Baron von Steuben

Friedrich Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin von Steuben  was born in Magdeburg fortress where his father was a lieutenant in the army in 1730. Most of his teenage years were spent in Russia, but with his father when he was 10 brough him back to Germany. He studied in Breslau by some Jesuits and by the age of 17, he was a Prussian officer in the army. He was a member of an infantry unit and a staff officer in the 7-Year war, later became a member of the general staff serving in Prussia.

His experiences as a general staff in the Prussian Army gave him knowledge that was unknown by many, even in the British and French armies of the period. His training would eventually bring to the American militia the knowledge necessary to create an army.

Baron von Steuben traveled to Paris in the summer of 1777. He was hired by the french minister of war Count de St. Germain who helped his potential fully grow as an officer with Prussian General Staff training. Later von Steuben was introduced to George Washington by letters from Benjamin Franklin as a Lieutenant General in the King of Prussia's service, exaggerating his actual titles. He left Europe from Marseilles, on September 26th, 1777, he reached Portsmouth, New Hampshire and by December 1st, he was being entertained in Boston. After being ousted from Philadelphia for the winter and on February 5 1778, von Steuben was with them. He offered himself to volunteer, pay for the time, and on February 23rd, von Steuben was reporting for duty to George Washington at Valley Forge. Steuben did not speak English, but his French was good, so he could communicate with some of the officers. Washington's aide-de-camp, Alexander Hamilton as well as Nathanael Greene were a great help with this. The two men assisted Steuben in drafting a training program for the soldiers which found approval with the Commander in Chief in March of that year.

The results of the army training were evident in May 20 1778 at Barren Hill and then at Monmouth ending in June 28th. Washington recommended an appointment for Steuben as Inspector General on April 30th, and on May 5th, Congress approved it. It was Steuben serving in Washington's headquarters in the summer of 1778 who was the first to report the enemy was heading for Monmouth. During the winter of 1778-1779, Steuben prepared regulations for the order and discipline of the troops of the United States, also known as the "Blue Book." It's base was the plan he used at Valley Forge.

The following winter his commission was representing Washington to Congress regarding the reorganization of the army. He later traveled with Nathanael Greene (the new commander of the Southern campaign). He stayed in Virginia because the American supplies and soldiers would be provided to the army from there. He helped the campaign in the south during the spring of 1781, succesfully ending in the delivery of 450 Virginia Continentals to Lafayette in June. He was forced to take sick leave, rejoining the army for the final campaign at yorktown. At Yorktown his role was as commander of one of the three divisions of Washington's troops. He gave assistance to Washington in demobilizing the army in 1783 as well as aiding in the defense plan of the new nation. He became an American citizen by act of Pennsylvania legislature in March 1784 and later by the New York authorities in July 1786. He was dischargd from the military with honor on March 24, 1784.