Born in 1815, at Nagybecskerek (Délvidék, Southern Hungary, Serbia today). He started a military career with the 34th infantry regiment. Lieutenant in Ferdinand 1st's cavalry regiment. Resigned before 1848 and married the widowed Baron Mária Revitzky. Re-enlisted from his estate in Zemplén County and by February 1849 major in the Honvéd engineers. He was a brigade commander within the 9th division, and Bem appointed him a colonel after the battle of Temesvár. He retreated into Transylvania, hoping to start anew from there with reduced forces; surrendered August 19, 1849.