Frederick George D'Utassy
| Frederick George D'Utassy | |
|---|---|
Col. Frederick George D'Utassy
|
|
| Born |
November 26, 1827 Zala Nagy Kalirsa, Hungary |
| Died | May 5, 1892 (aged 64) Wilmington, Delaware |
| Place of burial | Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, Maryland |
| Allegiance |
United States of America Union |
| Service/branch | Union Army |
| Years of service | 1861–1863 |
| Rank |
 Colonel
|
| Commands held | 39th New York Infantry |
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
| Other work | Soldier (Austrian Army) Instructor Professor of Foreign Languages Businessman |
Frederick George D'Utassy or George Frederick D'Utassy (November 26, 1827 – May 5, 1892) was an officer in the Union Army in the American Civil War who led the famous Garibaldi Guard, or 39th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, from 1861 to 1863. The flamboyant Hungarian Colonel was court-martialed in 1863 for fraud and conduct prejudicial to military discipline.
Frederick George D'Utassy was born in Zala Nagy Kalirsa, Hungary on November 26, 1827. He had a shrouded past as there is no official data and his alleged early life is only on his own testimony. On his own account he served as a Lieutenant in the Austrian Army, but defected to the Hungarian revolutionaries in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, in whose service he attained the rank of Major and was captured and sentenced to death, on which destiny he escaped to the Ottoman Empire. He traveled to Greece and Italy, and in 1855 to England and Nova Scotia. He allegedly worked as a cavalry instructor, a secretary and a dancing teacher. He was appointed a professor of foreign languages at Dalhousie College in Halifax in 1855, as he spoke (at least) English, Hungarian, German, Spanish, French, and Italian. In October 1860 he moved to New York City. D'Utassy was married to his wife Bertha, with whom he had a son named Leo L. D'Utassy (born in 1854). Accompanying them to New York were his mother, his sister and his two brothers Anton and Carl. There D'Utassy started to introduce himself into the city's higher society.
D'Utassy helped to raise and organise the 39th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment, a unit that was mustered in New York City for a service period of three years on May 22, 1861. Initially divided into 11 companies of men from Germany, Hungary, Switzerland, Italy, France, Spain and Portugal, it should ultimately host 11 different nationalities. His brothers Carl (on the muster rolls as Carl von Utassy) and Anton also joined the regiment as Lieutenants (Anton Anthony D'Utassy rose to Captain during the war). On May 27, 1861, they deployed to Washington and in July the 39th participated in the movement of the army towards Manassas. Attached into the 1st Brigade (Col. Louis Blenker) of the 5th Division (Col. Dixon S. Miles) it was only slightly engaged at the First Battle of Bull Run. Stationed in Alexandria, the ill feelings of the multi-ethnic regiment turned into violence and sparked several mutinies - all of those were quelled in D'Utassy's presence. In August, when Blenker was elevated to command of the German Division, D'Utassy took temporary command of the brigade. D'Utassy tried to Americanize his regiment, going so far as refusing to accept orders written in German, trying to use English as the only language used in the regiment and ordering his officer to pass language examinations. D'Utassy was a strong and hot-tempered disciplinarian and initiated severe punishment and several courts-martial for drunkenness or misconduct. He was utterly despised by a great portion of the regiment's officer corps, so much that many officers resigned. At the same time rumors were spread that D'Utassy was an impostor who forged his military records, and in reality an Austrian Jew by the name of Frederick Strasser; but he never officially denounced them. His hatred of all German, a common sentiment in the Hungarian revolutionaries, infuriated both his German superiors and his regiment as about half of the regiment was German. In November the quarrelsome Colonel reverted to command his regiment, and brigade command was given to Julius Stahel, who was junior to D'Utassy and has been promoted to Colonel just few weeks before. At the same time D'Utassy was accused of fraudulently drawing additional rations, but he proved the correctness of his action and the charge was neutralized. In April the feud between D'Utassy and Blenker, that was used under heavy use of the media, culminated in D'Utassy being arrested. D'Utassy demanded a court-martial, but this was denied.
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