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Baron von Steuben
By Jane Runyon
Not everyone who fought in the Revolutionary War was a colonist. In those
days, many people would travel over the world fighting for anyone who needed
them. Baron Friedrich von Steuben was from Germany, where he was born in
1730. He spent most of his life from birth to age ten with his father, a military
man, stationed in Russia. When he was ten, his family returned to Germany,
where Friedrich attended school. At the age of 17, he was commissioned as an
officer in the Prussian army. Friedrich was an avid student of military strategy.
He fought courageously with the Prussians until he was thirty-three years old.
In 1763, von Steuben was discharged from the army having attained the rank
of captain. History is a little cloudy about the reasons for his discharge. The
greatest skill he mastered in the army was that of a drillmaster. He believed
that discipline and drill were the main ingredients needed to produce a
successful army.
After his discharge from the army, von Steuben became a part of the royal
court. He was given the title of Baron. Unfortunately for him, he did not have
the money he needed to support the lifestyle he enjoyed living. He tried unsuccessfully to sell his services as a
military man to several European countries. During the summer of 1777, he traveled to Paris. He had heard that
the American envoy, Benjamin Franklin, was there. He believed he might be able to convince Franklin that his
talents were needed to help the American colonial army.
Franklin was impressed. He was also wise enough to realize that sending a foreign captain would not impress
the American army. A trick was arranged with the help of the French military, Franklin, and von Steuben. Baron
von Steuben was introduced to General George Washington as a Lieutenant General in the King of Prussia's army.
In September of 1777, von Steuben reached the American coast and began his time in the colonial army. He
began his duty with George Washington at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, in February of 1778. His job was to train
the disorganized militia into a disciplined army. He spoke no English at all. He spoke enough French that he
could communicate with some of the other officers on Washington's staff. It must have been quite a sight to see
the baron yelling and screaming at the troops in German and French. They couldn't understand a word he was
saying. He had to assign an officer just to do his yelling for him in English.
Baron von Steuben changed the way an army was trained. Some of his techniques are still practiced today.
He also changed the way an army camp was set up. When he arrived, there was little thought given to sanitation
or its effect on the men. This changed. Tents were then set up in an organized manner. Kitchen and latrine
(bathroom) areas were set up away from the living areas. Latrines were positioned so that the waste would run
downhill, away from the camp.
In the 1700s, war was fought differently from today. Most of the battles were fought with the sides standing
fairly close to each other, face to face. The success of winning the battle was determined by which side could
load their rifles the fastest, shoot off a volley, and reload to shoot again. Von Steuben drilled his men until they
could accomplish this action in a very short time. They counted to eight and used fifteen motions in a rapid style.
This may sound like a lot to do, but it was less than most other armies used.
Baron von Steuben was recommended for the post of Inspector General of the American forces in April of
1778. He fought with Washington throughout the rest of the war and was one of the commanders at Yorktown in
1781.
After the Revolutionary War, von Steuben was given American citizenship. The state of New York awarded
him an estate of almost 16,000 acres. He didn't have any money to keep the estate going, however. He had never
been paid for his service in the Continental Army. In 1790, the United States finally decided to recognize the
service he had given and established a $2,500 annual pension. He died just four years later, a bachelor who had
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given his whole life to the military he loved.
Baron von Steuben
Questions
1. Friedrich von Steuben was commissioned in which army?
A. American
B. Russian
C. German
D. Prussian
2. What happened to von Steuben when he was thirty-three years old?
3. Baron von Steuben married at a very young age.
A. false
B. true
4. What American sent von Steuben to the colonies?
A. He sent himself.
B. George Washington
C. Benjamin Franklin
D. the King of Prussia
5. What did von Steuben think was an important skill a soldier could master?
A. close order drill
B. quick rifle loading
C. face to face fighting
D. discipline
6. How were battles fought in the 1700s?
7. How much did Baron von Steuben get paid for fighting in the Revolutionary War?
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8. In what two areas did von Steuben make the biggest changes for the better in the military?
A. sanitation and training
B. sanitation and drill
C. shooting and training
D. drill and yelling
How would you train a group of farmers and boys to fight a war?
Describe what you think a battle during the Revolutionary War would be like. How did they fight? What
weapons did they use?