 16, Morris Island, SC1865 Jan 19, Morris Island, SC1866 Nov 7, NYC
Luetuvily, Gould	1863 Nov 26, Kiawah Island, SC
Lundt, Philip	1862 Aug 15, NY
Manning, W.C.	1864 Nov 12, Morris Island, SC
Meeker, Chas H.	1861 Nov 18, NY1862 Jul 1, Brooklyn, NY1864 Aug 2, NYC1864 Oct 15, NYC1864 Nov 14, NYC1865 Jan 4, NYC1865 Jul 29, NYC1865 Nov 15, NYC
Meeker, Wm. H.R.	1864 Jun, Folly Island, SC1865 Jul 2, Orangeburg, SC
Mlvardy, P.U.	1863 May 9,
Moffman, Frank	1862 Aug 4, NY
Morgan, E.O.	[undated],
Morgan, R.C.	1863 Sep 4, War Dept, NYC1864 Jan 16, NYC
Mouschez [?], May	[undated],
Muller, Frank	1878 Oct 23, Troy, NY1878 Dec 11, Troy, NY
Munson, A.D.	1861 Oct 16, NY1861 Dec 23, NY1862 Jan 9, NY1862 Jan 10, NY1862 Jan 13, NY1862 Jan 20, NY1862 Feb 10, NY1862 Feb 27, NY1862 Feb 28, NY1863 May 8, NY1863 May 25, NY1864 Jan 9, NYC
Nicholas, W.A.	1864 Mar 19, NYC
Noll, Christian	1863 Nov 26, Kiawah Island, SC
O'Dell, M.F.	1864 Mar[?] 12, Washington, DC
Olcott, H.S.	1864 Jan 16, Telegram1864 Jan 6, NYC
Palmer, D.B.	1863, NYC [?]
Payen [?], D.E.	1864 Feb 14, Kiawah Island, SC
Perry, L.B.	1864 Nov 19, Morris Island, SC1864 Nov 24, Morris Island, SC1864 Nov 25, Morris Island, SC
Pista, Rious [?]	1863 Apr 20, Potomac Creek Br, VA1865 Jun 23, Hilton Head, SC1865 Jun 24, Hilton Head, SC1865 Oct 5, NYC1865 Oct 22, NYC1865 Nov 30, NYC1865 Dec 19, NYC1866 Jan 12, NYC
Quarley [?], John	1866[?] Aug 17, Utica, NY
Reuerman, Dr. A.	1863 Jan 28, NY
Robinson, Thomas I.	1864 Oct 19, Morris Island, SC1864 Oct 19, Morris Island, SC1864 Nov 5, Morris Island, SC1864 Nov 6, Morris Island, SC1864 Oct 27, Morris Island, SC1878 Aug 16, Calais, Maine
Root, Henry (M.D.)	1861 Dec 1, Hunter's Chapel, VA1862 Nov 17, Chantilly, VA1862 Dec 24, Stafford Courthouse, VA1865 Jun 271866 Jun 9, Charleston, SC1866 Nov 12, Whitehall, NY1866 Nov 21, Whitehall, NY
Rosenberg, Max	1863 Sep 3, NYC1863 Sep 17, NYC1863 Sep 30 , NYC1863 Oct 8, NYC
Royce, W. A.	1864 Jul 11, Folly Island, SC1864 Oct 4, NYC
Sandford, Charles W.	1865 Jun 23, Bridgeville, NY
Sandor, Babogn	1883 Apr 2, NY
Sarderouts(?), A.	1862 Mar 27, NY1862 Jun 6, NY1862 Jul 29, NY
Schauffler, Edith	1864 Dec 26, Morris Island, SC1865 Jan 1, Morris Island, SC1865 Jan 30, Morris Island, SC1865 Feb 1, Morris Island, SC1865 Feb 4, Morris Island, SC1865 Feb 13, Morris Island, SC1865 Feb 13, Morris Island, SC1865 Feb 16, Morris Island, SC1865 Feb 16, Morris Island, SC1865 Feb 17, Morris Island, SC
Scheurer, Aug	1862 May 5, NY
Scholl, Conrad	1863 Mar 9, Brook's Station, VA
Schumann, Fr	1864 Jan 6, Kiawah Island, SC
Schwedler, Frederick	1862 Jul 18, NY
Schweer, Louis	1864 Feb 7, Rickery Island Harbor, NY
Seward, F.W.	1862 Oct. 14, Washington, DC
Sickles, D.E.	1886 Apr 29, Charleston, SC
Sifon, George G.	1862 Nov 27, Fairfax Courthouse, VA
Simmons, Mrs. L. B.	1866 Feb 4, Montrose, PA
Slvaisa, Kovacs G[?]	1862 Jul 8, NY1862 Jul 21, NY1863 Mar 28, near Potomac Creek, VA1863 Apr 1, near Potomac Creek, VA
Stahel, Julius	1862 Apr 4, near Potomac Creek, VA1863 Feb, Stafford Courthouse, VA1863 Feb, Stafford Courthouse, VA1863 Mar 1, Stafford Courthouse, VA1863 Mar 4, Stafford Courthouse, VA1863 Mar 7, Stafford Courthouse, VA1863 Apr 11, Fairfax
Stewart, W.H.[?]	1865 Nov 17, Baltimore, MD
Stow, S.H.	1866 Oct 6, NYC
Swain, James B.	1866 Jun 10, Albany, NY
Taylor, Stuart W[?]	1864 Oct 10, Morris Island, SC1864 Oct 10, Morris Island, SC1864 Oct 15[?], Morris Island, SC
Toblers, John	1863 Sep 23, NYC
Tomlinson, R.	1865 Oct 31, Charleston, SC
Torrey, William	1865 May 6, Charleston, SC
Townshed, Wm.	1865 Jul 28, NYC
VanBuren, Robert	1871 Jan 26, Brooklyn, NY
Van Eyck, A.	1863 Jan 23, NY1863 Jun 29, Hilton Head, SC
Wallace, George	1863 Feb 4, Albany, NY
Walson, James M.	1864 Dec 30, Morris Island, SC1865 Jan 19, Morris Island, SC1865 Jan 20, Morris Island, SC1865 Jan 20, Morris Island, SC
Werneik, Franz T.	1866 Feb 7, South Carolina
Willoth, E.	1863 Nov 24, Kiawah Island, SC
Wittnaus, R.A.	1861 Nov 23, NY1862 Jan 12, NY1862 Feb 3, NY1862 Feb 8, NY1862 Feb 17, NY1862 Mar 4, NY1862 Mar 26, NY1862 Apr 22, NY

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Preferred citation:

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Eugene A. Kozlay Papers

Location of this collection:

Syracuse University

Special Collections Research Center

Syracuse University Libraries

Bird Library, Room 600

Syracuse, NY 13244, United States

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