Gallery: Actions in the fall of 1861 and early 1862
Charles Zagonyi
Charles Zagonyi was born in Hungary in 1826; he served in the Hungarian army as an officer before coming to America in 1851. He served as an aide to Western Department commander Major General John C. Fremont, and as commander of his bodyguard in 1861.
On October 25, 1861, during General Fremont’s advance on Springfield, Zagonyi led 300 mounted troops in an attack on the Missouri State Guard camp west of town, routing them and temporarily capturing the city.
Zagonyi is pictured here leaning on a sword and standing next to a pedestal holding a flag; the flag was presented to his command by Jessie Benton Fremont, the general’s wife. His signature appears below his photo.
Image Courtesy Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield; WICR 30649
