General Steuben
Friedrich Wilhelm Von Steuben was
born in Magdeburg, Germany in 1730. He served with
distinction in the army of Frederick the Great of Prussia,
becoming expert in drilling and training of troops.
Because of this exceptional ability, and influenced by Benjamin
Franklin and Count St. German, French Minister of War, Von
Steuben sailed for America to aid the young nation in its fight
for independence. He offered his services to General
Washington without rank or pay, arriving at Valley Forge in the
late winter of 1777-78. He found the soldiers in a
deplorable condition, without uniforms or weapons.
Appointed by Congress to be Inspector General of the Army, Von
Steuben set about training the unorganized band of ragged
soldiers. He infused in them a sense of discipline and
converted them into an excellent fighting force. He gave
confidence to the officers and men, enabling them to continue on
to victory at Yorktown.
As "Drill Instructor"
of the Continental Army, Von Steuben wrote "Regulations for
the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United
States". Although this Manual has been modified - it
still remains the basic guide for the discipline and drill of
the Army.
Steuben was remarkable for the
generosity and fineness of his nature, spending his entire
income beyond what was essential to his own simple needs in
purchasing clothing and rations for his men. In
recognition of his services, the Congress granted him an annuity
and New York State presented him with a large tract of
land. He became an American citizen and lived in New York
until his death in 1794. He was laid to rest in a hero's
grave on his estate in Steuben County, where the inscription on
a bronze plaque sums up the contribution that he made to the new
nation:
"Indispensable to the
Achievement of American Independence".
Steuben's military services in America are
likewise very adequately indicated in General John McCauley
Palmer's biography on Steuben by his most praiseworthy
statement:
"...In the course of my researches, I
was soon convinced that the military services of two men,
and two men only, can be regarded as indispensable to the
achievement of American independence. These two men
were Washington and Steuben. When I say that their
military services were indispensable, I mean that each of
them contributed something essential to final victory, that
could not have been contributed by any other man in the
American Army..."
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