Collection inventory

Overview of the Collection
Creator:	Kozlay, Eugene A.
Title:	Eugene A. Kozlay Papers
Inclusive Dates:	1860-1878
Quantity:	0.5 linear ft.
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.
Language:	English, German, Hungarian.
Repository:	Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

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.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

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.

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Arrangement of the Collection

Chronological order.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Corporate Bodies

Subjects

Places

Genres and Forms

Occupations

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Eugene A. Kozlay Papers
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Finding Aid Information

Created by: --
Date: 1967
Revision history: Feb 2009 - converted to EAD (MRC); 12 May 2015 - updated index (MRC)

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Inventory

	Correspondence
Box 1		Letterbook 1860-1878

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Index to correspondence

• Achuysurburg, A. : 1863 Apr 19
• Adler, Morris : 1861 Dec 1, Brooklyn, NY
• Ashby, Chas : 1861 Dec 4, Hunter's Chapel, VA; 1863 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, NY; 1861 Oct 8, NY; 1861 Nov 5, NY; 1861 Nov 18, NY; 1861 Nov 22, Washington, DC; 1861 Dec 12, Washington, DC; 1861 Dec 26, NY; 1862 Jan 20, NY; 1862 Apr 21, NY; 1862 Jun 2, NY; 1862 Aug 14, NY; 1862 Sep 2, NY; 1863 Jan 14, NY; 1863 May 1, NY; 1864 Sep 29, NYC; 1866 Mar 30, NYC
• Bennett, W.T. : 1865 Oct 29, Charleston, SC; 1865 Nov 24, Charleston, SC
• Berwelt (?), W.T. : 1865 Aug 31, Charleston, SC
• Billinge, Benjamin L. : 1863 Dec 9, NYC; 1864 Sep 30, NYC
• Billings, F.W. : 1861 Dec, Brooklyn, NY; 1862 Mar 18, Washington, DC; 1862 Jun 9, Brooklyn, NY; 1862 Jun 10, NY; 1863 Aug 7, London; 1864 Jun 24, NYC; 1866 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, Headquarters; 1864 Aug 13, Hilton Head, SC; 1864 Sep 13, Hilton Head, SC; 1865 Aug 27, Hilton Head, SC; 1865 Sep 12, Hilton Head, SC; 1865 Sep 26, Hilton Head, SC; 1865 Oct 10, Hilton Head, SC; 1865 Oct 25, Hilton Head, SC; 1865 Dec 1, Charleston, SC; 1865 Dec 17, Charleston, SC
• Burnes, Wm. M. : 1865 Oct 31, Hilton Head, SC
• Chanler, J.W. : 1864 Jan 11, Washington, DC; 1866 Feb 19, Washington, DC; 1866 Mar 27, Washington, DC; 1866 Jun 2, Washington, DC; 1866 Jun 7, Washington, DC; 1866 Jun 7, Washington, DC
• Cloyer, John H. : 1866 Apr 16, Brooklyn, NY
• Cohnheim, Max : 1862 Sep 8, Halls House, VA
• 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, SC; 1864 Dec 6, Folly Island, SC; 1866 Jan 6, Folly Island, SC
• Dewey, Edward F. : 1865 May 13, Summerville, SC
• Dickinson, J.W. : 1864 Dec, Morris Island, SC; 1864 Dec 24, Morris Island, SC; 1864 Dec 29, Morris Island, SC; 1864 Dec 30, Morris Island, SC; 1864 Dec 31, Morris Island, SC; 1865 Jan, Morris Island, SC; 1865 Feb 6, Morris Island, SC; 1865 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, NY; 1864 Feb 26, Albany, NY; 1864 Sep 13, Albany, NY
• Ferry, Leonard : 1864 Nov 13, Folly Island, SC
• Figgelmessy, — (Col) : 1863 Jun 15, Fairfax Courthouse, VA; 1863 Jun 16, Fairfax Courthouse, VA; 1863 Jun 16, Fairfax Courthouse, VA; 1863 Jun 17, Fairfax Courthouse, VA; 1863 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, NY; 1863 Mar 11, Albany, NY; 1863 May 21, Albany, NY; 1863 Nov 9, Albany, NY; 1863 Nov 14, Albany, NY
• Grace, James W. : 1864 Aug 1, Morris Island, SC; [undated], Morris Island, SC; 1864 Dec 26, Morris Island, SC; 1864 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, SC; 1864 Nov 13, MA; 1865 Aug 14, MA; 1865 Sep 6, Charleston, SC
• Hausmann, E. : 1862 Jul 16, near Sperryville; 1863 Mar 9, near Brook's Station, VA
• Hay, Thomas H. : [undated], Dobbs Ferry, NY; 1863 Dec 14, Dobbs Ferry, NY; 1863 Nov 20, Dobbs Ferry, NY; [undated], NY; 1864 Feb 7, Dobbs Ferry, NY; 1864 Feb 27, Dobbs Ferry, NY; 1864 Mar 17, Dobbs Ferry, NY; 1864 Mar 23, Dobbs Ferry, NY; 1864 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, SC; 1865 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, NY; 1864 Aug 2, Albany, NY; 1864 Sep 6, Albany, NY; 1864 Sep 10, Albany, NY; 1864 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, NY; 1862 Sep 7, near Arlington Hts, VA; 1862 Oct 30, Centerville, VA; 1863 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, SC; 1864 Nov 14 , Morris Island, SC; 1864 Nov 17, Morris Island, SC; 1864 Nov 18, Morris Island, SC; 1864 Nov 23, Morris Island, SC; 1865 Jan 12, Morris Island, SC; 1865 Jan 14, Morris Island, SC; 1865 Jan 15, Morris Island, SC; 1865 Jan 16, Morris Island, SC; 1865 Jan 19, Morris Island, SC; 1866 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, NY; 1862 Jul 1, Brooklyn, NY; 1864 Aug 2, NYC; 1864 Oct 15, NYC; 1864 Nov 14, NYC; 1865 Jan 4, NYC; 1865 Jul 29, NYC; 1865 Nov 15, NYC
• Meeker, Wm. H.R. : 1864 Jun, Folly Island, SC; 1865 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, NYC; 1864 Jan 16, NYC
• Mouschez [?], May : [undated],
• Muller, Frank : 1878 Oct 23, Troy, NY; 1878 Dec 11, Troy, NY
• Munson, A.D. : 1861 Oct 16, NY; 1861 Dec 23, NY; 1862 Jan 9, NY; 1862 Jan 10, NY; 1862 Jan 13, NY; 1862 Jan 20, NY; 1862 Feb 10, NY; 1862 Feb 27, NY; 1862 Feb 28, NY; 1863 May 8, NY; 1863 May 25, NY; 1864 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, Telegram; 1864 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, SC; 1864 Nov 24, Morris Island, SC; 1864 Nov 25, Morris Island, SC
• Pista, Rious [?] : 1863 Apr 20, Potomac Creek Br, VA; 1865 Jun 23, Hilton Head, SC; 1865 Jun 24, Hilton Head, SC; 1865 Oct 5, NYC; 1865 Oct 22, NYC; 1865 Nov 30, NYC; 1865 Dec 19, NYC; 1866 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, SC; 1864 Oct 19, Morris Island, SC; 1864 Nov 5, Morris Island, SC; 1864 Nov 6, Morris Island, SC; 1864 Oct 27, Morris Island, SC; 1878 Aug 16, Calais, Maine
• Root, Henry (M.D.) : 1861 Dec 1, Hunter's Chapel, VA; 1862 Nov 17, Chantilly, VA; 1862 Dec 24, Stafford Courthouse, VA; 1865 Jun 27; 1866 Jun 9, Charleston, SC; 1866 Nov 12, Whitehall, NY; 1866 Nov 21, Whitehall, NY
• Rosenberg, Max : 1863 Sep 3, NYC; 1863 Sep 17, NYC; 1863 Sep 30 , NYC; 1863 Oct 8, NYC
• Royce, W. A. : 1864 Jul 11, Folly Island, SC; 1864 Oct 4, NYC
• Sandford, Charles W. : 1865 Jun 23, Bridgeville, NY
• Sandor, Babogn : 1883 Apr 2, NY
• Sarderouts(?), A. : 1862 Mar 27, NY; 1862 Jun 6, NY; 1862 Jul 29, NY
• Schauffler, Edith : 1864 Dec 26, Morris Island, SC; 1865 Jan 1, Morris Island, SC; 1865 Jan 30, Morris Island, SC; 1865 Feb 1, Morris Island, SC; 1865 Feb 4, Morris Island, SC; 1865 Feb 13, Morris Island, SC; 1865 Feb 13, Morris Island, SC; 1865 Feb 16, Morris Island, SC; 1865 Feb 16, Morris Island, SC; 1865 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, NY; 1862 Jul 21, NY; 1863 Mar 28, near Potomac Creek, VA; 1863 Apr 1, near Potomac Creek, VA
• Stahel, Julius : 1862 Apr 4, near Potomac Creek, VA; 1863 Feb, Stafford Courthouse, VA; 1863 Feb, Stafford Courthouse, VA; 1863 Mar 1, Stafford Courthouse, VA; 1863 Mar 4, Stafford Courthouse, VA; 1863 Mar 7, Stafford Courthouse, VA; 1863 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, SC; 1864 Oct 10, Morris Island, SC; 1864 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
• Van Eyck, A. : 1863 Jan 23, NY; 1863 Jun 29, Hilton Head, SC
• VanBuren, Robert : 1871 Jan 26, Brooklyn, NY
• Wallace, George : 1863 Feb 4, Albany, NY
• Walson, James M. : 1864 Dec 30, Morris Island, SC; 1865 Jan 19, Morris Island, SC; 1865 Jan 20, Morris Island, SC; 1865 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, NY; 1862 Jan 12, NY; 1862 Feb 3, NY; 1862 Feb 8, NY; 1862 Feb 17, NY; 1862 Mar 4, NY; 1862 Mar 26, NY; 1862 Apr 22, NY

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